.... -�• . 1.:.1. December 2013/ January 2014 �US
COVER: Laura Trowbridge in Curtain Chamber, SICuthbert's Swaltet PHOTO: StuGardiner BACK COVER CAPT/ON:See p46 EDITORI AL CONTACTS Editor: Chris Howes Assistant editor: Judith Calford Publisher: Wild Places Publishing Contaci: PO Box 100, Abergavenny NP7 9WY, UK ) 01873 737707 '-ti [email protected] Advertising: Alan Jones I WILD Hillside Media. Tel: 029 2021 8091 PLACES -"[email protected] ISSN Web: www.wildplaces.co.uk for the 004&0036 latest prices and products IIacIIIt IlIa,..,1aIrH IN .._ ,.,.,., "'-le_1IIs: .....(nllIIIIII .. /IIlIIIIM.1 H' ,."."Zfl4 Cor*\butIc:onI oI ar'icllB. leOer.. �lrany ... lsrioI�b�G' ''''' 1I'8..ek:aned by llesanI: p.ase """"""anSAEb"m;Iori;oIj'OU�""'..-cIl8iId GuIcIeInM!oral: ConIrt:utcn ..-..w.";�.«I.uk/contributon..IMILA lisi 01 SIan:Ia'd IIbbI'IoIIIIlonIappenirt 1hea-thiu:(I8tp2l,tr_ lleMll!ite. wt:IAIoces �� ...DucenI AdopI+CrtI �.de!alsolwtid'l... an"'....an. '" -..-.wHdpl.aco<.co.ukfoclopuco... ·htmL AI 'VIIS lestMId. Nel pariin 01bs�maybe any bm CO" a",by lIeo:21:ric or mechri::al1IIOlS, G s1Or8d in any .1IIJio\IaI5YsIom-
Descent (1U) DEC/JAN 2013/14 3 ""-- london and en route visited the highly and pcrhaps. in reprinling, Yorkshire Dales. although apart the lext and layolll will be tidied from meeting the famous Bernie up (though, in another sense, thcy at Ingleton he didn't get under are simply chaotic and Sid-like - or ground. However. after a trip to should that be Perouvian?). It is South Wales he and his cousin an often hilarious account of Sid's ended up exploring caves on the dogged determination to see his vi L1angattock escarpment and Sid sion through. come hell or high wa decidcd he wanted to do morc - so ter (and there was p!cnty of that). To off he cycled 10 the Dales 10 be obtain a copy. start with an e-mail to laken into Ingleborough Cave and Sid ([email protected]). Ihen. the next day. Disappointment Pete GIOI/viI! Pot (it was a steep learning curve). Shortly afterwards Sid met Harry long and his caving adventures Mendip in the Dales really took off. This Underground Light into the altering the meaning of sentences, part of the saga is dominaled by while in other places extra words tales of disintegrating vehicles. Alan GRAV, ROb Darkness have been inserted. As an example, making his journeys north morc in writing this review, l opened the of an adventure than some of the TAVINER and Richard caving trips that followed. WITCOMBE (comp) Sid PEROU book at random and immediately found duplicated words as well as Sid trained in electronics. but MCRA, Wells. 2013. 5th edn, Perou, Chiang Mai. 2013. errors of punctuation and layout. after compleling his National Ser 485pp, 119 colour photographs, 222pp, 62 b&w photographs, These accumulated faults are vice as a meteorologist he thought 77 surveys, 21 diagrams, maps 3 diagrams, DVD of film clips. distracting from a good story and filmingmight appeal lo his creative and topos. Hardback, 175mm Softback, 146mm x 205mm. 1:18 thcy may not be perpetuated - this is insrincts, so he joined the BBC as an x 247mm. 1:25 a print-on-dcmand book and Sid assistant sound recordist (!). His big No ISBN ISBN 978-0-9531310-5-1 is able to correct errors between break came when the BBe decided SID Perou is a household name each short-run printing (there are to make a caving film and realised PUBLICATION of any new cav among cavers. I fusI encountercd at least two versions out there al that their professional cameraman ing guidebook is going to create il shortly after r started caving, ready). However, and it is a massive \Vas completely unsuited to the . interest: in the case of Mel/clip when SUllday al SlInset POI \Vas however', the book is hard to put conditions. Sid convinced his cor UI/dergro/flld that might better transmitted 00 television and teld down - once you start. you have poration bosses that he could the job be described as immense interest! the storyofthe failed rescue of Eric IO finish. Il reads like a whodunil, and the end result was SUI/day al lct"s facc it, it's been fourteen Luckhursi in 1967. Years later. I was in that you must constantly keep SI/IISel POI. He never lookcd back. years since the fourth edition by on a minibus IO Cape Wrath in the reading 10 learnhow Sid is