Wednesday Evening 5th April 2023

Mike Kushy, Sam Hill and Adrian Miles. Took some more buckets to Tooth Dig and a drill. Started with Adrian in the dumping grounds with Sam at the top of the climb and Mike at the bottom clearing back all the built up rock. Then we all moved forwards and cleared everything back from the corner. Then we moved back one space again to clear up to the dumping ground. After this MK went to the start of the tunnel with SH in the little chamber before the corner and AM at the base of the climb. Cleared back a lot. Eventually AM joined MK and the rest of the rock blocking the dig face was broken up and cleared back. A couple of dozen buckets were also sent back for clearing. Everyone had a look at the sharp end and remarked how cold it felt. It's definitely looking prospectful with a rising ceiling, digging at the end is now just sharp sand material and some gloopy mud that drops down from higher up. Hard work with three, the ideal number would be 6 now to get stuff back smoothly. We could do with a few inches off the block at the bottom of the climb down, a few inches off the corner block on the left and the squeeze over the angled slab past the corner could do with a few inches off the top or removed completely. 3 hours. MK

Wednesday Afternoon 5th April 2023

John Cooper and Mike Kousiounis. Survey trip. Started by updating the Cement Dig at the lowest point of the Bedding Chambers. Then moved up to Boulder Rift where we did Tooth Dig. 2 hours.

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).