Caving News

Somerset Rockfalls: Fairy Cave Quarry and Goatchurch Cavern

The entrance to Goatchurch Cavern with the recent rockfall on the left. Photo: Wayne Starsmore The wet winter of 2023/24 is probably the cause of ...
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Descent 295: Coming Soon

The next issue of Descent magazine is due out shortly. If you haven’t got a subscription, go to the link at the end of this ...
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The 2023 BCRA Cave Science Symposium – 21st – 22nd October

The BCRA Cave Science Symposium and AGM is taking place on 21st and 22nd October 2023 in Leeds ...
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Save The Date: JRat Digging Award November 25th 2023

The 2023 JRat Digging Award presentation will take place in the Long Room of the Hunter’s Lodge Inn, Priddy, Somerset on Saturday 25th November. The ...
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Charterhouse goes Paperless.

The Charterhouse Caving Co. Ltd. has gone paperless, exchanging the old paper permits for new electronic ones. And they're free. Since the Dawn of Time ...
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Hidden Earth is Back

After a long break, Hidden Earth will be held again this Autumn. Hidden Earth, the UK's major caving event has been missing from the calendar ...
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Book Review: Hidden Realms

Cave diver and photographer Martyn Farr has produced a tempting array of descriptions and photographs of 100 cave and mine sites. Hidden Realms aims to ...
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ATLAS 50th Anniversary BBQ Weekend

Dave King, ATLAS digger, invites you to a weekend of digging, caving and two BBQs in Somerset this summer. 2023 is the 50th Anniversary of ...
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Volunteers needed, get involved!

The British Caving Association eAGM is being held at 10.30am on Sunday 11 June 2023 on Zoom. Details of how to join the meeting or ...
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Coming Soon: Descent 290, Caving news, at home and abroad

Nicely on schedule, the next issue of Descent is about to drop through your letterbox. Make sure your subscription is up to date, so you ...
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Coming Soon: Descent 289, the start of the new editorial era …

The first issue edited by the new team of Chris Scaife and Carolina Smith is about to hit the streets. Make sure your subscription is ...
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Access to Fairy Cave Quarry

The Fairy Cave Quarry management team have asked us to post the following: A reminder to anyone visiting Fairy Cave Quarry. Hobbs the quarry owners ...
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The Tratman Award for 2020 goes to ….

The Tratman Award is granted annually to the best publication of the year, including books, journals and even individual articles. This report considers those that ...
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The end of an era … and a new one begins

After 34 years and 204 issues, Chris Howes and Judith Calford are handing Descent on to new management. Descent was launched in January 1969 by ...
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Descent 288 is coming soon and maybe things aren’t so F*ing Hopeless, after all!

The time has come, the caver said, to talk of many things: of kit and digs and caving trips, of places we have seen, so ...
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BCRA Cave Science Symposium, AGM & field meeting, 8th – 9th October 2022

BCRA Cave Science Symposium 2022 hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium - Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip - Sunday 9th October, 2022 Department ...
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WARNING: Rockfall in Eastwater Cavern, Mendip

WARNING: EASTWATER CAVERN, MENDIP. There has been a rock fall in the rift connection between the bottom of Dolphin Pot and the chamber before Dolphin ...
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Thirteen Lives – limited cinema sceenings on 18th July 2022

Thirteen Lives, the Hollywood film of the Thai cave rescue, hits selected cinemas on Monday 18 July. The long-awaited Hollywood film directed by Ron Howard, ...
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BCRA Cave Science Symposium, AGM and field meeting, 8th – 9th October 2022

The 33rd BCRA Cave Science Symposium, hosted jointly with the Manchester Geological Association Symposium - Saturday 8th October, 2022 Field-trip - Sunday 9th October, 2022 ...
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Cleaning up!

The Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), have been very active over the years with major cave conservation clean-ups, and they've been hard at work, this ...
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Descent 287 is coming soon, with huge holes, new caves and more …

Summer appears to have finally arrived, so instead of getting even hotter by pulling on grubby caving kit, why not relax in the sunshine with ...
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Honorary degrees for Thai cave rescue divers

Two of the cave divers who pulled off the remarkable rescue of 13 people from a flooded cave system in Thailand have been given honorary ...
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Descent 286 coming soon, with bones, big stuff and more …

Descent 286 will be winging its way through the post shortly so take a moment to check whether or not your subscription is up to ...
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BCRA Cave Archaeology Group – Recording Historic Graffiti & other markings, 4th/5th June 2022

The BCRA Cave Archaeology Group is holding a weekend field meeting on Recording Historic Graffiti & other markings in the Yorkshire Dales, based at Lower ...
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BCA and BCRA react to the Russian war on Ukraine as Ukrainian caver Alexander Klimchouk accepts offer of honorary membership of BCRA

The British Caving Association (BCA) and the British Cave Research Association (BCRA) have issued their own open letters after widespread condemnation of the statement by ...
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Descent 285 coming soon, with discoveries at home and abroad!

Descent 285 will be out soon so take a moment a moment to check your subscription is up to date and if not, head over ...
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BCA needs you!

The deadline for nominations and proposals for BCA's upcoming AGM is fast approaching as BCA Chair Russell Myers explains: The deadline for Proposals and Nominations ...
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BCA offer grants for young cavers to attend International Congress in France 2022

The BCA's Youth and Development team have announced the availability of two grants of £500 to help groups of young cavers attend the 19th International ...
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BCRA Cave and Karst Ramble to the Upper Dove Valley – 19 March 2022

An introduction to the geology, hydrology and landforms of the upper Dove Valley. This is one of the best places in the country to examine ...
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Cave and Karst Science Vol 48 No 3: Tourists, bone, and travertine cascades

) The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science opens with a study of the impact of tourists on air flow in Poole's Cavern. Later ...
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