Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group

The Vancouver Island Cave

Exploration Group is one of

Canada's oldest caving

organizations.

We trace our origins to an informal group calling themselves the BC Cave Hunters, organized by Clarence Hronek on Vancouver Island in 1962 to look for more caves than the few then known in the Province. Encouraged by contact with organized cavers of Seattle's Cascade Grotto of the National Speleological Society, led by Dr. W. R. Halliday, members of the group registered as a provincial society under the name British Columbia Speleological Society in 1967. A year later the name changed to the Canadian Speleological Society, but remained on Vancouver Island. In 1970, with new members and led by Ken Sinkiewicz, the society became the Vancouver Island Cave Exploration Group, a name selected to clearly describe its scope and intent.

The 5 Decades as VICEG

Since 1970, there have been more than 530 members, including some who have been with the group since the very beginning! Annual membership is 40 to 50, mostly on the island. The current membership (Dec 2019) is 88. In the early days, caving was arranged virtually every weekend. Over time it has become more common for groups of members to arrange trips more informally . In recent years, the club has organized one formal open activity for every month except December (snow permitting). Members tap into trips organized by other BC caving groups, including expeditions to the United States, Mexico, Europe, China , Tonga and Thailand.