National Congress50th birthday

of the French Federation of Caving

8th Euro Speleo Forum

Y OUR CONTACTS

JEAN-PIERRE GRUATCHAIRMAN OF THE ORGANIZATION BOARD

67 bis chemin de Bouysse 12100 MILLAUTél. : 05 65 60 28 51 – E-mail. : bouysse67@yahoo.fr

REGIONAL CAVING BOARD

Tél. : 05 34 30 77 45 – E-mail. : comite.speleo.midipy@free.fr

FRENCH FEDERATION OF CAVING

28 rue Delandine 69002 LYONTél. : 04 72 56 09 63 – Fax : 04 78 42 15 98E-mail. : SECRETARIAT@FFSPELEO.FR

Supported by the Regional Caving Board ''Midi-Pyrénées''and by the French Federation of Caving,

the Departmental Caving Board of Aveyron organizes the National Congress 2013 on the occasion of

the 50th birthday of the French Federation of Caving.

Moreover, this meeting has a european dimension because the 8th Euro Speleo Forum, annual meeting of The European Federation of Speleologyoccurs in the same place at the same date.

You will find below the main informations about the organization: places, dates, infrastructures : lieu, dates, reception, themes, communication, animation.

Images: cavers, canyoneers, cave divers of the ''Midi-Pyrénées'' region, among them Eric Boyer, Max Dargegen, Jean-François Fabriol, Delphine Jaconelli, Bertrand Laurent, Jean-Louis Rocher, Fabrice Rozier, Michel Soulier.

The French Federation of Caving 1

Places and dates 2

Reception 2

A theme for the congress and the 50th birthday 3

A theme for the 8th Euro Speleo Forum 3

Animations for everybody (cavers and non cavers) 4

Conferences 5

School 6

Caving and Canyoning 9

Exhibitions 10

Around a contemporary art exhibition 11

Publications 12

An important announcement about this event 13

General organization and aims 14

Millau 2013, your event! 15

Inheritor of emblematic characters such as Edouard-Alfred Martel, Norbert Casteret, Robert de Joly or Bernard Gèze, the French Federation of Caving, ''FFS'', whose place is at Lyon, is born Juny the first, 1963 at Millau. It gather together people interested by this multi-faced activity: sport as well as hydrology, biospeleology, archeology, karstology...

Its aim is :- To gather people practicizing or studying caving, canyoning

and especially exploration and knowledge of artificial and natural underground environments.

- Scientific research, promotion, and teaching of caving and canyoning, protection and preservation of underground world and its environment.

- To sustain missions of cave rescue, prevention, formation in artificial or natural caves, free or drowned.- To organize, alone or with other structures, meetings related to caving and canyoning.

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In the year 2011, French Federation of Caving is :

7494 members (among them 24 % female)472 clubs

77 Departmental Boards22 Regional Boards

Member of the College of Non Olympic Sportive Federations, the French Federation of Caving has a public-service mission and depends of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.Recognized as Nature Protection Association, it is authorized by the Environment Ministry. It also is authorized by the Home Ministry as acting for civil safety at national and international levels.

At the occasion of its 50th birthday, the French Federation of Caving comes back to its native land . It proposes, during several months, animations to the largest number around the event:

« Millau 2013 ».

The European Federation of Caving will be stakeholder, for it organizes in the same time its 8th congress.

The Regional Caving Board ''Midi-Pyrénées'' and the Departemental Caving Board of Aveyron organize this event, for that purpose a leading board of almost thirty people has been created at the end of 2011.

It operates with technical commissions, these commissions allow to teach, train, communicate, and perform cave rescue.

At the local level, it is represented by decentralized structures such as Regional Boards, Departmental Boards, and Clubs.

As during the 100th birthday of Caving, the congress will take place inside the town of Millau. This will allow the cavers to move without car among the different places of exhibition and meeting.We expect during the week-end of Pentecost almost 2000 participants.

