Vince, Brockers, Jon, Jake, Nick, Tav, and Mike
Got to site ahead of the others to continue clearance of undergrowth, mostly brambles, to make more space available for spoil disposal.
A full squad assembled for this morning’s digging session. After being at the front digging last weekend Jon and I moved to the end of the queue to carry out surface duties this weekend. Thankfully the sun was shining and it was pleasantly warm. Of course we were overdressed!
Jake and Nick were digging in Can of Worms, and it has to be said that most of the bags were filled rather too enthusiastically! Also, the filled bags and rocks were arriving on the surface at a good rate. Some of these bags and rock loads required both of us on the surface to get them up and out of the cave. It would appear that last weekend’s digging had removed the ‘crust’ of calcite-cemented boulders and fragmented flowstone to reveal fine-grained sediment and stones below. The digging was easier and, hence, more productive (in terms of bags filled). Brockers, Mike, and Tav provided the underground support team for the digger’s and were kept busy moving the spoil through the cave to the bottom of the entrance.
By the close of play, about 80 bags had been filled, hauled, and emptied plus a substantial quantity of rocks were added to the spoil heap wall(s).
It was time for the Hunters’.