Heads up: I’ve written a lengthy article for the Sunday Times magazine telling the story of the exploration of Pozo Azul, culminating in this year’s push led by Jason Mallinson. It will be published on the Sunday after next, 3 December. It’s beautifully illustrated and spreads across nine pages...

Hello, UKcaving hive mind. Does anyone know if the rescue mounted by the YRC from Sunset Hole in 1910 (as described in the YRC journal that year) the first in either British or global caving history?

Details here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65276888

Some forum readers may know that following a change of job, I recently acquired a House of Commons lobby pass, which gives me full access to Westminster. Last week, amid the political mayhem, I managed to grab some time with Green MP Caroline Lucas, who is introducing a Privatre Member's Bill to...

I'm writing a section in my forthcoming book about E.A. Martel. Loads of stuff around by him, of course, and there's a not brilliant biography in French by Casteret. But does anyone here know of any material that sheds any light on Martel the man? Was he, like so many cavers and other explorers...

The first post-pandemic Projecto Espeologico Sistema Huautla (PESH) expedition has just come to an end and I can announce that this great cave, the deepest in the Americas and the the joint ninth deepest in the world (tied with the WUG Pot - Hirlatz system) at - 1560 m, is now around 101 km...

This advert has just been published in Private Eye.

Following our partial victory in the BCA judicial review, our representations on CROW access have now been lodged with the Welsh government, NRW and Defra. They make a broad case as to why caving should be treated with the same "equity" as other activities and should be recognised as coming...

George Linnane has given an interview to the BBC about his rescue in November from OFD: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-60110076 Great to see him making such good progress since I saw him several weeks ago - not onoy back on his feet but at Penwyllt.

Split from: https://ukcaving.com/board/index.php?topic=29023.0 I am sure the CDG dinner was amusing in its way. But why oh why is no one in this photo wearing a frock or black tie? Must standards of dress always be so lax in the caving community? With any luck, this year will see the return...

Heads up: I've written an article about George Linnane's recent rescue from OFD based around an interview with him. It will be in the Boxing Day Mail on Sunday and presumably also on Mail Online. Hope y'all like it. 

I'm hoping to do the Croseor - Rhosydd through trip, possibly this weekend. I heard that there was trouble earlier in the year with the fixed gear - does anyone know if that has been sorted? Is there a good description of the trip and a kit requirements list anywhere? None of our proposed...

This is the report I have just written on the CROW Act case for next week's BCA council meeting. It sets out how we have won a partial victory, and the next steps we must take to make this something more. On reading it, maybe readers will understand why I was not delighted by another thread on...

My article about last weekend?s epic Three Counties traverse is now online and will be in tomorrow?s Daily Mail. Photos by Mark Burkey and Bartek Biela. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10034993/The-heroes-helped-rescue-trapped-Thai-boys-conquered-Britains-heart-darkness.html

My apologies for the confusion that arose with my last post on this subject. After discussions with the two candidates, a new format has been agreed. To recap: This year there are two candidates to be the next BCA Chair: the incumbent, Russell Myers, who stepped up from his previous role as...

This year there are two candidates to be the next BCA Chair: the incumbent, Russell Myers, who stepped up from his previous role as Secretary when Phil Rowsell resigned last year, and Rostam Namaghi, who currently serves as Publicity and Information officer. Both have been involved in caving...

The saying 'caves are where you find them' is well-worn. Does anyone know who said it first? Was it Tony Jarratt, or had it been around before he used it?

The following has just appeared on Cavers of Facebook. The translation is poor (probably by Google?) but the the story is truly bizarre: Russian speleologists found the body of a man in the Verevkin cave in Abkhazia. According to the suggestion of Russian speleologists who discovered a man's...

Most cavers will know of the Riesending, the deepest cave in Germany at - 1149 metres, because of the epic rescue of Johann Westhauser from a remote chamber a kilometre down in 2014. Having twice been into it for multi-day exploration trips, I can tell you it's a truly magnificent system, with...

I recently read the account in Boyd Dawkins's book Cave Hunting of his descent of Alum Pot in 1870, which was organised by John Birkbeck (of Gaping Gill fame). This was a direct descent by winch, following Birkbeck's earlier descent via Lower Long Churn and The Bridge in 1847. I seem to...