Nateby. A wild, remote Cumbrian region, little visited by cavers. But there are caves to be found …

Reaping the Benefits

All diggers dream of making a major breakthrough. Surely, the team at Rowter Hole could not have dared to think they would strike it this big.

Every Caver’s Nightmare

When Johann Westhauser was seriously injured almost a kilometre down in the Riesending, a deep Alpine cave in Bavaria, it was eleven days before he saw daylight again. Johann’s plight represented the kind of nightmare that cavers dread, but a superb rescue operation ensued while the world’s media covered the event. Here, then, is the story from the caver’s point of view.

The Onslaught on Sump 9

Chris Jewell’s article about an extreme cave diving expedition to Mexico left readers on a cliffhanger in Descent (238). Here he picks up his story about pushing the sumps of Sótano de San Agustín.

Boom!

Another part of the complexity that is Peak Cavern has been revealed in the latest breakthrough, which took cavers into the base of a major shaft that had to be climbed the hard way.

Cavers Enjoy a Party!

The BCA Party Weekend was a huge success, so what went on – and as for CRoW, how is the case for caving progressing?

The Descent Caption Competition

Mining Potosí

Join us in our latest competition: you merely have to caption an old engraving to be in with the chance to win a superb LED caving light.

Cover: Chris Blakeley in the Gouffre Berger, France. Photo: Robbie Shone

Back cover: Mark Richardson ascending Breathless, Adam Parkes in the squeeze at the top of The Wizard’s Sleeve, and the pair at the top of The Crystal Orechasm, the big Peak discovery. Photos: Rob Eavis

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.

Climbing in the Eastern Front

Since the breakthrough into the Eastern Front in Large Pot in April 2013, exploration has continued. George North brings us up to date alongside Jeff Wade’s photography in this major extension.

Caves of Kras

Descent (223) reported on the First International Meeting of Cave Photographers in France, the illustrated coverage drawing much praise. The second meeting moved to just outside Trieste on the Italian–Slovene border, producing a new crop of images from some of the world’s top creative cave photographers.

Jungle is Massive

‘BOOM. The sound echoed. Finally, we’d done it – we’d hit something big in Durmitor.’ And it not only proved ‘big’, it proved utterly massive for the latest York University CPC trip to Montenegro.

Poetry in Motion

A sophisticated digging system has been in use in Rowter Hole, where scaffolded shafts are yielding some significant advances.

Once More Beyond the Deep

Sistema Huautla in Mexico calls cavers again and again to seek greater depths. The problem is, that means cave diving on the very forefront of exploration – but it was worth it, as the team gained a new record.

Gear Review

Meander Bon Gamase Caving Socks

Tired of wearing smelly wetsocks? Reach for Meander’s Bon Gamese.

Digging a Gower Resurgence

With a new archaeological dig at a buried cave entrance in progress, will this have a spin-off and produce a major Gower cave?

The Rescues of 2013

Once again the British Cave Rescue Council has collated the UK’s rescue statistics. Learn what went wrong for others, so you don’t follow in their footsteps.

Cover: Annie Guiraud in Martinska jama, Slovenia. Photo: Philippe Crochet

Back cover: A decorated passage in Grotta Noè and clear waters in Pod Lanisce, Italian karst at its best. Photos: José Ángel Izquierdo

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.

For decades, cavers have sought a route through Mt Arthur in New Zealand. Now, with the connection of Stormy Pot to Nettlebed Cave, they have created an epic, three-day through-trip worthy of its place in the world rankings.

A Game of Rocks

If you are a digger, you already know the game – you must extract blocks from a stack without causing the whole to come tumbling down. It’s time to head for the North York Moors and the discovery of Jenga Pot.

Cave Access – out in the open

When the law in England and Wales changed in 2000 to provide access to the countryside by right, the Countryside and Rights of Way Act was welcomed – but then, cavers were told that it didn’t apply to our sport. Times change and Tim Allen argues that we should reassess and challenge CRoW.

Gear Review

The Earthworm

A new, lightweight caver-designed headlight has entered the market. Pete Glanvill takes the Earthworm for a crawl.

The Ghost of Ma On Shan

Where there’s a will, there’s a way to find an underground something to explore. Join Rich Gerrish for his hunt in Hong Kong.

Write it down!

Subterranean Games

From underground golf to a through-a-sump tug of war, it’s no wonder that Joe Public doesn’t understand the nuances of caving.

Cover: Kieran McKay in the Nettlebed system, New Zealand. Photo: Neil Silverwood

Back cover: Chris Jewell diving in Sump 6 (top), Helen Warren on the Greasy Chimney and Henry Dawson on the polished rock of The Landing in Swildon’s Hole. Photos: Stu Gardiner

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.

How do you not only tempt newcomers into the underground caving world, but also set them up to continue within the community? CHECC’s latest meeting has brought more students into the fold.