The whole ''Parc de la Victoire'' will be the main place of this meeting, with a very large room, a place to play bowls, and outside areas that can receive marquees if needed.

Moreover, we have:- the large room for two hundred people of 2ISA, devoted to films and for the French Federation of

Caving general meeting, - the ''salle de la menuiserie'' devoted to the meeting of chairmans of regional adn departemental

caving boards, and for the general meeting of the European Federation of Caving,- the large room for five hundred people at the House of People, devoted to conferences and films,- four or five little rooms on the saturday for some meetings.

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In order to point out the 50th birthday of our federation, the selected place is the one where it has been created in 1963:

MILLAU

Several events will take place around Millau and the ''Grands Causses'' during ten days, from the week-end of Ascension to the one of Pentecost.

The 18th, 19th and 20th may 2013 (week-end of Pentecost) will be devoted to the National Congress and to the 8th Euro Speleo Forum, and will be the main event of the birthday.

The selected theme for this meeting is ''the underground worlds''

The European Congress will put the emphasis on the ''History of National Federations in Europe''.

Both themes will be the guidelines of this extraordinary meeting

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Workshops of the French Federation of Caving and of the European Federation of Caving will take place along this Pentecost week-end.Nevertheless, thi is a true caving and canyon party, and several animations will take place since september 2012.You will find below a description of these animations, depending on the progress of the event at the present day.

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A program of animations for schools

It will be proposed to the local schools to work along the scholar year 2012-2013 with the theme ''the underground worlds''. In parallel, caving trips will be proposed. Details will be found below.

A tyrolienne will be installed

The installation of a tyrolienne of almost 2km, a new world record of length, is planned. At the present time, the world record is 1.1 km.

Canyoning and caving trips

Before the congress, trips devoted to canyoning and caving initiation will be organized, with the help of the Technical Advisors of the French Federation of Caving.Caves and canyons will be equiped.

Exhibitions

Many exhibitions will take place during this unique event.

Des conférences

During the ten days between Ascension and Pentecost, conferences will be organized in order to allow the broad public and the cavers coming from all european countries to discover underground worlds.

The festival Image’In

The 3rd European Festival of Caving Film, Image’In, will take place during the Pentecost week-end.

Stands

A place for stands will allow to the caving structures at all levels (clubs, departmental and regional boardings, french and european federations) and to their partners to exhibit and promote their missions, researches...Stands will be reserved for commercials (booksellers, material providers…)

Other animations

Other animations (''parcours palettes'', survey, tombola, …) are being to be planned.

Due to the european dimension of this meeting, the abstract of the conferences will be produced in french, english, spannishm, in the proceedings of the congress.

Leading program and ideas

- The first conferences will be listened by a local public as well as a n international public.The animations proposed during the ten days will appeal an important public, coming outside the region.

- May the 8th, at the beginning, conferences will approach the general aspects of activities related to caving.

- The history of the French Federation of Caving will be approached May the 17th.

- Conferences devoted to specific themes of underground world will take place during may the 11th, 14th, 15th, 16th .

The planned schedule for the conferences is the following :

Date Place Other detailsWednesday (May 8th, 2013) Maison du peuple Films : Beginning of the Big PartyFriday (May 10th, 2013) Amphi 2ISA ConferencesSaturday (May 11th, 2013) Amphi 2ISA ConferencesTuesday (May 14th, 2013) Amphi 2ISA ConferencesWednesday (May 15th, 2013 Amphi 2ISA ConferencesThursday (May 16th, 2013) Amphi 2ISA ConferencesFriday (May 17th, 2013) Maison du peuple Congress formal beginingSaturday (May 18th, 2013) Maison des grands évènements Conferences

Saturday (May 18th, 2013) Maison du peupleAmphi 2ISA Films festival Imag’in

Sunday (May 19th , 2013) Maison du peuple Films festival Imag’inSunday (May 19th , 2013) Maison des grands évènements ConferencesMonday (May 20th, 2013) Maison des grands évènements Conferences

Proposed themes

1 / Use of caves among history- Prehistory - Middle age- Contemporary

2 / Caving- History of caving- History of the French Federation of Caving- Looking for new caves today (expeditions abroad, local discoveries)...

