Tuesday 4th April 2023

Mike Kushy, solo trip. A cold draught could be felt from the first climb down after Pocket Watch.  Went to Tooth Dig and moved the rocks back from the small chamber before the corner to the bottom of the climb, then moved forward and moved the stuff from the corner back into the small chamber. Then moved forward again and broke up some more rock in the floor and cleared any loose stuff out of the tunnel back to the corner. Removed some large blocks from the floor going into the undercut and made smaller then sent back to the corner. Filled up 6 small buckets of sand and mud. Draught was stronger from straight ahead today. Dug a little along the strike line and found more sopping red mud, there's a round hole in the ceiling all clean washed with water dripping out of it, must be where the worms came from? The ceiling has lots of phreatic remnant and seems to be rising up. Finished off by moving some stuff in the corner back to the smaller chamber, lots of clearing back up cave to do but mainly good sized rock so won't take too long. 3 1/2 hours. Mike. 

The entrance to the tunnel, before starting work

Along the tunnel from the undercut

Looking into the undercut

A closer view

Thursday 30th March 2023

Mike Kushy, solo trip. Took in 3 batteries. Cleared the build up of spoil at the corner back to the little chamber, then set to work on the corner boulder some more and making space. There's now enough for a comfortable seating area, lots of rock to clear in the little chamber before the corner. After using up just over 2 batteries I went to have a look at the end. Managed to split and move a very large rock right in the middle of the floor and another one behind that has been moved further back. These will need breaking down even more but the last battery gave up. There's now an impressive space forming in the tunnel and it was possible to turn round where the junction is. A little draught test proved that straight ahead and the undercut were draughting outwards (towards the corner) with the undercut draught seeming to be the stronger. I then cleared some mud back and had a little poke at the mud just under the white vertical calcite line into the undercut where the solutional pocket is. The bedding here is undercutting yet again and a noticeable change in draught happened whilst prodding, also things became a lot colder. There was slimy red mud ahead and a couple of earthworms. All very exciting stuff. A team of 5 will be needed to dig and clear right back, although it could be staged with even 2 people, but hard work. 5 hours, Mike.

Before the corner

At the corner

 

Onwards

Onwards some more

Onwards even more (these boulders are the ones from out of the tunnel, there's alot more)