Descent 303 - Explore! Rescue! Protect!

[Chris Scaife]

Descent 303 is published on 12 April and, as always, includes a great variety of articles showcasing the best writing and photography from the underground world.

In regional news, we have a report on Southern CHECC, some short pieces by writing workshop attendees, JRat’s Digging Award, a big clean-up in Daren Cilau, exploration of a Peak District mine, more big finds in the Forest of Dean, a major discovery in a cave that straddles the Irish border, picnicking in Marble Steps Pot, and an enormous find in Matienzo.

Features:

Dashed Hopes and Sudden Reprieves
Robin Sheen reports on the exploration of Ribung Kung 2, a classic Meghalayan cave with more than a touch of the Yorkshire pothole.

Straight to the Top
We don’t normally publish ‘My first proper caving trip’ reports, but Gilbert Muirhead’s first real experience of caving, pushing into a long section of sumptuously decorated virgin passage in Missed Pot in the North Pennines, must rank as one of the best ever introductions to the underworld.

Cave Rescue 2024
Our annual report from the British Cave Rescue Council details all the incidents involving cave rescue teams in Britain and Ireland for 2024.

The Aka Connection
George North and Chris Scaife conclude their story of the exploration of Aka Hole and its connection to the Three Counties system, in an article that again includes diary entries from many of the other members of the Misty Mountain Mud Miners.

Anything but Pointless
Rostam Namaghi gives a personal account of the November 2024 expedition to Mulu.

The Big Underground Clean-up
Steph Jones has big plans for the conservation of caves, and talks us through how this new project came about.

Michel, Now Beyond Time
Chris Howes describes some of the remarkable subterranean work undertaken by Michel Siffre, who died last year.

The Rise of the Horseshoe
Jess Eades gives us some good news about Lesser Horseshoe bats and tells us what we should be looking out for.

The CRO Maze
James Carlisle and Avelina Wright report on a novel training exercise for the north of England’s rescue teams.

Cover: Louise Anderson and Joe Sharp in Defiance, Clearwater Cave system, Mulu. Photo: Bartek Biela

Back Cover: Cave pearls in Nenthead Mines, North Pennines, UK. Photo: Helen Nightingale

 

[Chris Scaife]

August 2024 saw the first confirmed record of Lesser Horseshoe bat in Derbyshire for over 100 years, and in Descent 303 you can find out more about these charming underground creatures, in an article by Jess Eades.

In the photo: Lesser Horseshoe bats in a cave, by Jess Eades

 

[Chris Scaife]

Cave rescue training becomes a mysterious adventure with the CRO maze, as told by James Carlisle and Avelina Wright in Descent 303.

In the photo: Avelina Wright and James Carlisle working on the CRO maze at Platypus Junction in the Three Counties system, by Paul 'Beardy' Swire

 

[Carolina Smith]

'There is a cruel beauty to this part of the cave. It takes your breath away ... All the while you are thinking of just how far you have to go.'
It's only fitting that in the week of the Royal Geographical Society's Mulu celebration we showcase Rostam Namaghi's personal account of the November 2024 expedition to Mulu from issue 303 - Anything but Pointless.

In the photo: Ben Thompson (and a bat) in Pointless East Aven, by Bartek Biela

 

[Pegasus]

Bat is a great model

 

[Chris Scaife]

Gilbert Muirhead's first proper caving trip saw him exploring a long section of previously unknown passage in the North Pennines, with stunning formations. In Descent 303, he recounts his grand day out.

In the photo: Gilbert Muirhead beside the Khumbu Icefall in Missed Pot, by Chris Scaife

 

[Chris Scaife]

Meghalaya, in north-eastern India, is known for its seemingly endless potential for cave exploration. In Descent 303, Robin Sheen reports on a recent Meghalayan find that could almost be a Yorkshire pothole.

In the photo: Reetika Pithadiya in Pensioners Paradise, Ribung Kung 2, Meghalaya, by Bill Nix

 

[Chris Scaife]

As cavers, we are indebted to the work carried out by cave rescue organisations and their volunteers. As usual, our spring issue features the British Cave Rescue Council's report of all the underground incidents of 2024.

In the photo: Midlands CRO in training, by Bartek Biela