The team were called by North Yorkshire Police to assist with an incident involving a walker on the summit of Penyghent. Volunteer hours 46
INCIDENT 38/2025. MAY 3rd SAT. 10.59 hrs. PENYGHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
BCRA Cave Science Symposium and AGM
Symposium – Saturday 11th October 2025 Field trips – Sunday 12th October 2025 School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol FIRST CIRCULAR The British Cave Research Association are pleased to announce details of the 36th Annual Cave Science Symposium and associated field trips. The symposium will be hosted by Professor David Richards, Linda Wilson and…
APR. 26th Sat. THREE PEAKS RACE – PEN Y GHENT, WHERNSIDE and INGLEBOROUGH
CRO members have, for several decades, provided rescue cover for competitors in the annual Three Peaks Race. They collaborate with a huge number of other volunteers from the Three Peaks Race Association and RAYNET – The Radio Amateurs Emergency N…
INCIDENT 33/2025. APR 24th THU. 22.56hrs Nr NICK POT SHOOTING HUT, AUSTWICK, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Two Three Peaks walkers (f, 23; f, 22) reported themselves benighted near the ruinous Nick Pot shooting hut on the route from Ingleborough to Horton in Ribblesdale. The battery of one of their mobile phones was completely flat and the other was failing…
ALERT ONLY, APRIL 23rd WEDS. 22.23 hrs, MALHAM / MALHAM MOOR AREA, NORTH YORKSHIRE. ALERT No 2 OF 2025
North Yorkshire Police asked the team to stand by for a possible incident in the Malham / Malham Moor area. Resolved without team members going out. Volunteer hours: 2
ALERT ONLY, APRIL 23rd WEDS. 22.23 hrs, MALHAM / MALHAM MOOR AREA, NORTH YORKSHIRE. ALERT No 2 OF 2025
North Yorkshire Police asked the team to stand by for a possible incident in the Malham / Malham Moor area. Resolved without team members going out. Volunteer hours: 2
INCIDENT 32/2025. APR 23rd WED. 12:29 HRS. NR STAINFORTH, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Yorkshire Ambulance Service asked the team to assist with a walker (m, 72) who had slipped down a crag near Stainforth, injuring his arm and ankle. As the team was assembling in Stainforth, YAS advised that the casualty had managed to get back up the …
Book review: Hidden Inside the Highlands
For anyone who has ever struggled to explain the allure of venturing underground, Paul Savage recommends taking awhistle-stop tour beneath the Highlands in the company of one of Scotland’s best-known cavers. To say Alan Jeffreys is an expert on Scottish caves is somewhat of an understatement. Alan (or Goon, as he’s better known in caving…
INCIDENT 31/2025. APR 20th SUN. 12:54 hrs. MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE
North Yorkshire Police called the team to assist a walker (m, 62) who had slipped going over a stile and tumbled about 12 feet, injuring his back. When the team arrived our brilliant colleagues from Yorkshire Air Ambulance were already on scene provid…
Jim dives to new depth record in Ireland
Jim Warny is the latest to break the record for deep cave dives in Ireland and the UK – even if he did admit that having his wife and dog waiting on the surface added to the pressure of the challenge! Since 2008, Pollatoomary Resurgence in Co. Mayo has been the site of several record-setting…
INCIDENT 30/2025. APR 14th MON. 11:02 hrs. SCALEBER FORCE, SETTLE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
North Yorkshire Police asked the team to assist with a walker (m, 63) who had slipped and sustained an ankle injury at Scaleber Force near Settle. Team members attended and splinted the ankle. They then stretchered the casualty out of the steep gorge…
INCIDENT 30/2025. APR 14th MON. 11:02 hrs. SCALEBER FORCE, SETTLE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
North Yorkshire Police asked the team to assist with a walker (m, 63) who had slipped and sustained an ankle injury at Scaleber Force near Settle. Team members attended and splinted the ankle. They then stretchered the casualty out of the steep gorge…
INCIDENT 27/2025. APR 8th TUE 12:35 hrs. MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE
The team were called by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to assist with a casualty (m,51) who had become unconscious near the base of Malham Cove. By the time the first team members arrived on scene the casualty was conscious again and being treated b…
INCIDENT 26/2025. APR 7th MON 13:50 hrs. MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE
The team were called by North Yorkshire Police to assist a walker (m, 61) who had become faint and dizzy on the path up to the top of Malham Cove and was unable to continue. After an assessment by team medics the casualty was assisted onto a Bell stret…
