THE WESSEX CAVE CLUB JOURNAL VOLUME 23 NUMBER 251 SEPTEMBER 1996 PRESIDENT RICHARD KENNEY VICE PRESIDENTS PAUL DOLPHIN GRAHAM BALCOMBE CHAIRMAN DAVE MORRISON Windrush 42/45 Upper Bristol Rd Clutton Contents BS18 4RH 01761 452437 SECRETARY ANDY SUMMERSKILL 16 Warren Close Caving Notes 134 Sandhurst Camberley GUI 7 8EL Club Notes 135 01252 875453 TREASURER & MARK HELMORE CDG Activities 136 MRO CO-ORDINATOR 01761 416631 Around the Wessex (& partly 140 EDITOR ROSIE FREEMAN Wessex) Digs 33 Alton Rd Fleet WCC Bookings 140 Hants GU13 9HW 01252 629621 WCC 25 years ago 141 [email protected] MEMBERSHIP DAVE COOKE The Bishop’s Bones 142 SECRETARY 33 Laverstoke Gardens Roehampton London Wookey Tiger 143 SW15 4JB 0181 788 9955 [email protected] Letter to the Editor 144 NORTHERN KEITH SANDERSON Editorial 144 CAMNG SECRETARY 015242 51662 CAVING SECRETARY LES WILLIAMS Library Acquisitions 131 & C&A OFFICER 01749 679839 GEAR CURATOR ANDY MORSE Hensler’s Dig: Continued 147 HUT ADMIN. OFFICER MAX MIDLEN Portland Publication 148 HUT WARDEN VERN FREEMAN LIBRARIAN MIKE DEWDNEY-YORK Ghar Parau Foundation 149 COMMITTEE NICK WILLIAMS Expedition Seminar 150 MEMBERS DEBORAH MORGENSTERN TRAINING OFFICER DOMINIC SEALY WCC Logbook 151 SURVEY SALES MAURICE HEWINS Club Diary 152 WCC Headquarters, Upper Pitts, Eastwater Lane, Priddy, Somerset, BA5 3 AX. Telephone 01749 672310 © Wessex Cave Club 1996. All rights reserved. ISSN 0083-811X Opinions expressed in the Journal are not necessarily those of the Club or the Editor. Caving Notes GENERAL Further works have been carried out to replace the props in Compton Martin Ochre Mine. Roadside break-ins have occurred at Maskill, Derbyshire and in the GB/Longwood area again. A bolt which failed halfway down the 1st pitch of Together with underground thefts from Lower the right-hand route in Rhino Rift has been Cales Dale Barn and Giants Hole it seems that replaced by an 8mm spit in stal - take care. nothing is safe anymore, even when it’s in a cave. At least on the surface, suggest you take turns at Thrupe Lane Swallet - beware loose rock. Any ‘car duty’. rock knocked down the pitch will hit those below!!! With recent attention given to Weil’s Disease DERBYSHIRE following a case of it in a Mendip caver who had been digging in Priddy Green Sink, it should be If you come across a P-anchor which you think realised that there are other areas of risk which may not be a genuine NCA/DCA installation or a include: the tidal stretch of the lower part of the suspect bolt, please report it directly to either Mark Wye in the Forest of Dean and the Long Tor Grotto, Lowe on 0161 330 5111 or Ralph Johnson on the lower end of Youd’s Level and the Stoney 01782 515753 for checking. Middleton caves in Derbyshire, and basically any caves carrying drainage from farm land, stables or The DMM Eco-anchor deviation which replaced quarries. A free leaflet is available from the NCA, the re-belay on the 2nd pitch in Knotlow (as or why not buy a plastic credit card size information mentioned in WCC Journal Vol 23 No 250) no card to fit in your wallet. The cards cost only 20p longer exists. It has been decided not to attempt to each and are available from the NCA. place another DMM as the pitch can be safely rigged using one of the old eyebolts for a deviation MENDIP using a long sling. As mentioned in the last WCC Journal, Priddy The fixed ladder up to Meccano in Knotlow is in a Green Sink has finally been connected to Swildons very poor state. It is possible that the whole thing at Cowsh Avens. The connection is tight, evil and will be scrapped and the pitch rigged with DMMs smelly with exposed traverses on sloping slippery but this will be decided at a later date. ledges over the top of avens. Do not attempt it unless you have first checked the route and are The last of the DMMs has now been placed in aware of potential problems - Tony Jarratt at Bat Rowter Hole. Products will advise. Long Rake Mine, Bradwell Moor is now open Withyhill Cave is now closed, together with Lamb again due to the end of the lambing season. Ring Mr Leer, Nine Barrows and Sludge Pit which have Hadfield on 01298 22139 giving at least 2 days been closed for some time now. notice if you intend to visit this area - be aware that it is a sensitive site. Bad air has recently been reported in Little Crapnell Swallet - be warned. WALES Following a recent injury in the entrance of St It is with regret that we recently heard that the Cuthberts Swallet, the entrance pipes are to be Severn Valley CC has being wound