going to though he certainly tripped over a Dave 'Wig'lrwin and Tony 'J-Raf get oul of his latest scrape or raise fe\\' times! Jarratt was published and an awful funds for his next film. Readers will Sid's early career is described in 101 has happened since then. local, find some of the tales familiar, but a seri es of vignettes, from Wl/Of a avid cavers will no doubt have kepl others \Vere completely unknown H0y IO Spend a SI/nday,through The up with ali the discoveries - major to me and Ihere are several revela LosI RiverofGaping Gillto Bel/ealh extensions in Upper Flood Swallet tions within thesc pages. I wonder file Penl/illes. In his company we and Charterhouse Cave and the dis if some of the protagonists in Sid's visit the Pierre Saint-Martin and covery of the huge Frozen Deep in films won't receive some surpriscs New Guinea, and are taken on a Reservoir Hole, Jet alone new sites fromthis slim volume. nightmare trip to Iran (this resonated such as Hunter's Lodge Inn Sink A keen cyclist, Sid was intro powerfully for me), ending with thc but cveryone gains. local experl or duced to caving back in the late creation of Speleogenesis in 1978. pcripatctic visiting caver. when ali 19505 during a cycling holiday in Despite its fau!ts, I cannot recom is documented anew. the lake District. He cycled from mend ligIa il/to file Darkness 100 The Hunter's lodge Inn Sink was blasted open by veteran digger Diving in rkn ss J-Rat himself, adding to Mendip's seleetion of caves no\\'available for WITH her Diving in Darkness film tourist tTips and explorations. and of about cave diving around the UK, course it was J-Rat who bequeathed Christine Grosart has succeeded so much 10 the Mendip Cave Regis in matching good footage with try and Archive with the wish that storyline for an enterraining 48 his and Dave's work with Menclip far north-west of Scotland olle May minutes. The DVD, which is profes Undelgrollnd might continue. And and thc driver \Veli rcmcmbered car sionally pressed and packaged. takes it has, and in a manner that would rying lights for Sid in Dow Cave for the viewer through sumps in Devon have made both doyens proud. Wc his films; he \Vas mcmorable lO ali. (Pridhamsleigh), Mendip (Swildon's ali kno\Vguidebook formats of old: Sid is first and foremosl a caver Hole and Gough's Cave) and Soum small enough to slip into a pocket, and Ihis led him 10 acquirc his Wales (OFD) to end with Yorkshire's typically softback and encased expertise in underground cine Boreham Cave and the classic China in plastic lO withstand mud and photography. He has now self Shop straws mat adorn the cover. moisture, basi c histories and terse published Light imo rlle Darkness, The theme is perlectly arranged descriptions with, sometimes. a Book Olle in a planned serics of with the narrative covering the blobby black survey to help you on autobiographical tales of his life history of exploration while footage your way. as a cameraman under an umbrella shows us what is involved in reach Mendip Undergrollnd is not like heading of 30 Years as an Adventllre that. ing the sump, followed by sometimes crystal-clear water enticing divers Cameraman (with an included 45 When you see and pick up the onwards.lt seems likely that {wo interviews - with Steve Thomas taJking minute DVD containing clips from volume - this review is being through the diving explorations that linked OFD I and 2, then Clive West the filmsdescribed in the text). The written with an advance copy in lake on Boreham - will also become historical records in their own righL problem is, unfortunately, the fact hand, with the bulk arriving by sea At OFD in particular, Christine perlecdy matched Steve's unscripted story that it is self-published shows. I sometime in mid-December - you with suitable underwater footageand an excellent match to music. must warn you that some negative \Vili find that that the mould has comments follow, but please don't The film is in {WO distinct halves. with diving locations followed by an been well and truly broken. The let that put you off - keep reading! enjoyable 'how it was made' section within which Christine pays credit fonnat has moved to a larger size in The book has no ISBN number to those who helped her during the two-year project (and closes with