Saturday 17th August 2024

Mike Kushy, solo.

It doesn't always go to plan

Started by taking 2 buckets of cement mix in. Used up the first one on the right hand block. Lost a lot of clatch behind this once cementing was done. Started on preparing the LH wall for cement work, then a large boulder started shifting towards me. Moved back to a safe space until it had settled, then used a long crowbar to shift it into a breaking position. Another large rock then followed behind it. With rock now completely in the way I used the second bucket of mix further up cave and headed out to grab the drill. Lots of PF work until the batteries ran out. Still more rock to break up...but enough room now to start cementing. Headed out to surface and made another decent sized mix, again 2 buckets brought to the face. Built up from the floor up to a large boulder on the left. One cement bucket is still stuck at the dig face under a large rock.

A look over the large boulder on the left  through a 6 inch gap gives a view of what looks a decent sized vertical 'inlet' heading towards what ever is in front of us. Straight ahead is a view through boulders of 10ft or so. Stones falling quite far when chucked ahead. Draught seems to be picking up also.

Next step is break up and clear rock  and get more cement in on the left hand side wall/ceiling.

5 1/2 hours, Mike.

First boulder that dropped out of the LH wall. Photo MK.

Breaking first boulder, second boulder that dropped out behind. Photo MK.

Dig face face at the end of session. Photo MK.

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Vertical 'inlet'. Photo MK.

MK's YouTube video from today

Wednesday 7th August 2024

John Cooper. One mix of cement taken in, 2 buckets. Continued on supporting the boulder on the right-hand side. Will need lots more, as well as the wall on the left-hand side. Just finishing off as the next team arrived. 2 hours. John.

Mike Moxon, Adrian Miles and Trevor Hughes joined John (mortaring up the right hand side at the end). Adrian drilled 3 long holes - Kushy’s red dots - which, with 40g, will suffice to demolish the boulder and these were capped with tagged spiles to keep out debris. Mike and Trevor built a rock retaining wall back up passage, below the link to the higher passages, to store future spoil. As John said on site, a lot more pointing up needs to be done before the next charges can be fired. Of note: one of the shot holes penetrated right through the boulder, the other two not so. It will be an easy removal in due course. 1 1/2 hours for us. Trevor.

Yellow -draught, Red - next holes, Green - cement. Photo MK.

Tuesday 6th August 2024

John Cooper. One mix of cement taken in, 2 buckets, and made a start on supporting the boulder on the right-hand side. Will need lots more as well as the wall on the left-hand side. 2 hours. John.

Saturday 3rd August 2024

Mike Kushy and Trevor Hughes.

MK got the the cave about 10.45. A large boulder had fallen out from the bang, this was downsized and moved up cave. The bang had done alot of damage. Cleared the face a bit and Trevot arrived about 13.30. We filled bags with small clatch and found holes around to lose a lot of loose stuff into. TH had a go at the front, breaking up loose rock and crowbarring what he could safely. The end is going to need some stabilising before another bang, mainly the big sloping boulder on the right needs trapping in place. It would be nice not to have this one move as it's a lot of rock to deal with. Some rocks stacked around as walls, a good load at the bottom of the awkward climb to send higher up. Finished at 16.30. Mike.

Before clearing. Photo MK.

During clearing. Photo MK.

After. Photo MK.

Wednesday 17th July 2024

John Cooper. Started at 6pm moving the rocks on the shelf up to the bottom of the entrance shaft. Then moved on down and moved rocks from Boulder Chamber up to the bottom of the entrance shaft. Was just completing this when Jake Baynes and Sam Hill turned up, 7pm. Went back down and handed them the empty bags from Sunday. Left them at the bottom filling the spoil bags and moving rocks along to the bottom of the 10ft climb. I then went out to find Trevor Hughes and Adrian Miles with drills etc. Back down with them and they started drilling holes. Meanwhile Sam and Jake passed rocks and bags of spoil up the 10ft climb. Once all up that the rocks were moved on up in stages to the bottom of the entrance. One unfortunate incident when Jake passed a boulder up to the shelf that disintegrated in John’s hands leaving Jake with a bruised arm from the larger piece (2 house brick size). All the rocks at the bottom of the entrance shaft were then hauled to the surface. There are a few bags of spoil in Boulder Chamber to put behind Pete’s wall next time. Sam then went back down just in time to help carry the drills etc out. The wire, 50m, was only just long enough! The reel was left in just below the lid. Out for 9.30pm. 3½ hours for me. John.

Face before drilling, taken 7 days ago. Photo SH.

A successful bang - a line of long holes to raise the roof ( below the blue line ) and the two water worn flutes on the floor should now be removed, at least for 1/2 m or so. No real draft tonight probably due to building high pressure.
All the tools removed back out of harm’s way including the jammed plug and feather set which became a long shot hole.
The way ahead does look quite promising.
If someone can coil up my wire and leave it on the surface I would be appreciative.
Progress has been good and it was a welcome return to the underground for me.
Adrian’s new toy performed excellently and I’m sure we will see much more of this soon. Trevor.