Chris Scaife
Well-known member
Cover: Daniel Jackson in the White Forest, Redhouse Lane Swallet, UK. Photo: Bartek Biela
Back Cover: Julien Jean in Sardinia’s Gutturu ‘e Murgulavò, Italy. Photo: Ben Richards
There is so much going on in British and Irish caving at the moment that this issue is dominated by news of discoveries on home soil. In regional news, in the Yorkshire Dales we have a new entrance at Marble Steps Pot as well as major diving extensions in Austwick Beck Head and Resurrection Rising. The Grampian Speleological Group has been investigating artificial caves in the Borders and the great Llangatock connection in South Wales creeps ever closer. From Ireland, we have news and a route description for a long discovery in County Leitrim. There's also a report from Northern CHECC, Imperial College's tour of Sardinia and the unearthing of a prehistoric skeleton on Mendip.
Features:
Beyond the Wicked Pitch of the North
We are undoubtedly in a Golden Age of Exploration for the Forest of Dean. Tim Nichols describes more phenomenal progress in Redhouse Lane Swallet, with diary entries from many of the explorers.
In Deep Water on the Peninsula
Andy Freem reports on the exploration of Ogof New Park, a major new find on the Gower Peninsula in South Wales.
Thailand Sandstone
Liviu Valenas gives an overview of his recent Thailand expedition, which included the survey of Thailand’s longest sandstone cave.
The Sheep That Launched a Thousand Trips
Years ago, when some cavers found a lamb trapped in a shakehole on Leck Fell, they could not possibly have imagined the scale of the digging project that would ensue. Chris Scaife and Richard Bendall tell the tale.
Caving in Surrey
Surrey is not known for its spectacular karst landscapes, but there is at least one fine cave. Maurice Hewins, who helped to survey Mother Ludlam’s Cave in his youth, returns to the site after 65 years.
Yat Grotto
There is much going on under the Forest of Dean these days. Even the minor side projects set aside for rainy days are now producing the goods, as Dan Sandford reports.
Caving Songs of Yesteryear
Alan Jeffreys shows us it’s not just modern cavers who enjoy singing.
Darenathon
At the end of a long and tiring entrance crawl, there is nothing quite like the feeling of turning round and doing it again and again. Elin West reports on a marathon crawling attempt in Ogof y Daren Cilau.
Cave Maze and Word Search
James Carlisle, the caving world’s puzzle maestro, has put together two competitions in one, with great prizes to be won.