hardback, with stitched binding and the layout is rudimentary. The the fun of a few out-takes). Not ali me reproduction quality is perlect in recognition thal. cavers being biggest difficulty is that it appears (some shot5 suffer from compression artefacts.for example) and the cavers, they will give any guide a not to have been proofread proper DVD plays better on a computer than a TV screen, but it Is readily worm hammering (and this time the pages ly: in my copy, typographical errors the ilO plus ll.50 p&p price tag (see www.cavediving.org.uk for further should stay put!). B!ob diagrams appear on every page and in some details) - you are cerraln tO be both informed and impressed. have gone. to be replaced by colour caSes negatives have been left out, survcys - with smaller dimensions
Desc:ent (2U) DEC/JAN 2013/14 43 than the originals, perhaps. but in only basic information in Mel/dip in not making a purchase right no\\'. thirty stories is that everyone faces reality these are the originai surveys Undergrolllld. Even with 485 pages before you forget: the website is at a daily challenge al some level and rather than something simplified for to play with, there were limils and www.mendipunderground.co.uk. no matter your age and ability, you a basie description. full descriptions and survcys ofthese You will not be disappointed should get oul there. get on with Given the inereased use of SRT sites have been removed. This is nOI whelher you cave on Mendip or it and do what you most desire. on Mendip. a handful of 10poS are to say that the mines are considered nO!: this is. simply put, a fine book You mighl be surprised after all, slipped in alongside relevam de unimportam IO sporting inlerests indeed. at what you can achieve and each scriptions (ho\\' goodto findali such � instead. they will appear in a of John's trips. from the lava tubes infonnation kept together, such as forthcoming title, mllshireond BOlh of Lanzarote 10 Giant's Hole, and at Thrupe Lane Swallet and Rhino UndergIV/ll/d-An explorel":'"guide. A Bedside from Sell Gill Holes to the huge Rift). Colour pholOs are seattered It ".5not the only project on the go,as Book for Older French chamber of La Verna, were throughout the text. in me main com MCRA is also looking at long-tenn undertaken as a septuagenarian. missioned forthe purpose (read 'you plans to produce a new HisIOf)/ oJ Cavers cave photographer. you. we need ...') Mendip Caving (which would have so let's pay tribute to the likes ofStu kept Wig happy for years). in pholOs John GILLETT Gardiner and Steve Sharp. as \Veli as well as lext, and coverage of the as Mark 'Gonzo' Lumley who also Redcliffe Caves in Brislol (which Mirador, Langport. 2013. shouldered the task of eompleting nevertheless also appear here). 142pp, 17 b&w iIIustrations. the layout and dealing with ali the Mendip Undergrolil/d is the Softback, 152mm x 229mm. culmination of a monumental ef E8.99 fort by the authors and many oth ISBN 978-1-909220-75-1 ers \Vho checked descriptions or contributcd along the way: il has JOHN Gillett's first book. OICal'es taken over three years to complete alld Cm'ing (see Descelll 168 and and probably involved many late 201). saw him delail his life story night meetings and discussions. The - al leasI, the pari of it thal relates result is nothing short of stunning lO caving and Ihis produced his sub and it is obvious that the (no doubt tille: A H"ay olld o li/e. In essenee. long-suffering) authors deemed John wrote a series of cameos cov thaIthe content should override any ering significant evehts or eaving thoughls of keepillg the volume. trips in a manner Ihat would appeal and therefore the cost. smaller. to any caver. The book did well and The cost? There's another sur the originai 2002 printing went imo prise, as the non-profit MCRA has a second edition in 2007. kept this to f25 and any income will Time has continued apace and Along the way. John explores be ploughed back into fUllding Ihe John is now over seventy years old ideas such as what it means 10 be next book. as well as a proportion of - but he remains active and as his 'experienced', how risk might be proceeds going to charity in keep new litle suggests, A Bedside Book quanlified, the value of keeping a ing with J-Rat's bequest). NOl only 