The 2025 SWCC Photo Competition
Back in September 2024, a few of us entered the Hidden Earth photo salon. There were some beautiful images on display, and SWCC members had varying degrees of success. The salon lead to much discussion, which somehow lead to me being volunteered to org…
INCIDENT 24/2025. APR 5th. SAT. 16:45 hrs. PEN Y GHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
The team were called to a walker (f,13) who had slipped whilst walking up Pen-y-ghent with her father and dislocated her kneecap. A hasty party was dispatched up to her in CRO 4 (our Honda Pioneer) whilst two team Landrovers took more members up Horton…
INCIDENT 23/2025. APR 2nd WED. 18:55 hrs. INGLETON WATERFALLS TRAIL, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A local walker (m, 79) was returning to Ingleton down the waterfalls trail when he felt weakness in his legs and was unable to continue. Team members from Ingleton, on their way to our regular montly training evening, were diverted to render assistance…
Descent Magazine: Issue 303 Out Soon
Descent magazine is renowned for its excellent coverage of caves and cavers and, judging from the preview, the forthcoming issue is continuing that tradition. Chris Scaife, Descent’s editor, has sent us this teaser! Issue 303 includes feature articles on expeditions to Mulu and Meghalaya, more major finds in the north of England (including a new…
INCIDENT 21/2025. MAR 22nd SAT 2300hrs. WRETCHED RABBIT SYSTEM, EASEGILL, LECK, CUMBRIA
The Team received a call from one of our members at the Red Rose CPC hostel, at Bull Pot Farm, that a party of 8 cavers (2m and 6f, 20-29) on the ‘Easegill Traverse’ caving trip between Lancaster Hole and Wretched Rabbit were overdue. We we…
INCIDENT 20/2025 MAR. 16th SUN. 20.50 DIHEDRAL ROUTE, GAPING GILL, CLAPHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A caver (f, 20) was unable to ascend the final pitch out of Gaping Gill (Dihedral Route) and became stranded on the ledge. The group leader and a CRO duty controller discussed the wisdom of initiating a rescue by the group itself but agreed to bring in…
INCIDENT 19/2025 MAR. 15th SAT. 14.16 POT SCAR and SMEARSETT AREA, AUSTWICK, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
Two walkers expressed concern for another walker who appeared to be struggling and confused while trying to find a way off the steep ground of Pot Scar and Smearsett Scar. A small ‘hasty party’ of team members ran round and over the area b…
INCIDENT 18/2025 MAR. 14th FRI. 09.36 PEN Y GHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A walker (m, 30) fell a reported 10m including ‘three somersaults’ while climbing the final rock band at the south end of Pen y ghent, losing consciousness for approximately 30 minutes. His companion and other walkers helped keep him warm u…
INCIDENT 18/2025 MAR. 14th FRI. 09.36 PEN Y GHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A walker (m, 30) fell a reported 10m including ‘three somersaults’ while climbing the final rock band at the south end of Pen y ghent, losing consciousness for approximately 30 minutes. His companion and other walkers helped keep him warm u…
INCIDENT 16/2025. MAR. 2nd SUN. 18.25 BIG MEANIE, LECK. LANCASHIRE
Despite being quite small, a caver (f, 20) was unable to exit Big Meanie. She had adequate food and equipment but did not know the other way out via Death’s Head Hole, so members of her party called for help. While the first team members went to …
The Godstone Collapse: beyond the news reports
“GODSTONE – Falling-in of the Roadway – Breakage of the Water Main.“ The news headline above doesn’t come from any of the reports on the sinkhole that recently appeared in the High Street at Godstone, Surrey. This unsensational heading comes from a news story that broke over 145 years ago in November 1879. Peter Burgess…
INCIDENT 15/2025. (same day) 14.23. PEN Y GHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE
A caller from Poland reported her son and a friend ‘scared and lost’ on Pen y ghent. After some confusion, the members who had been at Malham drove up Horton Scar Lane (a.k.a. the vicarage track) in two team Land Rovers while other team mem…
INCIDENT 14/2025. FEB 19th WED. 13.07 SHORKLEY HILL, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE
A walker slipped on the muddy path from the top of Malham Cove to the Malham Rakes road, sustaining a knee injury so that she could not stand. Other walkers took care of her small son and confirmed the location when the duty controller phoned to check….
