Tuesday, June 14, 2022

Tuesday 14th June 2022

Richard Carey, John Cooper, Wayne Starsmore, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Spoil removal. 22 loads were removed from the alcoves and deposited at the Tunnel. This was then moved on up to the bottom of the entrance. Finally 15 rather larger loads were hauled to the surface. 2½ hours. John.

Saturday, June 11, 2022

Saturday 11th June 2022

John Cooper, Nigel Graham and Pete Hann. One mix of cement taken to bottom and used building walls. Nigel not in form today as his stop just missed John on the bottom pitch! 1 hour. John.

Saturday, June 4, 2022

Saturday 4th June 2022

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. 2 mixes of cement taken in (split over 3 buckets) and capping kit. Pete used half the cement building at the bottom whilst I used the other half building retaining walls higher up. Several buckets of clatch hauled out and stashed behind the retaining walls. Adrian capped a few bits off the way down. Lovely outward draught today. 2½ hours. John.

Saturday, May 28, 2022

Saturday 28th May 2022

John Cooper and Adrian Vanderplank. Took down plug and feathers and capping kit. Once the plug and feathers were stuck the capping kit was used to free them. Not a lot of progress. Needs a good spoil removal session. 1½ hours. John.

Saturday, May 21, 2022

Saturday 21st May 2022

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann and Adrian Vanderplank. 2 mixes of cement taken in (split over 3 buckets) as well as drill and capping kit. Pete used half of the first bucket of cement up and Adrian capped at the dig face. Nigel and I used the third bucket of cement walling in the pointy loose boulder just below his P-hangers. Then I moved on down whilst Nigel took the empty cement bucket out. Adrian capped about 4m above the kink in the shaft to create an alcove for clatch. Then a load of clatch from Pete was hauled up and stashed in another alcove at a similar level. Adrian then moved to cap the dig face again whilst I built a retaining wall using the second bucket of cement at the alcove he had opened up earlier. Finally Pete used up the last of the cement at the bottom. The way on is down a narrow rift with a good draught coming out of it. 3 hours. John.

Saturday, May 14, 2022

Saturday 14th May 2022

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Too many really. 2 mixes of cement taken in (split over 3 buckets) as well as drill and capping kit. Pete used first bucket of cement up then a load of clatch from Pete and Jude was hauled up to where I was building a retaining wall for it. Adrian started capping higher up to create another space but needs more work still. Then he moved to bottom capping before Pete finally used up last bucket of cement. Another loose boulder noted in final shaft about 1m below Nigel’s hangers. Pete reckons cement it in securely. 2½ hours. John.

Saturday, May 7, 2022

Saturday 7th May 2022

John Cooper, Pete Hann and Adrian Vanderplank. 2 mixes of cement taken in (split over 3 buckets) as well as drill with plug & feathers. My first trip since damaged shoulder, which is why no report from last Saturday when Adrian, Nigel and Pete were down. One bucket of cement tipped over at bottom of entrance but little lost. Wall building by John to hold clatch in created by Pete. Adrian created more space and eventually Pete tried to wedge the boulder ahead safely in place, only partially successful. Pete now thinks the way on is down again, not straight ahead as he had been assuming for the past few weeks. One loose boulder in bottom shaft removed, just above where the 2 hangers are, but some remedial work now required, 3 hours. John.