Saturday 22nd February 2025

Mike Kushy, Alison Moody and Dave Walker. Initial tourist trip through the upper passages. On to Cement Dig, where both AM and DW went for a look at the ends. Nice draught coming out of Cement Dig today (may be worth putting a couple of charges into the boulders in the floor). Then to BRC and down to Tooth Dig, not much of a draught here and no one really approves of the site logistically. Then through the 2nd connection and into the newer passage. MK went ahead to assess bang damage and we decided we'd have a little clear out. MK perched in the chamber above the dig receiving buckets from DW, whilst AM was at the front. After a while DW went to the front and MK passed buckets to AM who was in the chamber. Once the chamber was exhausted MK went to the front and 5 large rocks were prised from the ceiling. There's a massive shattered block in the ceiling ahead ready to come down, but unfortunately when it's prised it moves even more ceiling higher up cave (ceiling we really don't want moving). The dam needs clearing and we need to get some more cement in before any more forwards progress. Nice draught at the bottom and quite frosty air. Tools retrieved from various dig sites: 1x micro pick, 1x 1 1/2ft crowbar, 1x short cold chisel and 12x full pf sets 😀 3 hours. Out through the new route. You can have a good hours trip now looking around at the sites. Mike.

The sharp end. Photo MK.

Sunday 16th February 2025

Mike Kushy, solo. Drilled holes (2@ 1m and 2@500mm) filled and fired fine. Dig face looks to be draining well with a narrow, wide, void ahead. Obvious draught coming from this. 2 hours. Mike. 

Current dig face. Photo MK.

Wednesday 12th February 2025

Mike Kushy and Sam Hill. MK arrived around 3, took in drill and broke up the last big rocks laying around. Then crowbared the loose blocks at the sharp end, these were then reduced down in size again. Started then to do the usual wall building and chucking slop behind it and of course a bit of prodding. All the buckets were filled and pushed higher up cave. SH arrived around 4.30, he moved the rocks and buckets up into the dam. We had a bit of a play with the hose, oh the dam doesn't leak anymore! After all this we decided to clear out the tunnel from the hauling spot to Tooth Dig. We did these with both of us on the Tooth Dig side and all the spoil was sent to the far side of the approach passage to TD, where there was a handy alcove. Upon clearing we noticed there was quite a bit of space in the floor heading to the recent Dig area. SH went into the dodgy boulder area above the dig face and a close light connection was made (this may be worth opening up). The dig face just keeps going forward, but until the floor is lowered/ceiling is raised it's hard to retrieve any more mud. There a nice vertical gap in the ceiling ahead about 6 inches wide, packed with grit. 5 hours for me, Mike.

MK rodding the mud ahead. Photo SH

Closer view. Photo SH.

The dig face to begin with. Photo MK

Sunday 9th February 2025

Mike Kushy and Mysti Ommer. A sunny but cold morning. MK got to site around 10 with drill, broke up the last of the bigger rocks at the face. MO arrived around 11. With MK hauling and MO filling buckets the dam was cleared in just over an hour. The pair headed to surface to mix up some cement. 2 buckets mixed and each carried a bucket to the dig site. These were transferred into smaller buckets at the bottom. MK set to work cementing, whilst MO took the buckets and headed out to start another mix. MK then headed to surface. Alex Randall showed up, but we decided not to make yet another mix, MO had to leave. MK took 2 more buckets in and used them on side walls and a bit on the dam. Horrible foggy wet weather on return to surface. 5 hours. Mike.

Thursday 6th February 2025

John Cooper. Solo trip to survey the latest area around the third connection down to the puddle, not the connection itself though. 1½ hours. Now got to update the survey properly. John.

Wednesday 5th February 2025

 Mike Wise, Mike Kushy and Sam Hill. MW filling buckets with stone and mud from the dam, MK hauling and SH on the Tooth Dig side taking buckets and rocks further away. It's now possible to get to the hauling spot from 3 different ways, again. After an hour or so the dam was cleared, apart from 2 large rocks. MW set to work with pfs whilst SH came back round to the dig face, where MK joined him. Bigger rocks were sent up to MW to make the most of bringing the drill in, meanwhile SH filled buckets of slop from the pool and sent them to MK in the dodgy pocket above the dig. MW then requested more rock to break up, so SH set to work on this whilst MK dismantled his walls to find more big rock. There's not actually a great deal of mud left in/around the pool anymore. Compulsory prod around at the end, still no drainage but far in to the right you can get some real good glug sounds. The dam is filled up with small bucket sized rock and there about 4 big rocks that need breaking down more. We really need to cement up around the sharp end! 2 1/2 hours. Mike.

