Category: 2022

With Brockers, Jon, Jake, and Nick

The session started with Brockers fettling the hangers to which the pot pulley is attached, he then joined Jon to dig, fill bags and haul away the spoil. I was on the ledge, catching the bucket and transferring the load to the skip, Nick was at the entrance to haul the skip along. We had decided that with a smaller team to not have someone at the junction, with some care the skip could be pulled along, there were a few spills and the areas that required more attention noted. Jake was on the surface hauling the spoil away. 40 bags plus an assortment of rocks were moved out of the cave before activities were ceased and we all returned to the surface to meet our guests.

There’s a beer about to be marketed with the name “Halloween Rift” brewed by Wookey Ale. Trevor Hughes, who has shown no interest in HR for 35 years had the cheek to contact the brewers telling how he found the cave, etc. I also sent email to point out the current situation and who is actually active at the cave, adding a link to the blog. The upshot is the brewer’s came up to meet us at the cave, Trevor turned up too, with Kate (TH had been contacted by the brewer).

Socialising put a halt to the digging all that was left to do was empty the bags and secure the cave.

With Jon, Nick and Tav

A reduced team today due to whatever reasons, no matter.

The first task of the day was to replace the hauling rope on the pot pulley system in the deep Soft South. That done, me and Tav digging, rotating the filling of bags, and hauling up the bucket. Jon was on the ledge catching the bucket to un load the contents. Nick was at the junction and shuttling to and from the entrance where the spoil was temporarily stashed. In between loads Nick occupied himself breaking rocks with a hammer.

At the end of the session, 75 bags filled, hauled, and emptied onto the spoil heap plus about two dozen loads of rocks. A reasonably productive session.

With Tav, Duncan, Jake, Jon, Brockers, and Nick

Me and Tav on surface duties after digging last weekend, we alternated emptying bags, building a wall, and hauling. Duncan and Jake took up position at the bottom of the entrance and the junction, respectively. Brockers was in isolation on the ledge, leaving Jon and Nick to do the digging bit. This combination of digging team resulted in alternating batches of sensibly-filled bags and over enthusiastically-filled bags, the heavier bags were less welcomed at the hauling stage as the rope became increasingly claggy as the morning moved on. By the end of the session, 124 bags had been emptied onto the spoil heap, and about two dozen loads of rocks added to the terrace wall or the stockpile. The weather was more settled following Storm Eunice, although it was still breezy and there was the occasional squally shower.

With Tav, Jon, Jake, Duncan, Nick, Brockers, and Caroline

The first task of the session was completed by the Technical Manager, Brockers installed a swivel on the pulley attached to the pot hauling system. Me and Tav were digging, alternating the filling of bags, and hauling the bucket up to Jon on the slippery ledge. Some adjustments were made to the hauling system to make operations a bit easier. Jake was at the junction (suffering from plantar fasciitis), Duncan at the bottom of the entrance (nursing a dodgy knee), Brockers and Nick were on the surface, they were later joined by Caroline. Between them the surface team hauled out 110 filled bags, redistributing the contents onto the spoil heap, rocks were added to another fine terrace wall on the upper level that was under construction.

With Jon, Jake, Tav, Brockers, and Nick

Brockers and Nick down in the deep Soft South, Tav on the ledge, Jake at the junction, me at the base of the entrance leaving Jon on the surface. New bags had been supplied to add to the c.100 we already had, it was going to be a busy session, especially so for the solo effort put in by the man at the top!

With regard the data logger…it’s probably better to read and fully understand the operating instruction before installing. Never mind, try again next week. Although I got a reading for today, 10.5^OC, 98.5% RH.

Me and Jon digging down in the deep Soft South following the NE “passage”. My first task was to position a data logger to record temperature and relative humidity, for no other reason than I am interested. At start of session: 11^OC, 84.6% RH. Meanwhile, Jon was filling bags. We alternated filling bags and hauling for the rest of the session. Brockers was on the ledge, Nick at the junction, Duncan was at the base of the entrance resting his sore knee the consequence of dry slope skiing. Jake on the surface hauling up the spoil, a task not made easier by a damp and claggy rope.

