Hidden Earth 2010

The UK's National Caving Conference and Exhibition

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Hidden Earth is the UK's annual caving conference, hosted by the British Cave Research Association and the British Caving Association for the benefit of all cavers.

Online bookings for Hidden Earth 2010 will open on 1 June. Click Here

For 2010, the UK's national caving conference & exhibition will be in Staffordshire at Leek High School, in the market town of Leek, on the edge of the Peak District National Park. See Location Information. The event will take place from Friday 24 to Sunday 26 September.

If you are thinking of offering to give a lecture or to participate in any way, please do not wait to be asked! With our limited manpower we cannot ask everybody individually. Contact us and let us know what you want to do.

On-site events will include...

• Expedition and science lectures
• Regional UK caving round-ups
• Meetings and workshops
• Trade and club stands in the exhibition area
• Photo and art displays
• Competitions
• Rope testing rig
• Saturday evening dinner with guest speaker Andy Eavis
• On-site camping

Admission fees unchanged for six years. The rate on the door is £15/day or £25 for the weekend, with discounts for advance booking. The Saturday dinner is £14 and must be booked in advance. Camping is £5/tent.

Speleo-Olympics: Grab a mate and try the caver assault course, with the prospect of winning a bottle of champagne and your names on the trophy. (The event will take place at times throughout the weekend, in the exhibition area).

SRT Competitions: Prusik race, and assault course (passing re-belays), tackle-bag stuffing and, in remembrance of pre-SRT days, a ladder climbing race. Men's and women's prizes in each category. Once again, these competitions are organised by Mark Wright Training, who will be offering the prize of a complete set of SRT kit to the overall winner. The event will take place at announced times throughout the weekend, in the exhibition area.

Saturday Evening: As in previous years there is a dinner for which you need to book in advance. The guest speaker this year is Andy Eavis.

After the dinner there will be the usual Stomp and Bar. The Stomp band, this year, is Rockaholic. The on-site camping means you won't have to stagger far afterwards.

The BCA Rope Testing Rig, so bring along 2.5m samples of your old SRT ropes and help contribute to this long-standing project.

Competitions

BCRA Photo Salon: This is a place where everyone from beginner to seasoned professional can display their photographs. There are three main categories of competition - colour print, monochrome print, and digital files. Additional prizes include the prestigious Premier Trophy, best UK newcomer, cave life and the fun shot, judged by the audience 'laughometer'. There are prizes in all categories and, this year, an additional prize, as follows...

* these prizes must be collected from Moore Books during the weekend

There is also a non-competition category in the photo salon - the 'digital showcase'. Just bring along a CD-ROM of your photos and they will be displayed on a monitor in the exhibition area.

Video Media Salon: The term 'video media' is intended to encompass all depictions of moving images and sequences of pictures and the competition will cover any aspect of caves, mines or potholes. Entries will be screened at the conference and will be judged for their artistic, technical and aesthetic qualities with particular emphasis on artistic originality and innovation. Prizes awarded. Please note that entry forms must be completed in advance of the event - entries on the day are not accepted.

ISSA Art & Cartoon Salons: These are open to all forms of visual art, except photographs, including drawing, painting, print-making, sculpture and textiles relating to any aspect of caves and caving. Entries will be judged, this year, by a panel of judges. The art salon is organised for Hidden Earth by the International Society for Speleological Art.

• Display your Club T-shirt and if it catches people's eye for its art or wit, you might win a prize!
• Try our Closed-loop Surveying Competition and show us how good (or bad) you really are at cave surveying.
• Design an impressive Caving Club Stand and win a prize.

Hidden Earth is an activity of the British Cave Research Association. BCRA is a UK registered charity, number 267828. It is a constituent body of the British Caving Association, undertaking charitable activities on behalf of BCA

Hidden Earth 2010 poster photography by Paul Deakin

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