Saturday 30th March 2024

John Cooper, Pete Hann and Nigel Graham. John and Nigel did one double mix whilst Pete descended to see what needed doing. The mix was split over 3 buckets as usual which John ferried down as required. At the start Pete had been digging clatch out of the floor to stash behind the rock John had been cementing in last Wednesday. Once sufficient floor had been cleared Pete started to build up the wall on the left, the intention being to support the left hand wall so the big block in the middle could be removed. John assisted Pete by getting the rocks from the top stacking space together with smaller bits as required. Once Pete had started on the third bucket John ascended with the two empty buckets to get a second double mix underway. Once this was ready two thirds was loaded into the two buckets which John took down. Retrieving the third bucket this was sent up to Nigel to load and then sent down to John. Once Pete had used up two buckets from the second mix John took them out and escorted Nigel down as far as the final drop. A very useful cementing session. No photos. 3½ hours. John.

Wednesday 27th March 2024

John Cooper, Trevor Hughes, Dave Morrison (Tuska) and Wayne Starsmore. John started a mix whilst Wayne went down with his drill to start breaking up boulders. By the time John had put the mix in the buckets Wayne was back with his drill saying there nothing safe to drill. The first bucket was taken in and John decided to cement in a boulder on the right hand side before the current end. Trevor came down, had a good look round and agreed with John’s strategy. The second and third buckets were used up on the same boulder but more will be required. Tuska came along to haul but was told the rock was needed for walling and the clatch couldn’t be moved whilst walling was in progress. Both John’s and Trevor’s drills never left the surface! The end does look interesting but not safe at present. No draught tonight. Sleet on surface. 2 hours. John.

Sunday 24th March 2024

Mike Kushy, Adrian Miles, Monica Bollani and John Cooper.

MK got to the dig just after 10 and started downsizing the bouldery mess created from Wednesday's bang. AM joined not long after and cleared all the rocks back to the entrance shaft. Small buckets of clatch were filled and tipped into the rift up cave. More rocks were broken up and stashed on the ledge above the climb, this is now full. MB arrived at some point to inspect the dig and take the obligatory rock to surface. At some point some rock tickling and a collapse opened a considerable window into a decent sized space beyond. As tempting as it was to climb through we decided to keep clearing out the floor as this looks a safer prospect for continuing. A lot of cement work needs doing next. On the way out JC was on surface so with AM and JC on surface and MK filling buckets all the rocks at the base of the shaft were cleared. 5 hours for me. MK.

MK's YouTube video from today

Dig face before clearing. Photo MK.

Looking down into the floor, boulder above crowbar needs cementing in. Photo MK.

The view over the boulder. Photo MK.

The window above the boulder that opened up mid dig. Photo MK.

Wednesday 20th March 2024

John Cooper, Trevor Hughes and Adrian Miles. Trevor drilled and charged the boulder ahead, although there is another one immediately behind it, whilst Adrian did the floor (supervised bang). Trevor took pictures. The view past the left hand side of the boulder was interesting. Good outward draught. Nice and quiet at the surface. Misty. 1½ hours.John.

Saturday 16th March 2024

Mike Kushy and Frank Tully.

MK got to the cave at 10.30. Time was spent moving excess rock up cave. With this cleared, 10 small buckets were filled and stashed at the top of the pit. Time was then spent breaking up a large boulder. With this done MK moved all the loose rock to the base of the shaft and climbed up for a rest, catching Tuska's tour setting off. Returning to the dig all the small buckets were emptied into the higher rift, 3 x 10 small buckets cleared in total. Some more rock broken up and left at the top of the pit for building. MK then headed out to start mixing cement. FT had just arrived on surface (2ish). With FT at the bottom of shaft and MK on surface all the rocks were cleared to surface. MK set about making a mix whilst FT went down cave to see the dig and clear a bit more. 3 loads of big buckets of mix then went down and was used stabilising the dig face. A good view ahead, beyond both sides of an obstructing boulder. Nice draughting hole in the floor ahead too. 5 1/2 hours for me. MK.

MKs YouTube video from today

View into right hand hole, looking down. Photo MK.

View into right hand hole, looking straight ahead. Photo MK.

View of dig face, obstructing boulder with left and right holes. Photo MK

View of left hole, looking ahead. Photo MK.

Wednesday 13th March 2024

Mike Kushy, John Cooper, Sam Hill and Dave Morrison.

