A recce to Iran surprised those involved when it turned into a descent of the tenth deepest pot in the world.

P8 Pushed After Team Passes ‘Sump’ 5

Yes, five sumps passed in P8 – though the last one had dried up!

Leck Shakehole Reveals 150ft Shaft

A new dig on Leck Fell has opened the way into Big Nasty.

The Great Mendip Non-Event

After much preparation to gather cavers together in an inter-club day of events and jollity, how many turned up? Two or three …

Banging Pays Off for Cerberus in St Dunstan’s

Work on the terminal dig in St Dunstan’s Well Cave on Mendip produces progress.

LUSS Guarena Success Despite Flood Risk

After finding 4km in Spain in 1970, LUSS are off again …

Expeditions Gather for PSM Onslaught

When a proposed film of caving in Spain fell through, it was too late – the expedition had already been arranged.

Solo Trip Leads to Major G.G. Discovery

In short order, Mike Wooding has dug a route into a water-filled hole and led to a half-mile of new passage.

Cavers Plan to Get You Abroad … and Underground

Brochures are available – get caving overseas!

Cave of Knives

Moldywarps SG members have forced a way into a new system on the Isle of Skye.

The Hardware Scene

Sitz-Sling

Making a sit harness, and more.

Cover: Fallen boulders. Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Gareth Jones covers the possibilities for connecting up parts of the Marble Arch system in Ireland.

Khazad-Dum Still Deepest

With the record books ever changing of late, here’s a round-up of the ten deepestTasmanian caves.

Trans-Craven

Following the theme initiated in Descent (8), Dave Brook postulates a huge trans-Craven system.

The Hardware Scene

How about doing away with two lengths of wire on a ladder – and climbing a single strand crimped with ferrules?

CNCC Concern Over Leck Fell Access

A report on the northern council’s latest meeting.

Pyrenean Caves

Pete Mellors details some of the best and most important sites.

NCA Group to Prepare Conservation Report

NCA’s Conservation and Access Group has begun work on a formal report.

Exploring Ogofau Gold Mine

A caver-led examination of the ancient gold mines at Dolaucothi has taken place.

Cover:Abseiling. Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Going Down in the World was not intended to be a caving documentary, but it does show a typical caving weekend. This is how Croydon CC members shot the footage.

Porth yr Ogof Death

Did vandals untie the vital belay line and cause cave diver Paul Esser’s death?

NCA Battles for Grant Status

The NCA is seeking Sports Council grant support – but the council doesn’t like the NCA constitution!

The Training Board – and Who’ll Be On It

With a cave leader’s certificate introduced by BACI, now someone has to run the scheme.

Jammed in Swildon’s for Ten Hours

A rescue from Swildon’s Hole in January was unusual: it’s not often that someone is that stuck in a squeeze.

12 Access Rules Now for Tunnel Cave

If you’re heading for Tunnel Cave in South Wales, there’s a bunch of new rules to comply with.

The Drill Rig: Its Role in Cave Rescue

How might a decent drill improve a casualty’s chances in a tight system?

Tassy Cavers’ Record Hopes for Depths of Khazad-Dum

Tasmanian cavers are pushing for yet more depth records.

Cover:Bridging a canal.Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Rescue teams in northern England have a list of sites that they consider tight and difficult to extract a casualty from. They need help with suggestions on the best way forward!

The Hydraulic Sarong

On the hardware scene, a suggestion for combating accidental hypothermia.

Cavers Learn the Gentle Art of Bang

Sid Perou reports on a special course on the use of explosives.

Shaft Finds for W.S.G. in High Greece

Westminster SG members have bottomed a series of shafts in Greece.

LUSS Push Spain’s Cueva del Piscorciano

Alan Proctor writes about the latest Lancaster USS trip to northern Spain.

Expedition ‘Pleased’ with 200ft Pot

From the British expedition to the Himalayas comes news of the first big success.

Tassy Pot

A new Australian depth record has been set in Tasmania.

Iceland is Target for Shepton Mallet’s 21st Celebration

For the club’s coming of age, they’re off to Iceland on expedition.

P8: Attack on Sumps is Geared for Next Year

Attempts on the P8 sumps in the Peak have been repulsed so far – but the guys keep on trying!

Cover: At the lip of a shaft. Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Pete Livesey has been to the high limestones of British Columbia and reports on the caves he found – in particular, wondering whether a Brit has beaten the North American record.

Tragedy at Keld Head

On 3 October 1970 Alan Erith was diving in Keld Head, but did not return. What happened?

LUSS Push Hard in Notts Pot

Members of Lancaster USS have been pushing hard in Notts Pot and made several interesting extensions.

Happy Wanderers in Yugoslav Record Victory

New discoveries in the Julian Alps.

Himalaya

A report has been sent back from the British team in the Himalayas, which has finally established base camp: ‘To all those of you who thought we’d never make it … conkers to you, because we have!’

Into Aardvark Land

Pushing onwards in Burgess’ Passage in Lancaster Hole.

USA … Where Tourist Caves Mean Business

If we think our caves are over-commercialised, what about those on the other side of the pond?

