Reservoir Hole Digging Prospects

[The Old Ruminator]

Upper Skyfall. More later before Photobucket goes blinky.

 

[mrodoc]

You might be interested to know that White Spot was considered very early on as a possible way into the far reaches of Reservoir Hole. If my memory serves me right it was prior to the creation of Stanton's Drive as a way to avoid what seemed like horribly choked shafts (now filled in and crawled over). It's all in Willie's logs if you read them.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Skyfall might be important in the development of Reservoir Hole. As yet I am not sure how.

Ancient scallops in lower Skyfall. Which way is the water flow ?

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The late Tony Boycott in a very wet Skyfall. The water reappears in Dingley Dell. So was Skyfall an inlet or an outlet or even both .

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Skyfall, Trapdoor Chamber in white and Magic Smoke Dig.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Nigel Cox climbs Skyfall Aven to its highest point. Not looking quite like the survey. Seemed to pinch out to one or two small holes but may well be worth more investigation.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Tony Boycott sneezes whilst lining. Essentially Skyfall needs a re appraisal and some analysis of the scalloped water flow.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The big slab undermined but made secure. More scallops.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Last image before I get carried away and post hundreds more. The Frozen Deep is a huge chamber with no way on. The Gough's streamway is close by. This is Chris Milne on the main Skyfall pitch where my poor arm was broken. The plate twinges now and then reminding me of our efforts there. Skyfall remains an enigma. The main conduit undiscovered. Time for a new generation of cave diggers to pursue those ends. That. of course , totally reliant on access again and whatever controls there are in digging. I have not covered Ceiling Around or Dingley Dell. I never went up to the former and my hand got squashed in the latter. Perhaps Magic Smoke reaches the upstream section of the sump. Technically its the easiest dig. Picking and hauling and for once no horrible boulders. I still hope to visit some of the parts we discovered. Renew my associations with the Dicken's theme and the Easter story. ( Golgotha - Resurrection - Ascension and Heaven's Landing.) Dickens and Wilkie Collins play The Frozen Deep. Great Expectations, Hard Times all true to the nature of that part of the cave. Better hurry up though. I think the oldest visitor to TFD was aged 80. A record I dont really want to beat.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Fini -----

 

[cap n chris]

The (unexplored - so far?) tantalising roof voids high up on the very furthest left hand wall (facing as you enter TFD from WIsHYWH but at the far/furthest/opposite end) have been on my radar but drone(s) could probably do a quicker job to determine whether they're worth bolting.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

The (unexplored - so far?) tantalising roof voids high up on the very furthest left hand wall (facing as you enter TFD from WIsHYWH but at the far/furthest/opposite end) have been on my radar but drone(s) could probably do a quicker job to determine whether they're worth bolting.

The drone job was in hand but after the fuss with the trial run in GB it was dropped. The machine was built and a trial run with its container showed that it could reach TFD. That was a big six rotor machine but drones have been much refined since then.

 

[cap n chris]

The drone job was in hand but after the fuss with the trial run in GB it was dropped. The machine was built and a trial run with its container showed that it could reach TFD. That was a big six rotor machine but drones have been much refined since then.

Thanks Nick. I presume this means the apparent leads about 14m up the left hand wall are as yet unexplored then?

 

[cap n chris]

Re: Dingley Dell - above the sump there is (IIRC) a hole which is where the significant wind blows in; the survey doesn't seem to register it - has anyone chased the breeze down there yet?

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Two points Cap'n. Yes exactly the balcony we wanted the drone to peer into. Shortly after finding TFD as you know it became the forbidden zone. I wonder if Andrew A. considered it. From the floor you just cant see how far in it goes. It might just be that - a balcony. We always thought there should be more to Dingley Dell. Andrew or somebody did look at the hole but obviously not a big open way on. Peter G. might remember. I had a few trips on there until my hand got squashed. I never played the piano again. Then the poor Hungarian lady got her ulna split along its length. We keep in touch on FB . Sufferers with plated ulnas in common. Will see if I have a balcony image. Both projects need another look.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Balcony we wanted to film by drone.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Another space high up opposite the above but a lot of stal there.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

I dont think that space or whatever it is can be seen from outside the tape. It could be reached with a telecopic 7m ladder but as you see a pristine area. I think only Peter and I took photos up there. In fact maybe only a handful of the original explorers went there. I am not sure what the surveyors made of it. ( Andrew, Ali et al ). Maybe there is a back wall in shadow. I just cant remember.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Well its not a big open tunnel. Maybe a smaller onward hole or worse still a boulder choke.

 

[The Old Ruminator]

Video camera on a pole would sort it.