No photo's today, but check out White Rabbit Cave in Canada:

White Rabbit Cave - Youtube

Monday 3rd February 2025

Mike Kushy, solo. Took in drill and made rocks smaller, these got tossed into the dam. Lost some mud in a crack to one side and tipped several buckets into the dam. Went to the sharp end and the air was very frosty. Worked on some temporary walls some more, which were backfilled with mud from the bottom of the puddle. Some decent rocks retrieved from the pool and sent further back, all the buckets are filled and further back too. Once again some stirring with the crowbar ahead. There's a very large block in the floor under the puddle which moves. 2 hours. Mike.
Didn't take any photos, so here's a Lidar image with the cave entrance marked in green.

Sunday 2nd February 2025

Mike Kushy, solo. Headed in just before 5pm, quite a cold evening. My glasses steamed up as soon as in the concrete pipe. Got to the dam and found it empty, the far side of the dam a lot of mud has washed away around the sandbag (as expected) letting out a small leak. Will have to cement this up in drier weather. The hose could also do with replacing as it's quite old and has a few kinks. The hose was where I'd left it though and you could see foam where the hole I put the hose in had overfilled. There was foam higher on the walls than the crawl through to the end, so the place would have been fully sumped at some stage. There was hardly any water to be seen at the dig face, the shattered ceiling ahead had obviously had water go over the top of it, thus bringing all the ceiling to the floor (at least we know now it is not holding the standing up block to the left. Chucked what rocks I could back and lost several buckets of mud directly into the alcove above the dig face. Then I quickly built walls around and tipped all of the mud behind them. The puddle now beginning to show its ugly face again. Ahead a thick calcite vein (8") was broken out and this let the water move on further ahead. It was at this point the air noticeably changed in draught and temperature. A lot of stuff to clear as ever and there's a large block ahead to the left that will come out. I'm feeling more optimistic now, it looks like we could be above some mud filled rift. 2 1/2 hours. Mike.

Start of session. Photo MK.

End of session. Photo MK.

Friday 24th January 2025

Mike Kushy, solo. Took in a bag of postcrete, bung with tap attachment and hose. Dismantled some of the dam and built it back up using the postcrete. Once this was finished I went to the dig face with some empty buckets to grab some sticky mud and give the postcrete time to set. Big puddle at the bottom! (Glad I didn't struggle bringing the drill in). The sticky mud was used to line the dam inside and out. Once this was done I fitted the bung into the pipe work and attached the hose. Need to render the dam up with cement ideally at some stage as there are still a couple of minor leaks. The hose was really effective and a good flow came out, enough that the dam doesn't fill up quick enough, to provide a constant flow. I've left the tap open and managed to put the hose into the boulders to the left. Turned the tap off for a while and then opened again. The water can be heard flowing off down the hose and into the diversion. Recommend leaving the tap open open when not there, then closing on arrival of digging trips ready to use for cleaning or flushing afterwards. 2 hours. Mike.

Youtube channel.

The finished dam. Photo MK.

Puddle. Photo MK.

Puddle again. Photo MK.

Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Mike Kushy, Sam Hill, Mike Wise and Kaz Noiri underground around 1845. Kushy found Kaz at the Wessex and Kaz wanted to see a Mendip dig. After an induction by Sam on what needed moving and what shouldn't be prodded, Kaz moved mud and rocks away from the face to the bucket loading area. Mike W dismantled the dam and rebuilt it to accommodate the 4" pipe and Sam and Mike K tidied up the dumping area before hauling up and dumping some of the filled buckets. Some buckets of nice sticky mud were used in the dam construction.  Some rocks were dismantled using P&F before being hauled out. After clearing up the dig face, Kax experienced an unexpected  (to him perhaps) aspect of digging when the forward part of the left wall collapsed.  This is visible in Sam's second photo.  A great time was had by all. Time down 2.5 hours. Some rocks at the bottom need reducing for hauling out. The dam is higher than previously and the inside of the dam base needs sealing around the pipe. Suggest a pea or smaller gravel concrete mix. It will cure underwater, although if anyone has any 30-minute curing cement, that would be good. Mike Wise.

I left the guys at the 2nd connection to the Boulder Rift Chamber and headed to Tooth Dig. After the initial squeeze down you can traverse straight across to the loop, rather than all the way down and back up. Now with a view to the hauling spot I started clearing the gloop further back. Sam showed up and  started pushing rocks and gloop back to me. Enough space was made to be able to slide small buckets through. Lots of clearing of the hauling spot and spoil from below. Recommend always doing it this way rather than blocking the way again. I then went down to join the others. Kaz and I left out of the old cave exit. Mike Kushy.

