Four Three Peaks walkers (all f) called NYP, saying that they were ‘lost’ on the descent from Ingleborugh towards Horton in Ribblesdale, despite being able to describe the signpost on their path (‘Horton 2 miles’) and provide a …
Male 12 yr old, fallen and twisted his knee on the steps to the side of Malham Cove, couldn’t bend or straighten it, the team splinted and stretchered him to a waiting CRO vehicle and transported him down into Malham, where the young lad was tran…
In this newsletter… Covid-19 and Caving Periodicals BCRA Science Symposium Cave Biology SIG Cave Studies Booklets 2021: International Year of Caves and Karst BCRA’s Facebook page British Cave Science Centre Research Fund Annual General Meeting For news and information, go to… Facebook Our Calendar Our News Forum UKcaving Covid-19 and Caving It seems that…
A Three Peaks walker (m, 56) collapsed on the path to Pen y ghent, above Brackenbottom Scar. Although he seemed still to be confused, three other walkers – all nurses – abandoned their own walk and assisted him back down to the road and han…
A walker (f, 68) took a fall, high on the path from the summit of Whernside towards Bruntscar, sustaining an apparent head injury. By chance, an off-duty paramedic (also a member of a neighbouring mountain rescue team) was walking nearby and was able …
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for his continued support sending in links! Cave Art Ancient Origins: Ancient Cave Found in Egypt with Unique Predynastic…
A guidebook on Irish caves has won the prestigious Tratman Award for 2019. The Caves of Mid-West Ireland, edited by Graham Mullan on behalf of UBSS, was the unanimous choice of the judges for the award in memory of EK Tratman, an influential figure in British and Irish caving, who died in 1978. The SWCC…
Les Williams has resigned as BCA chair with immediate effect. Phil Rowsell has been co-opted into the role and joins Howard Jones as Treasurer and Russell Myers as acting Secretary on the BCA Executive. Les has worked with both BCA and its predecessor NCA in a variety of roles over a long period. He will,…
Gear manufacturers Petzl are warning cavers to check their ropes after two critical defects were found on a low-stretch kernmantle rope. A customer unpacking new Petzl AXIS 11mm ropes found a deep cut in a rope manufactured in June 2019 and a 2.1m scrap of rope found taped to one end of a rope made…
The Ghar Parau Foundation is on the lookout for a new secretary to take over from Phil Rowsell. Nick Williams, the interim acting secretary, said: “After many years of excellent and dedicated service, Phil Rowsell has decided to stop down. “As most cavers know, the foundation has been responsible for sponsoring many international expeditions over…
As lockdown eases and caving resumes in most places, don’t forget that you can still take a break from the mad scramble to get back to your favourite dig and relax with your tipple of choice and a copy of Descent magazine. Our friends at Wildplaces Publishing have worked as hard as ever to bring…
A walker (f, 59) slipped on wet limestone, at the edge of Malham Beck, at the foot of the Cove, sustaining a suspected mid-shaft fracture of her left femur. YAS paramedics administered pain relief, then immobilised the limb and CRO members stretchered …
A visitor (m) was reported to be ‘fallen and injured at top of waterfall at Malham Tarn’. It was further reported that he had gone for a walk on his own and was missing for a couple of hours before family members found him. There was no rep…
A walker (m) was reported to have fallen, sustaining a suspected head injury, in the Watlowes (‘Dry Valley’), above Malham Cove. The YAS paramedics on the air ambulance, arriving first, assessed the patient and began walking him up the step…
BCA have issued a new coronavirus update for cavers: BCA notes that travel restrictions across England, Scotland and Wales will, by the 6th July be removed. It is also noted that the various governments have introduced different limits on the numbers of people who may congregate as a ‘gathering’. BCA now considers that the risk…
One of the oldest and largest cave rescue teams in the country has put out an urgent plea for fundraising help to modernise important kit. Several of the South & Mid Wales Cave Rescue Team members played important parts in the Thai cave rescue and the team has helped in mining disasters, searched for missing persons and…
A report was received of a sheep ‘stuck down a hole . . to the right of Pillar Holes’ on Newby Moss, Ingleborough. Four members, including two new members, carried out the rescue as a training exercise during the evening, rescuing the sh…
Naughty boys, grand follies, an underground control centre for a railway and a Quaker congregation falling through the floor into the cellar … Peter Burgess gets to explore Dorking below the surface in a book that went underground in his own house for a while! It is with some embarrassment that I am finally writing…
The British Caving Association (BCA) and the Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI) have issued more advice about how to make a safe return to caving. BCA secretary Russell Myers has sent the following: BCA notes that both the Scottish and Welsh governments have indicated a possible relaxation of their 5 mile local travel restriction scheduled…
A visitor (f) rang 999 for YAS, following a fall and sustaining an ankle injury ‘between Baxengill and Snow Falls, at the viewing bridge’ on the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail. With no response to a PhoneFind message, team members set off to mee…
