Sunday 5th March 2023

Mike Kushy, solo trip. Got to Tooth Dig at 11am armed with 3 batteries. Started on opening up the corner some more, one battery spent. Then feet first to the 2 blocks in the floor mentioned last time. Another battery spent removing one and making another considerably smaller, also worked on making the whole area more spacious. Lots of loose rock spoil in this area that needs clearing. Then went back to the corner for a rest and to retrieve the last battery. Decided this time to go head first all the way. Made it to the very end of the horizontal passage and had a better view than before, a narrow stand up rift at the end allowed me to get up into and with some stuff moved and some contortion I managed to turn around. The end here should be fairly easy to dig once we clear a safe exit. On the way out a little play into the void on the left side, unfortunately there's a large block in the floor spanning the whole length of the void only allowing a gap of about 4 inches...good draught again and very dry ground. The space beyond looks very intriguing, but the floor is going to have to be dug right out to see what we're dealing with. Some more space made on the way out, then back to the corner to continue opening that up some more. The large block on the corner is now split in two and would need to come out completely to allow digging the mud floor in the horizontal passage ahead. 4 1/2 tiring hours. Mike.

The corner after the first battery was spent

Looking round the corner ahead

Further on view

Sunday 26th February 2023

Mike Kushy and Mike Wise.

Started at 11am. Took 2 drills and 5 batteries into Tooth Dig to continue from the 2 Andy's work yesterday. Mike Wise started at the Tooth Dig whilst MK moved the spoil from yesterday higher up. Then MK set to work on Courtenay's boulder whilst MW was busy. After a short while we swapped places. Some rocks were pulled out from higher up allowing MK to enter the ongoing passage feet first, with a bit a of contortion. Tight going, even tighter over 2 rocks in the floor. A long triangular tunnel about 4-5 m long can be seen with a boulder collapse at the far end (potentially the other end of cement dig, and probably close enough for a light connection?). Half way along this tunnel the bedded ceiling has black voids undercutting the ceiling with a view of what looks a sizeable space, the draught was most prominent from here. Tried to dig the mud floor out a little, but unsure whether I was undermining blocks above without much room for an escape. On the way out some edges were hammered off and the blocks in the floor were reduced so should be easier and safer to go in head first next time and hopefully get into the void. Some more work can be done opening up the corner to get into the new passage. On exit MW had done the job of getting rid of Courtenay's boulder, allowing a crawl into a stand up chamber. No ways on but if we open up a way in higher up there's alot of room for spoil to go into. Both drills spent we went to cement dig to cement some more. 4 1/2 hours. Mike K.

The very end of the triangular tunnel

The very end again, a different view

Looking back to the corner from the rocks in floor

The rocks in floor, with the triangular passage behind. The rocks are now smaller and moved.

The start of the triangular passage, the undercut can be seen on the right part way along.

 

Another view

The corner squeeze with the ongoing passage being up and over to the left

The view from the start of the ongoing passage

Mike W working on the corner squeeze

 

Tooth Dig got a visit first with 2 drills, 5 batteries and a set of P+F. A few bits and pieces were finally knocked off some rocks blocking the way into the "passage" seen yesterday by the 2 Andys. Kushy got in feet first for about 6m into a small space in boulders. Rocks are very resistant to P+F!

The block at floor level mentioned in the report from 18 February was reduced to floor level and the approach was opened out. There is a small chamber on the other side floored with sand and cobbles with 2 places to stand up. The roof is made of the boulders beside the drop down and lights can be seen. Water was running down the "back" wall.

Having run out of battery power and abandoning a P+F stuck in a boulder we decamped to the Cement Dig. 2 mixes of cement were made and applied and the filled buckets at the bottom were emptied. Time digging 4 1/2 hours. Mike Wise.