Before. Photo SH.

After. Photo SH.

Sunday 19th January 2025

Mike Kushy and Tim Rose. Got to the dig around 10.30, took in 2 drills and charge materials. TR went to the dig face to pull stuff back and break down rock, whilst MK went to the hauling spot and pushed spoil back to create more room. After this the whole of the top dam was fully cleared, including any rocks that would fit in the small buckets. The hauling spot is now full to the brim and really needs 2 people up there to create more space. TR then went to the front and with MK above him in the dodgy boulder bit, a dozen or so buckets of mud were sent high up there. I think TR got a bit fed up of sliding into the 1m deep puddle, which seemed a good time to swap places and start drilling for the charge. MK drilled 5 holes @600mm, 3 into the already shattered slab to the right and 2 in a slab further ahead (hopefully that clears the puddle). Awkward set up, just had to give in in the end and lie knee deep in the water whilst setting up. TR packed drills and bag up and we both left, filled and fired fine. Cold as usual. This site is getting a bit desperate, I feel if we don't find some space in the next couple of charges we're going to struggle. 5 hours. Mike.

The dig face after clearing. Photo MK.

Thursday 16th January

Mike Kushy, solo. Pool at the bottom pretty much dry on arrival. Cleared left over mud and rocks, then moved a very large rock in the floor. This was downsized and stacked to one side. Spent the rest of the session looking for a drainage hole. The 2ft crowbar goes right into silt and mud on the floor without hitting anything solid. Draught seems to be coming from out of the floor. 2 hours. MK.

Before clearing. Photo MK.

After clearing. Photo MK.

Sunday 5th January 2025

Mike Kushy and Sam Hill. Got in for 11, took in 2 drills. Bloody wet couple of days, drippy throughout and nice stream coming in at the top Boulder Rift Chamber connection. SH went to the front and sent rocks back, some too large for buckets (will need breaking down). Lots of buckets tipped into the dam, which is now over full and needs clearing next. After rocks had been cleared the water had been found. After clearing as much mud and grit out as possible, it's now over knee deep. The pool is a 1mx1m. Unable to find a plug to drain the pool but there was easily enough water coming in today, that it should have flooded. MK had a go at the front for a bit, until stacking got desperate. We decided it was too wet to get drills out. 2 hours. Mike.

MK's YouTube Video from today

Before clearing. Photo SH.

After clearing. Photo MK.

SH in photo at the wet end. Photo MK.

Tuesday 31st December 2024

Sam Hill, Alex Randall and Mike Kushy. Took 2 drills and HE kit in. SH attacked the boulder in the floor at the face, whilst MK hauled and AR fed him buckets. After an hour or so MK got tired. SH then did some hauling with MK bucket filling, meanwhile AR had a go at the front. This lasted another hour or so and all the stacked top dam was cleared. AR had to pop out for half hour or so, MK and SH rebuilt the dam and filled it right up again. When AR got back MK went hauling, with AR bucket filling and SH at the front. MK came down and he and AR rebuilt and refilled the dam once more. All the pf work done, MK went to drill for charge. Meanwhile SH did more hauling, with AR filling buckets. 5 holes drilled @600, assisted SH and AR on set up. Filled and fired fine. Fresh at the bottom all session. The current stacking area is getting a bit overwhelmed. There's loads more that can go up there, but someone will have to go to the other side of the Tooth Dig loop and rake the stacked spoil right back. It's no longer possible to drop down from The Boulder Rift Chamber to the current dig site...unless of course you come from the Tooth Dig way 😬!  No photos, we were too busy enjoying ourselves getting covered in gloop and listening to Sam's German Propaganda music. Hard to describe the bottom, a rumble of rock was heard after the initial shock wave. 5 hours, Mike.

N/S survey overlay.

Happy New Year, from all us Conglomerates.

Monday 30th December 2024

Mike Kushy, solo. Took in drill and set to reducing the 'too big' rocks. 1 & 1/2 batteries used before the crawl. The dam is now about twice as high as yesterday and is filled up with mud and rocks from the bottom - be careful not to tip it! Would be nice to build a permanent dam once all is cleared and set up a dam/hose wash system. Went to the face and jiggled the 2nd dam a little to allow more mud to come out and allow the boulder in the floor more movement. The next 1 & 1/2 batteries were used on said boulder. Being very fractured it splits up really nicely, but there's a lot of it. The dig has become 'self digging' and there's a little black hole about 2 inches wide that the stream flows off into. Big clearance next, only 2 needed. 3 hours, Mike.

