Sunday 12th December Neil and Dave returned to On the Other Hand to cap the draughting tube. A 9 hour trip with very awkward capping in a restricted and damp environment. By the time the batteries had run out I had capped enough to enable further digging in the mud at the end of the passage. Half an hour of quality squalour followed after which we could push a squeeze to see round a corner, we are very encouraged! Beyond … Read More
Hi, very good the draught is blowing into our face which indeed could indicate a surface connection but if this is connected simply to the other dribbly Oliver Lloyd aven (which is big) then why does it squeeze through into on the Other Hand (which is small)? Are we only 28m from Oliver Lloyds? it looks more on my survey, I shall check.
Hi, Why does the draught follow our dry route and not the route taken by the water? The draft is being drawn in by a a bigger motor to drive it, bigger than the trickling stream on a low gradient you come in on. Water falling down a pitch or a connection to the surface would do it. My guess a pitch, and you are now less than 28m from the other dribbly Oliver Lloyd aven!! Where does the water … Read More
Sunday 19th December Dave and Neil return to the draughting passage towards the end of ‘On The Other Hand’, another 8 hour trip. I capped forward to the mud bank where we stopped last week, again this took quite some time due to the difficult nature of the capping. When I had done all I could I went to the aven for a P, while Neil attacked the mud and boulders at the end. By the time I returned Neil … Read More
Monday 27th December 2004 Dave Ramsay, Tony Rooke, Becka Lawson, Dinny Davies, Paul Windle. The team made it as far as Oliver Lloyds Aven before Tony had to depart, feeling unwell due to excessive drinking and lack of sleep at the Prince of Wales,Foxfield. the rest of the team continued, dropping off Paul and Dinny at the first (dry) aven. Dave and Becka continued to the wet aven chamber of A Little Light Relief, we were soon joine dby the … Read More
Thursday 6th January Dave Ramsay, Neil Pacey The Aven is dead! Long live the Aven! We took capping gear up to the first and least promising of the two avens in On the Other Hand, three rounds of caps later and the top of the pitch was wide enough to see up the aven, as expected it was too narrow for further progress and above the narrow section there was no obvious big enlargement. We derigged the pitch and left … Read More
Thursday 13th January Neil Pacey, Dave Ramsay Carry of gear (srt kit, bolts climbing rope etc.) up to the wet aven in the Little Light Relief passage. All accomplished and with the added bonus of placing three bolts by hand which has got us about 10m up the aven and out of the worst of the water. About 3m up is a possible opening although the aven continues above. Next Thursday we intend to carry on hand bolting up the … Read More
WHEN BOTING BY HAND HAVE YOU BLOWN INTO ANY OF THE HOLES TO REMOVE LIQUIDS OR OTHER RESIDUE.
Thursday 20th January Neil Pacey, Dave Ramsay We return to carry on the bolting, the cave was quite wet and as usual the cave had shrunk since we last visited it, the distance to the opening is less than 2m with the height gained more like 7m, no bad thing as it was obviously going to be cold for the belayer. I managed to get kitted up first so went up and got the first bolt half drilled before swapping … Read More
On The Other Hand, A Little Light Relief, Heavenly Joys to The Upper Hand Thursday 27th January Neil Pacey, Pete Hall, Dave Ramsay Placed 3 bolts at the top af the aven, gardened the top and entered the passage, tall, thin rift which went for about 7m to a constriction. While I was hammering at the bottom Pete managed to squeeze through at a higher level. The passage continued tight for another 5m or so when it was almost completely … Read More