101" Older Covers is intended to give diary (and reading widely, includ lasl-minute additions. corrections that. the pre-publication offer of ali aging cavers something IO read ing Descefll). how to encourage and ehanges to the text. The result i20 has been extended until the end in their armchairs. More lhan that, folk of his age to take up the sport, is a dean. open feci to the volume of the year, so you have no excuse his Iheme threading throughout the whal the 1055 of pubs mcans to our even though the pages are paeked, with good attention to delail- hav ing full cave names in headers makes them easy to locate without needing H E publicadon of Irish Mitchelstown Caves. Pollskeheen to consult the index (a frustration in T Speleology used to be arinky and a myriad of lesser sites the old book). Ali in all, it is easy IO see why pretty erradc with random periods will be of interest tO anyone seek the change in format was required, between issues. but the current ing tO find new passages in this to fit in ali the new informalion. editorial team (Petie Barry and oudier area. The aulhors revisited every cave Alasdair Kennedy) has commined Marion Dowd details the and, where required, improved on to bringing forth information on extensive col1ection of cave books. or rewrote the entry (in particular Irish cave exploration and research journals and personal notes left for major systems sllch as Eastwater on a regular basis. this year in time behind by Donai and Jack Cole Cavern and Swildon's Hole). With for the SUICRO symposium. man, which have returned or been the addition of 34 entirely ne\\' So. with another symposium gifted tO the SUl library by DonaI. descriptions (extended sites such behind uso a freshly minted issue Deep digging in this collection as 8ath Swallet and Spider Hole, of Irish Spele%gy (20) sits before would surely lead to deeper rediscovered caves sllch as Loxton us - and an interesting and exciting digging in the field and further Cavern. and olhers such as Banwell treasure trove of Irish speleological discoveries. Ochre Caves and Sally's Rift that information it is wo. Containing six Petie has done lrish caving a \Vere omitted from the previous articles and. unfortunately but nec great service by researching the guide). the size is fully justified. essarily. a couple of obituaries, the plethora of anarchic tO well Each entry, which is in alphabeti twentieth issue of this long-lived organised Irish caving groups, with cal order (far preferable IO a region journal covers some interesting and vital areas. an almost definitive list of the various clubs. their by-region listing for anyone who The Largy region on the Truskmore massif on the does not know the area well enough histories and significant personalities since the end to Imow which section IO consult). Sligo-Leitrim county boundary has intrigued cavers of the Second World War. The papers are completed bears subtitles for location. aceess for many decades, but the bleak and featureless with two articles describing discoveries and digs in and description. with histories and uplands have defeated many who tried to unravel the an area of great current interest, the High Burren references within the latter. Where mysteries of this area and locate sites previously re (Eastern Burren) of Co. Clare.Then. me issue wraps interesting minor sites lie nearby. corded. mosdy by the late Donai Gilhuys. Fortunately, up by recording the sad passing of recent Irish caving Ihese are detailed so that connois the advent of GPS and the Shannon Group have led and cave diving protégéeArtur Kozlowski (1977- seurs can pay a visit anel, perhaps, to a programme of entrance logging, exploration and 2011) and Donai G;lhuy' (1920-2012). start a dig: lhey are readily located surveying which has produced accurate locations, Ali in all, with 54 high-quality, colour pages, card through the index. If you are of the surveys and descriptions of the known sites and cover and some exceptional content.lrish Speleo/ogy opposite mind and wOllld have pre several new pOts. Well-presented and described. the (20) is an invaluable necessity for anyone looking ferred area groupings, never mind: journal opens with an excellent article detailing what for a well-researched and written account of caving the maps sol ve that problem. is known and, more importandy, what might remain in Ireland. Published by the Speleological Union of A few surprises remain. I f you tO be found. Ireland for € I O (plu, €2.50 p&p). Jr;,h Speleology (20) are a devotee of the stone quarries Following ono Petie recounts full details of the and other publications may be found in the SUI online at 8ath and the surrounding area caves of a less-well-known region, but one that shop at: www.caving.ie/sui-shop-2. and fancy an amble Ihrough the he hails from: South Tipperary.A good oudine of John Kel/y underground workings,you \Viiifind
