Wednesday Evening 12th April 2023

Mike Kushy and Sam Hill got to the dig for just after 6pm. We cleared the backlog of spoil at the base of the climb down to the dig. We then took 11 small buckets forward to the undercut dig. SH filled all the buckets, then MK ferried then back to the dumping ground whilst SH worked on moving some of the bigger rock. The 11 buckets were sent forward to Sam again. Just as all 11 were filled and stacked back in the small chamber Adrian Miles arrived with Chris George, Ben Holdstead and Stuart (yet to know his second name). It was Stuart's first ever digging session. MK waited for the others to send a couple of empties back then moved up to SH again. A couple of hours was spent chaining buckets back and with 6 it was smooth and efficient. For the last 20 minutes MK went to see the sharp end. We're probably another 2m further in and a decent size.  We've lost the bedded ceiling,  instead there's now calcited boulders with gaps and a good draught. In the floor we're starting to hit big rocks also surrounded by sand. Sam and I said we'd like to have a go at the end of the tunnel where it heads across the cave,  got a feeling there is something more open between Tooth Dig and Cement Dig than the undercut. Even if it doesn't prove right we may find some decent stacking at the end of the tunnel which would allow digging with a smaller team. Everyone had a look at the sharp end and the other dig before finishing up. 3 hours. MK.

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).

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.

Thursday 9th March 2023

Andrew Thompson and Mike Wise. We hammered and P&Fd for 2 hours and chipped off a few bits here and there. We did bring back and neatly stack a load of rock from beyond the tiresome rock though and Andy went off and took some photos. Mike Wise.

A late start after work saw us enter the cave at 4.30. Mike first attempted to find his way through Tooth Squeeze but after deciding against it we switched positions and attacked the rock in the floor from both ends. Unfortunately it got the better of us and refused to succumb to our frantic hammering. We decided our efforts would be better spent taking some photos of the prospects in the sharp end and then doing some house keeping beyond the squeeze, as rather a lot of broken rock had been stacked next to the squeeze. I am please to say this has made a bit more space for next session. 3 hours A Thompson.

Mike Wise looking into Tooth Squeeze

 

Off Low on Right

Ahead Low

Ahead High

Tuesday 7th March 2023

 

John Cooper and Andrew Thompson. Tooth Dig. Plug and feather work on the left-hand wall just before the boulder Mike wants splitting. Trying to make more room to work but it doesn’t react very well to this approach. Andy had a look at the end and was suitably impressed by the choices. 2½ hours. John Cooper

Sunday 5th March 2023

Mike Kushy, solo trip. Got to Tooth Dig at 11am armed with 3 batteries. Started on opening up the corner some more, one battery spent. Then feet first to the 2 blocks in the floor mentioned last time. Another battery spent removing one and making another considerably smaller, also worked on making the whole area more spacious. Lots of loose rock spoil in this area that needs clearing. Then went back to the corner for a rest and to retrieve the last battery. Decided this time to go head first all the way. Made it to the very end of the horizontal passage and had a better view than before, a narrow stand up rift at the end allowed me to get up into and with some stuff moved and some contortion I managed to turn around. The end here should be fairly easy to dig once we clear a safe exit. On the way out a little play into the void on the left side, unfortunately there's a large block in the floor spanning the whole length of the void only allowing a gap of about 4 inches...good draught again and very dry ground. The space beyond looks very intriguing, but the floor is going to have to be dug right out to see what we're dealing with. Some more space made on the way out, then back to the corner to continue opening that up some more. The large block on the corner is now split in two and would need to come out completely to allow digging the mud floor in the horizontal passage ahead. 4 1/2 tiring hours. Mike.

The corner after the first battery was spent

Looking round the corner ahead

Further on view