Happily, it looks like this book is being very well received amongst cavers who have a serious interest in the Dales.
In the hopes that some readers may be interested in my own perspective on all of this, I started caving as a very young child; I was lucky to be under the wing of various noteworthy individuals who soon gave me opportunities to become interested in more than just testing myself against increasingly difficult underground experiences. They steered me towards looking for new caves to discover and also towards trying to understand how the remarkable cave systems of the Dales - and the stunningly beautiful landscapes above them - have developed over time. This was a very precious gift and I've remained fascinated ever since.
A landmark event in my early caving days was the appearance of "Limestones & Caves of North West England" edited by Tony Waltham in 1974. Many of the most experienced cave explorers in the Dales contributed and this has occupied a prominent position on my book shelves ever since. It prompted me to delve deeper into caving publications and scientific journals, a habit which I kept up. Then, inevitably as time passed, this book started to become out of date - though still an invaluable source of information.
Over the years there has been talk on and off about reproducing a new version of this book to bring it up to date with all the new discoveries and research which has happened since (with Phil Murphy taking great credit for actually getting things moving). At last, we now have Caves & Karst of the Yorkshire Dales, edited by Tony Waltham and Deej Lowe. I've had to wait 39 years for this latest milestone event in my own understanding and it has not disappointed.
Tony and Deej have brought together a team of well known cavers and researchers and have condensed their collective experience; the results are stunning. The editors have the ability to interpret vast amounts of speleological knowledge in a way which "ordinary" cavers can easily understand. It's a very attractive and colourful book; almost every page is richly illustrated. This is essential reading for any serious Dales caver and, even for those who focus mainly on other caving areas, there is a vast amount of relevant information. If ever they invited me to be interviewed for Radio 4's "Desert Island Discs" (highly unlikely, I know!) - and I was allowed only one book, this would be the one I'd insist on having with me.
Of course, this is only the first of two volumes. The second one will focus in detail on each of the specific catchments in the Dales caving area. The list of contributors is almost a "who's who?"of the Yorkshire Dales caving scene and I can't wait for this second volume to appear as well.
Even in today's technologically advanced society, it's still no mean achievement to produce a specialised book to such high standards for a relatively limited market. Thanks you Tony, Deej and all other contributors. You've done us proud.
Look out for a full review in the next edition of BCA's "Speleology" magazine. I expect Descent will also have further information.