44 Descent (13S) DEC/JAN 2013/14 culture and back to the theme of _o. are time-machines for visiting the cvcry caver taking on a personal past' (so younger cavers. ask and ye ruulica io s goal. how ascending six floors on shall Icaro) and 'if you are long in HE foot mighl be a personal Everest lo the tooth. caver, or non-caver. you October 2013 edition of 1913_ One thing is for sure. Wing overcomc. In this. younger cavers can still be young al heart: Tthe Grompion SG Bulletin fìeld and his many exploits deserve might learn much - including, for One piece oftexl by John's seven Val. 5 (5) brings the fourth series to be better known_ some, a belter understanding of the year-old granddaughter Clare. writ tO a close, complete with an The Shepton Mallet CC limitations of age; those more ma ten aftera trip to Thistle Cave, says updated index and, as well as Joumo/ Series 13 (I) continues ture are more likely to nod, kno\V much: 'My Grandad likes to go inlo many articles (not least those the club's love affair with Iceland, ingly. His comparison of geriatric caves_ He goes into 10ls of caves. co.... ering sea ca.... es around but also visits Fairy Cave Quarry cavers with old banger cars forms Granny says he is too old IO go in Scotland), an editorial and report with a previously unpublished a lovely anecdote, complete with a caves now but she says it keeps him on twO importantthemes. First is survey produced between 1969 piea for anyone seeing an aged one happy.· Havrngdescribed her sojoum the problem of how to conserve and 1973, which will certainly be str uggle under a load IO please help underground, Clare ends with: 'It historic caving equipment far the of interest to Mendip cavers_ him out. was good fun. 1 love caving: future and, secondo the difficulties The NSS News VoI. 71 (7) con As wilh O[ Caves ami C(H'ing. Get 'cm while they're young, ch? that clubs and societies are tains two articles of specific inter delightful pencil drawings are Keep on caving. John. facing around the world with est. One conceros Savannah Cave scattcrcd through the pages of what Chris Howes maintaining journal publications i is produccd by print-on-dcmand in West V irg nia, where extreme and exchanges. Cast, not least far digging has used a mechanical ex publishing. so whilc these are Stili to come perfcctly acceptabtc they are nOI postage. is areai issue. cavator tO open a route into 900m reprodueed at the highest quality. CAVE historian Trevor Shaw has A reporton p4 covers the of passage; it seems that Mendip but it does mean that the book is produced another book of note. anniversary of GeoffWorkman's techniques ha.... e reached the USA attractively priced. The Kindle this comprising a facsimile of John world record Stay in Stump Cross The second article is by John edition is even less at a shade over Oliver's manuscript, Postojnska jama Caverns in 1963, and rt is fascinat Woods and looks at ergonomic f3, complete with an amusing bit of 1856. with a detailed introduc ing to read his own memories tests in SRT; Oescent readers may of legalese whieh does not appear tion by Trevor.As tO be expected, of the 105 days he spent under recaU his article on Typecasting the in the paper edition: 'Any reference me information is both detailed and ground in the Croven PC Record Vertical Caver in issue (222), which to real names and plaees are purely fascinating, given that me manu (I Il). Speleohistorycontinues as a in.... estigated efficiency in SRT for fietional and are conSlructs of the script was at one ome thought lost. theme in the following issue, with ca.... ers of different body shapes. author'. Ves, right! You don't have to await me review the life and omes of a remark.able The theme is continued here. For some light reading (inc1uding in the next Descenr to learn more, man, Charles Wingfield.The name A lack of space precludes a few fietional slories), to dip into howe.... er. as the 185 page e-book might be familiar from reference coverage of more journals this and out while relaxing by a fire,John is available as a free pdf download to Wingfield Ledge in Gaping Gill, month. with apologies to those has filled a niche that hitheno has from: http://tinyurl.com/o5kjctn. a necky piece of exploration from clubs missing from this round-up. lain empty. As he says, 'older folk
