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 date and if not, check your subscription is up to date and if not, head over to Wildplaces Publishing and the nice folks there will sort you out. With summer…
There are four major papers in the latest issue of Cave and Karst Science, two looking at different aspects of invertebrate fauna in caves, one studying mixing corrosion in indurated limestones and the last showing an unusual result from the monitoring stations at Pooles Cavern. Lee Knight and colleagues have carried out a descriptive survey…
Most British cavers will be familiar with the work of Robbie Shone who has been photographing the world’s caves for the last 20 years or more. Now a selection of his pictures has been brought together in a large format book, showcasing his photographs and giving some insight into how he works. This is not…
The latest book on Irish caves to be published by the University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS) in conjunction with the Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), Caves of southern Ireland has now gone to the printers and is expected to be launched this Autumn in both Ireland, at the SUI’s annual symposium, and in Bristol….
The BCRA Cave Archaeology Group is holding a weekend field meeting on Recording Historic Graffiti & other markings in the Yorkshire Dales, based at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle on the weekend of 4th/5th June 2022. Friday An informal evening get-together for any early arrivals. Saturday Morning session: Introductions and information, talks and presentations. Lunch: 1200hrs…
The caving world may be slowly starting to return to what passes for normal, according to the latest issue of Descent. After so long of having to report news about caving activities being adversely affected by Covid-19, issue 285 is full of news about regular caving activities. In the news section, there is an update…
The International Union of Speleology (UIS), who were last week condemned by the Ukrainian Speleological Association and the international caving community for their original statement on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have now reconsidered their position and issued a revised statement. The new statement is reproduced below: UIS President George Veni has urged members…
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 the International Union of Speleology (UIS) on the Russian war against Ukraine. And Ukrainian cave explorer and cave scientist Dr Alexander Klimchouk has been made an honorary member of the…
The International Union of Speleology (UIS) has been swiftly and widely condemned in the caving community for not taking an unequivocal stand in its statement against Russia’s war on Ukraine. This was swiftly denounced in an open letter from the Ukrainian Speleological Association to UIS delegates, speleologists and karst researchers in which they accuse…
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 to Wildplaces Publishing and the nice folks there will sort you out. As ever, there’s a lot on offer! Even a global pandemic hasn’t managed to dampen cavers’ enthusiasm at…
The deadline for nominations and proposals for BCA’s upcoming AGM is fast approaching as BCA Chair Russell Myers explains:
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 Congress of Speleology being held this year in Savoie Mont Blanc, France. Applications are invited from groups of three or more young cavers who meet the following criteria: the groups…
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 the influence of geology on the evolution of the landscape and the formation of karst features. The field trip will start at the British Caving Library, Glutton Bridge at 10:30am…
CRO were called out by Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) to assist them with an incident about half a mile along the Pennine Bridleway from the road head at Clay Pits Plantation. When CRO arrived we found that YAS had been able to drive their off-road …
) 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 papers include a review of karstification of Permian limestones in northeastern England and a pictorial overview of travertine cascades from around the world. John Gunn, Matt Rowberry and Andrew Smith…
Subscribers of the magazine Descent will by now have received the latest issue, number 284, and for those that do not, this is one you really do not want to ignore. Visit Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or call in to a caving shop to pick up a copy. One of Descent’s enduring characteristics is the regular…
Three cavers (m,22; f,21; m,21) were reported overdue on a Peterson Pot to Pippikin Pot through trip (with Mistral Hole as an alternative early exit, if short of time). Having sent a PhoneFind text and confirmed that their car was at Bull Pot Farm, the…
The first issue of Descent for 2022 will be out soon so take a moment to check your subscription is up to date and if not, head over to Wildplaces Publishing and the nice folks there will sort you out. Very few cavers can have been unaware of the serious accident in the Smithy area…
Following recent vandalism to the gate on Waterwheel Swallet, Mendip, the CSCC Conservation and Access Officer, Graham Price has issued the following information. “Waterwheel has recently been broken into and the gate vandalised. The gate has been removed for repair/replacement and the entrance has been secured with a non-removable grill. Everyone will appreciate that it…
On the afternoon of 15th January 2022, the BCRA is hosting their 32rd Cave Science Symposium, a series of online talks postponed from November 2021 due to extreme weathers. The afternoon of talks on conservation, biofilms, speleothems, water tracing and speleogenis, includes presentations from Jo White on biofilms of British caves and mines, Bethany Fox…
If you want to guess the age of an old dog, and help a rescue team at the same time, you can find out how by buying the latest issue of Descent, which is full of lots of caving news as usual. If you subscribe to the magazine Descent, you should already have received issue…
Christmas is coming and as a present from the lovely folks at Wildplaces Publishing, there’s an extra eight pages this issue! Do take a moment to check your subscription is up to date and as if not, head over to Wildplaces Publishing and they’ll be delighted to help you out. And maybe think about taking…
Two of Britain’s most proficient cave divers recently completed the formidable challenge of a full traverse from one end of the Three Counties cave complex to the other. The newly elected chair of the British Caving Association Russell Myers tells us the story of this incredible achievement. The Traverse – conception and planning On September…
The first ever contested election for the post of chair of the British Caving Association resulted in a win for acting chair and former BCA secretary, Russell Myers. In response to comments by contender Rostam Namaghi on the UKcaving forum, Russell has the following message to cavers …
In this newsletter: BCRA Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 November 2021, BCRA AGM. Saturday 27 November 2021, BCRA Annual Review for 2020, December Seminar, BCRA Council Officers for 2021. BCRA Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 Nov 2021 If you have registered to attend the Science Symposium, you should have received a copy of the programme….