up. laddered. DMMs have been placed in Keyhole Chamber in The gate on Tynings Barrow is missing. Clubs will Agen Allwedd. get keys and CSCC will maintain the entrance There is a danger of rockfalls outside the entrance The ginging at the top of Singing River Mine will to Ogof Craig-a-Ffynnon. be inspected with work planned for later in the summer. Continued on next page ................. ► 134 Wessex Cave Club Journal Club Notes Wessex People Other News Congratulations to Tim Feltham who was recently A taloretting (?) machine has been purchased by married to Carla. the Wessex for making ladders - 5 to date. Congratulations are also due to Ruth and Rob If individuals would like to make a donation Delacour who are now the proud parents of a towards the digging costs (explosives, drill, etc) healthy baby girl called Connie, born in June. involved in Priddy Green Sink, the digging team would be very grateful. Resin anchors are in the Hut News process of being placed in there but, according to a certain extract written in the WCC logbook recently Roz Fielder has retired from organising the Hut (see page 151), this may take some time! Bookings. Thanks go to her for doing this for so long, but now Wendy Williams has volunteered to The Wessex Annual Dinner forms and the AGM do the job and so she is now the person to contact - forms for nominations and motions for members phone number at front of Journal. are included with this Journal. The cost of the dinner is £15 which includes the coach there and Thanks to Phil Hendy for manufacturing and fitting back. On the Sunday, a ‘Tuska Tour’ is planned to such splendid shower doors. Unfortunately they Redcliffe Caves in Bristol - the cost of this is only now make the rest of the changing room look very £6 which includes the coach and lunch. On this tatty, although the drying room should improve basis you can have a great weekend for only £21 - things out there - this is one of the next jobs to be who says the Wessex doesn’t give you a good deal completed. for your money! The WCC lounge was painted over the weekend of Don’t forget the BCRA Conference Hidden Earth 10/11th August - thanks to everyone involved. in Sheffield on 13th-15th September. The WCC Much fun was had by all with music playing, have reserved a stand - volunteers welcome - numerous cups of tea and a trip to the cinema in the contact Dave Morrison. evening (to get away from the paint smell). All in all a good weekend! How long the ceiling will stay West End, Cenotaph Aven and Southbank in white is another matter! Eastwater: - the pitches have been re-rigged with joint BEC-Wessex tackle and both are equipped for abseil and self-line (all you need is sit sling, krab, jammer & belay plate). If you do go down and you feel like it, by all means bring out any old ladders!? THE NORTH At the WCC vs BEC Challenge Cricket Match CNCC have negotiated access for Skirwith Cave held on 6th July, the WCC failed to hold on to the which had been restricted at the landowner’s ashes (of a sofa) by 1 wicket. A good time was had request. For permission to enter call or write to by all with much ale consumed. Brian Pitman was a Landale, Cold Cotes, Clapham, LA2 6HZ, or phone side screen. Rich Blake (bowling for BEC) was Mrs Smith on 015242 41788. Do not block the highest scorer for the Wessex. Shortest innings gateway as agricultural access is required at all courtesy of Les Williams !!! and Max. times - if you do you will be clamped. The CNCC Eco-resin Rigging Guide No 2 is now New Member on sale from Northern Caving shops priced at £4. It has information on rigging more Northern Caves, Paul Stillman: more test info and an excellent section on the care 5 Henry St, Totter down, Bristol and maintenance of ropes. 0117 923 0600 (Work) Volume 23 Number 251, September 1996 135 CDG Activities As most people will be aware, or at least will have followed and returned to shore with much moaning heard, this year is the 50th anniversary of the about vis! (what ever that is?) Dekitted, cleaned forming of the Cave Diving Group (CDG). In away and returned home via the Belfrey car park. preparation for the celebrations to mark this anniversary, a couple of CDG members had to I have failed to mention John Buxton’s part in all practice diving (or rather bottom-walking) with the this - he was scuba diver support. Bolty turned up standard Siebe Gorman divers dress, and it was with towards the end and proceeded to become an expert interest that some members of the Wessex watched hard-hat dive controller in about 5 mins.