Valentin Ionut Mitran (facebook.com/fortzacraiova) and Will Burnett (facebook.com/will.burnett.900) Several recent photos of them on Facebook touching the formations in Notts II. In the first, Valenthin claims he wasn't touching it, however it's hard to ignore the second. I just had a rant with...

I've had this project on the back burner for a while and I've finally got around to doing it. Caves, passages and pitches have an amazing assortment of quirky names, but do you know how they came about? I think most people who weren't involved in the original exploration probably won't and many...

Press release from the organisers... Despite ongoing efforts, the Hidden Earth team has been unable to find a suitable venue this year and, with regret, the event will be postponed for another year. We realise that there will be much disappointment over this and people might be wondering if...

Following the discovery of some lengthy extensions for Jenga Pot, we never managed to get it all surveyed before the winter weather refilled the sumps and prevented entry again. We've now finally had a chance to get through the sumps and into the new areas discovered in 2020. The Covid...

Drilling shot holes in the soft Jurassic limestone of the North York moors has proved problematic. The issue is that once you get about 400mm in, the rock is so soft and porous that the dust turns into a kind of paste which the drill bit can't expel. The sludge and suction in the hole prevents...

If there are any Devon SS members on the forum, please could someone drop me a message about your cottage - gardouth@hotmail.com Thanks

We are sorry to have to announce that due to the uncertainty caused by the pandemic Hidden Earth 2021 has been cancelled. We tried our best but a major problem has been that many venues are still unwilling to take bookings for indoor public events, even to the end of 2021. As it takes several...

I saw this topic on a Facebook group and have unashamedly stolen it for UKC because I thought it was really interesting but being Facebook it's a bit international. What is your favourite quote from a well known caver, caving publication or similar? "Is anybody not ready?"

General discussion on CSCC locks split from Thrupe Lane topic: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=28146.0 Out of interest, what is the reason for not going with the "Derbyshire key" approach? Was this option put to those locals concerned?

I have a package from Nick Williams in Great Hucklow to get to either York (ideally) or the Dales. There's no urgency but if anyone from Yorkshire happens to be seeing Nick that would be helpful. Unfortunately it can't be posted. Thanks.

With lockdown boredom well and truly setting in, we have decided to entertain ourselves by putting on a live-streamed caving talk this Sunday. This hour-long talk will provide a pictorial tour of all aspects of caving in the North York Moors, including the Windypits and the evolution of the...

Can an electronics guru give me advice on AA battery chargers. My limited knowledge tells me that charging AA batteries slowly will prolong their life so I have been using the 4-way Uniross chargers where you can select 200, 500, 750, 1000mA and using it on 200 whenever possible and they've...

Is anyone planning to visit Ohce Pot (near Echo Aven, Link Pot) in the coming weeks? If so, please can you note down the three letter reference number stamped on each of the anchors? You can either post here or email me - gardouth@hotmail.com Cheers.

Due to the ongoing uncertainties regarding the government's Covid-19 lockdown exit plans, we have taken the decision to cancel Hidden Earth for this year. It was felt by the team that a lot of effort may be put in by volunteers only to have it either cancelled at the last moment or a very muted...

Here's a couple of ideas for caving trips after lockdown... Boggarts Roaring Holes (Dowlass Moss) has been recently IC anchored throughout (before lockdown!) and a new rigging topo is now available to download. https://cncc.org.uk/cave/boggarts-roaring-holes Two new route descriptions are...

We weren't going to be prevented from having our monthly York Caving Club pub meet last night. 15 members joined on Skype and we all had a good laugh and a drink just like a real pub. A welcome distraction  :beer2:

We'd like your thoughts on the Hidden Earth beaker that you receive at each event as part of your entry. In order to improve our environmental impact and volunteer work load we're interested in how you use your beaker. Please take a moment to answer three quick questions. Thanks for your help...

Are any fellow cavers a plasterer (or know a good one) and would like a job? I have two rooms to skim (in the Dales) fairly soon. Email me: gardouth@hotmail.com or text/WhatsApp: 07747 063181 Cheers.

2019 video salon entries are all now on the Hidden Earth YouTube channel. Please subscribe :) Thanks to Keith Edwards for his work in getting the channel organised and updating it. This year saw lots of great improvements to the video salon and we hope it has encouraged you to get your camera...

Hidden Earth 2019 Timetable is now available. Please note that it is provisional so some bits may change. Please keep an eye on it, especially if you're giving a talk. The timetable will be available in printed form each morning and on screens around the venue. https://hidden.earth/timetable