Posts

11/03/2026 - Evening

 11/03/2026 - Alex Randall, Sam Hill, Trevor Hughes An excellent session. AR arrived a little early, so the big skip was already down and ready when the others arrived. SH head straight down to the bottom to start clearing spoil. Lots of it. So much spoil all he did for the next 1.5hrs was fill bags, followed by chiselling off some of the loosened rock to fill more bags. The result: the end of the dig is now a comfortable crawl, and there's enough space to be able drill holes in any direction we like at the end.  Speaking of the end, see the video below. The main way is a 90 degree corner to the right, which has increase slightly in size and has a good echo. Interestingly there is a shallow horizontal slot leading 45 degrees to the left. If the LIDAR work done last week is to be believed this left would be roughly the correct direction to intersect the North Pot, so this could be how the fumes and sound get through to there, and the righthand passage will head into the unknown...
Post a Comment
Read more

08/03/2026 - Sunday

Image
 08/03/2026 - Alex Randall, David Kinzlett, Sam Coleman, Wilco, Kay, Sam Hill - 8 hrs Epic Sunday session. Coleman and Wilco making the trip up from the furthest reaches of Cornwall. They're both steel fabricators and have come up to bring our inclined railway up to the standard of infrastructure seen in the rest of the cave. Great example of a team sharing projects, as me and Sam met Coleman through the Aggy-Daren dig connection being led by Mushroom Dave Kinzlett, who also brought Kay along for the morning to see what we were up to. First a whole skip off equipment and materials was sent down in the skip: postcrete, stick welding kit, 9" and 6" grinders, 110v transformer plus all our usual tools for making loud bangs. Once this had been ferried down to Echo Pot the plan was to clear just enough of Wednesday's bang to allow Coleman and Wilco to see how the railway runs now so they know where to work their magic. This done, the postcrete was mixed into the puddle at t...
Post a Comment
Read more

04/03/26

04/03/26 A cracking turn out for a Wednesday session with oli Hill, Sam Hill, Alex Randall, Holly London, Ed Ford, Trevor Hughes and Harley Bennet. AR made his way to the bottom to drill and set the next charge with OH loading the lower railway. SH was running winch controls and passing up to HL. TH took charge of the echo winch with HB helping move bags and load the next winch. EF was on the top winch. With all rocks and bags cleared up quickly and efficiently it left us time to haul some bags from north pot. TH stayed to help AR and HL left. SH was at the lake carrying bags up and along to OH who was loading the winch. EF was up at the next winch with HB stacking the 166". Charge set of and all put the cave by 2045. 2hrs 45mins
Post a Comment
Read more

27/02/26

Image
27/02/26 After my absence on Wednesday I thought it best to go down tonight and clear the bang. All bagged up and ready for hauling and next bang next week. All but the lowest hole on the right blew to full depth. 1.5hrs Sam 
Post a Comment
Read more

25/02/2026 - Evening

 25/02/2026 - Evening, Alex Randall, Trever Hughes, Hollie London Much more pleasant conditions on surface than last week! Underground Hollie took some pictures of a water dwelling insect, and then we set to the evenings tasks. AR drilled the next round, while HL and TH hauled. Then HL assisted charging the new holes. 7 x 12mm holes drilled, all longer than 550mm, several the full length of the 1m bit.  After a loud noise surprised Trevor we finished loading the big skip and headed to the Hunters. Total skips to surface this year = 9
Post a Comment
Read more

18/02/2026 - Evening

 18/02/2026 - Evening - Alex Randall, Sam Hill, Trevor Hughes - 2hrs Horrible conditions on surface so the big skip was left alone. Underground it was found that the power supply to the railway had failed, but after a couple of go's plugging it into a different socket we got it working again. At the dig face there was a mountain of spoil, mostly blocking the passage to an extent it was still quite fumey down there. This was all bagged up, to reveal that we can now get to and look round the next corner. Unfortunately the passage continues at much the same size and gradient. More promisingly there is a significant echo when shouting down it, so hopefully there is a significant space just round the corner. The bags were then hauled up to Echo pot, until the winch started protesting at the continuous hard work. With pub time approaching it was decided to leave the last few bags at the bottom and do a bit of hauling on the upper two winches before vacating, so a few bags made it to the ...
Post a Comment
Read more

13/02/2026 - Evening

 13/02/2026 - Evening - Alex Randall - 1.5hrs Quick trip to finishing drilling the next round of holes. Finished with 6 x 12mm x 0.9m long, stepped with a 16mm bit. Left the cave after the rock loosening fairy had made the appropriate noise then went to the pub. Surface conditions miserable, especially getting changed in the snow.
Post a Comment
Read more