Descent 266 will be with you very shortly! If you’re not up to date with your subscription don’t forget that the lovely folks at Wildplaces Publishing will be only too happy to welcome you back into the fold. And if you’re new to caving, Descent will provide you with news, photos and the best possible introduction to the fascinating world of caving both at home and abroad.

Descent celebrates a huge milestone this issue and everyone is invited to help celebrate its golden anniversary. Yes, Descent’s been bringing news and views to the caving community for 50 years and providing a lasting record of cave exploration both in the UK and around the world.

High-quality images have always been a feature of Descent, with photography always a popular subject, and cave photographers have recently held another international meeting, the fourth of its type, this time beneath the mountains and deserts of New Mexico.

Back in Europe, a decades-long search for a connection between two major Austrian caves has at last been successful. Tom Foord concludes his story of how the final link was achieved. In UK news, with every region represented in this bumper issue, three years of digging have finally borne fruit in Sludge Pit on Mendip, with several new extensions to the cave.

Cave rescue data has been compiled that shows 2016 was one of the better years for UK caving. And talking of rescue, the Thai rescue in June 2018 continues to generate news, with the highly anticipated new year honours bestowed on the British divers.

All this and more for only the price of a couple of pints of beer per issue. We’ll be bringing you a full report as soon as Descent pops through our letterbox, but in the meantime, we hope the above is enough to whet your appetite and send you over to Wildplaces Publishing subscriptions page to ensure your subscription is up to date so you don’t miss out!