3/ Géology, karstology, flora- Formation of caves in different rocks- Characteristics of karstic grounds- Fauna, insects

4/ Protection and water stocks- Protection of caves, examples in France and around the world.- Basins and their protection.- Agriculture and caving

5/ Artificial underground environments (electric plants, centrales électriques, tunnel, mines...)- Caving in mines- Mines (salt, cooper, lead….)- Caving and discovery of ancient places

(underground passages, ancient mines or quarries)- Underground plants (electric plants,...)

6/ Myths, legends and other fabulous stories.- Sprites- Mysteries of disappearances- Caves used as hiding place

7/ Cave diving, rises (water and cave in the practice of caving)- History of cave diving- Rises underground and their consequences on caving- Mishaps due to rises

8/ Caving and disability

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Organization of evening parties

- A main theme by party.- The evening party has a length of about

2H30 (film and debate).- One to tree speakers will take part in each

evening.- Each conference must be accompanied

with a projection.- Local and national and/or international

component of a same subject during the same evening.

Ancienne cave bâtarde

Themes related to curriculums

The themes related to underground world are numerous: decipher the path of water inside the limestone, discover the fragile subterranean fauna, understand the aims of sustainable development related to drinkable water, wonder about the history of animals of the jurassic or about the one of neolithic mankind, dream along many myth and legends, use the underground environment for leisure without forgetting its preservation...

These themes are related to many contents of school curriculums: biology and geology, geography, history, french, sport, artistic education...Among the related knowledges, there are the geology of sedimentary rocks, the sustainable development of water resources, the adaptation of life to a peculiar environment, how to understand some informative and documentary texts, the production of scientific or fictional texts, how to move in the underground environment...

Our actions will be pedagogical tools proposed to the young and their teachers along the scholar year.

Actions

The actions described below will be proposed to the classes, through multi-disciplinary activities ''on demand'' . Each activity will be oriented toward science, or literature, or sport, and will be adapted to the different levels.

September to October 2012

Action 1 : Films projections Schools, secondary schools, colleges

In a partnership with Millau's movie theater, or 2ISA (Informatic Institute of the South Aveyron), that has a room devoted to films projections, some selected short films will be proposed to the classes that are volunteers (with a reduced price). Others partnerships are possible near Saint Affrique, Rodez, or Villefranche-de-Rouergue.

Five thematic films:- History: a reconstitution of the first trip along Bramabiau by E.A.Martel team,- Sport and science: a film about caving,- Animals: the bats (documentary film),- Environmental and scientific: the underground

waters.

Other planned actions will add to these projections.

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The year of underground worlds: general public and goals.

With a partnership with the local board of Millau, we want to use the 50th birthday of the French Federation of Caving to perform during the scholar year 2012-2013 actions in order to sensibilize young of the schools, secondary schools, colleges, of Aveyron.

The main goals are:- To allow a young public to discover the wealth of

the karstic environment, especially the one of the ''Grand Causses''.

- To allow a positive image of caving to diffuse.

October 2012 to May 2013

Action 2 : Competitions, exhibitions Kindergartens, schools,secondary schools,colleges

- Artistic education: Posters competition (deadline first quarter of the scholar year 2011)

Artistic exhibitionArtistic projects will be proposed to the schools and will lead to an exhibition (and a competition). Selected themes:

− Bat. In parallel with the contemporary art competition, open to artists from everywhere in Europa, the classes will create on the theme of bat, this emblematic animal of underground world.

- Underground worlds. Free subject treated as postal art.

- Dark. Dark of gloom or dark of daylight... This work will be linked with wall creations of Pierre Soulages.− Wall art. The creations will be inspired by the worksof the people of prehistory and aborigenes, or by their techniques.