Just over 100 bags were filled and emptied onto the spoil heap along with several loads of rocks. At the end of the session: 11^OC, 94.6% RH was recorded, it was noticeably ‘steamy’ when I tried to take some photos of the SW facing section of the dig-face.

With Jake, Duncan, Jon, Brockers, and Nick

Jake and Duncan digging along the north-eastward trending tunnel at the bottom of the pot in the deep Soft South. Hauling the loaded skip was made easier with the liberal application of sand (from the layer at the base of the NW facing section). I was perched on the slippery ledge catching the loaded skip and transferring the load to Jon, sitting at the junction; Brockers was at the bottom of the entrance. Nick was on the surface hauling the spoil out of the cave, and he found time to empty the bags too. Top effort!

At the dig-face it was hard going, very compact and cemented fill requiring full use of the pickaxe to loosen the sediment. About 100 bags were filled (and emptied) plus quite a lot of rocks and fragmented calcite. A good, productive session. Refreshments taken at the Hunter’s Lodge Inn.

With  Jon, Brockers, Jake, Duncan, Nick, and Tav

After digging last weekend, me and Jon were on the surface; Duncan was at the bottom of the entrance, resting his knee following a trip into Wookey 22 yesterday. Brockers and Nick were digging, this left Jake and Tav to occupy the ledge and the junction (I do not know who was where).

On the surface, Jon hauled up the steady procession of filled bags and, quite a lot of, rock. I emptied the bags and added the finishing touches to the final terrace wall on the south-side of the heap, generally tidying and levelling up the surface area. When I left at mid-day it was all looking neat and tidy.

An early finish for me to attend the BCRA Cave Science Symposium being held online (Zoom) this afternoon. These are the presentations that were due to be presented at Hulland Ward in Derbyshire last year (27^th November 2021) but Storm Arwen put a stop to that event when it dumped a lot of snow resulting in power cuts and a lot of digging at the Orpheus CC hut! The presentations were varied, interesting and informative.

With Jon, Nick, Brockers, and Jake

Not the most inspiring of mornings, weatherwise that is, it was very wet. Thankfully, the worst of the rain had passed by!

Me and Jon were digging, at least we would be after clearing away a mound of spoil left from last weekend, apparently it must have been the result of a “collapse” or so someone (not that far away) tried to suggest. The left (north west) side of the passage has been cleaned back to expose rock, just need to do the same on the right (south east) side. The “dig-face” continues as a sediment filled tunnel, nearly 2m high x 1.5m wide. All very intriguing. The hauling rope has become impregnated with mud, and it was wet, very difficult to keep a grip and pill the loaded bucket up to the ledge. The bags were slightly reduced in weight to compensate.

Nick was catching the loaded bucket on the slippery ledge, Brockers was at the junction and Jake stashed the spoil at the entrance. When all the available bags were filled, we made our way out to the surface to empty the bags, there was one token stone. It was mucky on the surface and there were no votes for doing it all again.

Refreshments were well-earned and enjoyed at the Hunter’s Lodge Inn. One benefit from the inclement weather is that it keeps the grockles away!

Duncan, Nick, Jon, Jake, and Brockers

First trip of the new year, many more will follow. Met Duncan at the farm, 09:30, plan was for Duncan to update the survey of the ‘pot’ in the deep Soft South. Quickly measured in a base line, then some dimensions for the pot and last night’s section line. All done just before the digging team arrived.

A brief discussion on the surface before heading underground. Jake and Brockers took on the digging duties, Duncan catching the bucket from the very slippery ledge, Jon at the junction, me at the entrance, Nick on the surface hauling out the spoil. Being on the surface was going to be the most difficult task of the day given the recent wet conditions. The hauling rope soon became caked in mud and not easy to grip firmly, the bags too were very claggy, making the rope even muddier. Suffice to say with Jake and Brockers digging bags and rock were moving through the cave at a good steady rate, no time to empty the bags. When all available bags were filled, all out to get them emptied.

Last night’s recorded section no longer exists, there are a lot of calcite fragments on the surface, much of it quite degraded.

Back at home, a lot of kit to wash and clean ready for the next trip!