Wednesday 17th August 2022

John Cooper – afternoon. More breaking up boulder. Battery ran out before last bit reduced to manageable size. 1 ½ hours.

The Last/Rabbit Hole? JC, MK and MH – evening. Got to the hut, put food on, locked myself out of the hut and had to rush to see if I could borrow a fob to get in, I could! Is this supposed one of them kind of evenings?! Thanks Wayne.

Met John and Mark H at the dig. Mike went at the sharp end to clear back John’s mess to Mark. Enough moved back to start drilling the impeding rock. Big chunks removed. I got into the next space, with Mark now above me in “Pocket Watch” chamber to help lift some heavy rock out. A couple of draughting routes in different directions, most noticeably down 6ft and SW direction (off to the right). A bit more stabilising needed in places back in the Pocket Watch, but boulders and spaces are getting bigger! - /not a bad evening in the end. Mike 2 hours.

Evening.  John, Mark and Mike.Mike went into the chamber and passed rocks back to Mark to the go up to surface to John. Cleared the debris left by John’s afternoon session. Plug and feathered open a big enough hole to get into the next space. Quite an obvious way on with a pronounced draught down in the floor 6-8ft deep with a rounded off, I think is a wall, rock. It has like a brick work pattern on it and could be the cliff sloping over an edge? All feels safe in the next bit.
Cleared some mud to finish. Chamber needs a little clean and there’s a rock at the connection to the chamber which is a bit annoying for clearing easily
The slab over the top of the next bit could do with another foot or so taken of its edge to make passing spoil back easier. Other than that there’s a lot of stuff to clear down below.
The new bit again is very heavily staled up and feels very safe with the boulders again getting a lot bigger and the spaces getting bigger still.
I would like to cement the rock on the right linking down at the next bit. I think it needs tying into the block above it in the chamber. 2 hours, Mike

Tuesday 16th August 2022

John Cooper and Mark Helmore. Mark breaking up boulders whilst John transferred them to the pit. Then pit cleared. 2 hours. John Cooper.

Sunday 14th August 2022

John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis, Geoff Newton and Frances Porter. Mike and Geoff had an early start, partly because of the heat. John and Frances joined about 1.30pm to relieve Geoff and do a final few hauls and a mix of cement to fix the square bar. There are 3 bags of sand and 1 bag of cement still on site. 1½ hours. John. 

Mike and Geoff had an early start around 9am. Started clearing then drilling, Mike’s drill gave up the ghost finally so Geoff went off to borrow John’s from the hut. Meanwhile Mike managed to work the annoying rocks out of the floor and break them down a bit. Geoff came back and the pit was filled in to tipping point, so Geoff went to the surface and half the load was cleared before breaking for a rest. Mike then continued on the surface until all the pit was clear. Geoff came up and lunch was had. Geoff then went to the sharp end and set about plug and feathering from inside the chamber working back, making a decent sized space in the connection to the chamber now. I think the way into the right hand wall will now be further ahead and into the chamber then working back down as there’s a very large Boulder impeding the way directly down to the right. Amazing draught as you’ll see from this week’s video. Batteries used up John then showed up in time with Frances. John set about on a mix while Frances hoisted the remaining spoil up, Geoff left for the day at this point. A mix was sent down and Mike wedged a big rock under the impeding Boulder on the right and cemented around it, also braced in John’s metal bar and some more of the left hand wall. The connection point into ‘Pocket Watch’ chamber now feels very secure. Left around 2.30 (accidentally leaving dead drill and John’s battery in field). The gap on the right higher up in the chamber heading back down should now be safe to push.

Friday 12th August 2022

John Cooper and Geoff Newton. 30°C on surface so both at bottom. Took down square bar and opened up left hand slot so it would just fit. Will need cementing in now. More plug and feather work on right hand wall but more still required. 2 hours. John.

Wednesday 10th August 2022

John Cooper. Plug and feather work along the bottom passage, right hand side. Measured up for a new support to go next to the angle iron put in last weekend. Need 1100mm. There is a square bar just over that length to try or cut down as needed. 1½ hours. John.

Tuesday 9th August 2022

John Cooper and Mark Helmore. Plug and feather work along the bottom passage to make entry to the next chamber easier. 2 hours. John.