The remarkable works will be awarded

Exhibition about contemporary art: works of contemporary artists, devoted to be exposed in the Mas d'Azil cave (Ariège, France) in 2009 will be lent by the Toulouse's FRAC, in order to sensibilize the pupils to contemporary art.

- Sciences : Discovering batsAnimations about the theme of bat will be organized by the ''Ligue de Protection des Oiseaux'' (Birds Protection League) and the '' Centre Permanent d’initiative pour l’Environnement'', and will add to the competition. Some documents about the bats (protection, location, life, and so...) will be available.

- History and prehistory:

Conference: a conference about the Chauvet cave will present to the pupils the use of this sanctuary cave by the mens of prehistory.

Exhibition: an exhibition will take place in Millau about pictural caves. The visitors, equipped with headlamps, will discover in a Millau's underground room some images of pictures and etchings.

Archeology: during this period, the Millau's museum would put the emphazis on the local underground archeological discoveries. Field animations by archeologists of the area of Millau are also planned.

- French: Literature competitionLiterature about underground worlds (fictional, scientific, fantastic, adventure...). These activities will be synchronous of the book festival of Perché de Mostuéjouls.

Awards: trips underground offered to the classes (caves of La Ficelle, La Cabane), publication of the best productions.

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Track leading to the bottom of the Boundoulaou cirque

Action 3 : History, legends Kindergartens, schools, secondary schools, and colleges

- Literature :

Reports from the depths Reading of myths, legends, stories, and adventures about underground worlds (''Causses'' or other). . The public library, Millau's cultural associations, and storytellers are partners in this initiative.

This action may be linked with action 2, for it contributes to feed the imagination, the literary and artictic creativity of the pupils, in order to create texts, posters, and other works.

In order to help these classes, a selection of texts, novels, comics, albums, adapted to each level, will be proposed. These works will be accompanied with revision notes. The purchase of some series (26 books) will be performed in order to be lent to the voluntary classes: J’aime lire « Mon aventure sous la Terre » - Norbert Casteret : « Ce que j’ai vu sous terre » - Jules Vernes « Voyage au centre de la Terre » - « L’auberge de l’abîme » André Chanson – Cartoons and albums for kids...

Action 4 : Technical and sportive initiation Schools, secondary schools, colleges

- Sportive education:

Initiation to caving

During the time devoted to studies, in association with the Millau's sport teachers (secobdary school, college) and the Millau's public monitors (school), learning sessions will take place (6X2h) about alpine caving techniques. It will lead to a trip in a cave with small pitches. In the secondary schools and colleges, this may be included inside an ''itinéraire de découverte'' (track for discovery) or educational care.

UNSS (Sportive association inside a secondary school or college): A competition ''Progression Souterraine'', will take place in a small horizontal cave during the ''Raid Multisports départemental'' (departmental multi-sports competition) that will occur in the south Aveyron in the middle of May (colleges) or the first part of June (secondary schools).

USEP (Sportive association inside a -primary- school): the afternoon of a wednesday will be devoted to playing a game at the surface of underground waters (action 5).

Action 5 : A game about underground waters Schools, secondary schools, colleges

- Geology and geography:

« Hydroflip », an inquiry and orientation game on the surface of the underground waters of a limestone plateau.

This game allows a best understanding of the geology of limestone plateaus, how the water flows underground, and the consequences of different pollutions on the springs. Together with the ''CPIE' and Millau's sport monitors, the willful classes will participate to this game, that will take place in the Boundoulaou's limestone cirque (town of Creissels).This game can be played with the company of an instructor (''CPIE'', monitor) or in full autonomy using the given documentation.

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Some picturesof the Aveyron underground

Action 6: Visit of a touristic cave Kindergartens, schols, secondary schools, colleges

- Geology and geography:

Visiting a touristic cave is unavoidable for pupils involved in projects around the underground worlds. Some trips are organized in the (non fitted out) "Grotte de la Ficelle", the winning classes will be able to visit other non fitted caves of the Causses. All the classes will enjoy special prices in the touristic caves (Bramabiau, Dargilan, Aven Armand, Labeil,...)

