Sunday 10th September 2023

John Cooper and Mike Kousiounis (Kushy). Mike worked on the entrance for 3 hours in the morning before being joined by John after his Swildon’s Hole trip. Afternoon session was mixing cement then sending it down to Mike along with loads of building rock. 6 hours (Mike) and 3 hours (John). John.

Started at 11am. Worked on drill rock to fit a box section of steel in. Then went to surface and arranged/dressed rock for building. John came at 2 then we set to building. Built right up to the area that needs widening for the bucket so this is safe to do next session. 6 hours. Mike 

Monday 4th September 2023

John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis (Kushy) +1.  Mike +1 did some work on the entrance for a couple of hours in the morning, assisted for the last few minutes by John before a lunch break was taken. All 3 then back for a 3 hour session in the afternoon. Lots of cementing of supporting walls in the entrance shaft. More still to do before straightening out the shaft begins. Very hot  sunny day with alot of stone taken from the spoil heap for walling & infil.    5 hours. John.

Sunday 3rd September 2023

John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis (Kushy). Mike +1 did some work on the galvanised entrance ladder for a couple of hours in the morning. Took a lunch break to allow the resin to cure then were joined by John for the afternoon session. Afternoon was cementing in supporting wall behind the galvanised third ladder. 3 hours. John.

Looking down from entrance

Changing from second to third ladder

Changing from second to third ladder

Third ladder fixing to wall

Top of third ladder

Kushy working on retaining wall

Kushy working on retaining wall

Retaining wall behind ladder

Looking up from bottom

Saturday 26th August 2023

Dave Morrison (Tuska) +1, Working on installing New ladder that Tuska had previously made at his house (to JC’s measurements!)  Needless to say, it all fell into place with the smallest amount of fettling (to a bump in the rock). John Cooper joined near the end after he'd been digging LVS. John.

Looking up at the top two sections of ladder.

Looking down at the second and third sections of ladder.

Sunday 6th August 2023

John Cooper, Dave Morrison (Tuska) + 1 did more work on the fixed entrance ladder. John.

Friday 4th August 2023

Dave Morrison (Tuska) +1 did more work on the fixed entrance ladder.

Saturday 29th July 2023

Dave Morrison +1 working on the entrance fixed ladder. Joined later by John Cooper and Andy Thompson after they had been to LVS dig. 

Monday 24th July 2023

Dave Morrison, Mike Kousiounis, John Cooper +1

Starting work on installing a fixed ladder down the entrance pitch. Rocks was chopped out to allow room for the 5m length of ladder to fit vertically. Brackets were measured and the ladder has been left in place. It can not be used currently and care has to be taken when free climbing down the entrance as the work done has caused some stability issues on the walls. This can  be worked on once the ladder is secure. It's been decided to use an aluminium ladder for the final section, which can be moved out of place whilst digging downwards to allow more working room. The bottom of the 5m ladder will also need a platform constructed at its base. We also aim to replace the aluminium ladder that's already in the pipe work and measurements have been taken to make a custom steel ladder to take its place.

Base for new ladder.

Looking down entrance shaft.

New ladder location, awaiting fixings.

Sunday 2nd July 2023

Cement Dig. Mike Kushy Solo. Had a go at continuing along the bedding ceiling. Built a wall to temporarily stack spoil. The source of the draught was a 2 inch preatic tube, probably an inlet. Used the space to put sand/cement and tools into. Then had a look at the passage above. The end dips down towards Cement Dig. About halfway in I dug up the flowstone on the right and got into a 2m boulder chamber with no obvious way on. The Cement Dig draughting well! 4 hours. Mike

The dug alcove, now a place for kit and mixing

The end of the alcove

How it began