Wednesday 17th September

Sam Hill, Mikey Waterworth, Ed Ford, Jake Baynes, Adrian Miles and Mike Wise.

Team split into 2 parties with different aims

Mike Wise solo report:

A drill, capping kit, lump hammer and micro crowbar were taken down to Boulder Chamber. Here the irritating pyramid shaped lump on top of the large boulder at the top of the 10ft climb was capped off using 3 holes and 5 caps. The top of the boulder is now flat. Some minor dressing was done with the lump hammer. The kit was abandoned temporarily in the chamber.

The hammer and crowbar were taken down to Boulder Rift Chamber where the floor of the step-up and crawl into the bedding below Calcite Squeeze was attacked for about 45 minutes to improve head room and generally remove lumps from the floor. Large amounts of rock varying in size from very big/just liftable to hand size were removed along with their covering of mud. The big stuff was stacked in the chamber, the smaller stuff and some mud was rammed back into the gaps that appeared below the mud covering.

Started packing up at 2045 and began slowly exiting at 2100 having heard nothing from the team below. They caught up with me at Boulder Chamber and at the entrance shaft I found that someone was jiggling the hauling rope from the top. It turned out to be SH who mistakenly had exited via the old route - he must have run out!  Thanks to JB for carrying my drill box down into Boulder Chamber at the start. 

Other report:

All visited TPC. EF's foot came off the slippery scaffold bar on the descent from the Light Connection and he somersaulted down onto the chamber floor. Injuries declared in the Hunters later were a damaged knee and a badly swollen wrist. MWa scanned everything from TPC to the end.

2 hours 

Mike Wise

After Ed’s acrobatics, myself and Jake had a look at TPC. I then went through the Hookah to join SH and MWa at the end. Myself and MWa went back to the chamber just after the hookah and cleared some of the spoil in both directions. MWa and SH went back to the final chamber to look at prospective leads whilst the rest of us started heading out. All on the surface by 21:30. Adrian. 

Sunday 14th September 2025

Mike Kushy, Ed Ford and Hollie London. MK and EF to begin with. Headed in just after 10am leaving one of the new 6l daren drums for HL to pack her camera kit in (thanks to Rob Harper for the kind donation). EF took in his drill and picked up the drinking water on the way in and MK took charged batteries, drum of sand and a 5l container of mixing water in. When we got to TPC EF got to making some brews, then HL arrived equipped with her camera and some hauling rope (which proved very useful later). After morning tea we had a go at The Hookah Pipe some more, with MK on the far side pf'ing back and EF/HL working the TPC side. When we decided it looked big enough to haul buckets through we all stopped for lunch. EF and HL then went through to the most recent chamber and we used the haul line to pull buckets back. Ideally we need flat laid 5l buckets cut to 3/4's for this, plus we can still open the whole tube up some more (maybe a small charge is needed on one side). MK pulling the line in TPC and EF/HL taking turns pushing on, 66 buckets in total. Around 59 buckets MK shouted to call it at 60 but the reply was 'There's a great big chamber not far off'. All 3 now in the smallish chamber we all took turns loosening mud and fishing out rocks. First one through then stopped and cleared from the otherside for others, all got through in the end. The new new chamber is roughly 10m long x 4m wide x 3m height with nice broken column formation at the far end. Lots of rifts intersecting but the draught is not obvious anymore. Liquid mud floor which is very shiny (perhaps a small lead content?). We will have to discuss the next steps as a team once everyone has had a look. 4 drums of sand in cave, 1 drum of cement, 5l of mixing water and 10l of drinking water. 6 1/2 hours. Mike

Click here for todays video.

HL coming back out of the newest chamber. Photo MK.

Fossil in new chamber. Photo HL.

EF in the new chamber. Photo HL.

MK looking at the broken column formation. Photo HL.

EF entering the new chamber. Photo HL.

Same photo as previous but further back. Photo HL.

EF fishing out rocks from the soon to be breakthrough point. Photo HL.

The column found in the 'intermediate' chamber. Photo HL.