The top dam and spoil.
The retaining wall is just over a foot high. Photo MK.

Drainage hole. Photo MK.

Boulder in the floor at the dig face. Photo MK.

Sunday 29th December 2024

Mike Kushy and Callum Simmonds. MK arrived just before 10.30 armed with drill (although it never got used). Went down and assessed the stability of the dig face after the last charge. All looked good and there was a lot of rock to move. The bedding chunk was completely shattered and unable to see the puddles. Built a little wall higher up and emptied some spoil behind it. CS then arrived around 11. With him hauling all the buckets and temporarily stacked spoil was cleared. CS then went to the very dig face and passed many buckets and rocks back. This is now littered all over the place and buckets poured behind the ever increasing temporary wall (do we make it permanent?). CS had to leave around 1.30. MK stayed on for another hour and worked on clearing the floor and opening some drainage. A big block in the floor moves and can be broken up later. A good clearance session needed with 4 people, 2 sessions for 2. It looks good and feels very fresh, Bang On! 4 hours for me, Mike.

MK's YouTube Video from today

Debris at dig face. Photo MK.

Debris at dig face. Photo MK.
Both photos looking straight on, horizontally

Monday 23rd December 2024

 Mike Kushy. Drilled 5 holes @600, all filled and fired fine, should be messy. 2 hours. MK 

Red holes drilled side on into the bedding slab.
Blue holes vertically down through the eroded solid floor. Photo MK.

Saturday 21st December 2024

Mike Kushy, solo. Took the drill in with the aim of moving rocks and breaking them down. That wasn't happening, everything is too big! Filled up buckets and moved a few rocks back. Spent the rest of the time widening the puddles in the floor ahead. Quite a stream coming in today, but floor draining away somewhere. Built some walls and put the spoil behind them. Draught seems to be coming from under a boulder on the right hand side. Easily enough spoil for another team clearing session. Then we may have to look at popping the rh boulder. Whilst looking for a drain hole with the long crowbar, in the puddle on the left, I was hit with a strong smell of oil/diesel and a thick band of grey clay. Towards the end I built a temporary dam and filled it up with gritty mud as much as possible, hopefully this will help to clean up a bit. 4 hours.

MK's YouTube video from today

Dig face. Photo MK.

Puddle on left. Photo MK.

Puddle on right. Photo MK.

Wednesday 18th December 2024

Sam Hill, Ed Ford, Kat Rosier and Callum Simmonds. Good session with lots removed. Started by moving all the rocks then dug the floor down. Large rocks to break up in the floor now and was getting rather wet with water pooling. Interesting sediment layers met as digging down and the draft seemed to ebb and flow as well. 2hrs. Sam.
We found a few bits which may be bone. Left by the black case. Ed.

Current dig face. Photo SH.

Closer view. Photo SH.

Tuesday 17th December 2024

Mike Kushy, solo. Breaking up rock and filling buckets ready for Wednesday. Loads to clear. Being a very mild morning the draught was present but not as strong as it has been. A growing puddle at the bottom. 3 hours, Mike.

A view from higher up of the dig face. Photo MK.

The dig face. Photo MK.

Sunday 15th December 2024

Mike Kushy, Ed Ford and Trevor Hughes.

MK went in just after 11 armed with drill. Lots of big rocks to break up. Filled the bags and buckets and moved all the spoil up cave a bit. Ed arrived just after lunchtime and we cleared everything back to the main chamber. Me and Ed then both squeezed through the recent (3rd) connection to the dig face and looked at the prospect of bringing spoil out this way. MK then went into the new 'chamber' and raked the floor, chucking all the spoil into the bouldery side. This revealed a very nice looking waterworn trench, the floor is composed of alot of sandstone and grit. EF in the meantime was losing what he could on the other side and filling the buckets up. Then with MK above the 3rd connection EF handed him buckets up. After a while we opted to go get the rope and krab and this was a lot more efficient. TH then arrived (est' 2pm), we left TH to prise rock and pf the stuff down to size. MK and EF meanwhile hauled a lot up. Rocks were strategically placed to prop up rock and build walls. There's a lot more space to fill up there yet and with a 4th person it would have been possible to pass stuff through the window towards the Tooth Dig loop. Batteries spent we all left, very cold from the draught. Loads of room at the bottom and it's now possible to clear the floor without going into the 'chamber'. 5 1/2 hours for me. MK 

MKs youtube video from today

Dig face after clearance. Photo MK.

Trevor at the dig face, then Ed, then Mike. Photo MK.

Hard to see on camera but this is stacked calcite layers right above the dig. Photo MK.

