Rob Palmer covers an expedition to dive the long, shallow caves of the Nullarbor Plain, Australian.

Gear Review

Dentanurse

The first aid kit for teeth.

A Meeting at Gaping Gill

Meeting a group preparing to descend Lateral Shaft, but which appears to be woefully unprepared, can (or should) you do anything about it?

A Cup of Turkish Tea

The concluding part of an article on Taurus 88, a recce trip to Turkey.

No Major Extensions Since Last Saturday

It’s into the Living Dead extensions of Penyghent Pot. The nightmare never ends …

Rates and Caving Cottages

With changing rules affecting rateable values of all dwelling places, caving clubs are being affected by the new community charge.

The Incidents of 1988

All the cave rescues of the year.

Viewpoint

Angles on pollution and the ultimate form of conservation: cave closure.

Helpline

Singing in the Drain

Help is needed to collect caving songs together – with an excellent offering in the form of ‘The Muddy Duckling’.

Cover: Gary Nevitt at the waterfall, Piccadilly, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. Photo: Tony Baker

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

Since 1984 a series of probes have been made to discover what lies at the top of Cenotaph Aven in Eastwater Cavern. Here is what was found.

50 Years

Pwll Swnd is 50 years old, by Arthur Price.

Viewpoint

An Alternative Southern View

Alan Dougherty offers his thoughts concerning the CSCC’s policies.

Hung, Drawn and Quartered

Continuing the theme of solo caving presented in Descent (86), Howard McKee takes on a Grade 5 trip to Hangman’s Hole.

China Caves

Gavin Newman reports on the most recent China Caves Project expedition to continue exploration in th Pan Yang River Cave System.

First Aid for Cavers

The fourth part of Dr Peter Glanvill’s series on first aid underground: hypothermia and first-aid kits.

Helpline

Speleological Health Hazards

What health dangers are envisaged as arising from caving in foul water?

Views of Speleomania

Sportaventure ’89 was billed as the First International Conference of Adventure Sports. Held in Belgium, what did if offer British cavers?

Cover: A giant gour in Cuei Feng Dong, China. Photo: Gavin Newman

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

Ashley Dickenson reports on the Totem Aven extension.

Still Warthogs After All These Years

It’s fifteen months since the last major breakthrough in Daren Cilau, so it was well past time for another.

Viewpoint

Depressing Attitude to Infilling Depressions

Farmers might fill in depressions, but we shouldn’t bit the hand that allows us access.

First Aid for Cavers

The third part of Dr Peter Glanvill’s series on first aid underground: severe bleeding and fractures.

Whose Bodies?

In 1947, human remains were found in Trow Gill …

A Cup of Turkish Tea

The first part of a report on Taurus 88, a recce trip to Turkey.

Exploring Abandoned Mines

Health, safety and the law.

It’s Dangerous Below 150 Feet

Or so says the insurance companies! Descent has been challenging the insurance loading on cavers, with some success.

Equipment Review

Nitech X-cell and Polaris flashlights, and Hotgel.

Does Limestone Quarry Restoration Represent a Threat to Caves?

What happens to old quarries – is restoration blasting useful or merely further damage?

Cover: Jodie & Craig’s Secret Playground, Ogof Capel. Photo: Peter Bolt

Price shown includes postage within the UK. For customers outside the UK, postage will be added on at checkout.

VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

If you have ever been confused by acronyms within the caving world, or wondered where all our organisations dovetail together, this article is for you!

Viewpoint

A Commercial Eye to the Future

Taking on the points raised by Viewpoint in Descent (85), Nick Poole looks further at the spirit of free enterprise in caving.

Seathwaite Lead Mines

An update on a ‘safe’ route through this Borrowdale mine.

First Aid for Cavers

The second of Dr Peter Glanvill’s series on first aid underground.

A Case for Caution

Now that the subject of radon is firmly on the caving scene, here are the arguments and implications.

Peak Cavern

Progress in Far Sump extension, by John Cordingley.

Helpline

A Question of Lifelines

Which of the conflicting opinions on lifelines is the best to follow?

Careful Survey Leads to Cave Connection

A resurvey leads to linking Ogof Pasg and Ogof Foel Fawr.

Quaking Pot Solo

The ultimate caving party size: one! Graham Naylor takes on the descent of Quaking Pot, no easy challenge. Should caving alone be discouraged or supported as a right?

Cover: Top of Block Hall, Speedwell Cavern. Photo: Peter Bolt

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

It’s the beginning of radon studies with the realisation of how this gas can build up in caves.

Viewpoint

The CSCC

Are we seeing a change towards caving as a lucrative venture?

Soft Rocks and Hard Mud

After two years of digging, there’s a breakthrough in Llanelly Quarry Pot.

First Aid for Cavers

Dr Peter Glanvill opens a series on first aid underground.

The Discovery of Pwll Pindar

Another cave has been found in South Wales due to the combined efforts of Westminster SG members.

