Sunday 20th November 2022

Mike Kushy and Geoff Newton started at 9.30. Cleared more mud and silt, quite wet at the bottom. Andy Thompson joined us around 11.30. Then Courtenay James and Monica joined us around 12. With the bigger group we were able to take stuff up much higher. There's enough space at the lower dumping area for a small group to use for another couple of sessions. Geoff left around 12.30 and the rest of us got out around 2.30 after a look in the Boulder Rift. Mike.

Sunday 13th November 2022

Mike Kushy and Monica Bollani.
MB at the front of the mud dig tunneling along, got another metre along then hit a very thick (2ft) layer of calcited conglomerate in the floor. Towards the end MK went in and had a poke at the ceiling and left the dig with what looks like a rift line in the ceiling, slight draught at the end. Came out to find a gate fitted in the fence, good job T! 🙂 4 1/2 hours, Mike.

Continued to make space in the muddy tube, digging across and down slightly left to follow the ceiling. Some big chunks of conglomerate coming out of the floor, and a mix of sandy grit and clay like mud. Definitely looks like 50 shades of brown. 4 1/2 hours. Monica. (From log book).

Fresh video uploaded Click on the link 'To watch the diggers in action on YouTube click here' under the page header.

Wednesday 9th November 2022

Mike K., Adrian Miles and Pete Hellier. Cleared more mud out for a couple of hours then went to look at the boulder rift area.  2 1/2 hours. Mike.

Saturday 5th November 2022

Mike Kushy, Dickon Morris...then Mike Waterworth joined us about 2pm. MK and DM carried on at the mud pit. Cleared until 1.30pm then stopped for lunch. The void in the mud pit doesn't connect to the chamber above, a light connection was unsuccesful but a vocal connevction was possible. We then decided to mix things up and had a go at the boulder rift dig. Made a little breakthrough and got into a lower bedding passage. About 7m in length, 4-5m wide and probably another 5m deeper. Little immature streamway at the bottom and a smaller strike line in the roof than the mud pit dig. The mud pit looks more promising. Mike.

MK, MW and Dickon Morris.

MK and DM started around 10. Tidied up some more of the rocks around the top of the mud pit dig then started tossing buckets of mud into made stacking spaces. Progressing forwards it feels like the best way on is left and down. We checked for a light connection between the void up higher in the dig and the passage that goes overhead but no connection was made, we could talk to each other though. It's hard to tell how long this dig will take. Around 1.30 we stopped for lunch, then at 2ish MW joined us. 

To mix things up and make the most of having drill batteries we had a look at the boulder rift dig. DM and MW took turns breaking up rocks in the floor until a big enough space was opened to get into something. We went in to investigate and found more bedding passage, but it feels lower than the other bedding, a survey will reveal if this is so. The new passage is tight at first then opens a little, it's about 5m wide, goes in about 7m and probably 5m depth gained. There's an immature streamway at the bottom with a smaller strike line in the ceiling than the mud pit dig. I favour the mud pit dig as logistics here would be difficult.

Mike (email report)

Friday 4th November 2022

John Cooper, Geoff Newton. Removing loose boulders and clatch in the right hand wall of the dig. JC demolished a large boulder - a war of attrition with lump hammer. Geoff.

John Cooper and Geoff Newton. Tidying up the bottom dig. Broke up and moved boulders, collapsed walls to make safe. Kushy's crowbar not seen, must be buried deep in the floor somewhere. 2 hours. John