Tuesday 29th November 2022

JC in the bedding below the Boulder Rift.

 

At the bottom of the 2m pot looking through the narrow gap between big boulders.

Looking past what seems to be a tiny funnel in the floor behind the triangular rock to the passage on the left. There may be a continuation on the right as well

 

Looking up out of the muddy bottom dig

JC log. John Cooper and Mike Wise. We first inspected the new lower bedding chamber off the start of Boulder Rift. Probably needs the way in opening up and stabilising but the bottom looks interesting. Then on in and moved a few buckets of spoil from Kushy’s dig face at the bottom. Came out to find yet another gate had been installed by Tuska and Al. 2½ hours.

MW comments - there are two squeezes through boulders to pass below the Boulder Rift to get to the restricted bedding and below that, at the bottom of a 2m deep x 0.75m (ish) diameter pot, a small (maybe 0.5m x 0.5m at most) damp passage with a too tight gap between two very large blocks which prevent entry. Floor is packed mud and stone which is diggable. Immediately behind the triangular rock on the floor in the 4th photo is what seemed to be a small scalloped muddy funnel in the floor but was not fully visible. The item on the floor in photo 3 is my glasses case. 

It's all quite small, probably smaller than I think it is, but interesting! 😀

Sunday 20th November 2022

Mike Kushy and Geoff Newton started at 9.30. Cleared more mud and silt, quite wet at the bottom. Andy Thompson joined us around 11.30. Then Courtenay James and Monica joined us around 12. With the bigger group we were able to take stuff up much higher. There's enough space at the lower dumping area for a small group to use for another couple of sessions. Geoff left around 12.30 and the rest of us got out around 2.30 after a look in the Boulder Rift. Mike.

Sunday 13th November 2022

Mike Kushy and Monica Bollani.
MB at the front of the mud dig tunneling along, got another metre along then hit a very thick (2ft) layer of calcited conglomerate in the floor. Towards the end MK went in and had a poke at the ceiling and left the dig with what looks like a rift line in the ceiling, slight draught at the end. Came out to find a gate fitted in the fence, good job T! 🙂 4 1/2 hours, Mike.

Continued to make space in the muddy tube, digging across and down slightly left to follow the ceiling. Some big chunks of conglomerate coming out of the floor, and a mix of sandy grit and clay like mud. Definitely looks like 50 shades of brown. 4 1/2 hours. Monica. (From log book).

Fresh video uploaded Click on the link 'To watch the diggers in action on YouTube click here' under the page header.

Wednesday 9th November 2022

Mike K., Adrian Miles and Pete Hellier. Cleared more mud out for a couple of hours then went to look at the boulder rift area.  2 1/2 hours. Mike.

Saturday 5th November 2022

Mike Kushy, Dickon Morris...then Mike Waterworth joined us about 2pm. MK and DM carried on at the mud pit. Cleared until 1.30pm then stopped for lunch. The void in the mud pit doesn't connect to the chamber above, a light connection was unsuccesful but a vocal connevction was possible. We then decided to mix things up and had a go at the boulder rift dig. Made a little breakthrough and got into a lower bedding passage. About 7m in length, 4-5m wide and probably another 5m deeper. Little immature streamway at the bottom and a smaller strike line in the roof than the mud pit dig. The mud pit looks more promising. Mike.

MK, MW and Dickon Morris.

MK and DM started around 10. Tidied up some more of the rocks around the top of the mud pit dig then started tossing buckets of mud into made stacking spaces. Progressing forwards it feels like the best way on is left and down. We checked for a light connection between the void up higher in the dig and the passage that goes overhead but no connection was made, we could talk to each other though. It's hard to tell how long this dig will take. Around 1.30 we stopped for lunch, then at 2ish MW joined us. 

To mix things up and make the most of having drill batteries we had a look at the boulder rift dig. DM and MW took turns breaking up rocks in the floor until a big enough space was opened to get into something. We went in to investigate and found more bedding passage, but it feels lower than the other bedding, a survey will reveal if this is so. The new passage is tight at first then opens a little, it's about 5m wide, goes in about 7m and probably 5m depth gained. There's an immature streamway at the bottom with a smaller strike line in the ceiling than the mud pit dig. I favour the mud pit dig as logistics here would be difficult.

Mike (email report)

Friday 4th November 2022

John Cooper, Geoff Newton. Removing loose boulders and clatch in the right hand wall of the dig. JC demolished a large boulder - a war of attrition with lump hammer. Geoff.

John Cooper and Geoff Newton. Tidying up the bottom dig. Broke up and moved boulders, collapsed walls to make safe. Kushy's crowbar not seen, must be buried deep in the floor somewhere. 2 hours. John

Thursday 27th October 2022

John Cooper and Jude Vanderplank. More surveying. Boulder Rift and the small rift at the bottom done. 1½ hours. John.

 

Wednesday 26th October 2022

MK, JC, M Wise and M Waterworth. MK and JC started at 2.30pm. Cleared more out of the pot and built stacking spaces. The other 2 Mike’s came around 4.30pm. John left to find his survey stations and more plug and feather work / bucket clearance until 7.15pm. Mike K.

MK, JC, Mike Wise and Mike Waterworth.

MK and JC started at 2.30. Cleared some buckets from the pit and built some retaining areas. The other 2 Mike's arrived around 4.30. John left around this time and on his way out was making notes ready for surveying. A mixture of plug and fetahering and bucket clearance taking turns until 7.15pm. Downwards is hard going so we started to head horizontal, had a little collapse but worked out for the best. Clean washed rock and what looks to be bedded ceiling can be seen ahead, draught getting stronger the more the pit is cleared.

I'm back in on Sunday. John was talking about doing a Friday session also. I've left my drill in locker for anyone that may want it, John has some batteries hopefully he'd be willing to use 😊

Mike K. (email) 

Sunday 23rd October 2022

Kushy, Mike Waterworth, Olivia Dawson and Monica B. Headed straight to the muddy dig that Geoff and Kushy had been working on the previous day. We all had a go at the front and removed a lot of mud and some huge boulders, trying to get round and under a big slab that is blocking the way on (we think). Made approx. 2 metres of progress. Very promising dig. Nice company Monica B.

 

MK, MB, Mike Waterworth and Olivia Dawson. Carrying on with clearing the muddy pool, now a gritty rocky pit. Breaking through several layers of fill and calcite. Hit solid waterworn limestone boulders around 2 metres deep, with bigger gaps appearing, started plug and feathering. Unfortunately again not quick work, draught picked up upon hitting the limestone again. Space for stacking getting low, a minimum team of 3 is needed to take stuff higher up. 6 hours. Mike.