Despite the tragically caveless year, the annual AGM featured elaborate speeches from high-spirited candidates, promising to single-handedly eliminate the pandemic to allow us to return to the underground once more. Distant oases were discussed such as actual club trips, new minibuses and double-decker chocolate bars. The voting saw some very close deciders – both President and Treasurer were decided by one vote only, however RON was denied a place on the committee once again.

It was feared that there would be few nominees for the ‘Herman Herz’ and ‘For Evan’s Sake’ awards, but surprisingly there were many candidates; Claims for near misses included Rhys for abseiling onto a supposed murder scene and Lucie and her boyfriend for climbing down a section of cave without rope, but ultimately the winner of Herman Herz was the whole club for surviving a whole year without going on a single trip. Bodily fluids that were creatively used included Sasha the dog’s vomit sprayed onto the floor of cave house and the entire human race’s mucus sprayed onto each other, but it was decided that For Evan’s Sake would be awarded to Dave’s gallbladder for turning against him halfway through the year.

And thus ends the most eventful uneventful year in club history, our eyes set on a future caked with mud once again.

Congratulations to the new committee:

Dear all prospective and existing members of ICCC,

This is the obligatory COVID-19 declaration. It’s been (and still is) a rotten year, and things aren’t going to be business as usual for a long time. Deepest commiserations to this year’s freshers for their unacceptably sober start to university life. As things stand, with a 6 person cap on social activities, and a suspension of face-to-face-activities, minibus hire and overnight stays by the union, the club won’t be going caving again until spring term.

When the union rules allow, we will run our usual SRT (single rope techniques) training sessions in Princes’ Gardens using a booking system. New members are strongly encouraged to attend - it’s a great way to get to know each other and to gain skills that you’ll need when we go underground again. In the meantime, join us for virtual pub nights every tuesday from 6pm via the link which is sent out to our mailing list at 5:30 the same day (sign up to our mailing list here). Between pub nights we can spend all that free time our lecturers/ supervisors/ bosses seem to think we have getting misty-eyed browsing past trip reports and planning our glorious return.

Wishing everyone well,

ICCC committee

ICCCs first ever pandemic-fuelled video AGM involved many humans from the UK and beyond. It was a close election as ever but RON was inevitably defeated and we now have a shiny new committee. Excellent speeches were given, some featuring snakes. Presidential candidates had questionable opinions on the correct method of eggy bread creation but promises of a new breakfast menu and eloquent email writing give us hope for the year ahead.

Congratulations to the new committee:

And also commiserations to the winners of the following awards:

Herman Herz: Jimmy and Davey Dubz for an array of near misses this year.

For Evans' Sake: Davey Dubz for potential incontinence on a trip to Crescent.

A weekend spent in sunny Castleton featuring several previously unvisited caves, full bunk rooms and stumbling around fields in search of Titan.

A relaxed, manure-filled weekend in the Mendips.

A wild weekend in Yorkshire featuring black book trips and an unreliable minibus.

A glorious week in the NPC with much caving, a Christmas dinner and of course, hair cuts.

Dazzled by sunshine and frost, we abandoned our Notts plans and invaded other caves instead.

A weekend of caving, competitions and bus mishaps.

A weekend in Yorkshire at the Bradford Pothole Club. Epic plans for Alum Pot were made but thwarted by other overly keen cavers, and trips down to Kingsdale were made with little faffing.