INCIDENT 12/2025. JAN 27th MON. 18.23hrs. PEN Y GHENT, NORTH YORKSHIRE
A walker, descending from Ingleborough to Horton in Ribblesdale, told NYP that he had seen triple flashes of light repeatedly for 15 minutes from the summit of Pen y ghent. Small groups of team members walked the paths to and over the summit in rain an…
Cave and Karst Science Vol 51 No 3: Mongolia, Mulu and Mendip
The latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science contains five papers, some shorter contributions and a photo spread. Maria Box and colleagues have been studying how Seasonal temperature and ventilation changes govern proxy-signal transfer into caves in northern Mongolia. They note that cave monitoring is essential for the accurate interpretation of speleothem-based environmental…
New Goodwill Fee for visiting Swildon’s Hole, Priddy
The goodwill fee for visiting Swildon’s Hole, Priddy in Somerset, has remained the same for many years. From the start of 2025 the fee has been increased to £2 per person. The money should be put in the black postbox by the residential door at Manor Farm round to the left of the changing barn….
INCIDENT 11/2025. JAN 19th SUN. 12.27hrs. DICCAN POT, SELSIDE, HORTON in RIBBLESDALE, NORTH YORKSHIRE
A caving group reported that one of their number was on the first pitch (100 ft / 30 m) of Diccan Pot when they heard a bang. When they pulled at the rope, they found that it was taut. Diccan is part of the Long Churn Cave / Alum Pot system and access …
INCIDENT 09/2025. JAN 12th SUN. 09.57hrs. STORRS COMMON, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE
A dog-walker (f, 50) slipped on ice on the riverside path at the bottom of Storrs Common, suspecting that she had broken an ankle. (After a very slight thaw, the path had a thin covering of water on the ice, making it even more hazardous.) A YAS ambula…
INCIDENT 08/2025. JAN 11th SAT. 16.18hrs. GREAT CLOSE SCAR, MALHAM MOOR, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Having rescued a number of sheep from easier places, himself, a farmer asked for CRO’s assistance in rescuing three sheep from ledges on Great Close Scar, overlooking Malham Tarn, as he could not do this, alone, in safety. The following morning, …
INCIDENT 08/2025. JAN 11th SAT. 16.18hrs. GREAT CLOSE SCAR, MALHAM MOOR, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Having rescued a number of sheep from easier places, himself, a farmer asked for CRO’s assistance in rescuing three sheep from ledges on Great Close Scar, overlooking Malham Tarn, as he could not do this, alone, in safety. The following morning, …
INCIDENT 07/2025. JAN 9th THU. 00.58hrs. NEWBY, NORTH YORKSHIRE
Following a fire at premises in Newby, local firefighters tried to source a suitable Acrow prop to support stonework, temporarily. When this could not be arranged through local builders at that time, CRO was asked to help and a member obliged, deliveri…
INCIDENT 05/2025. (SAME DAY). 09.50 A FARM Nr HORTON IN RIBBLESDALE
Returning from the previous incident, team members were asked to assist when someone suffered a medical incident, at their home, but believed to be inaccessible to a road ambulance, near Horton in Ribblesdale. Members stood by, as a precaution, until t…
INCIDENT 05/2025. (SAME DAY). 09.50 A FARM Nr HORTON IN RIBBLESDALE
Returning from the previous incident, team members were asked to assist when someone suffered a medical incident, at their home, but believed to be inaccessible to a road ambulance, near Horton in Ribblesdale. Members stood by, as a precaution, until t…
INCIDENT 04/2025. JAN. 6th MON. 07.34 B6255 NEWBY HEAD MOSS, INGLETON
Two males were reported to be ‘lost’ in a broken-down vehicle ‘between Hawes and Ribblehead’ and had been there for eight hours. As th first team members arrived near the Newby Head road junction, they found that the Police had …
INCIDENT 04/2025. JAN. 6th MON. 07.34 B6255 NEWBY HEAD MOSS, INGLETON
Two males were reported to be ‘lost’ in a broken-down vehicle ‘between Hawes and Ribblehead’ and had been there for eight hours. As th first team members arrived near the Newby Head road junction, they found that the Police had …
