Category: 2022

Report by Tav:

“Dunc, Tav, Jake, Nick 

Following last weeks efforts, the team arrived at the dig face fully expecting to be greeted with a puddle of water. And we were not disappointed! With Dunc digging, Tav on the perch, Jake hauling and Nick disposing, the team set about removing the puddle, followed by 30 buckets of slop/mud. By close of play a ‘solid’ floor of compacted material had been reached with water welling up through the cracks. The only viable option left seems to be back towards the entrance and one more session should be enough to decide whether or not this particular passage is still worth pursuing.”  

Report by Tav:

“Nick, Dunc, Jake and Tav 

The four headed for the dig face armed with bags and two short sections of Jake’s ladder. It was Nick’s turn to dig and he was greeted with a disappointing puddle of murky water which had accumulated in the rift over the course of a week. A few distinctly gloopy loads were manhandled up the climb to Duncan and on to Tav who was hauling and finally to Jake who was disposing of the spoil. Gradually things dried out and by close of play, 37 prime loads of silty fill had been added to the burgeoning spoil heap in the pot. The only apparent way on continues to be down and it seems likely that an even bigger puddle might be present next week, which at least solves the squeegee bottle water shortage problem!”

Report by Tav:

“Jake, Nick and Tav.
With Jake digging, Nick hauling and Tav on spoil disposal, 30 more buckets of moist, loose fill were removed from the deepening rift. Jake reported water seeping from the left-hand wall which is undercutting. Still no sign of a floor. Jake also reported that a ladder was now needed as it is becoming very difficult to climb out!”    

Report by Tav

“Tav digging, Mike hauling and Jake on spoil disposal. Work continued on the descending hole opened up last week. 22 buckets of soft, moist fill were removed, still with no sign of a floor. The digging is easy, although clambering out of a 3m deep pit with a fully laden bucket to load the skip is a bit trying. The passage width shows no signs of narrowing and is undercutting the thick mineral deposit blocking the passage in both directions. At this stage it looks more like a previously unseen lower section of the main passage rather than a separate downward development and stands a reasonable chance of passing beneath the obstruction. Not without interest.” 

Report by Tav:

“Jake, Nick, Tav, Matt and Mandy Voysey

A good-sized team headed to the dig face to resume chiselling along the narrowing mineral vein. The exercise was becoming increasingly futile and drilling achieved only a further one and a half buckets of Wookey diamonds before a halt was called to proceedings. With no way on ahead or to the sides the only possible way on could be down so Jake began probing the floor, eventually finding a mud filled hole which began to undercut. By the close of play 20 buckets had been removed and Matt reported dampness at the bottom of the hole. Time will tell and more thought will need to be given to spoil removal and retention as it’s a long way to the top of the slope.”

Report by Tav:

“Nick, Tav & Alex Randall 

While Tav gave Alex a quick guided tour of LoHG, Nick headed to the face to begin chiselling. Alex joined him and with Tav hauling, by close of play 10 more hard won buckets of diamonds and mud had been removed and emptied. The way on remains extremely constricted. A lot of water clearly once passed this way so hopefully this is only a temporary state of affairs.”
  

Vince, Jake, Nick, and Tav

Nick brought along his 36v cordless drill; me, I had a bag full of hand tools. The team assembled and set-off to the cave.

At the dig Nick, Jake and Tav headed along to the current end while I concentrated on widening the slot above the spoil heap. It quickly became clear that my attempts were going to prove fruitless and another, more dramatic, solution might be required, some food for thought. I joined the others.

Progress at the current end of the dig can be described as slow but steady, the constriction is slowly succumbing to the continuous chiselling there are some sediment-filled voids which aid progress; and the air quality remains good. The sediment is loosely packed and claggy, every now and then an air-filled void is encountered. We remain optimistic!

Vince, Tav, Nick, and Jake

Assembled at the allotted time in a rather crowded car park (filming somewhere?) armed with drills of various descriptions and different tasks to undertake. Nick with his Makita 36v headed along to the current end of the dig to continue “diamond” mining with Tav, it’s just a tad constricted. Jake installed a drainage pipe into the lower spoil disposal zone to allow percolation of water coming from the upper-level pool. Me, armed with my Einhell 18v and a set of plugs and feathers, set about trying to widen access to an interesting looking slot above the [upper] spoil heap. It seemed simple enough, a bit awkward to get up to it, but doable. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan and has to be marked down as a failure. Plugs and feathers were ineffectual in splitting the mineral vein, need to have a rethink. Packed my kit away and went along to see how the others were progressing. The passage is certainly wider on the approach to the dig-face, but the end is still constricted. Some more drill and hammer work to be done yet. Progress looks like it will slow for a while, plenty of time to work on widening the slot above the spoil heap. I will need to purchase some nice shiny tools for the job!

9 buckets of “diamonds” and 5 buckets of ‘mud’, 14 is one-third of 42, the answer to everything!