Caves and Caving

Contents of Issue 74, Winter 1996

This page edited 15/12/00 to remove or correct some broken URLs caused by the BCRA site moving to a new server. For current contact information and diary dates, please refer to the Caves & Caving home page

News from British caving regions:

• North:
  • Gaping Gill: South East Pot Extension (Morris, D.)
  • Diving at Pippikin Pot
  • "A tourist guide to Gaping Gill" by R.R. Glover has been published at 2 UK pounds. Contact Steve Warren, 15 Moorland Terrace, SKIPTON, North Yorkshire BD23 2JT, profits to CRO
  • Dig at Marble Steps Pot
  • Magicians Hole at Stainforth, associated with the drainage of a large area between Malham and Stainforth
  • Shafts in the bed of the River Wharfe near Yockenthwaite, dye tested to Yockenthwaite risings
• Peak District:
  • More success in James Hall's Over Engine Mine, connection between Leviathan and Peak Cavern
  • Digging at Bradwell Resurgence
  • Slow progress at Tiger 7 in Upper Lathkill
  • Diving at Giant's Hole. Peakshill Farm now run by Dave and Carol Watson
  • Oxlow House Farm new owners maintain access arrangements for Oxlow Caverns, Maskhill Mine and Nettle Pot
  • Digging at Nicker Grove, Dog Holes and Mill Dale
  • Peak Rigging Guide edition 2 @ 4.95 UK pounds from Hitch'n'Hike, Caving Supplies, Inglesport, The Wanted Inn, DCA and Crewe CPC
  • Hymac digging at Farnsley Lane Swallet with potential to Hawkenedge Well, 3/4 mile away and 117m lower
• South Wales:
  • Ogof Gwynt yr Eira hydrological link to Llygad Llwchwr, 7km away and 300m lower reviewed, with digging and diving in a rift
  • New access agreement for Tooth Cave between SWCC and The Forestry Commission, for all cavers holding BCRA insurance
  • Booking secretary for Penwyllt is now Ian Middleton, 133 Oakwood Drive, Lordswood, SOUTHAMPTON SO1 8EL, telephone 01703 736997
• Mendip:
  • Honeymead Hole
  • Connection of Priddy Green Sink to Swildons 4 via Cowsh Aven
  • Draught found at Barrow Rake Swallet
  • Drought found at White Pit
  • MCG publication on the exploration of Upper Flood Swallet to 1996, 3 miles from and 180m above the rising at Cheddar
  • Draught found at Chewton Minery

Overseas:

• Ireland:
  • Marble Arch Showcave - revisions to code of practice
  • Access in Northern Ireland
  • Access to Cradle Hole
  • Diving at Lower Cradle Hole
  • Diving at Tullyhona
  • SUI and ICRO combine for a rebolting programme with training, testing and documentation similar to the NCA scheme in Britain
• Norway:
  • Trolldalsgrotta (Vokac, M.)
• Borneo:
  • Caves of Kalimantan (Fogg, T.)
• Sardinia:
  • It's better than sex (Wright, K.)

General Features:

• New Internet Newsgroup for cavers uk.rec.caving
• Gouffre Berger Incident Report, July 1996 (Roberts, S, G. Naylor, J. Wilcock & S. Curtis)
• Nicola Dollimore, John Wilcock remembers (Obituary) (Wilcock, J.)
• Unlock the power of your library (Jeffreys, A.L.)

Association News:

• Issue 26 of the Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal contains extensive features on the uses of computing in caving, including database applications for caving clubs, caving on the Internet, the National Cave Registry, and modelling cave hydrology using a spreadsheet.
• A full subject and author index to the first 20 volumes of BCRA Transactions (Cave Science) and earlier CRG Transactions has been published. Contact Bryan Ellis, 20 Woodland Avenue, Westonzoyland, BRIDGWATER TA7 0LQ telephone 01278 691539
• Hidden Earth 1996 Conference Report
• News from foreign journals (Whitaker, T.)
• BCRA requires a Travel Insurance Administrator, at a fixed annual fee plus royalties on turnover. Contact John Wilcock, 22 Kingsley Close, STAFFORD ST17 9BT
• Report of Council Meeting 101, 7 July 1996
• Minutes of the BCRA AGM, 14 September 1996
• Council Appointments and address list 1996

Other points of note:

• The E.K. Tratman Award is for the best piece of caving literature published in the UK in the current year. The current judges' panel has members Ray Mansfield (Editor of Current Titles in Speleology), Roy Paulson (BCRA Librarian), and Nick Williams. To enter your publication for 1997, send a copy to Ray Mansfield, Downhead Cottage, Downhead, SHEPTON MALLET, Somerset BA4 4LG.

Letters:

• Thank you for Hidden Earth (Paul Peppiatt and Kym Price (Underground Photographer magazine))