Dig face before clearing. Photo MK.

Thursday 12th December 2024

Mike Kushy. 5 holes drilled @600mm, all filled fine and fired fine. 3 holes on the right hand wall/floor and 2 in the floor just before the new squeeze. 1 1/2 hours. Mike.

Wednesday 11th December 2024

Mike Kushy, Callum Simmonds, Sam Hill and Mike Wise.

MK went in early to fill up bags and buckets and with drill. By the time all the bags and buckets were filled SH arrived and started moving them up cave. When MW arrived he and SH moved up cave to empty stuff into the Boulder Rift Chamber. Meanwhile MK started reducing bigger rocks with pfs. CS arrived at some point and took rocks and bags from MK and started ferrying them up cave. A large rock moved from the floor and blocked the ability to fill and more buckets, so whilst MK set to on this the others moved stuff as far up cave as they could. Big rock dealt with, more bags and buckets filled until the hole in the floor looked passable. MK wiggled on through, a flat out horizontal squeeze through the bedding ceiling into an erratic boulder 'chamber'. All the boulders were very big and well calcified up, so it didn't feel too dodgy. In the chamber it is possible to stand up and climb around a little, there's plenty of space to pack spoil into. Being in the 'chamber' the draught was not obvious anymore. Looking back towards the squeeze (out) everything on the left looks very clean washed, everything on the right is uninformed and erratic, the floor of the chamber was also bone dry! It is possible to squeeze through head first, turn around and come out head first too. The floor could be dug more when in the chamber, the floor leading up to the squeeze is solid bedding. Next step I think is to try and take away some of the wall and floor and get back to the line that heads into the "cliff". SH came down at the end of the session to have a look/take photos and squeezed through into the chamber too. 3 1/2 hours for me. Mike.

Mike in the new chamber, scraping the floor back. Photo SH.

Mike coming out of the new chamber. Photo SH.

 

Sam with his legs in the squeeze that lead to the chamber. Photo SH.

The current face. Photo SH.

Closer view. Photo SH.

Mike going through the squeeze. Photo SH.

Sunday 8th December 2024

Mike Kushy and Adrian Miles. 

AM went ahead with drill and started on holes whilst MK moved the bang wire further down cave. 5 hopes drilled and MK assisted AM on the set up. 2m of 40 used and fired, all went off well. The shock wave felt a lot greater this charge than any previous, even though we didn't use much material. 1 1/2 hours. Mike.

AM drilling at the dig face. Photo MK.

Wednesday 5th December 2024

Mike Kushy, Mike Wise, Sam Hill, Oli Hill, Trevor Hughes, Mike Moxon, Jake Baynes, Adrian Miles and Ed Ford.

MK went in just after 5 armed with drill. Broke up a big loose rock then filled up bags and buckets and stashed ready for the others. I then managed to move a big chunk of the bedding floor and this was downsized, allowing a lot more room at the bottom.

Around 6.30ish everyone started to arrive and all the filled bags and buckets were cleared right back. Lots and lots of bags and buckets cleared and many large rocks pulled out of the muddy floor. At some point a decent sized opening appeared in the dig face floor, between the corner and the hole at the far left. An incredible and very icy draught emitted from this, very clear that this is our direction. Lower down it looks to cut back right towards the corner and also there's signs of water carving its way down vertically through the bedding. It got difficult to clear any more without taking another large chunk of the floor away, which is best done with a charge. All the rocks are cleared though so hopefully some rain will wash alot of the remaining mud through. A very active stream and a good soaking at the point position. It was very clear to see the streamway pick up and it was easy to tell that it had started raining heavier outside, a very reactive streamway! 3 1/2 hours for me, just over 2 for the others. Pint and food at the hunters afterwards. Mike.

See comments below. Photo SH.

Didn't have camera, but here's a pic from last session. Photo is taken sat at the corner looking left across the bedding.

Red is the hole to the far left, green is all the loose bedding floor removed this session, pink is where the new hole in the floor is and blue represents the corner.

Saturday 30th November 2024

Sam Hill, Mike Kushy, Callum Simmonds, Ben Ashley and Mysti Ommer met for half ten, underground by 10:45. SH cleared bang debris and then broke up a few larger chunks with PF. CS then took over digging and cleared out a lot of mud and some large boulders. Ben and Mysti were ferrying up to the connection where Kushy was stacking. Ben and Mysti then dug a few buckets out and we called it a day after 4hrs. Good draft coming out the left hand hole this time. Lots more mud and rock to come out of the floor. Sam.

Before clearing. Photo SH.

After clearing. Photo SH.

After clearing. Photo SH.