YAS requested assistance when their ambulance paramedics were unable to locate a visitor (f, 20), reported, by a friend, to be having a panic attack on the outward leg of the Waterfalls Trail. With the location still uncertain, team members divided up …
A report was received that there was a sheep trapped in a pot-hole in the Long Kin West area of Ingleborough. A small team located and rescued it, noting that it was soon grazing again. Volunteer hours: 12
YAS requested assistance when their ambulance paramedics were unable to locate a visitor (f, 55), reported to have been taken ill on the return leg of the Waterfalls Trail. She was found, a little way downstream of the Snow Falls footbridge, assessed b…
A report was received that there was a sheep in Hull Pot. A rapid search revealed only a recently deceased lamb. Volunteer hours: 2
In the UK, the British Caving Association (BCA) has issued clubs with some guidance on cleaning tackle. As yet it’s not known how – if at all – the latest easing in lockdown restrictions affects caving or whether this is still classed as a ‘non-essential’ activity. Keep an eye on the BCA website for the…
A spaniel dog fell the 12m into Hull Pot (Described by the caller as “100′ “.) and could be seen moving on the floor of the open Pot. A small team attended and cared for the dog, before hauling it out on a Bell stretcher. The owner an…
North Yorkshire Police advised of a Three Peaks walker (m, 22) who said he was lost but uninjured, after ascending the third peak. Six minutes later, Yorkshire Ambulance Service reported a 999 call from the same number, requesting assistance for someon…
Descent 274 has now arrived! This is the second copy to appear since lockdown so as can be imagined recent exploration doesn’t figure highly but nevertheless Chris and Judith have put together a readable and informative issue. Newsdesk has had to go to Mars to speculate on new cave discoveries – otherwise it is largely…
Members had just returned from incident no 20 when YAS asked for assistance again, after a walker (m, 82), out with his wife and two terriers, was seriously injured by cattle near the bridge over Winterscales Beck. When the first CRO members arrived, p…
Following the recent resignation of Matt Ewles as Secretary of the British Caving Association, we are very pleased to inform our readers that a keen interim replacement has stepped forward and has asked us to introduce him. Matt has received much praise for his efforts recently to introduce changes to the BCA, and will be…
As lockdown restrictions continue, settle down in your favourite armchair with some reading material instead. It’s the next best thing to actually going caving, and the good folks at Wildplaces Publishing are still working hard to bring Descent to us! The next issue is about to be posted so to make sure you get your…
Dave William Gill (not to be confused with Dave ‘Icarus’ Gill) will be known to many cavers in this country – and abroad – as one of our leading ‘expedition’ speleologists. His CV reads like a Rider Haggard adventure story, embracing first descents into some of the earth’s most challenging and spectacular caverns and explorations…
A farmer asked whether CRO might rescue a ewe and a lamb from a shake-hole between Brackenbottom and Larch Tree Hole. Three members attended and rescued them both, unharmed, from 3m down in a rock rift. 8 volunteer hours.
The new guidelines introduced this week make it clear that the roads and fells are open and so are most caves, but the suggestion is fairly clear – “you can cave – but please don’t, just yet”. Cave and mountain rescue teams across the country, many caught by surprise after the Prime Minister’s announcement on…
The Wells and Mendip Museum has a long and fruitful relationship with the caving community. The late Herbert E Balch, arguably Mendip’s most famous original cave researcher, was the museum’s founder, and curator for many years. The museum houses much highly valuable archaeological material, recovered from caves in the region, and currently houses a long-term…
As I type, the Craven Pothole Club (CPC) is well into its 91st year. The founder member in September 1929 was Albert Mitchell, FRGS, who sadly passed away in October 1985. He was a prolific writer on caving and many other subjects. His early career as a reporter for the Craven Herald was partly why…
When we at DB Towers received our copy of Robin Taviner’s Somerset Underground Volume 1, we were intrigued to learn that one site that he had been unable to visit was Bucklewell Cave in the Avon Gorge. We therefore approached Paul Warrilow, who has studied the site over many years, and asked him for an…
A report on the big river caves of Papua New Guinea in the Nakanai Mountains and one on harvesting swiftlet nests in Sarawak by David Gill form a large part of this issue of Cave and Karst Science, along with reports on subjects as diverse as Northern Pennine maze caves and the hydrological significance of…
It is impossible to either ignore or underrate this fine book, which is part of my triumvirate of classic cave writing dating from the 1950s, alongside Underground Adventure and Subterranean Climbers. Like many of its contemporary companions, the narrative relates how a group of adventure-seeking friends came together to explore caves and stumbled, almost by…
Recently cavers across the UK, as members of the British Caving Association, will have been aware of changes to the way the association is governed, which were approved following a ballot of all members. Inevitably, radical changes to any organisation such as the BCA, require sensible management and implementation, and an awareness of any unforeseen…
