Hello, just wanted to post a quick notice that the Badgers are planning on another sump pumping long weekend on 7th, 8th and 9th September. We will have a generator and small team on the surface and various equipment run throughout the cave. Obviously we can't ask that you don't go there but if...

... and to now bring us right up to date, we returned yesterday, having only three and a half bags between us- what a treat! The objective was to return to the pointy end and spend the day lowering the gravel floor in the last section of flat out bedding before the final choke we finished at on...

I'd say so, yes that feels about right.

Definitely fresh. No sign at all, just some small water worn galena nodules in the steam bed, suggesting it intersects the vein again somewhere up ahead.

It what it reminds me of the most too, probably about -60 or 70m depth at a guess..

Last weekend Mark S and I returned to Layflat to tackle the calcite blockage- Insomnia. We were super prepared with a lot of gear, including a drill and a hired 10kg battery Hilti SDS Max breaker. We had another ~10 hour trip, much of it lying in the water again. Part way through the day the...

Just a quick update for the sake of completeness, rather than the reporting of anything significant. Mike Y and I were back last night, moving all the scaffolding we have down there through to the nice chamber without a name. Mike spent a while familiarising himself with the new discovery as it...

A few more images, not totally in order but it gives a good sense of the place. Mark s returning through The Origin Choke. Exit from The Origin Choke, heading in. Some nice pick marks in the new extension Traverse over holes between piles of stacked deads. Old man's wall Nice bit of...

No problem

So just to explain, the video titled part 1 takes you from gin shaft to just below the chamber of hanging nightmares and closes woth a look through the choke at the breakthrough. Video part 2 takes you from Sundays breakthrough point to thumb slapper choke. We don't have Video of the rest yet.

It was with this message in mind that we met at the farm on Sunday at 0900. We had about 14 scaffold poles and four tackle bags of tools and gear with us (one whole large Darren drum full of stroganoff and rice!). the journey to the dig face went well, though we had a noticeably larger than...

Good trip last night in the upstream dig, we moved only a few boulders, including one large and exceptionally heavy one but got several new and reassuring pieces of scaffolding in. The continuing dig which runs horizontally into the choke is a good body length now and by reaching forward as far...

I always knew it was there ;)

Which I think means that the dye injected into SHS probably didn't find its way into the stream we're currently pushing up in Rowter. Although I have a vague recollection that the dye in RH did eventually turn up at Main Rising and WPR.. in that order after it appeared at Russet Well?! I'll see...

A summary from a Rowter dye trace from John G that I'm sure has been posted before but which is worth re- posting. As part of their undergraduate dissertations two University of Birmingham Earth Science undertook water tracing experiments in the Castleton karst under the supervision of...

The other end of Rowter meanwhile is heading towards Peak and is very close to Whirlpool rising in both height and horizontal distance.

Heading west away from peak along faucet, or horse stones rake. About 85 m below surface heading upstream in a mix of natural and mined passage.

Ha! Both... :)