Eldon Hole - Trip Report
- Thread starter Mark Wright
- Start date
MarkS
Moderator
As promised, here are a few photos. I've attached lower quality versions as well in case the link URLs change in future.
Looking down the upper section of the shaft.
Rachel on the swing over the bottom section of the shaft.
Meet the new roof, same as the old roof. Adam models our favourite crowbar.
A sunny exit.
Looking down the upper section of the shaft.
Rachel on the swing over the bottom section of the shaft.
Meet the new roof, same as the old roof. Adam models our favourite crowbar.
A sunny exit.
Attachments
MJenkinson
Member
Wow. That's some progress since I last looked down there!
Mark Wright
Active member
Antwan,
We would like to take you up on that offer of a 3 section ladder, it will be very useful. PM me and we will try and arrange the handover.
Cheers,
Mark
We would like to take you up on that offer of a 3 section ladder, it will be very useful. PM me and we will try and arrange the handover.
Cheers,
Mark
cavefinder
New member
That's a great job. Some serious scaffolding there, certainly a safe working space . It's always a great idea to leave the dig with a visible void or a distinctive draught so that you have something to encourage a quick return. When you have a winch installed let me know as at my age I don't do SRT anymore.
MarkS
Moderator
16/04/17
Mark S, Toby, Adam W, Cat, Andy V, Ivor
Enthusiasm and optimism were in abundance after our last dig: our steady draught had been with us throughout, we'd successfully started the new roof section, and the floor looked to be getting looser beneath us. It's always a dangerous game heading to a dig with high expectations.
We had a team of six on Easter Sunday, including the first visit to the dig for Cat and Andy. In typical fashion a large enthusiastic team coincided with a requirement to spend some time scaffolding. This meant that feeling somewhat out of my depth, I had to step into the sizeable shoes of our chief scaffolding consultant. Size twelves I think. After some pondering we sent up an order for a few bespoke pole lengths to extend the new roof the to the full width of the shaft, and we installed some much needed support at the corner of the roof, pinned (we hope) to a solid piece of wall.
After an hour or so, we were in a position to get going, and we sent the dig-newcomers to the bottom. Buckets came up thick and fast as the shaft continued its downward progress. Aching limbs ensued for those of us that had just spent two days hauling the huge metal tub out of alum, so we decided not to finish too late to ensure we still had strength for digging again the next day.
Sadly the hint of an undercut of the wall we are following failed to translate to reality, but the draught is still ever-blowing.
Onwards and downwards...
Mark S, Toby, Adam W, Cat, Andy V, Ivor
Enthusiasm and optimism were in abundance after our last dig: our steady draught had been with us throughout, we'd successfully started the new roof section, and the floor looked to be getting looser beneath us. It's always a dangerous game heading to a dig with high expectations.
We had a team of six on Easter Sunday, including the first visit to the dig for Cat and Andy. In typical fashion a large enthusiastic team coincided with a requirement to spend some time scaffolding. This meant that feeling somewhat out of my depth, I had to step into the sizeable shoes of our chief scaffolding consultant. Size twelves I think. After some pondering we sent up an order for a few bespoke pole lengths to extend the new roof the to the full width of the shaft, and we installed some much needed support at the corner of the roof, pinned (we hope) to a solid piece of wall.
After an hour or so, we were in a position to get going, and we sent the dig-newcomers to the bottom. Buckets came up thick and fast as the shaft continued its downward progress. Aching limbs ensued for those of us that had just spent two days hauling the huge metal tub out of alum, so we decided not to finish too late to ensure we still had strength for digging again the next day.
Sadly the hint of an undercut of the wall we are following failed to translate to reality, but the draught is still ever-blowing.
Onwards and downwards...
Mark Wright
Active member
17/04/17
Mark W, Mark S, Mark R, Adam, Cat, Andy, TomTom, Tim Allen.
After a Full English at the Yonderman Cafe the team headed up Eldon Lane for the second digging trip of the weekend. The first job was getting all the additional scaffold tubes roped up ready for taking down the shaft. The second job was me getting out of carrying any of them up the hill. Instead I was given a tackle bag by Mark R to carry up, not realising it contained a large bag of scaffold fittings that were just as heavy as the tubes. I should have known better.
With the team and equipment in the Main Chamber we wasted no time in inspecting the work carried out the previous day. Most impressive. The bottom of the shaft was certainly looking good with the strong draught blowing as strong as ever.
Everyone was kept busy either loading buckets, hauling, emptying buckets or cutting and fitting new scaffold tubes and it wasn't long before we had reached a depth from the floor of the Main Chamber of 15.1m, we finally got round to measuring it.
