Vince, Jon, Tav, Brockers, and Jake
The first digging trip in HR of the new year. The bags that had been left hanging on the ‘drying’ lines were well-rinsed on the exterior but not so ‘dry’ on the inside. When rolled into packs of ten they were not exactly lightweight!
All the team set off into the deep Soft South to take up various allocated positions. Jon was at the helm, digging on the northernmost end of Trick or Treat, I was clearing back the filled bags, across the ‘chamber’ to the ‘hump’. Tav was on the other side of the ‘hump’ hauling away the loaded drag-tray and transferring the load to the next skip to be hauled away by Brockers. The spoil was then lugged along the NE passage to the pot and pulled up to the ledge where the bucket was unloaded by Jake, the filled bags then stacked neatly at the top of the pot.
Trick or Treat is now a sizeable ‘chamber’, it is about 10m from the dig across to the ‘hump’ and up to about 5m wide, it is mostly stooping height, although there are places where it is about 3 to 4m high. There are some interesting calcite deposits, including small helictites, botryoidal, flowstone, stalactites, and stalagmites, with varying colouration from white to red.
Digging ceased at midday when the priority became clearing of the accumulated spoil from the cave. By the close of play about 70 bags had been filled, hauled, and emptied onto the spoil heap.
Refreshments were taken at the Hunter’s as usual. A mellow session.