Vince, Nick, Jake, and Tav
From the current dig in LoH&G, another 25 bags filled, hauled, and emptied into Pointless Pot.
Jake was digging, Tav ‘tossing,’ Vince loading the skip, and Nick hauling it away and dragging/carrying the bags part way up the slope. At about 20:30 digging stopped and the spoil was cleared. The dig is not yet broken but, digging is not easy!
As usual, refreshments in the ravine. It was dark but, at least, it wasn’t raining.
Vince, Jake, Nick, and Tav
At the current dig in LoH&G Nick was digging, Jake was ‘tossing,’ Tav was retrieving the bags and loading the skip, I was hauling the skip away and dragging/carrying bags along the narrow passage and part way up the slope as far as I could get them until returning for the next ones. It was very warm work. At 20:30, 25 bags had been filled, hauled, and stacked on the slope. The dig is still going downwards, but now it was time to empty the spoil. As usual bags were chained up the remainder of the slope, through Fuzzy Wuzzy to Colston Hall and disposed in Pointless Pot. It had been another warm and energetic session and now it was time to leave. It was dark when we exited the cave to change and enjoy refreshments in the ravine. Nights are drawing in!
Vince, Roz, Jake, Nick, and Tav
After a break for a couple of weeks for one reason or another we’re back to the ongoing project in LoH&G.
My turn to dig, Nick was “chief bag tosser”, Roz was shuttling the bags along to the skip, hauled away by Jake, Tav transported the bags to the top of the slope. The dig continued on its downward trajectory and is not yet broken. About 20:30 digging was ceased, all hands put to shifting bags through Fuzzy Wuzzy to be emptied into Pointless Pot. Job done time for exit and refreshments in the ravine. We’ll be back!
Vince, Tav, Nick, and Jake
At LoH&G, Tav was down in the pot, I was bag ‘tossing’ back to Nick who shuttled back and forth to load the spoil into the skip hauled away by Jake. The bags were then moved along the remainder of the ‘not so spacious’ passage to be temporarily stored partway up the slope to be removed later through Fuzzy Wuzzy to Colston Hall.
Back at the dig, progress continued both downwards and horizontally. As more space is created the digging is almost easier but some of the sediment is very compact especially at the contact with walls and ‘roof.’ Spoil was removed at a steady rate until we arrived at an agreed time to stop digging and shift the stack of bags to be emptied into Pointless Pot. Empty bags packed into bundles ready for next session and we left the cave.
As ever, refreshments in the ravine.
Vince, Jake and Tav
Some new bags were carried into the cave, and the empty ones from last week were picked up from Colston Hall before passing through Fuzzy Wuzzy into Land of Hope & Glory (LoH&G). Once at the dig and before work commenced some photos (Samsung Galaxy A41) before it got too ‘steamy.’ Then Jake got to work down in the pot, Tav tossing bags, and I stockpiled them in the ‘wide’ bit of the passage ready for removal later. Digging and filling bags proceeded at a steady rate until 20:30 when it had been decided that was the time to stop dig and haul the spoil along to the dumping spot. With three of us this would take about 30 minutes to haul and empty 23 bags into Pointless Pot. A productive session as usual.
Refreshments were enjoyed in the ravine.
Vince, Jake, Nick, and Tav
The usual warm trip to LoH&G in spite of the minimalist approach to apparel. No chance to cool down as it was straight into digging. Me down in the pot, Jake lobbing the filled bags through the narrow window to Tav, the bags loaded onto the skip hauled away by Nick who stockpiled the spoil to be removed later in the evening.
Down in the pot the dig progresses, it seems to be following a slope going downwards but forward too. It looks like a vertical ‘phreatic’ tube. The sediment is slightly easier to dig at present and mostly consists of multicoloured yellow to red predominately sand but with silt and clay present. There are infrequent lumps of calcite.
At the end of the digging session all the filled bags were carried up the slope and through into Colston Hall where they were emptied into Pointless Pot.
Refreshment in the ravine. A warm evening following a warm day!
Vince, Roz, Jake, and Nick
Arrived at LoH&G dripping as usual, it is such a warm caving trip!
Nick digging, me hauling up the filled bags and lobbing them through the narrow ‘window’ (well almost!) to Roz who then dragged them up the slope and loaded into the skip hauled away by Jake. The bags were temporarily stored at the base of the slope along the end of the passage.
At the dig, Nick encountered a solid calcite ‘shelf’ below the ladder hang but turning around towards the ‘arch’ there is still plenty of sediment to be removed both horizontally and vertically (downwards!). The dig is not broken yet! At 20:30 digging ceased and all hand were put to clearing the pile of filled bags up the slope, through Fuzzy Wuzzy into Colston Hall to be emptied into the Pointless Pot! This week, 21 filled bags from the slope to the pot <20 minutes.
Refreshments were enjoyed in the ravine. A hobby (Falco subbuteo) was spotted crouched over it’s prey, looked like a frog.
Vince, Jake and Nick
A small team assembled again, no matter, we had a plan!
The usual warm trip to LoH&G, the walk was not improved by my decision to wear ‘cut-off’ Hunters wellies, to say they were useless would be an understatement – zero grip! Like walking on ice-covered surfaces. Anyway, eventually arrived safely at the dig.
Jake down in the ‘pit’, Nick hauling up the filled bags (and a token ‘rock’) and ‘tossing’ them through the narrow window to where I could collect them and drag them back to a temporary storage along the passage. These were to be removed later in the evening. At the dig face, Jake reported that there appears to a development, a possible horizontal ‘passage’. Time (and more digging) will tell.
At 20:30 digging activity was curtailed, and it was time to move the spoil to it’s final destination. The bags were chained along the remainder of the passage, up the slope, through Fuzzy Wuzzy into Colston Hall to be emptied into Pointless Pot. That had been our plan, 3 people, 20 bags (it is not easy digging!), <28 minutes, job done. Time to leave.
Refreshments in the ravine. It started to rain.
