The Ghar Parau Foundation

A 100% voluntary-based charity providing grant-aid assistance for British caving expeditions to all corners of the world.

Photo: Sunbeams in Doline 1 Hang Son Doong, Vietnam. (Ryan Deboodt)

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The Ghar Parau Foundation is a 100% voluntary-based charity. Through the management of an investment fund, the GPF provides grant aid to British caving expeditions, in particular those that include an element of innovative exploration or scientific study.

Since 2007, the GPF has awarded £143,750 to 217 expeditions travelling to 48 different countries.

We are also particularly keen to encourage young cavers into expedition caving. Over the last 18 years, the GPF has additionally awarded 105 individual grants to cavers going on their first foreign expedition.

Photo: Alum Pot, Yorkshire Dales, UK (Mark Burkey)

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£1,580 rasised at HE

Posted on By Henry Patton

The Scurion Raffle at Hidden Earth, won by Phil Hawcroft, raised a total of £1,229 in aid of the GPF! Thanks go to Maxine Bateman and Meg Gorry for their relentless selling tactics. A further £351 was raised by the silent auctioning of the silver Caver’s Cup, crafted and generously donated by Sam Drake.

A big thanks from the GPF to Sam, Rolf, Ceris, and everyone who bought tickets. … Continue Reading >£1,580 rasised at HE

Silent Auction at HE

Posted on By Henry Patton

Samantha Drake has spent a long time making a Silver Cavers Cup, which she has generously donated to the GPF. It is a fantastic, hallmarked one-off piece. The cup will displayed at Hidden Earth 2019 in the Art Salon and be sold by Silent Auction, subject to a reserve price. We hope people will like the cup and support GPF by bidding for this fantastic, one-off piece of caving artwork. Tickets and more pics.

… Continue Reading >Silent Auction at HE

£1,050 raised at HE

Posted on By Henry Patton

2018: The Scurion Raffle at Hidden Earth in aid of the GPF raised a total of £826, mainly thanks to the hard work of Ruth Allen, Meg Gorry and Emma Battensby. The Scurion lamp was won by Paul Gladman.
A further £224 was raised by Sam Drake who sold a number of knitted bats as part of her exhibition in the Art Salon. A big thanks extends to them and everyone for supporting the GPF.

… Continue Reading >£1,050 raised at HE

Redrose Cover

Tratman Award

Posted on By Henry Patton

The Tratman Award is annually awarded to the best caving-related paper-based publication.

After much discussion amongst the judges, the 2017 prize was awarded to Dave Haigh and John Cordingley for their book Adventures Underground, which documents Yorkshire explorations over the last 60 years.

Read more on the judges’ decision and the rest of the shortlist. … Continue Reading >Tratman Award

Matienzo 2018

Posted on By Henry Patton

2018: In 48 years nearly 400 km of passage has been found in Matienzo, northern Spain, by the expedition. In 2018 the aim was to find new caves and to extend existing caves to help link some existing systems together. Fifty cavers took part, surveying almost 6 km of new passage and adding 168 new sites.

Read a summary of this year’s results … Continue Reading >Matienzo 2018