Peak Cavern

Further exploration takes place in Stemple Highway.

Kirk Bank Cave

Malcolm Bass writes about the Enterprise Extensions.

Helpline

Making Slaves for Cavers

Circuit diagrams to build slave units for cave photography.

Cover: Malcolm Herbert on the traverses, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. Photo: Tony Baker

Price shown includes postage within the UK. For customers outside the UK, postage will be added on at checkout.

VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

Lesser Garth Cave and Ogof Ffynnon Taf in South Wales are under threat from quarrying.

The Discovery and Loss of Ogof Cil yr Ychen

Another cave threatened by quarrying, Ogof Cil yr Ychen near Llandybie in West Wales.

The Descent Survey

In 1987 Descent sent out a questionnaire asking cavers all manner of things on how to improve Descent and British caving. Here are the results.

BCRA Conference ’88

This year held in Manchester, cavers enjoyed a varied fare at the annual caving conference.

Bats Underground

Bats: their conservation and the law.

Lamb Leer in the Seventeenth Century

Peter Johnson again takes us into the past, this time in Lamb Leer on Mendip.

Cover: The first pitch in Rhino Rift, Mendip. Photo: Gavin Newman

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

Alan L. Jeffreys contemplates the fate of an injured caver (himself!) in the aptly named Fall Pot.

Ogof Igam-Ogam

Cave diving exploration breaks into new passage in South Wales.

The Caves at Bottor Rocks

Chris Proctor has been investigating little-known caves on the border of Dartmoor.

Eastwater

Peter Bolt’s news update and photo series from Eastwater Cavern.

The True Story of Chilchotla ’87

Naming a cave entrance as the ‘world’s deepest cave’ was perhaps presumptuous …

Hermits Cave

An appraisal of a short cave in Gloucester.

The NCA Column

Training and leadership certification.

Cave Rescue Report

The annual incident report from BCRC.

Cheddar Caves ’88

A resume of the action in Gough’s Cave.

Cover: Hugh Penny in Ogof Igam Ogam. Photo: Peter Bolt

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

The story of the China Caves Project as an introduction to this edition’s theme.

Guizhou Province

Exploration of the awesome Fala River, as told by Roo Walters.

Mashan Base

Pushing beyond the Jin Lun Dong showcave.

Cave Diving

Geoff Crossley covers the diving projects in Guangxi.

The Bama Cave

Ben Lyon reports on the huge potential of a caver that stunned even those cavers who had been to Mulu.

Down Amongst the Black Stuff

The graphite mines of Borrowdale.

Walditch Cave

The existence of Walditch Cave was known to locals at Bridport, but not to cavers.

The First Descents of Eldon Hole

Speleohistory from Peter Johnson.

Cover: Main Stream Passage, Lancaster Hole. Photo: Malcolm Halsey

Price shown includes postage within the UK. For customers outside the UK, postage will be added on at checkout.

VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

Liam Kealey takes a tour across this western part of the South Wales limestones, drawing in some of the known and lesser known caves.

Digging Through Maytime

A full account of the breakthrough into Maytime in Agen Allwedd.

Cavecraft

A closer look at how we learn to cave.

Wharfedale

Some caving gems in one of the more ‘neglected’ parts of the Yorkshire Dales.

Hardware Scene

The FQ100 slave flashgun and the Rando 360 stove.

Wakulla Springs

Diving at the cutting edge in the clear cave waters of Florida.

Thin Leads, Fat Charges …

Punctuate the story of No Business Blowing Cave in Tennessee.

Cover: Phil Thomas with the Blue Greenies in Daren Cilau. Photo: Peter Bolt

Price shown includes postage within the UK. For customers outside the UK, postage will be added on at checkout.

VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.

A round-up of the new gear on offer for 1988.

Desperate for Deep?

If you don’t have a local cave, try something man-made: a well.

Low-Tide Caving Brings Results at Berry Head

Exploration in the submarine caves of Hopes Nose on the south coast of England.

Sanctuary is a Lonely Place

The Blue Holes of the Bahamas call to cave divers for the 1987 Andros Project.

Six Good Days at Agua Colorada

An underground camp yields yet more discoveries in Daren Cilau.

Breaking Hallowed Ground in the ‘Cavers Saint’ Quest

Who is the patron saint of cavers? It’s part of a university entrance test, and the answer is hardly straightforward.

Friday the Thirteenth – and a Flash Flood Hits Hard

The concluding part of coverage of the Muller 82 expedition to Papua New Guinea.

Sounding the Dive Prospects on Majorca Coast

Investigating the diving potential of Mallorcan caves.

Cover: North Passage in Stargate Blue Hole, Bahamas. Photo: Bill Stone

Price shown includes postage within the UK. For customers outside the UK, postage will be added on at checkout.

VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders to the EU are posted without tax paid and you are responsible for VAT and any other charges on delivery.

Descent is printed to the highest quality in the UK, as it has been since its inception in 1969.