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 cavers within the community isn’t unusual, and now we have a call for help so please dig deep and make a donation to Malcolm Bass, who has sadly suffered a stroke,

Mayday Hole in Yorkshire isn’t an easy cave, at least judging by how few cavers had been through its major constriction, the Nipper. Then a team thought about digging beyond it … Read the story of the breakthrough.

In a major article blending exploration with hard science, Descent takes readers on a voyage of discovery into the depths of Bagpit on Mendip with its cryogenic calcite and animal bones. Sticking with the digging theme, what do you do when you find a surface collapse? Say, oh, that’s nice and wander on, or start digging? Yep, we think we know the answer to that one, so you can read the initial report of work in not-Meridian in the Dales, so named because it isn’t Meridian Pot!

Further afield you can take a look at the extraordinary caves known as the Catacombs of Lake Crowley in California with their twisted, divergent columns.

Memorials and memories are important, especially when events trigger cavers to write down their anecdotes of times now gone. Read stories about Jim Hanwell, Fred Davies and Dave Turner, prompted by their obituaries in Descent.

Prompted by reports on an experiment in time and isolation, Chris Kell’s imagination has produced a work of fiction, The Darkness, and talking of imagination, a recent paper on what might have influenced prehistoric artists in the course of their creations has thoroughly got under Joe Duxbury’s skin…

Remember that Descent magazine is run by cavers for cavers and that your subscription is important in these difficult times. Every issue is packed with caving news and features, accompanied by stunning photos. Don’t miss out, and if you haven’t taken a subscription out yet, then head over to Wildplaces Publishing, who’ll be delighted to welcome you on board!