The BCRA has a new Facebook group, so if you're on Facebook why not come along and join the discussions. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1485495795064870/ The British Cave Research Association (BCRA) is a UK-registered charity that achieves its objectives by: > supporting cave and karst...

Hi all, I'm heading to Georgia for a walking holiday in November.  I wasn't specifically planning on doing any caving, but then it occurred to me that there might be some friendly cavers or caving clubs in and around Tbilisi, that might be interested in meeting up for a drink etc. Does anyone...

Hi all, I'm looking for some cheap(ish) accommodation in Nottingham from the 1-21st July whilst I'm working at BGS Keyworth on a speleothem dating project.  I've looked at B&B's in Nottingham and Keyworth, but for 3 weeks its likely to cost over ?500 for accommodation alone, which is...

This will probably seem like a stupid question, but does anyone have any details for where we're meant to be camping this Hidden Earth?  I can't seem to find the details anywhere.  And for that matter, neither can I find a schedule for when things are meant to kick off. Can anyone help? Smithers

Hi all, I need some advice as to the type of coring drill bits to use for drilling through calcite.  This isn't actually for digging, but rather for sample collection for scientific purposes.  Don't worry I do have permission to collect samples for my PhD, so I'm not just going in and randomly...

Whilst caving in Yorkshire this weekend I found a Petzl Stop and steel screwgate carabiner left in a well known gear dumping ground at the bottom of a pitch in a well known cave up in the Masongill Fell Lane/Ireby Fell area. If you can tell me which cave and where abouts you think you may have...

Hi all, I've got a survey which has been drawn up in Tunnel, but I'm having real difficulty in saving the final drawing as an image.  Would it be possible for me to email the data to someone and get them to save it as a jpeg/bmp/png for me?  I could do with having this done tonight, as I'm...

Hi there, Just wondering if anyone from UBSS is going to the Red Lion tonight?  I'm starting a PhD at Bristol next week and fancied meeting up with some of the local cavers for a pint or two. Chris

I was just wondering what people generally do to keep spirits up when they've got wait around for a while in a cave (e.g. waiting to ascend a pitch or waiting for rescue etc)?  Not that I plan on becoming "stuck" so I can see how good your time killing techniques are, but I was just curious what...

I've lost a red Ecrin Roc helmet with a Petzl Due 14 lamp with the 1 watt led replacement bulb.  The helmet shoucl have Smithers written on the side in fadded black permanent marker.  Also the chin strap under the buckle has been cut short, and is rather tatty. If you have seen this helmet...

Hi all, At one of our digging sites we've established a vocal connection between two sets of passage, one directly above the other.  In the upper passage there is a pit which has a false floor of rubble and chock stones, but due to the width of the pit we cannot bed down to remove this rubble...

I came across a link to Norbert Casteret's book 'Ten Year's Under the Earth' which you can download as a PDF or in several other formats. http://www.archive.org/download/http://www.archive.org/details/tenyearsunderthe009257mbp I don't know whether the book is still protected under copyright...

I found this randomly trawling the net.  I really do hope to god that this is some kind of joke/spoof!  Following the link and click on the arrows at the bottom of the page. http://www.cancaver.ca/rats/sucs/ Just to give you some idea... If this is true, all I can say is Canadian cavers are...

Hi all, I thought I'd let you know that there's a fully funded PhD in environmental cave monitoring being advertised at the University of Durham (to start August 2010).  So if there are any cavers interested in being paid to go caving in Belize and the Turks and Cacaos Islands (Caribbean) then...

Hi all, I'm meant to be going down to north Wales this weekend to do the Croesor Rhosydd through trip.  I haven't been down there in a couple of years and I was wondering if anyone could tell me what condition the place is in? How worn are the fixed line ropes, have they been replaced...