Equipment of some caves

Almost twelve caves will be equipped, in order to allow the discovery of the local karstic environment:

On the ''causse Noir'':- Aven de Puech Nègre- Aven des Patates- Aven de Valat Nègre- Aven Bob

On the ''causse de Sauveterre'':- Aven Lacas- Grotte du Coutal- Traversée de la grotte de Suèges (causse satellite)

On the ''causse du Larzac'':- Traversée avens de la Bise 1 et 2- Abîme du Mas Raynal- Traversés Pas d’Estrecht – Cabanes St-Paul- Aven de la Portalerie- Grotte de la Ficelle

In order to perform the equipment of the twelve selected caves, the following items will be needed:- 2350 meters of rope,- More than 300 carabiners,- 50 meters of dyneema,- 250 hours of benevolent work,- and 1020 kilometers on the road.

Other caves, that will not be equipped, will be indicated to the participants, canyons will also be proposed.

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Disability and caving,A partnership with 2ISA

A partnership between 2ISA (Informatics institute of South Aveyron) has been established: 2ISA is able to freely provide his amphiteater (199 seats), in exchange for the organization of caving trips (one by year, a total of three at the end of 2013). Almost 15 people, including supervisors, can participate to a trip. A convention for the partnership will be signed.A second action, involving the association “Handicap Aventure” from the city of Nice is planned. It would include a workshop presenting the activities, and a trip for the discovery of caving.

Remember this number :

28

This is the number of caving federations in Europa.

On the contrary of the two first exhibitions, that will take place inside the congress (Millau's center), the third will be proposed during several months on the rest station of the A75 of the Millau's Viaduct (large place Midi-Pyrénées – Brocuejouls).

Presentation of the panels for the european exhibition

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Tree exhibitions are proposed

During the event, and due to its european dimension, tree exhibitions will be proposed:

1 : Exhibition about the 50th birthday of the French Federation of Caving.

2 : Exhibition about the histories of the national federations in Europa.

3 : An exhibition devoted to the largest public, about caving, canyon, and cave diving, will also be proposed.

The text on the panels will be in french, english, and spanish.

Related to the theme 'underground worlds'', we propose to organize an artistic competition devoted to the goals below:

- Associate art and caving.

- Enhance exchanges between artists, cavers, and the largest public.

- Put the emphasis on bat. Emblem of caving and mammal protected by the french regulation (it protects the animals and their accommodation).

Resources to involve

• Calls for professional artists will be launched in specialized reviews, and artists will be directly called.

• The works can be made from different materials (wood, iron, bronze,...) and/or on different supports (paintings, three-dimensional works,..)

• Specifications are produced, including rules, goals, selection criteria, and a stage calendar until the 50 th

birthday of the French Federation of Caving.

• A selection independent board has been created as follows:1. The curator of Millau's museum2. A teacher of art3. A pedagogical advisor in visual art DISPEN4. A gallery owner5. A student at the ““École SuperieurU École Superieure des Arts appliques et du Textile »6. An interior designer7. A plastic artist8. The chairwoman of the organisation boarding « Rat d’Art Volant »

• Three awards will be attributed (sculpture, pictorial work or related, and the general public award); they will reward three works ex-aequo.

• The works will be exhibited in several places in the Millau's town and around. The 28 works will be gathered together inside Millau during the congress and the 50th birthday of the French Federation of Caving, from May the 10th to May the 20th, 2013.

• We are looking for partners in order to support the culture, in order to complete successfully this project.

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Realization of an artistic project

The competition is devoted to every plastic artist, professional or experienced. Participants will present a free work about bat.

As we are in an european context, the proceedings will be published in french, english, and spanish.

Spelunca

A special issue ''Millau 2013'' of ''SpéléOc''

The proceedings of this meeting will be published.Before this congress, an amount of 1000 proceedings will be edited.If needed, afterwards, an higher amount will be edited.CD-Rom embedding the proceedings are also planned.

