Eldon Hole Thoughts

[Pipster]

This sounds like an epic project/challenge/dig. 8)

Are there any similiar sized projects using cranes/diggers/skips/etc? How did they work out?

What do people think Natural Englands and Peak Park objections would be? Most of the going's on would be hidden away down a deep hole, any surface fixtures (crane,etc) are temporary, presumably rubble could be dumped in eldon quarry? (which could be argued as helping to restore it to a more natural looking state?), transporting ruble over farm land and over a minimal distance surely woudn't cause that much degradation, which would soon recover anyway.

The Grand Day Out scheme sounds good, as does clubs taking it in turns and working together, and/or a yearly credit-crunch-expedition style assault. One thing for sure, trying to empty it completely is gonna take a f**king long time - but would an incredible demonstration of just what can achieved; it just needs commitment from a lot of people. I think there'd have to be some sort of public meet to see just what interest there is, what people think is viable, and have to offer.

I'm sure I read somewhere the Eldon Hole could be 200m deep! Nevermind if its possible to empty or not - just imagine the pitch! 8) ... and the all year round snow plug 

I'm sure The Wanted would love the extra trade!

 

[Speleotron]

I'd be up for helping out though i live in York. It sounds like this can be done!  Just one thing, would health n safety get in our way? Cos if NE gave us permission then would they be liable or anything?

 

[AndyF]

Need to start collecting those bags you ghet sand delivered in.... they would be ideal (though Id not like to be under one.!!)

 

[DAN]

Well i have briefly spoke with Bob Dearman (DCA chairman) his thoughts were not hopefull of getting permision. If anyone was to be payed for anything HSE would get involved and make it imposible to do. English nature and peak park would have to be consulted and the Land owner. Tipping it in the quarry might be more difficult than it looks you could not just tip it over the edge. The bigest problem after permission would be where to tip the spoil? Bob thinks there is a tipping fee 15 pounds a ton? If this could all be sorted i would love to sort the dig out, but it would take a committee to sort this out. I would love for this to get sorted but i think there would be loads of hoops to jump through it can only be done if the right people get involved.

 

[Brains]

Would be a shame if the idea was sunk by red tape (not the conservation type!), or other nefarious obstructions 

 

[Mark]

I'm sure The Wanted would love the extra trade!

Robinsons pub, got to be a good reason not to do it.

I think it is a non starter, too much effort, too little enthusiasm, its hard enough getting enough people for a regular team on any dig

 

[Pitlamp]

Somewhere near the start of this thread the possibility of using GPR was suggested (as at GG). If you are serious about this PM me and I can put you in touch with them as know.

As for divining - forget it. It's one of the biggest cons in caving. There is no shortage of good literature on why divining is bunkum. One of the best is Trevor Ford's paper in CRG Transactions 6 (1) December 1961 pages 1 - 17. In his conclusion Trevor wrote: "It is difficult to escape the conclusion that diving in general is so unreliable that its use cannot be advocated in any circumstances".

More recently we challenged a well known person who reckons divining works to "survey" a long cave we had just broken into by diving. He was 180 degrees out.

Forget about divining - it's actually worse than useless as it confuses fact. Stick with science.

 

[graham]

As for divining - forget it. It's one of the biggest cons in caving. There is no shortage of good literature on why diving is bunkum. One of the best is Trevor Ford's paper in CRG Transactions 6 (1) December 1961 pages 1 - 17. In his conclusion Trevor wrote: "It is difficult to escape the conclusion that diving in general is so unreliable that its use cannot be advocated in any circumstances".

More recently we challenged a well known person who reckons divining works to "survey" a long cave we had just broken into by divining. He was 180 degrees out.

Forget about divining - it's actually worse than useless as it confuses fact. Stick with science.

I 've been saying that for years. Be aware, however that saying so seems to make certain UK cavers (I do not include your well-known diviner - if that's who I think it is) very annoyed.

You do of course mean divining and not diving. Don't you!

 

[Pitlamp]

Yep.

 

[Jams]

The other prob with dumping over the quaryy edge is that certain people may be buried beneath the rubble.  Big Jim and co will get to the bottom of Eldon Hole via the back door by this time next week.  Mark my words!!!!

 

[Speleotron]

What's divining?

 

[JB]

The other prob with dumping over the quaryy edge is that certain people may be buried beneath the rubble.  Big Jim and co will get to the bottom of Eldon Hole via the back door by this time next week.  Mark my words!!!!

Apparently it's so far from the current end of Big Jim's dig to Eldon Hole that he's put a railway in to aid the through trip when it does eventually go!

 

[al]

What's divining?

You know when somebody says "more passages than you can shake a stick at" - well, that's divining!  :tease: