Idle thought about dig persistence

[mrodoc]

The diggers at Longwood Valley Sink finally had success on their 100th digging trip. I wondered how long, on average, it takes from start to significant breakthrough and whether there is regional variation. Does it marry up to man hours expended? It took 50 trips to enter one Devon cave whereas over 100 at another still haven't yielded results. Considering dig locations in a cave it took 55 digging trips at one location to enter the Frozen Deep. Perhaps some stats would encourage persseverance (or act as a deterrent!!).

 

[Pitlamp]

Passing the choke 625 m into the underwater cave at Malham Cove took us 20 years of continual effort.
Does that count?

I'm sure there must be longer term digs though.

 

[braveduck]

The dig which opened up The Whitsun Series took less than two hours ! Don't give up hope .

 

[Pipster]

We had a breakthrough in 2010 in Water Icicle after just 4 sessions/weeks of digging yielding ~120m of passage!

The next choke took 5 years of weekly digging and we gained nothing! Except for 20m of excavated passage. On the back burner for now.

 

[Pitlamp]

The dig that opened up Grayrigg Main Rising took 2 minutes. Definitely don't give up hope!

 

[mrodoc]

The moral is 'pick your dig carefully' and make sure you are carrying your lucky rabbit's foot.

 

[mikem]

Upper flood appeared 1968, main break through 2006...

 

[tdobson]

@Tritim230 is going to have a field day in this thread and I cannot wait

 

[tim.rose2]

Some stats from Portland...
Skittle Alley to Grove Cliff Fissure connection - 30 mins.
To discover and enter Wellington Hole - <1 hour.
Grove Cliff Fissure to Rumble Chasm connection 3 or 4 sessions.
Persil to Ariel, 3 breakthroughs, discovery of approx. 120 m of cave along the way - 8 (ish) sessions.
Hopeless Hole to Steve's Endeavour connection 4 sessions.
Hopeless Hole tunnel to discover 'A Hope in Hell Rift' - approx. 30 sessions.
'A Hope in Hell Rift' to Ariel Cave - 20 sessions.
Sandy Hole - extension of Northern Rift (50 ish metres of cave) - 3 or 4 sessions. Work still in progress on this one.
Sharbutts 2 - so far approx. 15 sessions with bugger all to show for it.

 

[cap n chris]

11 years and counting, 594 digging days so far. @Grebe Swallet.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Aisholt Cave has been dug by me et al on and off for about 60 years. In truth not a lot to show for it. ( The spoil tower outside is impressive though)

 

[martinr]

Upper flood appeared 1968, main break through 2006...

And Blackmoor Swallet / Stainsbys shaft dig commenced 1954.......

 

[Goydenman]

Longest - Linking Manchester Hole to Goyden pot 10 years; shortest - finding Guscott pot 3 digs. Typical key finds 2-3 years

 

[Badlad]

Normally, we just spend a couple of weeks digging a shakehole on Leck fell and find a cave

 

[Cavematt]

Six weekends of digging to discover Excalibur Pot. Six years of digging to break into Jenga Pot only 300m further down the same valley. Persistence at any dig will depend on the availability of other nearby dig sites. In the North York Moors we are not spoilt for choice.

 

[alanw]

More than a year of (most) weekly digging, plus bursts of effort during (at least) the last two BPC Gaping Gill winch meets at Fume.

But then there's been so much archaeology in the mud: Aurochs bones, Neolithic pottery, chert tools. We've been concentrating on that, rather than just heading down.

 

[tony from suffolk]

11 years and counting, 594 digging days so far. @Grebe Swallet.

Keep at it cap'n. I remember coming across what became Grebe Swallet a couple of days after the big flood (we were told there was Roman gold to be found in them there debris from the washed-away road in Velvet Bottom - there wasn't) & it was like a giant funnel where the floodwater had been swallowed.

 

[cap n chris]

Keep at it cap'n. I remember coming across what became Grebe Swallet a couple of days after the big flood (we were told there was Roman gold to be found in them there debris from the washed-away road in Velvet Bottom - there wasn't) & it was like a giant funnel where the floodwater had been swallowed.

Thanks, Tony. Something like this....

Current dig face looks like this...

 

[tony from suffolk]

Yep, exactly like that!

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Four years digging in the mine looking for the lost caverns. Another night session last night. No caverns.