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What is SUSS – Sheffield University Speleological Society?
SUSS – Sheffield University Speleological Society is the student caving club at the University of Sheffield, based in South Yorkshire. Its site describes a club that has been caving for more than 60 years and runs a regular programme: evening trips in the Peak District, rope training for newcomers, caving weekends away every other week during term time, Thursday pub meets and socials every few weeks.
It is aimed mainly at students and other newcomers in or near Sheffield who want to try caving without buying lots of kit or committing to a big expedition straight away. The emphasis is on turning up and learning with the club, with experienced members helping beginners.
If you are thinking about going along, the useful next step is to look at the trip reports to see what the trips are actually like, then check the club’s joining or subscription information before your first evening trip. If you are not in Sheffield, the site points to newtocaving.com for general guidance on getting into caving.
How can I join SUSS if I've never been caving before?
You can join SUSS as a complete beginner — the club is built around welcoming new faces and running introductory trips. According to its own site, it offers rope training sessions for newcomers, evening caving trips in the Peak District, and weekend caving trips every other week during term time. It also meets in the pub every Thursday and hosts socials every few weeks, so you can meet members before committing to a trip underground.
H3 Practical next steps
- Check the club's own pages for current joining and subscription details, since membership arrangements and term schedules change: SUSS.
- Turn up to a Thursday pub meet — the site presents this as the regular social entry point, and it is the lowest-pressure way to ask about gear, transport and upcoming beginner trips.
- Ask specifically about a newcomers' rope training session and an evening Peak District trip. Those are the two routes the club describes for people starting out.
- Expect to borrow or hire kit at first rather than buying it. Caving gear is specialist and expensive; most university clubs have club kit for novices, but confirm this with SUSS directly rather than assuming.
- If you are not based in Sheffield, the club points people elsewhere for general beginner guidance; New to Caving is the resource it names.
H3 What to weigh up Student clubs are cheap and sociable, but they run on volunteer time and term-time rhythms. If you are not a student or not in Sheffield, a local regional caving club may suit you better, since it will run trips year-round and closer to home. If you are a student in Sheffield, SUSS is the obvious starting point: the beginner pipeline, the training and the social side are already in place.
A useful decision criterion: if you can make a Thursday evening and one weekend this term, try SUSS first. If you cannot commit to term-time weekends, ask about the evening Peak District trips as a lower-commitment way in.
What caving trips does SUSS run during term time?
SUSS runs three main types of caving activity during term time, according to its own site: evening trips in the Peak District, rope training sessions for newcomers, and weekend caving trips away every other week. It also meets in the pub every Thursday and holds socials every few weeks, which matters if you want the club's social side rather than only the underground trips.
H3 What each option involves
- Evening caving trips (Peak District): Short local trips after the day's commitments, suited to students based in Sheffield who want regular time underground without giving up a whole weekend.
- Rope training for newcomers: Skills sessions aimed at people with no caving experience, so you can learn rope work before joining harder trips.
- Weekend trips away, every other week in term: The main trips beyond the local area, running roughly fortnightly during term.
H3 How to choose
- New to caving and short on time: start with an evening Peak District trip and a rope training session.
- Want variety and longer caves: aim for the fortnightly weekend trips.
- Mainly interested in the people: the Thursday pub meet and periodic socials are the low-commitment entry point.
The site says newcomers are always welcome, so the practical next step is to check the trip reports to see what recent trips actually looked like, then turn up to a Thursday pub meet or ask about the next beginner-friendly evening trip. If you are not in Sheffield, the club points to newtocaving.com for general guidance on getting into caving.
Do I need my own caving gear or does SUSS provide equipment?
SUSS is set up for newcomers, so you don’t need to buy a full caving kit before you try it. The club runs rope training sessions for beginners and evening trips in the Peak District, which strongly suggests it has the shared technical gear (ropes, harnesses, helmets, lights and oversuits) that a novice would need. You should still expect to bring or arrange some personal items — warm layers, sturdy footwear that can get muddy, and a change of clothes — and to ask the club directly about sizes and availability before your first trip.
What to check before you go
- Ask whether your first trip includes loan kit, and whether there is a hire or deposit charge.
- Confirm what personal clothing they recommend for the season; the Peak District can be cold and wet year-round.
- If you have your own helmet or light, tell the trip organiser so they can plan.
A practical first step Email or message the club before a Thursday pub meet or a beginner session, saying you’re new and asking what they can lend you. That way you’ll know whether to borrow boots or a helmet from a friend.
For general background on caving and getting started, the club points to New to Caving. If you’re a student elsewhere, a university club such as SUSS is often the cheapest way to try caving with borrowed gear; if you’re not near Sheffield, look for a local club that offers novice trips and loan equipment.
How much does a SUSS subscription cost and what does it include?
The SUSS page doesn't state a price for its subscription, and no membership fee is listed in the material provided. What it does show is a Subscribe page at SUSS — that's where any current cost and inclusions would be set out.
What the club describes as part of being involved:
- Evening caving trips in the Peak District
- Rope training sessions for newcomers
- Caving weekends away roughly every other week during term time
- Weekly Thursday pub meet-ups and socials every few weeks
Whether those are covered by the subscription or charged separately per trip isn't specified on the page. For a student club, membership fees typically cover insurance and club equipment, while travel, accommodation and any cave access charges are often paid per trip — but treat that as general advice, not a confirmed SUSS arrangement.
Next step: open the Subscribe page directly and, if the fee or what it covers is still unclear, ask the club by email or at the Thursday pub meet before paying.
What social events and weekly meetups does SUSS organise for members?
SUSS runs a regular weekly pub meet every Thursday and hosts socials every few weeks, alongside its caving programme. The pub night is the informal entry point: a low-commitment way to meet members, hear trip plans and ask questions before committing to a trip. The broader socials are spaced out through the term and are aimed at keeping the club lively between caving weekends.
For a student weighing up whether to join, the practical sequence is usually:
- Turn up to a Thursday pub meet first — no kit or experience needed.
- Use it to sign up for an evening caving trip in the Peak District, which the club runs for newcomers.
- Add a rope training session if you want to progress beyond the beginner trips.
- Join one of the caving weekends away, which run every other week during term time.
The main trade-off is frequency versus intensity. The weekly pub meet is constant and cheap but not itself caving; the weekends away are the real substance of the club but require more time and commitment. If you are new to the sport, the Thursday meet plus a newcomer evening trip is the sensible starting pair.
Next step: check the club's trip reports to see what recent weekends actually involved, then check the subscribe page for how membership and updates are handled. If you are not based in Sheffield, New to Caving is the general starting point the club itself points to.
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