Saturday 5th September 2026

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, Kate Lawrence, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Cooler today at 18°C but sunny and with a slight breeze. Kate down first loading buckets but only 3 of rocks and 2 of gravel sent up before she said help required. Kate ascended after John descended but he only managed another 2 of gravel before he came out. Adrian then descended with capping kit and the 2 dumpy bags which he used to block the rift in the floor. Didn’t really need them as he gave up having decided capping had no effect. Whilst Adrian was capping John measured the depth from the bottom of the fixed ladder to the floor as 5.8m. Decided to install the next section, 4m, of fixed ladder. Pete drilled a couple of holes on each side of the new ladder above the top rung. John descended and detached the bottom double ladder which was lowered to reach the floor (dumpy bag). Adrian came out and the new section of ladder was lowered. A protrusion prevented a nice hang which John tried to remove and then called for Adrian to cap it out. One broken drill bit later and sufficient had been removed to allow hammer and chisel to finish the job. Adrian ascended and John attached the new section. Still needs an attachment to the wall a couple of metres down. John checked out the top of Pete’s North wall to see what needs doing. Plenty of building up still required. Next session will be a small bang to widen the bottom 50cm down to floor level. 3½ hours. John.

Saturday 29th August 2026

John Cooper, Pete Hann, Sarah Hann, Mike Kousiounis (Kushy), Kate Lawrence and Adrian Vanderplank. Cooler today at 18°C and wet, slow drizzle turned to heavy showers then rain. Kate down loading buckets. She sent up 23 loads of rocks and 13 loads of gravel, plus the 2 dumpy bags, before working under 2 waterfalls got too much for her and she came out. Still more rock could be levered off. 1½ hours.

Tuesday 25th August 2026

John Cooper, Kate Lawrence, Wayne Starsmore, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Warm today at 25°C but with a slight breeze. Kate to the bottom to remove any critters then was joined by John who received strict instructions on where he was NOT allowed to drill (anything heading South). Kate then ascended and John drilled 7 holes, an upper line of 3 and a lower line of 4. All were 12mm to full depth of drill bit. John then surfaced and Adrian descended, charged the holes with 3.5m of 40gm and surfaced. Holes now destroyed. 2½ hours. John.

Saturday 22nd August 2026

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, Kate Lawrence, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Warm today at 23°C but with a slight breeze. Kate down first loading buckets.She sent up 11 loads, plus 1 newt and other small critters. John then descended to replace the bolt (see 1st August report), lower the bottom section of double ladder a few rungs and then attack a rock in the floor. Several more loads of mud and rocks together with another newt sent up before he was banished and replaced by Adrian and an endoscope. Not 100% successful as he kept poking the camera end in the mud. The new plumb bob (see last week’s report) was retrieved using a rigid hook. Finally Kate came out and was replaced by Jude. An electron ladder is now attached to bottom ladder to create another obstacle! The depth of the entrance shaft was measured at 19.8m (tape) and the floor crack at 3.57m (Disto). Total of 13 loads of rocks and 9 of mud/gravel hauled out today. 3½ hours. John.

Saturday 15th August 2026

John Cooper, Nigel Graham, Pete Hann, Kate Lawrence, Adrian Vanderplank and Jude Vanderplank. Hot again today at 25°C but with a nice breeze. Kate down loading buckets. A toad and a frog and other critters were rehomed as well. Near the end Kate reported a large flake so John descended to assist but Kate had already accidentally kicked it down with her foot. She went out to help haul whilst John loaded another couple of buckets. The plumb was sent down with the Disto. John only got a reading of 2.3m in the South end of the rift but did manage to get the new plumb line stuck. John came out to report and Kate descended but also failed to retrieve the plumb bob. A total of 13 loads of gravel and 37 loads of rocks hauled out today. Still another 10+ to come out. 3 hours. John.

Debris at start of session. Photo KL.

Jammed line down South end. Photo KL.

Looking up to North. Photo KL.