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 …
Two reports of instability in caves have reached us. Dave King has sent the following message re Hobnail Hole. “Hobnail Hole is temporarily closed due to a very unstable boulder in Black Pot. Please do not use Hobnail hole as a route into or out of Butts’ Chamber in Thrupe Lane Swallet until further notice.”…
Two walkers (m,51; f, ) reported themselves lost, benighted, wet and cold, in cloud, on Ingleborough. With no response to the Phonefind app and their phone seeming always to be engaged, it was a while before their position could be confirmed. Team memb…
The Mendip Cave Registry and Archive (MCRA) are pleased to announce the launch of Volume 1 of ‘Somerset Underground’, at the Hunters’ Lodge Inn at 8 p.m. on Saturday 7th March. Costing a rock-bottom bargain price of just £10, Volume 1 comprises 275 pages and contains details of more than 750 natural caves, sea…
UBSS, Bristol. 2019. 364pp, 20 colour photographs, 136 maps and surveys. Hardback, 180mm × 248mm. £20 ISBN 978-0-9545850-1-3 In one sense, Caves of Mid-West Ireland is the fourth edition of this caving guidebook, while in another it is the first. That is, the University of Bristol SS has a longstanding and well known intimate…
In a new feature for 2020, we’re now bringing you a round-up of some of the news and views from around the world. Where multiple similar reports exist, we’ve opted for what appears to be the most complete. If you see anything you think we might have missed, do drop us a line. Cave Art…
Two Three Peaks walkers (m,30; m,30) reported themselves ‘in a field and completely lost’, as well as ‘surrounded by swamp up to their knees’, between Birkwith and Pen y ghent. The Phonefind app, used by the duty controller, ind…
A visitor (m, 57), walking from Malham Rakes towards the top of Malham Cove, slipped on the extremely muddy path, about 300m from the road, sustaining a dislocation fracture of one ankle. The YAS paramedics who attended to the patient asked for CROR…
Happy New Year to everyone! To celebrate, we have a brand-new photo montage for you featuring the anniversary set of all six Descent covers from 2019. Issue 272 is about to be posted so to make sure you get your copy take a moment to check whether your subscription is up to date! In this…
Whilst incident number 3 was underway, the team was called to assist Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) with an incident near to Malham. A walker (f 15) had slipped on a steep and muddy grass slope near to the top of Malham Cove. The young person had a …
A walker (m 19) slipped and fell on wet rocks whilst descending from the summit of Whernside. He injured, possibly fracturing, his right lower leg. CRO team members splinted the injured leg, packaged the injured person into a stretcher and were able to…
Four cavers (all m) were reported ‘stuck’ while on an exchange trip (two each way) between Large Pot and Rift Pot, beneath the fell, above Masongill. Although not strictly ‘overdue’ (They had given a ‘call-out time’ …
The team were called by Cumbria Police to reports of an overdue cave diver at Lancaster Hole on Casterton Fell, Cumbria. 40 CRO team members and members of the Northern section of the Cave Diving Group (CDG) responded.. As well as searching from the po…
Alan Jeffreys recently came across a curious manuscript entitled Concrete Evidence, a speleo novel by Victor Stephen Wignore and reviews it here for Darkness Below. Squirrelled away amongst the papers of Eli Simpson and the now defunct British Speleological Association is a typed, carbon copy manuscript on quarto paper of a ‘thriller’ amounting to some…
A fell-runner (f, 48) slipped on a rocky section of the bridleway onto Ingleborough, sustaining (at least) a deep laceration to one knee and a shoulder injury. She and her partner were also very cold when team members arrived on scene. After the admini…
Reports on large cave fish from Meghalaya, archaeological sites in Scotland and Derbyshire, ice caves in Yorkshire and carbon dioxide – historically and geologically – are amongst the features in the new edition of Cave and Karst Science. There are ten main articles in volume 46 no. 3 as well as some shorter pieces in…
A group of nine cavers went in to Gaping Gill by various routes, meeting up in the Main Chamber. After all the others were out safely, via Bar Pot, two (m, 22; m, 22) were reported overdue. They had tried to exit via Corky’s Pot, but realised th…
Descent 271 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. As we always say, we think Descent is great, and we want…
Introducing guidelines and a standing recording method is one of the aims of next May’s BCRA cave archaeology field meeting. It will take place from 8th May – 10th May at Lower Winskill Farm, Settle, in the Yorkshire Dales and will include the recording of historic graffiti and other markings. Details will be announced closer to the…
Peter Burgess’ trusty old Petzl Duo lamp finally gave up the ghost after 15 years. He reports back on its replacement – the Lynx X Basic. Before we start, please bear in mind that I am not a lamp expert, and have only a modest understanding of lighting technology now that lamps no longer consist…
A motorist, following his SatNav, tried to drive over from Kingsdale to Deepdale, but the car became stuck in snow. He called for help, then managed to get his heavily pregnant wife and small child to the safety of Kingsdale Head Farm. The farmer and C…
