Mike Kushy, Samuel Hill, Callum Simmonds and Courtenay James. Took 2 and a half full bags of sand down to the bottom dig in tackle sacks. Used 1 full bag with Sam and Callum. We then all moved up to the Boulder Rift dig. MK went back up cave to the Pit and a clear light connection was made with Sam still in the boulder rift. Would be an easy connection to make! We then carried on the most recent dig. Courtenay showed up around 2ish and he and MK went and did some more cement work, all the sand and cement has been exhausted. I think it should be safe enough next trip to start pulling rocks out of the floor again. Oh, we could hear and feel clear reverberation from the drilling by Sam and Callum. After this we went to join the guys in the Boulder Rift dig. They had got through to a little chamber beyond, with a hole in the floor draughting well. MK went in and dug a hole slightly higher up, which ended up connecting to the other dig in the boulder rift, forming a round trip. The hole in the floor was inspected and decent open passage can be seen ahead, no boulders or mud in sight. Unfortunately opening this up would have taken more time than we had today, and the whole approach could do with enlarging to allow bigger, loose stacked rocks to come right out. 5 1/2 hours. Mike K.
Friday, 30 December 2022
Thursday, 29 December 2022
Thursday 29th December 2022
John Cooper and Andrew Thompson. Took in John’s drill etc. Worked on Boulder Rift dig, removing top boulder and was on the lower one when John hit his index finger with the hammer, splitting it open. Packed up and came out. 1 hour. John.
Tuesday, 27 December 2022
Tuesday 27th December 2022
John Cooper and Mike Kousiounis. Took in enough sand for 3 mixes and cement for 6 mixes plus the drill. Left the drill at the start of the Boulder Rift but the rest went to the bottom dig. John did 3 mixes of cement which Mike used up walling. John then came out with all the empty bags leaving Mike to go to the Boulder Rift dig. 2 hours. John.
After finishing with John cementing (12.30pm ish), Mike K went to do some more work at the most recent dig in the Boulder Rift. Plug and feathering away. Andy Thompson arrived just after 2pm to provide some much appreciated help. Andy then took over p and f work whilst Mike went to inspect the collapse from Thursday down the other BR dig site. The collapse was obvious and has opened up a lot more room to get to the bottom, there is also a view of some decent space below heading towards the new site. Mike and Andy left the site just before 4, two decent sized boulders to break up still but out of battery power. There's enough cement and water at the cementing site but some more sand will need taking in. 5 hours in all. Mike.
*Photo looking vertically down on the recent dig site, most of the boulder on the left has now been removed*
Thursday, 22 December 2022
Thursday 22nd December 2022
John Cooper, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Went in with the diggers but stopped to start surveying at the Pit whilst they went to the bottom dig with more sand and cement. First descended the Pit and updated the one leg done previously. More there than expected. Could talk through to Adrian in the Upper Bedding Chamber but could not get a visual connection. Then on to the Upper Bedding Chamber and surveyed down the East side. Then on to Boulder Rift and surveyed the South going passage – lots of rumbles from below on way out. Needs doing again properly when it’s been made safe. Did not do the Upper North trending bit as the diggers had joined us by then and were below it. 2½ hours. John.
Courtenay James, Mike Kushy, Wayne Starsmore and Mike Wise. Started about 3.30. We took in one and a half bags of sand, a full BDH of cement and an extra container of water, plus the drill bag. Wayne set about a mix whilst Courtenay and Mike W carried on with clearing spoil on the rope haul and Mike K sorted rocks out for the bottom. All the sand and cement was used, 5 and a half small buckets for use at the bottom. Cemented in some steps which will be usable next session and started building up off the floor. I'm guessing another 4-5 sessions to finish. There are lots of big rocks and fist sized rocks at the bottom ready for next time, slight draught. At 5ish Wayne headed on out whilst the rest of us went to trial a new dig site in the Boulder Rift chamber. Under the large horizontal slabs in the middle of the chamber there's a pit that heads down to some clean washed rock. After saying hi to the surveyors and listening to an impressive collapse beneath them we got to work. Progress was steady and all seems safe enough to work without stabilising. Slipknotting a rope around rocks in the floor helped to remove some large lumps. A hole in the floor was revealed with a cool draught being emitted once opened, more work yet. A crowbar, Plug and Feathers box with tools and a rope has been left in place. A good dig to have at the end of short cementing sessions at the bottom. Mike. K
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Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Sunday 18th December 2022
John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis and Andrew Thompson. Took in sand, cement, mixing tub, dexion and drill (not used). Whilst Mike sorted out his skeleton dexion frame in the bottom pit Andy sent up buckets of spoil for John to stack. Once Mike was ready a mix of cement was done which Mike used to hold the frame in place. Lots more cementing will be required before any progress can be made. 2½ hours. John.
From logbook : A trip down to the dig to do a cementing and scaffolding session. We each lugged a tackle sack to the dig face and Mike assembled the angle iron whilst John and I hauled some of the catch out from the right hand wall on the approach to the face. A short cementing session at the end. Lots more cement needed. 1/3 of cement left in drum. 2 1/2 hours. Andy T.
Sunday, 11 December 2022
Saturday 10th December 2022
Mike Kushy and Courtenay James.
Started at 11, carried on digging down in the muddy pit at the bottom. Revealed more voids between boulders. Even managed some plug and feathering to remove some decent sized limestone. In one hole a possible solid wall with flowstone and stal' can be seen. Very cold draught coming from all voids and the theory is that it's all just one big space filled with boulder. I think the next way on is down still. Some scaff bars and cement work will be needed before any more progress down though. 5 hours. Mike.
Thursday, 8 December 2022
Thursday 8th December 2022
Mike Kushy, solo trip. Carrying on from where Mike Waterworth and I left off yesterday. Carried on down through the floor, some decent holes appearing and the draught is getting stronger, Saturday should be interesting. 5 hours. MK