26th November 2019

With Mike, Nick and Jake

Another oversuit had succumbed to the rigours of digging and was binned. Sadly, the temporary replacement was next to useless, very ill-fitting, it won’t be worn underground by me again.

We cleared the debris that resulted from last evening’s application of IRS, the filled bags and fractured rock all stacked along the passage on the north side of the lake. Everything clean and tidy ready for the next phase, probably on Thursday evening. Frustratingly, still not quite able to get a clear view along the rift. A tantalizing glimpse is all that is possible, there’s an echo and good air movement, so near and yet…

It was noticeable that there were no fumes at the dig tonight.

If nothing else, we have created a comfortable chamber, roomy enough for four, a space for a moment’s contemplation and chat between friends about old times. Probably more importantly there is ample space for the temporary storage of spoil as the dig progresses.