A patient (f), driving herself to hospital for essential medical treatment, became stuck in snow, on a very remote, moorland road. Lancashire Constabulary’s Force Incident Manager alerted CRO, but when the duty controller rang in, the FIM advised…
In this newsletter … Latest periodicals now online: CREG Journal 107 is now available online and can be viewed and downloaded by members. This has also now been mailed to members. Cave & Karst Science 46(3) is now available online and should be mailed shortly. Diary Dates for 2020: 28th – 29th March 2020 –…
A walker (m, 86) complained of not feeling very well, then collapsed, having suffered a suspected heart attack on the Ingleton to Ingleborough bridleway, a short distance beyond Crina Bottom. YAS requested CRO attendance and the first team vehicle to a…
Descent 271 is about to be posted so to make sure you get your copy take a moment to check whether your subscription is up to date. And if it’s not, contact Wildplaces Publishing so you don’t miss out on an issue with eight extra pages!. In the coming issue you can experience the lure…
In this newsletter … Caves and Karst of the Yorkshire Dales – volume 2 This book has now been reduced in price to £25. It can be ordered online, along with volume 1. There is a 20% discount for BCRA members, and postage is free. Cave & Karst Science 46(3) and CREGJ 108 These publications…
On Saturday, 9th November 2019, the University of Bristol Speleological Society brought the public facing part of their centenary year to an end with a superb symposium, and attracted a good number of cavers to enjoy a day of fascinating talks on a wide range of cave science subjects. It was early afternoon on a…
A lone Three Peaks walker (m, 30) reported himself lost on Ingleborough, but otherwise unharmed. Before calling the CRO Duty Controller, North Yorkshire Police were able to establish that the misper was on Simon Fell Breast, a little way below the foot…
If you’ve received an email from Matt Ewles, BCA secretary, entitled BCA Ballot – Vote Now, you may have been a little surprised at the lack of information about the changes. So what are we being asked to vote for? Previous ballots have been criticised with claims that BCA failed to supply members with sufficient…
Due to the large volume of recent rainfall in the region, information has been received from Welsh Water/Dwr Cymru that a planned release of water from an upstream dam will start on 1st November and will continue for several days. This will affect the River Mellte and the cave of Porth yr Ogof. The effect…
The BCRA’s 30th annual science symposium took place at Keyworth,hosted by the British Geological Survey. I attended the Saturday session and was impressed by the depth and variety of scientific work being undertaken by British cavers. The morning session kicked off with a description of palaeokarst features found in the Pielkhlieng Pouk-Krem Sakwa system in…
NWAS asked for assistance in finding someone (f, 62) believed to be at risk, having walked on to Barbon Low Fell. The missing person was found very easily, assessed by a paramedic team member, then accompanied down to the road-head. She was kept warm u…
Two Three Peaks walkers became crag-fast while ascending the rock scramble above Humphrey Bottom, on Ingleboroough. One (f, 31), became very cold in strong winds and low cloud, so could neither continue nor retreat. After being assessed by a team docto…
A walker (m, 69) experienced a dizzy spell, fell and sustained a head injury on the limestone pavement, at the top of Malham Cove. Air ambulance paramedics, arriving first, assessed the patient, then walked him to the aircraft, as team members were bri…
Descent 270 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. As we always say, we think Descent is great, and we want to…
A walker (f, 60) sustained an ankle injury on the descent from Whernside to the Craven Way green lane and there was concern that she might do more damage if she continued walking. Team members met at Ribblehead and most drove up to the Force Gill aqued…
In 2019, The University of Bristol Spelaeological Society (UBSS), one of the oldest caving clubs in the country, celebrates 100 years of cave and archaeological exploration and research. On the 9th/10th November, to mark the occasion, the society is hosting a weekend of presentations and fieldtrips celebrating its past, present and future. UBSS member Professor…
Three Three Peaks Walkers reported themselves lost, but uninjured, on Ingleborough. In the dark, their one torch and two mobile phones had died and their third phone – the sole means of navigation – showed only 17% battery. NYP were able …
Following a number of 999 calls, reporting ‘a body in the river’, just below Pecca Falls, personnel from CRO (including the Swiftwater Team), North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, Yorkshire Ambulance Service and…
Identifying geological features in a densely vegetated, steep, and rough terrain can be almost impossible. Imagery like LiDAR can help researchers see through the tree cover, but subtle landforms can often be missed by the human eye.
A walker (m 64) slipped on wet rock whilst getting a drink from Fell Beck near to Gaping Gill on Ingleborough. He fell into the water and was reported to have hit his head on rocks. His companions helped to get him out of the beck and called for help. …
CRO were called to assist Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) and Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) with a casualty (m 67) reported to be unconscious having sustained a head injury during a significant fall on rock bands near to the summit of Pen-y-ghent. YA…
