Descent 267 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.

Shannon Cave in Ireland has seen over a kilometre of passage added to its length since 2017, so it is time to catch up with the latest finds. Further afield, Dave Gill has worked for 17 years to protect the limestones of Gunung Buda in Malaysia, and can now finally announce success: a new national park is in the offing.

Caves aren’t found only under land. The Atlantida Tunnel in the Canary Islands is an incredibly long, flooded lava tube extending beneath the ocean. It’s rare for access to be granted, but cave diver Martyn Farr was able to take part in a photographic survey.

Much as many cavers enjoy digging, we all know that not every dig leads to a massive breakthrough – but Frank Pearson shows that a winter dig in Marble Steps Pot was still worthwhile. New caving regions don’t come along every day, but in news of one little-known caving region, Chris Scaife talks about Northumberland, an area that now sports a new guidebook.

Caving boots are important, and we all have our own views on what makes a good boot. In the latest Gear Review, Kevin Dixon goes in search of new caving footwear, considering and dismissing one boot after another before settling on a pair of Grub’s Ptarmigans. Hear what he has to say on the subject.

The rescue statistics for 2017 are presented, complete with comparison tables covering the past decade of incidents. A descent of Quaking Pot is not something to be undertaken lightly, but following the installation of new anchors, a useful description of the challenges involved should help.

There’s 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! And while you’re over there, check out the shiny new website!