s CAVERS, we know what base loyer ofter successive doys of wearing far caving_ T-shirts cast f.23, Aclothing is: the firsl layer of clolhing worn Well, lo o poinl ._. leggings f28, next lo the skin, where successive loyers have BAM supplied severoI differently sized long-sleeved different functions. In caving, for exomple, garments for testing by two people ond, il tops DO ond layers might be en outer shell (woterproof musI be said, they performed extremely well adding a zip oversuit far protection). mid-Iayer (fleece for underground. Soth leggings ond full-cover takes Ihese up warmth) and base loyer. The idea here is lo T-shirls drained 'luickly ofter wading in water to f45; pocks use a malerial which feels comforlable end ond the comfort evel wos excellent even of socks cast will wick moisture (sweot) awoy from the skin. when wel. Some ottenlion hos been g iven f151though Troditional base layer moterials are mode to design, far exomple in the zip ond collor these were from synthetics such as polyester, which are where o fold of Ihe fobric ot the top of the zip not tested)_ non-absorbenl and tronsfer moisture well bui prevenls it from rubbing your skin even when Don't may pick up body odours after even minimal pulled up lighl lo the neck. Soth reviewers forgel - base use, or nalurol fibres such as wool (which goined o very positive first impression - the loyers are moy not feel comfortable or be hard wearing) gormenls felt ....ery pleasont lo handle ond inlended to or cotton (which feels comfortable, but does weor with a cosy feeling unlike thal gleoned be tight to obsorbs sweat rother Ihon wicking il awoy, from synthetics. legg ings were eosy to pull the skin, so therefore remoining damp while worn). on ond so comfortable thol avoidonee toctics don't arder Enter the world of 'technical' clothing lo set in when it wos lime to toke them off, even something salve specific problems ond, in this cose, after coving_ loo large the strange concepl of a base loyer mode SAM offers o range of styles_ leggings becouse you nor from bamboo. Next enler SAM, an ethical are foirly straightforward, but upper body molly like loose-fit UK compony thol plonts a Iree far every garments ore voried by male ond femole culs, ting clothing Ithough arder, which has based its product line-up on colours and designs - sleeves short or long relurns are free in the gorments manufoctured mostly from bomboo (some with thumb grips, as in the photo UK, it's better lo get fibres insfead of cotton (Ihough a percenloge groph, which turned aut noi lo be o problem things right al Ihe start). of Ihe lotter is siiIl used)_ There are several as they con be rolled onto the wrisl), coloured tf you normally weor odvontoges: bomboo grows quickly, is eosy 'fashion' ponels (you might find you start old clolhing as o base lo horvest ond yields ten times more fibre per wearing the comfortoble tops as T-shirts 011 loyer, or even don'I bolher ocre Ihon cotton ond, il lurns aut, is o perfecl the lime) and so ono Peruse www.bamboo in favour of o fleece next base layer materiol becouse it is breothable clothing.co.uk end you will discover Iots of lo the skin, you might be (too hai ond il ollows heat to escope, 100 cold options Idon't be misled by the photos - the surprised al how well these ond as a base loyer it trops oir far warmlh). kit reolly is oimed al sport), though being gorments work ond what a wicks extremely well ond is nolurally anti technicol items of clothing Ihey are not cheop difference they make. microbiol - so il doesn'l tend to pong even if compared with cotton or olher products - Chris Howes
Descent (235) DEC/JAN 2013/14 45