INCIDENT 03/2025. JANUARY 5th SUN. 09.30 STAINFORTH and BENTHAM
Settle Health Centre requested CRO’s assistance, through North Yorkshire Police, when nursing staff were unable to reach vulnerable patients at home in Stainforth and Bentham because of overnight snowfall. A team Land Rover and crew took nursing staff …
INCIDENT 02/2025. JANUARY 4th SAT. 19.40 INGLEBOROUGH SUMMIT
Two walkers (m, 25; f, 25) reported themselves lost and benighted on the summit plateau of Ingleborough. Having confirmed that they were at the summit shelter, the Duty Controller asked them to stay where they were and to keep as warm as possible. Team…
INCIDENT 01/2025. JANUARY 2nd THU. 15.19 PEN Y GHENT
A walker (f, 31) slipped from a stile at Pen y ghent summit, sustaining a knee/lower leg injury. Although she could continue a short distance, it was clear that she would not be able to walk off the hill. Two team Land Rovers and CRO 4 (the Honda Pione…
INCIDENT 85/2024. DECEMBER 11th WED. 09:24 hrs. MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
NYP requested CRO’s assistance after a member of the public found a person at the base of the cove believed to be deceased. Following confirmation from the Police that this was a fatality, team members assisted with the evacuation of the deceased…
INCIDENT 84/2024. NOVEMBER 22nd FRI. 10.05 hrs. HUMPHREY BOTTOM, INGLEBOROUGH, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A walker (m, 48) slipped on ice on the path up Humphrey Bottom to Ingleborough, sustaining a suspected hip injury. The first team members to arrive at the casualty site found that he was just being loaded into an air ambulance, so the team stood down. …
INCIDENT 83/2024. NOVEMBER 21st THU. 12.31 hrs. Nr RUNSCAR CAVE, RIBBLEHEAD, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A caving instructor (m, 43) slipped on frozen turf after exiting Runscar Cave and sustained a lower leg injury. Having ensured the safety of the client group, the other instructors set up a group shelter for their colleague and called for help. Team me…
INCIDENT 83/2024. NOVEMBER 21st THU. 12.31 hrs. Nr RUNSCAR CAVE, RIBBLEHEAD, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A caving instructor (m, 43) slipped on frozen turf after exiting Runscar Cave and sustained a lower leg injury. Having ensured the safety of the client group, the other instructors set up a group shelter for their colleague and called for help. Team me…
INCIDENT 82/2024. NOVEMBER 9th SAT. 16.45 hrs. INGLEBOROUGH, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
The Team was alerted by North Yorkshire Police (NYP) to a 3 Peaks walker (M, 44) who was having breathing difficulties and felt like he was going to lose consciousness whilst ascending the final peak of Ingleborough . Contact was made with the walkers’…
INCIDENT 81/2024. NOVEMBER 7th THU. 14.07 hrs. MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A walker (f, 65) slipped whilst descending the footpath on the west side of Malham Cove suffering a suspected fracture to the right ankle. Team members assessed her, provided pain relief and splinted the lower leg before helping her on to a stretcher. …
Cave and Karst Science Vol 51 No 2: Bones, Biota and Mozambique
The latest edition of the BCRA’s Cave and Karst Science contains four main papers. Lee Knight, Nataša Mori and Anton Brancelj have carried out a pilot study of the biota of percolating cave waters in Britain which they believe can act as a proxy for the epikarst aquifer. Dripping water habitats within caves (drips or…
The Tratman Awards for 2022 and 2023 go to …
The Tratman Award is presented annually to the best caving-related, paper-based publication in memory of UBSS member Professor E.K. ‘Trat’ Tratman. The award recognises excellence in writing and presentation, encompassing aspects such as the subject’s importance, readability, the quality of the photographs and surveys, the printing and binding and – in short – any aspect…
The Giles Barker Award goes to ….