A caver (m, 38) fell about 8m, sustaining multiple injuries in the cave complex of Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, near Penwyllt, at the head of the Swansea Valley, South Wales, at lunchtime on Saturday. South & Mid-Wales Cave Rescue Team, realising the potentia…
A massive effort is underway to rescue a caver injured in a fall on Saturday in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (OFD) in South Wales, the deepest and third longest cave system in Britain. The caver is believed to have fallen on Saturday. A fellow caver initiated the call out, and rescue teams from around the country…
The results of the ballots following the recent AGM have now been announced and the results of the elections are as follows: Chair: the winning candidate is Russell Myers Secretary: the winning candidate is Allan Richardson Training Officer the winning candidate is Steve Gray Individual Member representatives: the winning candidates are Nigel Atkins and…
Descent 282 should have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you, call in now that shops are open again, and get a one from them. Newsdesk contains a variety of short items, starting…
Reigate has a brand new tunnel, thanks to the efforts of High Peak Geotechnical Ltd., acting on instruction from the Wealden Cave and Mine Society (WCMS). WCMS opens three caves within the centre of Reigate, Surrey, for public tours, under licence from Reigate and Banstead Borough Council. One of the three caves is an abandoned…
In this newsletter: British Cave Research Association Cave Science Symposium. Saturday 27 Nov 2021, BCRA AGM. Saturday 27 Nov 2021, Volunteer needed to help with publications mailings, Cave & Karst Science mailings, back issues of C&KS and the CREG journal, The Karst and Caves of Morecambe Bay by Phillip MURPHY (ed.). BCRA Cave Science Symposium….
The British Caving Association AGM is being held by Zoom (as it was last year) on 10th October 2021. There is now a link on the BCA website which enables BCA members to sign up to participate in the AGM by video-link. BCA is not able to circulate all its members directly by email because…
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science is dominated (the editors’ word!) by karst and caves within the English chalk. There are also, though papers on aspects of cave archaeology, including historic graffiti in an underground stone quarry and the excavated remains of domesticated dogs from a cave on the Gower peninsula. An informative…
Descent 282 will be out shortly, so please do check your subscription is up to date, and if you’re a subscriber in the EU and have not made contact with Descent about your delivery, please do so – the folks at Wild Places need to know how you would like your next issue to be…
This year there are two candidates to be the next BCA Chair: the incumbent, Russell Myers, who stepped up from his previous role as Secretary when Phil Rowsell resigned last year, and Rostam Namaghi, who currently serves as Publicity and Information Officer. Both have been involved in caving and the association for many years. This…
Anybody visiting Powell Street, Penwyllt, in the last 18 months would have noticed how little activity there has been, largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and the restrictions imposed on social activities. As if determined to demonstrate that they are very much still around and keen to get on with caving, members of South Wales…
The 2021 JRat Digging Award presentation will take place in the Long Room of the Hunter’s Lodge Inn on Saturday 20th November. The evening will kick off at 7.30 pm and will include talks and presentations from Mendip digging teams before the presentation of the award to the winning team. If anybody does win, that…
In the summer of 2018, few people in the world with access to news reports could fail to have been gripped by the story of the 12 young boys from the Wild Boars football team and their coach, trapped by a sudden flood in the Tham Luang cave in Thailand. Floods in caves rarely end…
Caves turn up regularly in crime fiction, and this time it’s Scotland’s turn to see some speleological literary action. Karen Pirie, the main character in several books by Val McDermid, is a Detective Inspector in charge of investigating cold cases in Fife, eastern Scotland. In A Darker Domain, she is presented with a tempting scenario…
Bored with the rain and fancy some armchair caving instead of a wet walk to get underground? Then settle down for a good read, with news, views, digs and more! Descent 281 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re…
A farmer had seen one of his sheep, apparently stranded on a ledge of Mealbank Quarry, on Sunday. He kept trying to tempt it back to safety by shaking a bag of sheep nuts, but eventually asked for CRO’s assistance. A small team set up an abseil, …
ATLAS (the Association of Thrupe Lane Advanced Speleologists) are planning a maintenance session at Thrupe Lane Swallet and are keen to get some help. You can also have a barbecue and catch up with friends as well!
