Descent 309

[Chris Scaife]

Front cover: The Hall of the Thirteen in the Gouffre Berger, France. Photo: Thibault Poinas, Galimey
Back cover: The enormous entrance to Brazil’s Gruta Casa de Pedra. Photo: Chris Howes

Brace yourselves; it's publication week for Descent 309.

Descent (309), April 2026 – Descent Magazine

www.descentmagazine.co.uk

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Features:

Fifty Years in Longwood Valley Sink
There have been major discoveries recently in Longwood Valley Sink, on Mendip. In this first of two parts, Alison Moody sets the scene and describes the decades of work that brought the diggers to the cusp of discovery.

Highest in the World
Chris Howes discusses Brazil’s Gruta Casa de Pedra, which may be home to the world’s tallest cave entrance.

Cave Rescue 2025
All underground rescues from 2025 are summarised here by the British Cave Rescue Council.

A Fortnight in the Peloponnese
Craig Holdstock reports on a two-week expedition to the Peloponnese region of Greece.

Rescuing Wildlife from Caves
Cavers often encounter wildlife underground: some of it perfectly at home in its subterranean habitat, some distressed and in need of help. Descent editor Chris Scaife and Professor of Ecology Mike Sweet consider the best approach for cavers to take in such situations.

Great Sporting Trips of the World: the Gouffre Berger
Jasper Crabb recounts a trip to one of the world’s greatest caves.

Armytek Wizard C2 Pro
Chris Scaife reviews an affordable headlamp.

Accessing the Inaccessible
The capital of Wales is visible from the entrance, but Ogof Pen Y Craig is still an adventurous place. Ned Hopes tells the tale of accessing and then surveying this little gem.

The Underview Effect
Stuart Weston muses on a caver’s view of the world.

 

[Ali M]

My Descent arrived this morning and it includes a good selection of interesting and varied articles. Thank you Chris.

 

[Chris Scaife]

‘At the end of a three-hour hike to reach the entrance, Casa de Pedra carries a river and allows cavers to make a through trip, albeit a wet one requiring swimming about two-thirds of the way through the twisting, rock-strewn passage of almost 3km’.

Our back cover image for Descent 309 is by Chris Howes and accompanies an article, also by Chris Howes, about Brazil’s Gruta Casa de Pedra, which may be home to the world’s tallest cave entrance.

 

[Chris Scaife]

‘Slowly working forwards towards the void, everything was supported with scaffold and cement and by mid-February it was safe to enter a metre-wide rift with solid walls and steep rubble that led down to a boulder floor, where a strong inward draught was sucked in between the gaps.’

Longwood Valley Sink, on Mendip, has kept its depths concealed from generations of diggers, but is now starting to reveal its secrets. In Descent 309, Alison Moody begins a two-part article detailing 50 years of pushing.

In the photo: Transporting the entrance pipe up Longwood Valley in July 2013, by Alison Moody

 

[Chris Scaife]

‘As you approach your exit point from a cave, ascending from this underworld enclosure, suddenly the wafts of smells from the surface become evident: draughts, a temperature change, then the natural light, followed by sounds and colours so pronounced and vibrant that it unearths an increased appreciation of the joys of those senses.’

In Descent 309, Stuart Weston, inspired by the overview effect experienced by astronauts, muses on a caver’s view of the world – the underview effect.

Artwork: Space Caver, by Emma Caspers

 

[Chris Scaife]

‘You might not be making a difference to the population, but you’ll be making a difference to the individual you’re helping. If we were only bothered about the human population as a whole rather than individuals, we wouldn’t have cave rescue teams, would we?’

Cavers often encounter wildlife underground: some of it perfectly at home in its subterranean habitat, some distressed and in need of help. In issue 309, Descent editor Chris Scaife and Professor of Ecology Mike Sweet consider the best approach for cavers to take in such situations.

In the photo: Chris Scaife with a toad, which he subsequently rescued from Lamb Trap on Leck Fell, by Sam Davis

 

[hannahb]

I often wonder what to do. I recently left two frogs alone in Sell Gill Holes. But at other times I have brought out voles and other things.

 

[paul]

Retrieved from bottom of open part of Eldon Hole a few years ago:

 

[alanw]

Can I just give a shout-out to Yorkshire Dales Wildlife Rescue. They are based in Horton (the old school on the road up to Brackenbottom). If you come across a bird or animal in distress, they'll know what to do. Facebook page.

 

[Chris Scaife]

‘After looking at some of the local cavers’ photographs it was evident that one of the windows out from the cave looked into the setting sun, so we didn’t want to miss the chance to capture the sunset in our own way.’

In Descent 309, Craig Holdstock reports on a fortnight exploring caves in the Peloponnese region of Greece.

In the photo: Agnieszka Kołowska in Trahela Katafigio, by Craig Holdstock

 

[andybrooks]

Just got my copy today (yes, number 309), in deepest Texas.