13th January

Tav peers through from the ‘chamber’ to the dig, 13th January 2024

Vince, Tav, Brockers, Mike, Nick, Jake, and Jon

A full team turnout today – the spoil will go all the way out to the surface!

 At the dig on the northernmost part of Trick or Treat it was my turn to loosen the sediment and fill bags. Tav was clearing the spoil away across the ‘chamber’ to Brockers on the other side of the ‘hump’. Mike hauled the spoil back and transported along the NE passage to the pot. Nick on the ledge caught the bucket, emptied it, transferring the bags to the next skip  which was then hauled away by Jake to the bottom of the entrance. After digging last week, Jon was on the surface and hauled up, and emptied, the filled bags – 120 of them. Only c.80 bags were filled at the far dig, Nick filled some from another dig somewhere near the top of the ledge. Also, Brockers filled a ‘couple’ of bags, and so did Mike – tidying!

 A productive session and refreshments at the Hunter’s later were well-earned.

A sequence of deposition of sediment and calcite precipitation is clearly evident. The lower stalagmite consists of several growth phases before being buried by fine sediments during an unknown period of time. These phases are then sealed by further calcite deposition. Scale = 20cm (0.2m)