Tim Allen arrived around lunchtime to lend a hand and more bucket loads were hauled out during the afternoon session, including a brief photographic session led by Mark R. He will hopefully post some of the photographs on here shortly.
The base of the shaft is now looking very interesting with some very large calcited boulders in the floor. Could these be the second shaft capping stones?
Who knows, but we'd like to think so.
It was good having a second opinion from Tim who thought the dig face was looking very promising. We were all ready for calling it a day around 3pm but Tim insisted on us digging for another hour before retiring to the Devonshire Arms for a well deserved pint.
Can't wait for the next trip.
Mark
Mark W, Mark S, Mark R, Adam, Cat, Andy, TomTom, Tim Allen.
After a Full English at the Yonderman Cafe the team headed up Eldon Lane for the second digging trip of the weekend. The first job was getting all the additional scaffold tubes roped up ready for taking down the shaft. The second job was me getting out of carrying any of them up the hill. Instead I was given a tackle bag by Mark R to carry up, not realising it contained a large bag of scaffold fittings that were just as heavy as the tubes. I should have known better.
With the team and equipment in the Main Chamber we wasted no time in inspecting the work carried out the previous day. Most impressive. The bottom of the shaft was certainly looking good with the strong draught blowing as strong as ever.
Everyone was kept busy either loading buckets, hauling, emptying buckets or cutting and fitting new scaffold tubes and it wasn't long before we had reached a depth from the floor of the Main Chamber of 15.1m, we finally got round to measuring it.
Tim Allen arrived around lunchtime to lend a hand and more bucket loads were hauled out during the afternoon session, including a brief photographic session led by Mark R. He will hopefully post some of the photographs on here shortly.
The base of the shaft is now looking very interesting with some very large calcited boulders in the floor. Could these be the second shaft capping stones?
Who knows, but we'd like to think so.
It was good having a second opinion from Tim who thought the dig face was looking very promising. We were all ready for calling it a day around 3pm but Tim insisted on us digging for another hour before retiring to the Devonshire Arms for a well deserved pint.
Can't wait for the next trip.
Mark
Speleotron
Member
Sounds good. Are you deeper than the older dig now?
Mark Wright
Active member
Speleotron said:
I can't remember how deep the original dig was but we are probably a couple of metres below the bottom of the original dig.
Mark
Speleotron
Member
Nice. Has there been anything left of the old one, are you digging down through the remains of the old one or going somewhere new?
Mark Wright
Active member
Here is a sketch of the original dig. Our dig goes straight down between F and D with a few doglegs going off to the left of the sketch.seamoose said:Mark Wright said:
Rough sketch I made at the time of our original dig, showing the awkward constriction....
Jase
If you want to get a better feel for the dig, come along and join us.
Mark
Speleotron
Member
OK thanks. I am keen to dig but I've got problems with a trapped nerve in the back which seems to go off randomly so don't want to risk it until I've had a long time without it being a problem.
Mark R
Well-known member
On Sunday 23rd, 7 people went funderground to the dig.
We spent several hours pulling rubble out of the bottom, mainly concentrating on the sides and corners. There was a lot of scaffolidng work to do and as ever, when thats the case there was loads more digging to do to facilitate the new installation than initially thought.
We left the dig with a completed lower roof, roof supports and the start of the next vertical section in place and levelled up.
There was a draught all day and we left everything looking good for the next trip. No extra depth though to talk of.
One interesting thing that did turn up was a tooth- we have had several very large teeth so far that look like horse or cow but this was the first one that looks carniverous. Hopefully Adam will post a photo.
Thanks for the help from the Ario Team- Stuart, Sarah, Steve and Claire.
Also present were myself, Mark S and Adam W.
We spent several hours pulling rubble out of the bottom, mainly concentrating on the sides and corners. There was a lot of scaffolidng work to do and as ever, when thats the case there was loads more digging to do to facilitate the new installation than initially thought.
We left the dig with a completed lower roof, roof supports and the start of the next vertical section in place and levelled up.
There was a draught all day and we left everything looking good for the next trip. No extra depth though to talk of.
One interesting thing that did turn up was a tooth- we have had several very large teeth so far that look like horse or cow but this was the first one that looks carniverous. Hopefully Adam will post a photo.
Thanks for the help from the Ario Team- Stuart, Sarah, Steve and Claire.
Also present were myself, Mark S and Adam W.
adam
Member
Current theory is that this belonged to a 'super badger' (http://tinyurl.com/oummkxo), however we welcome other suggestions from more qualified individuals.
p.s. I have tried and tried and tried to upload these in the right orientation but technology conspires against me
p.s. I have tried and tried and tried to upload these in the right orientation but technology conspires against me
