Chris Scaife
Well-known member
Descent 290 is published this week and features eight extra pages. I'm not quite sure why I decided to give myself such additional work so early in my editorship, but my loss is your gain.
As always, subscribers should be receiving their copies soon (I think the postal situation is a bit better now than it was in December) and individual copies can be bought from Starless River, Inglesport, or via our website.
As well as international and regional news, and a full page of letters about club huts in the Dales, the contents for this issue are:
The Mystery of Body Pot
In 1947, a body was discovered in a cave high up on Ingleborough. Alan Jeffreys investigates the matter in detail.
Twenty Years of CHECC
The Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs has now been active for 20 years. Aila Taylor writes about its past, present and future.
The Geometry of Deep Space - Part One
Five Ways Pot in the Yorkshire Dales is sure to be a classic SRT trip in years to come. Frank Pearson describes the work put in, over several years, to open up this vertical gem.
Cruciverbalists Abound in the Caving World
The Descent Christmas Crossword in issue 289 proved immensely popular. Here, we reveal the answers and the name of the winner.
In Memoriam
Some giants of the caving world have died recently. Jim Newton is remembered by David Creedy, Paul Seddon by Dick Willis; and we have a tribute to Bruce Bedford, the first editor of Descent. This is written primarily by Clive Gardener, with a selection of memories from others.
A Glorious Lot
Martyn Farr has been caving in the Lot region of France. He shares some of his fine photographs and thoughts on this stunning place.
The Legacy of Ghar Parau
Fifty years on from the British team’s deep exploration in Iran, Arthur Champion reminisces and comments on the legacy of this groundbreaking expedition.
It’s Cave, Jim, But Not As We Know It
Another impressive discovery in the Dales! Hugh St Lawrence reports on the exploration of Hazeltop Cave on Barbon High Fell.
Cover: Liz Lawton on the second pitch in Turbary Pot, Kingsdale, Yorkshire Dales. Photo: Bill Nix