Before this meeting, we will communicate using Spelunca, the review of the French Federation of Caving.In order to put the emphasis on this 50 th birthday of the Federation, we will delay this informations in the four issues before the meeting, in almost a quarter of each issue.

At a more locale scale, we will publish a special issue of ''SpéléOc''.Quarterly review of the ''Grand Sud'' cavers, and sent to all the members of the ''Midi-Pyrénées'' caving board, to the clubs and their partners, departmental boards and regional boards of France, this special issue will be more broadly and freely diffused to the members of two other regions of the ''Grand Sud-Ouest'' (total amount larger than 2500 copies).

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Proceedings

In order to respond to the international dimension of the event, Afin de rép, this Internet site will be available in english, french, spanish,...

- French cavers,- Foreign federations and cavers through the European Caving Federation (whose secretary is

french) and the International Union of Caving.- Other federations of wild sports,- General public,- Public of schools,- Specialized public, like artists...- Public and commercial partners,- FFS's partners

Newspapers, television, radio, will be very important channels to communicate about ''underground worlds''. A large amount of themes will be taken in account (caving, karstic geology, utilization of caves along history, writers and the underground world, legends, myths, non-karstic caves, tunnels, mines, catacombs,...); and it will provide the opportunity to explore different scientific, environmental, and cultural fields.The competition of contemporary art, whose theme is the bat, contributes to the enlargement of the public concerned by the event.

Broadcasting of informations, programs, posters, are planned in collaboration with the local stakeholders and the whole partners community.

This site, that will be operational during the year 2011, will allow everybody to pay attention to the evolution of the event, and to be informed about its contents.It will be an important communication tool, and will reflect all the proposed activities.

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Target publics:

Contacts with many media :

Creation of an Internet site devoted to the event.

The local partners and stakeholders are involved

The organization board of this event proposes a meeting and free animations for everybody.

Such a meeting needs important logistic, human and financial resources.

Many subjects have been pointed out, among them:- safety- reception,- lunch organization- accommodation,- wastes and garbages,- transportation, carpool,- byproducts

What concerns the environment:- Themes closely related to discovery, protection, enhancement, of karstic environments at the

locale, national, european, scales.- Educate and sensibilize to the protection of this very delicate environment- To respond to a respectful custom, end enhance respectful behaviors (limitation of the sportive

impact, educations of the young during their scholarship...)

What concerns the economy:- To enhance the territory and its local economy (shop, touristic caves,...)- Diversification of the touristic offer (enhancement of the local karstic environment).- To participate Millau's attractiveness, exemplary town related to full nature sports.- To make durable the status of our employees.

What concerns culture and social aspect:- Along our activities, conferences, movies, art competitions, to be in connection with the culture.- To promote our activities and competences.- To propose something interesting the whole general public.- To propose free animations.- To create a rallying event.- To rally around the values of our activities (team spirit, conviviality, solidarity).

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La réflexion menée très en amont permet d’inscrire cet évènement dans une démarche éco-responsable en accord avec les valeurs de notre Fédération.

Inside the French Federation of Caving, this event will be possible only with the huge involvement of our volunteers and the departmental and regional structures.

Moreover, the success of this event strongly depends of its appropriation by the largest number of european, national, and local stakeholders. The setting up of a collaborative project will allow to create something at the service of a territory and at the service of activities related to caving and canyoning.

This special meeting takes place in a special environment, related to ''underground worlds''.

If you support this event...

..you contribute to reify it (see above).You contribute to galvanize the local territory, on site and abroad.

You develop you support to the associations.You support our activities and our volunteers' labour.

You support the image of the local territory for what concerns full nature sports.

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Your benefice from this event

Associate your image to an event at european scale.

Support activities very common in the region.

Use the communication around the event to develop your own communication.

Communicate in the stand that will take place during the Pentecost week-end

(exhibition, documentation, stand).What you can provide to the event

Financial support (sponsoring)Un

Technical support

Support the communication (conception, diffusion, printing)