I was showing some slides I have from a (tourist) visit to Þríhnúkagígur in Iceland (see Inside the Volcano) when I was asked what was the origins of the vivid colours one can see. The reds and yellows can easily be attributed to iron and sulphur. A quick on line search does suggest bacteria for...

Following discussion within the BCA's Training and Equipment Working Group, a poster plus back ground material has been produced on the topic of suspension trauma, see BCA News. (And for the pedants, trauma was chosen in favour of syncope being the medical term for fainting, that is the short...

The BCA Countryside and Rights Of Way (CRoW) Working Group (WG) is seeking volunteers to help push forward its work to get legal recognition that CRoW Act applies to caving. This work is now focused on getting political action assuming a change in government in 2024 or ‘25. A recent debate in...

I am looking for someone who can make a simple outline sketch of a caver. I don't want to get into detail as to what I am after as it is work in progress and would spoil it's presentation. So please PM me and I can explain in more detail.

See FaceBook page for new discover near Fagradalsfjall volcano on the Iceland's Reykjanes peninsula. See also Robbie Shone's FaceBook page.

I had been using the MathCad 15 program to process data obtained from rope testing work. The computer died on me so I no longer have access and purchasing a new copy is now extortionate. So I wonder if anyone has got MathCad 15 or later versions (or indeed their new version Prime) who could get...

Last week the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill came back into the news over the intent of the government to reduce the range of EU legislation that they intend to be impacted by the bill. The thought crossed my mind as to what legislation (both acts of parliament and statutory...

Can any one point me to the origins of the Barrel knot? Ashley's Book of Knots #295 describes a somewhat different knot to that used to connect a cows tail to a crab. Alpine Caving Techniques does not appear to reference it. I can see the relationship to the Capuchin knot which is used as a...

I have a five column by 1,000,000 row csv file data set which I would like to trim using Excel. (The columns represent 4 different measurements with respect to time.) Whilst I can see how to manually read in the data, create a chart of measurements with respect to time and hence identify the...

I am after help from someone who can write code to extract data from the web. Simply put, I am interested in several web pages which offer access to data in a large number of files (thousands) using a simple coding system for each file name. What I would like is to be provided with a program...

With the old format, I could BCC a copy of my PM to myself. That option seems to have gone. Or is there a way I can email the all of the PM exchange to myself?

I recently came across https://www.space.com/mars-subsurface-map-from-insight-wind-sound?fbclid=IwAR2_eh-gWAFu1PTfjJzG-xIAzUlOAbF0YLRJPfGStgLpzjTQt2AwNMusdS0 and thought I wonder how that works.  Looking at the paper gave no details but by going back through the refereces I found...

A simple question - does anyone know of a cave registry data base (paper or computer based) covering the Dales?  I ask because I have tracked down on line data bases for other areas but I can't find anything on the Dales apart from the material on the CNCC web site.  And that only covers caves...

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/may/16/yosemite-national-park-rock-climbing-permit caught my eye and prompted two thoughts: would all caves in the UK become so busy that a booking system became necessary; and has any one given thought to monitoring some caves with booking system in...

I am seeking help from a computer expert to explain to me how to get running a piece of software in a virtual machine running Windows XP. The back ground is I have a PicoScope ADC 200 (a computer based oscilloscope) which is no longer supported by PicoTech.  In order to use the device, I need...

See https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2020/1211/1183824-ice-cathedralin-swiss-alps/ .  The company, https://www.glacier3000.ch/en/information/news-and-events/the-ice-cathedral has more stuff but it does not sound as if it is worth the effort of flying out just for the cave.

I see that the PM has indicated hotels can reopen from 4 July.  Could I have a couple of volunteers to help me work our way through what has been said so as to produce some advice for clubs with huts on re-opening?  Please PM me.

Has anyone got access to a legal data base like LexisNexis?  I would like a set of the resultant amended Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) regulations for the 3 nations as I don't have the energy to do it myself due to other challenges.  If you do and can provide them, then please PM me. 

I probably should have done this yonks ago but now don't have the time to do much more than point people to https://www.beal-planet.com/en/how-to-disinfect-beal-textile-ppe/ on the limitations of disinfecting rope  :( .  If someone who has some spare time would go and look at other...

I am looking for some help in drafting guidance on re-opening huts.  Could people with a back ground in property maintenance please PM me?  I also could do with some one who has direct experience of oil fueled boiler systems.  Many thanks in anticipation.