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)

Wednesday 29th March 2023

Sam Hill, Mike Kushy and Andy Thonpson. Tooth Dig. Andy went in front to downsize boulders from last session. MK and SH cleared stuff back and opened up the approach some more. Outward draught today (extracted from Logbook - MK - pending full write up from SH).

Saturday 18th March 2023

Mike Kushy and Andy Thompson. Got to the dig site around 11.45. We cleared back the debris from the last session, then MK took some higher up cave whilst AT went forwards and set to work on the annoying boulder. MK then moved forward and cleared back from the corner and also managed to remove some more from the corner block. Now being able to sit in the corner MK then took drag trays from AT until the annoying boulder was reduced enough to progress forwards. MK then moved forwards again and cleared around AT as he pushed forwards and dug the floor out along the tunnel. Right at the end of the session enough was cleared going into the void to push through completely and get a better view, the parallel tunnel was not as long as it initially looks and pinches out at the end. The phreatic bit that cuts through the bedding still looks interesting. Digging at the easiest spot in the floor is the best way forwards here next perhaps? (maybe before the corner), or we can work along the original tunnel to clear the boulders at the end. The draught was still coming from the end of the tunnel. Lots of rocks stacked everywhere and mud to clear out next time. Just over 4 hours. Mike.

Andy pushing through the void on the right of the tunnel looking in

 

Sunday 12th March 2023

Mike Kushy solo trip. Got to the dig about 10.30. The perimeter gate at the surface was wide open and I spent ten minutes ushering a few sheep out of the pen, the steps were covered in droppings making a smelly entrance. Got to Tooth Dig about 11, set up my music and started breaking up the rock at the corner. Reckon 50% of what was there is now in pieces ready to be cleared. I've taken a fair bit further back already, some stuff may want reducing more with a hammer. The block could be taken right out but I think it will be okay at the height it's at now with some levelling out.  With all batteries used I moved forward to dig out some more of the undercut into the void. With helmet off I managed to squeeze through up to my waist, into another layer of bedding. Off to the left looks the same as what we were in apart from no boulders at the end. The mud seems to slope away at the end, easily caveable if the floor is dug out more at the squeeze. Moving some more rocks and mud allowed a view to the right and straight on. Phreatic action from the right leads to a solutional pocket dead ahead, cutting through the bedded ceiling with an inch thick vertical line of calcite through the rock..the phreatic element seems to end here, perhaps a pot? Good draught coming from the left. The annoying rock in the floor at the start of the tunnel passage wants reducing or removing. The small crowbar, big crowbar and big hammer/chisel are near the annoying rock in the floor. The small hammer and pf set is on the approach to Tooth Dig on the left. Should be an interesting session for whoever is in there next, may want some horizontal drag buckets (just small ones and a small length of rope). 4 1/2 hours. Mike.