With things getting back to normal in the UK and caving well underway again, keep an eye out for the latest Descent and take a moment to check whether your subscription is up to date and if not, head over to Wildplaces Publishing and the nice folks there will sort you out. In the…
A visitor (f, 20) slipped, while about 300m into White Scar Cave, sustaining a lower leg injury. Show cave staff assessed and treated the casualty’s injured leg, but were unable to evacuate her from the cave. Having splinted her leg, CRO team me…
Covid continues to create certainty for events organisers, with some cancelled and others moving online, but there might be light at the end of the tunnel … unless it’s a caver coming the other way. Hidden Earth: the National Caving Conference The following announcement has been made by the Hidden Earth team: “We are sorry…
The following information has been provided by the Council of Southern Caving Clubs regarding access to Singing River Mine on Mendip.
In a world first, British caver, polar explorer and climate change scientist Gina Moseley is preparing to lead an expedition to the planet’s northernmost caves in Greenland. While the expedition will explore several caves, there is one giant cave in particular that Gina is captivated by. She first found out about it in a conversation…
The following note has been received from Dave King of ATLAS (the Association of Thrupe Lane Advanced Speleologists) “Following concerns and requests from local residents who have young children a CSCC padlock will be fitted to the entrance gate of Thrupe Lane Swallet. This will be fitted during the week commencing 14th June. Note that…
, If you want to know why a couple of Aussie cavers have had two new species of cave spider named after them get your mitts on the new issue of Descent, which brings you caving news from around the world. Descent 280 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time…
It is an honour to have been given the opportunity to review Aquanaut, and to immerse myself in Rick Stanton’s account of his numerous cave diving exploits, and his unique perspective on the now universally acclaimed 2018 rescue of the Wild Boars from Tham Luang Nang Non in Thailand. Book reviews are not generally at…
A BCRA field trip to the karst of the Arnside and Silverdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty will be held on Saturday 17th July, led by Phil Murphy. The striking landscape around Arnside and Silverdale in north west England consists of a series of partially-wooded limestone hills (knolls) separated by areas of water-logged low-lying ground,…
A walker (m 55) phoned for help, saying that he had collapsed, felt weak and had a pain radiating from the upper left hand side of his chest. He had been walking alone and CRO was able to confirm the walker’s “off-piste” location at t…
The Thai cave rescue had everyone on the edge of their seats as what might have been the grimmest reality TV show ever was played out in the full spotlight of the world’s media. In Rick Stanton’s eagerly awaited autobiography, you can now read the inside story of the rescue and understand how Rick’s caving…
Descent 280 will be on its way shortly, so you’ll be able to relax after a caving trip with a beer and something to read. And take a moment to check your subscription is up to date! If you don’t already read Descent, we hope we can tempt you to start now. Finding cavers supporting…
The latest issue of Cave and Karst Science opens with a comparison of straw stalactites in caves and those beneath bridges and buildings. Later papers include work on conservation in the tropics, bears in late-glacial Yorkshire and an account of early speleobiological work. The issue contains four major papers. in the first, Garry K. Smith…
The European Speleological Federation have just released their April 2021 newsletter including news about the 2021 International Year of Caves and Karst and much more. You can download the English version from their website or simply read it below. The French version can be downloaded from here. To navigate through all six pages, hover over…
UWFRA forwarded an alert from North Yorkshire Police regarding two Three Peaks walkers who had become separated from a bigger group after losing the path on Ingleborough. Reportedly, they had made their 999 call from a mobile phone with 1% battery. Whe…
The series of monthly talks by AditNow members continues on May 6th. As usual, it will be broadcast via the Zoom platform, details available in the Event Calendar. Mining historian Rob Vernon will speak on the subject of the Hathorn Davy Company of Leeds. This company manufactured and supplied mine pumping machinery for mines throughout…
It’s time to catch up with caving news from around the world again. There’s even a trip to Mars … Descent 279 should now have reached you by now, but if not, it’s time to head over to Wildplaces Publishing to subscribe or if you’re lucky enough to have a caving shop anywhere near you,…
Following the earlier report of a rockfall in the area of the Waterfall Climb in G.B. Cavern, Mendip, the following information has been received from Charterhouse Caving Company Ltd. Following the rockfall notified and publicised in early February, a further inspection trip was scheduled for 6 April, following the relaxation of covid restrictions. On 5th…
