Descent 308

[Carolina Smith]

Front cover: Peter Lord in Sótano de las Golondrinas, Mexico. Photo: Martyn Farr
Back cover: Keith Edwards and Melissa Bell in the Smithy, Cwm Dwr (OFD), South Wales. Photo: Mark Burkey

Descent 308 is out soon, with a romantic publication date of 14 February. We have a review of all the caving elements of the Kendal Mountain Festival, discoveries from Devon, digs and finds in the Yorkshire Dales and Mendip Hills, and we celebrate 50 years of caving in Tresviso.
https://www.descentmagazine.co.uk/shop/descent-308-february-2026/

Features:

SFC25
Luca Rossi reports on the most recent SpeleoFotoContest, which has become one of the top international showcases of subterranean photography. We also present some of the winning images.

Ease Gill Open House
In June 2025, a 10-day caving festival was held at Bullpot Farm, the home of Red Rose CPC, with numerous SRT routes through Ease Gill rigged for the duration. Rachel Turnbull tells the tale.

Inside the Mountain
The free ascent of Gaping Gill Main Chamber in 1988 was a historic moment for both climbing and caving. Jack Homan writes about a documentary he is making about this challenging route and the climbers planning to repeat the ascent.

Great Sporting Trips of the World: Sótano de las Golondrinas
Martyn Farr describes a pensioners’ day out in one of the world’s most spectacular holes.

A Question of Size
Loyal Descent readers will be aware of the two enormous UK underground finds from the last few years – Slaughter Stream Cave in the Forest of Dean and the Draughting Hole-Missed Pot system in the North Pennines. These caves may be of similar length, but their characters are worlds apart, as this scale comparison of their surveys shows.

The Dry Traverse
The North of England’s Three Counties system offers all sorts of sporting trips for cavers, but Todd Rye might just have come up with the best of the lot.

Adventures in Ultraviolet Photography
Dave Watts looks at caves in a different light.

Big CHECC ’25
Polly Judd reports on November 2025’s annual gathering of students from the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs.

Crossword Answers
The results of quite possibly Descent’s most popular crossword ever.

 

[georgenorth]

Really looking forward to reading Todd’s 3 Counties traverse write up!

 

[Pitlamp]

Really looking forward to reading the whole magazine!

 

[Carolina Smith]

A Question of Size
Loyal Descent readers will be aware of the two enormous UK underground finds from the last few years – Slaughter Stream Cave in the Forest of Dean and the Draughting Hole-Missed Pot system in the North Pennines. These caves may be of similar length, but their characters are worlds apart, as this scale comparison of their surveys shows.

That should be Redhouse Lane Swallet and not Slaughter Stream Cave, of course.

 

[paul]

Moderator comment: Subsequent posts moved to separate thread in "The Dales" section as requested by forum member. See https://ukcaving.com/board/index.ph...-the-3-counties-to-keld-head-kingsdale.34158/

 

[Carolina Smith]

Moderator comment: Subsequent posts moved to separate thread in "The Dales" section as requested by forum member. See https://ukcaving.com/board/index.ph...-the-3-counties-to-keld-head-kingsdale.34158/

This is what we love about Descent, the many conversations it sparks!

 

[Carolina Smith]

'With record participation, a wider geographical reach and increasing engagement, the 2025 edition confirmed SpeleoFotoContest as a vital platform for artistic, scientific and environmental communication within the speleological community'
Luca Rossi reports on the most recent Speleo Foto Contest in Descent 308.
In the photo: Bat in the Stalagmite, by Cristian Tzecu & Cosmin Nistor, winner of SpeleoFotoContest 2025.

 

[Lankyman]

Perhaps even more amazing than the photo is how the poor bat ended up inside the stal?

 

[Carolina Smith]

'That evening, as I drove away from the farm and towards Otter Hole, I stopped on the lane and looked back at the scene. The sun left a glow on my face and I felt warmed inside by this unspoken sense of belonging. As the sun set on the Farm, beer flowed and cavers started to crawl in.'
In Descent 308, Rachel Turnbull tells the tale to a 10-day caving festival held at Bullpot Farm in June 2025.
In the photo: Emma Key in Wilf Taylor’s Passage, Ease Gill system, by Bill Nix.