The Giles Barker Award is presented to any person connected with any aspect of cave photography in recognition of excellence or contributions to the field; it has a wide remit to allow consideration of many areas of image creation. The award has been running since 1993 in memory of Giles, a keen cave photographer who…
Book review: Adventures Underground
Alan Jeffreys couldn’t put down the updated edition of Adventures Underground, and not because he’d accidentally glued it to his fingers … The first edition of Adventures Underground first appeared in 2017, and was written very much as an homage to the seminal 1952 Underground Adventure by A. Gemmell and J. Myers. Authors Dave Haigh…
INCIDENT 80/2024. OCTOBER 28th MON. 17.44 hrs. GUNNERFLEET AREA, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
North Yorkshire Police (NYP) received an incomplete call from someone (or some people?) who had walked off Whernside, was uninjured but lost and benighted, so couldn’t find their car. From some of the words given, he may have been in the Gunnerfl…
INCIDENT 79/2024. OCTOBER 27th SUN. 15.44 hrs. TOP OF MALHAM COVE, MALHAM, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A walker (f, 78) was ill near the middle of the limestone pavement at the top of Malham Cove. Team members, assessed her before helping her on to a stretcher. She was wheeled/carried to a team vehicle and driven down to Malham car park. After a further…
INCIDENT 78/2024. OCTOBER 13th SUN. 17.13 hrs. INGLETON WATERFALLS TRAIL, INGLETON, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A visitor (m) took a fall on the return leg of the Ingleton Waterfalls Trail and was seen to be struggling. One passing walker loaned him a walking pole and another tried to phone for help, but had almost reached Ingleton before she had a signal. Team …
INCIDENT 00/1934. OCTOBER 13th SAT 19.15 hrs. GINGLING HOLE, FOUNTAINS FELL, MALHAM MOOR, WEST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE.
A potholer (m) was reported to have displaced a loose boulder which trapped his leg and broke it in two places on the slope into what was then the final chamber of Gingling Hole. His companions made splints from a camera tripod and a wooden ladder rung…
SEE HOW WE EARNED OUR BLUE PETER BADGE!
Back in June we had the pleasure of taking BBC Blue Peter presenter Joel caving, introducing him to what CRO members do and showing him what it takes to rescue someone from underground. The link below will take you to the show in which we appear. We ha…
SEE HOW WE EARNED OUR BLUE PETER BADGE!
Back in June we had the pleasure of taking BBC Blue Peter presenter Joel caving, introducing him to what CRO members do and showing him what it takes to rescue someone from underground. The link below will take you to the show in which we appear. We ha…
INCIDENT 77/2024. OCTOBER 10th THU. 16.38 hrs. HUMPHREY BOTTOM, INGLEBOROUGH, NORTH YORKSHIRE.
A paraglider pilot (m, 57) was reported to have a bruised back and leg as well as being unable to walk off the hill, following a bad landing which included a fall from about 5 metres. Once having found him, team members assessed him, ‘packaged…
Descent Magazine – 300th issue out now!
Descent is now 300 issues old. Founded in January 1969, it has outlasted the Beatles, the Apollo moon missions and pre-decimal currency and is now as strong as ever, thanks to everyone who has supported the magazine along the way. The publication date is 5 October, so subscribers will soon be enjoying the best writing…