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for his continued support sending in links! Cave Art Fondation Maison des Sciences de l’Homme: Atlas de la grotte…
Descent 273 has now arrived! If a copy hasn’t reached you, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe now or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you, call in and get one from them. If you’re keen to keep up with what’s happening in the world of…
UPDATED 3rd April 2020 NATIONAL RULES RESTRICTING MOVEMENT With the rapidly developing situation and the instructions issued by the Government now being enforced by civil authorities, anyone visiting caves or caving regions will almost certainly be breaching those rules. Consequently, it is reasonable to assume that no responsible caver will be planning to visit a…
>>Latest COVID-19 News In this newsletter… Field Meetings and Library access (COVID 19) Membership Renewal Latest periodicals now online British Cave Science Centre For news and information, go to… Facebook Our Calendar Our News Forum UKcaving Field Meetings and Library access (COVID 19) Not unexpectedly, the COVID-19 situation means that we are having to postpone…
As we enter interesting times across the country, you can still lose yourself in underground worlds by making sure you get your copy of Descent as soon as it appears, so take a moment to check whether your subscription is up to date! In the upcoming issue, the first of a two-part article by Gina…
If you’re anticipating having a lot of time on your hands and wondering what on earth you are going to do with your time during what could be a protracted period of social distancing, then look no further! Here we review a book, full of interest to any caver, longer than a good few classic…
Sammy Field, from the University of Southampton, visited the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society’s collections as a PhD researcher to collect data for her thesis, ‘Re-evaluating the use of dental wear to estimate age at death of British archaeological remains.’ Sammy has kindly written a guest blog about her work in the UBSS collection. Age…
A caver (m, 21) was reported to have dislocated a shoulder, above the climb in Brow Gill Cave. His companions had attempted to persuade / assist him to descend the climb, but the dislocation was such that this was not possible, so they called for help….
North Yorkshire Police received independent reports of flares seen over the summit of Ingleborough. Although such reports have not resulted in an actual rescue for a very long time, team members undertook a search of the summit of Ingleborough and appr…
During their re-ascent of the vertical Rowten Pot, the first of a party of 3 cavers became stuck at a point where their access rope was re-belayed to ring anchors embedded in the wall of the pothole. From the description given later, it seems that the …
A group of 15 cavers were reported as not having got in touch with their contact by the pre-arranged time of 19.00 hours. The group consisting of one experienced caver, 2 amateurs and 12 first timers had entered the Alum Pot cave system at 11.30, plann…
Following Alan Jefferys’ review of Concrete Evidence by Victor S Wigmore, Darkness Below heard from Jim Pennington who came across another novel by Wigmore. Jim now takes up the tale … Adventures Underground grabbed my attention in an Oxfam shop – it carried a politely salacious inscription: “To Marjorie, With many thanks for ‘services rendered’….
The BCA Newsletter 37 – February 2020 is now available. Editor David Rose has put out a bumper edition which is both visually attractive, thanks to laying out work by Matt Ewles and Gary Douthwaite, and packed full of BCA news and other features. There are two main feature articles – a piece by Andy…
Yorkshire Ambulance Service asked for assistance when a walker (m, 52) took a fall at a stile just off Whitestone Lane, Crummackdale, sustaining an arm injury. As members were responding, a further message was received, stating that the ambulance crew …
Here we go with our latest round-up of news and views from around the world. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Many thanks to Herman de Swart for sending in a large number of links! Cave Art Science et Avenir: New cave art discovered in Spain…
With heavy rain and widespread flooding anticipated, rescue teams across North Yorkshire were asked, on Friday evening, to say what swift-water rescue resources they would have available. On Saturday morning, CRO and UWFRA sent representatives to the &…
Concern was expressed for four cavers, overdue between Lancaster Hole and Wretched Rabbit, in the Ease Gill system. However, realising that there was a risk of causing an un-necessary call-out, the cavers split up at Stop Pot, with the faster two hurry…
Descent 272 has now arrived! If a copy hasn’t reached you, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe now or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you, call in and get one from them. If you’re keen to keep up with what’s happening in the world of…
An adult (m, 45) accompanying a group of young people, collapsed at the entrance to Thistle Cave, which they had intended to explore. There were prolonged attempts to revive him by CPR, but when YAS paramedics arrived, by road and air ambulance, they d…
Heavy rain, overnight, caused widespread flooding across northern England. With a serious situation seeming to develop in Nidderdale, Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association asked the other North Yorkshire teams what swift-water rescue resources they …