MK started around 2.45, moved rocks at top of pit up cave. Filled up buckets from the bottom and filled up the retaining wall at the top of the pit. JC arrived not long after and ferried the rocks to the entrance shaft. SH arrived and helped JC clear the rocks to surface. JC then set about a mix whilst MK and SH emptied small buckets into the higher up rift. SH then went to the dig face and released some more rock. Meanwhile MK helped bring 3 big buckets of cement into the cave and stashed them for later use. The big rocks were then downsized and stashed ready for wall building/stabilising. Really cool draught at the bottom tonight, with a good view along a sloping cobble floor. A bolt has been put in at the head of the final climb down, ready for a pulley. Arrived on surface to find DM wall building. 4 1/2 hours for me. MK.

MK's YouTube video from today

Bottom of final climb down, looking inwards and downwards. Photo MK.

A bit further in. Photo MK.

Further in again. Photo MK.

Looking ahead into the left hand hole. Photo MK.

Sunday 10th March 2024

Mike Kushy, Trevor Hughes and John Cooper.

Just MK to start with, filling up the retaining wall built yesterday, quite surprised how set the cement was already. Started breaking up some rocks then TH Showed up. TH in the bottom pit filling up small buckets, with MK at the top lifting buckets on rope. Every 4 small buckets MK ferried up cave to the higher up rift, at least a dozen loads of 4 done. TH broke up some decent sized rocks. TH had to leave so MK went down to use up the rest of the drill batteries. TH left taking 4 small buckets out with him. Drill batteries spent MK made his way out with drill looking forward to a rest and a tea at Upper Pitts. MK arrived on surface to find JC mid mix. After a short break MK then went back down cave and ferried 3 big buckets of cement to the bottom. This was used building up more retaining wall and supporting more underneath the climb down wall. 5 hours. MK.

Bottom of pit after clearing. Rock my right foot is on has now been moved. Photo MK.

View underneath the rock moved in first photo. Photo MK.

John Cooper. I thought all I was doing today was loaning my drill to Mike to use but during lunch in the Hunters',  post my Swildon's Hole trip, I was approached by Trevor saying Mike was expecting me to do a cement mix. Finished lunch then went across and was just preparing to add the water when Mike emerged. I think he regretted asking for the mix but it was too late so after I'd finished the mix, split into 3 loads as usual, he descended to use it up. I cleared up and packed things away then went back to Upper Pitts for afternoon cups of tea. There is 1 bag of sand, no cement but plenty of stone dust still on site. 1 hour. John.

Saturday 9th March 2024

Mike Kushy, Pete Hann, Adrian Vanderplank, John Cooper and Nigel Graham.

MK started at 10 and got about down sizing the stacked up boulders left from mid week. All broken up and stacked higher up then the rest turned up. With NG on surface all the rocks were cleared. After this PH went to the sharp end and many buckets of clatch were sent to surface. Some big boulders removed from the floor and walls by AV capping. PH set about cementing the climb down and some rocks in front, a small retaining area ready to be filled in. Whilst this happened MK and JC did a little clearing within the rest of the cave. Interesting voids lower down, one which looks like a significant inlet coming directly into the solid wall. 5 hours for me. MK

MK's YouTube Video from today

Pete at the deepest point of the dig. Photo MK.

Pete on his way out, pit below. Photo MK.

Straight ahead from the top of the pit. Photo MK.

Passage over the top,which we aim to keep open for future exploring if needs be. Photo MK.

Wednesday 6th March 2024

Dave Morrison, John Cooper and Trevor Hughes. Tuska hauling from the surface, John transferring tubs of spoil and rocks with myself at the bottom. Good progress- removing a lot of wet mud and gravel, revealing moveable rocks and open vertical voids. A stacked pile of biggish, just about moveable, rocks need to be broken up and cleared away. Much more work needs to be done before any passage gain possible. A good start though. 2 hours. Trevor.

Cave being rebuilt on surface, we can have the caverns as large as you would wish. David.

Tuesday 5th March 2024

Dave Morrison building spoil retaining walls on surface followed by John Cooper dropping off 4 bags of sand and a bag of cement. John.

Saturday 2nd March 2024

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Nigel Graham, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Sleet/rain on surface – not nice. One full mix of cement done. Adrian capped rocks for building material. Most of the cement was then used by Pete building up the wall. John used a bit of cement higher up. Meanwhile, on the surface, Nigel was moving spoil from the heap to the wall fill. A second full mix of cement was then done before Jude and Nigel retreated back to Upper Pitts. All this was used by Pete building up the main wall. Nice holes in the floor but a lot of clatch to move out first - 4 people? Filled up the water container but no sand or cement on site now (just rock dust). 3½ hours.John.

Pete wall building. Photo AV.

Looking back out. Photo AV.

Onwards and downwards. Fossil, upper centre left? Photo AV.

Onwards and downwards. Photo AV.