The Penberthy Knot

A new knot has come to the fore in climbing circles, so might it be of use to us cavers?

Cover: Traversing. Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

The Essentials of Cave Surveying

Part two of Peter Cousins’ instructions on how to undertake a good cave survey.

Morocco & Its Promise of Virgin Caves

In September, a British expedition headed for the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to continue exploring its caves.

An American View of British Caving

On a three-week visit to Britain, William Halliday takes an outsider’s look at how our caving scene holds up.

Mossdale: A Case for Reopening?

Only three years previously six potholers were drowned in Mossdale Caverns – might the site be reopened so soon?

Aspects of Derbyshire’s Limestone Hydrology

Pete Mellors takes a look at the hydrology of the Peak District in light of recent increased interest in the subject.

Luckless, Lightless … and Lost

Jim Eyre recalls his darkest hours when caving in Slovenia.

Cover:Laddering in a rift.Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Peter Cousins covers what we should know if we are to take on a cave survey for real.

Himalaya

Caving has entered a new phase as cavers look long and hard at the caves of the Himalayas.

Rescue Problems in Super-Severes

Some cave rescue teams are considering the difficulties of rescuing an injured caver from some of the latest super-severe pots that are being opened up by exploration.

Gragareth’s Newest Baby: The Mohole

Digging on Yorkshire’s Gragareth has revealed a new and serious undertaking: The Mohole.

Double Depots Lodged in Flood-Risk System

New rescue dumps have been placed in Little Neath River Cave.

Cover: Rafting cavers. Artwork: Tony Payne

OUT OF STOCK

Prospects Look Good for the Dan …

Dan yr Ogof sees continued exploration.

Austrian Expedition Scores Double Success

There’s some new extensions in the ice caves of Austria’s Dachstein.

Two Teams Trapped by Cave Gates

A round-up of rescues on Mendip, compete with the problem of a locked gate preventing escape.

A Hot Line in Fashion for Cold Cavers

Electrically warmed garments for cavers, no less!

‘New Brooms’ Policy for Derbyshire’s Cave Rescue

DCRO has been considering how younger cavers should be taking over new roles.

Foul Air: An Insoluble Problem

The MRO has been thinking about how best to extract a victim from an area of bad air.

Double Discoveries in Yorkshire

The Happy Wanderers have been pushing a cave on Leck Fell: Pippikin Hole, now about two miles long.

British Teams Ready for Himalayas

For the first time, British cavers are heading for the caves of the Himalayas, perhaps the most ambitious expedition to ever leave the UK.

Llygad Llwchwr

The terminal sump in Llygad Llwchwr has been passed at last, revealing a new series.

Whernside Manor: Meeting Point for the North

The Cave Research Group held its latest meeting in Whernside Manor in the Dales.

The Great Song Contest!

For months, cavers have been thinking and thinking and composing caving songs for our competition. The winner is here: ‘The Saga of Tom Tavey’.

Cover: Camping cavers. Artwork: Tony Payne

Moldywarps Find Underlines Promise of North Dales

There’s been a breakthrough in Ayleburn Mine Cave.

Telephone Power from Your Nife Cell

Taking another look at our hardware, Derek Appleing considers how a Nife cell might power underground communications.

Cave Projects Go it Alone

The Cave Projects Group has formed to take on specific tasks.

Upper Ribblesdale: New Access Arrangements

Several landowners have changed in the Dales, leading to a new set of access arrangements.

A Call to the North’s Anonymous Cavers

A new group, the NAC – that’s the Northern Association of Cavers, has been proposed to organise caving in north-east England.

Down Noon’s Hole, Traitor’s End

Noon’s Hole, named for an unlucky soul thrown down the shaft, sees a new examination.

Schiehallion Mountain Yields Secrets to Grampian

Prospecting the mountains and moors of Scotland, Grampian SG members have found a series of sites.

Cover: Caver in an entrance. Artwork: Tony Payne

Wookey Hole: Now the Years of Effort Pay Off

James Cobbett reports on how after 35 years of diving in Wookey Hole, there is finally a breakthrough to Wookey 20.

Safety and Efficiency with Brake-Blocks

Many accidents occur as a result of poor lifelining, says Dave Everett.

Could 1937 Explorers have found Dan-yr-Ogof II?

Alan Coase reports on the discovery of an alternative route to DYO II, complete with explorers’ initials from times long gone.

Pengelly Plea for NCA Probe into Caving

The William Pengelly CST has asked for a thorough investigation into the state of caving in Britain.

St Cuthbert’s: How the Breakthrough Was Made

Dave Irwin covers the background to digging, damming and pushing the St Cuthbert’s Swallet sump.

Devon Divers Unlock Prid’s Lake Secret

Divers in Pridhamsleigh Cavern have found a continuation.

Cavers. What Makes Them Tick?

Bob Leakey takes a trip into the unknown with a discussion on why we do what we do.

Plans for Derbyshire Cave Registry

Moves are being made to establish a cave registry in Derbyshire, following in the footsteps of those covering Mendip, Wales and Gloucestershire.

Cover: Caver in an entrance. Artwork: Tony Payne