Images from the Past

The Birthday Party

Descent (234) asked for help in identifying people in a photo – with great success.

Mud Mining on the Eastern Front

The Three Counties System has been extended yet again – the diggers have entered a huge and significant passage in Large Pot.

The Lady Behind the Scenes

Elsie Little did not discover new passages, did not appear in films or write books. But she did work hard on our behalf and we pay tribute to her life.

Gear Review

The electronic DistoX used in cave surveying has seen new developments: cavers, meet the DistoX2.

Showcase

Caves of Tongzi

Linked with an expedition report on China, Hazel Barton and Robbie Shone provide an image Showcase.

A Data Set for the North

Cave surveying has entered an era of sharing data, an element at the core of surveying and archiving projects in Northern England.

Some Place on Earth

The annual Irish caving symposium took cavers overground and underground and into the bars, and even included a film premiere.

Write it down!

When to Bellow!

If the unexpected happens and you think you might need help, don’t hesitate …

Cover: Erin Lynch 240m above the floor in the thick mist of Cloud Ladder Hall, Quankou Dong, China. Photo: Robbie Shone

Back cover: Pant Mawr Pot, South Wales: Ivan Hollis on the 15m entrance pitch, and Ivan with Estelle Sandford in the finely decorated Sabre Passage. Photos: Neil Walmsley

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.

Bottoming the Berger

Dave Gill was initiated into expedition caving in the Gouffre Berger by none other than the legendary Black Pearce. His reminiscences of those days in the 1960s and the accompanying images from the trip form a counterpoint to more modern techniques and photography, as we tackle the Berger on ladders.

The Final Curtain

They say that caves are where you find ’em, and nowhere more so than this discovery near the entrance to a much-frequented cave.

Of All Things Caving

The annual celebration of all things caving has taken place, this year in Monmouth. We report on the highs and (given the subject matter) lows of the 2013 Hidden Earth conference.

Caves and CRoW

The CRoW Act 2000 conferred rights of access to designated land, but not for all activities. It seemed time for an analysis of cave entrances, with some interesting statistics emerging for northern England.

A Mendip Caver with a Camera

Nick Barrington was perhaps best known for writing the first series of guidebooks covering Mendip caves. Here, we pay tribute to his work and photography of old.

Gear Review

Bamboo Base Layer

Base layer clothing is worn to keep you warm, so how might a fabric fare that was developed not from synthetics as are most, but from the natural fibres of bamboo?

Cover: Laura Trowbridge in Curtain Chamber, St Cuthbert’s Swallet. Photo: Stu Gardiner

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.

Every four years cavers from around the world gather to present the latest information in their academic discipline. Perhaps even more importantly, they renew old friendships and revel in a wealth of activities before leaving for home once more, inspired. Yes, it’s the International Congress of Speleology.

Showcase

The Land Below Laos

This month’s Showcase is incorporated within an International News report about exploring what is now the longest cave in Laos.

A Life Underground

A Peak District caver at heart, some of his closest friends pay tribute to Ralph Johnson, a character at the centre of cave rescue who will be sorely missed.

NAMHO – The Underground Bit

NAMHO’s annual meeting went off well, with plenty of underground visits in the depths of Wales.

Images from the Past

Name the Lady

Once again we have old cave-related photos with a distinct lack of information attached, hence a plea for your help.

Spring Fever

Martyn Farr has travelled to the other side of the world, lured by a newly discovered caving area: a valley of caves with untouched sumps and an immense potential.

3D Printing

We have all seen computer-generated 3D images of cave surveys that we can spin on screen and print on our desktop, viewed from whatever angle we desire. Now, though, our options are expanding: we can use the same data to print a 3D plastic model.

Gear Review

Netopyr Megha Bag

A new Swiss design of tackle sack, complete with a ‘greedy bag’ liner, is now on the market and given a full test.

Write it down!

Shooting Speleogenesis

When filming underground not everything will go to plan – and this time, the specific problem was very unexpected.

Cover: Aaron Bowering in Goatchurch Cavern. Photo: Steve Sharp

Back cover: White banding in Grotte de Tham Ka Thoung and traversing the river in Grotte Xe Bang Fai, Laos. The photos were shot during a 2013 expedition. Photos: Philippe Crochet

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.

Connection Fever

Is there no end to the successes seen by this northern digging team? Now we have another connection in the Three Counties System – one which leads nearer to Kingsdale.

Knotty Dangers in SRT

Drop-testing ropes to determine what they will survive is one thing, but when you start testing knots some surprising facts emerge.

Party On!

In June, the British Caving Association had a new approach for its AGM – it laid on a party!

Showcase

The Abode of the Clouds

Expedition photography is not always easy, given the pressures on time and often conflicting aims. With images from Meghalaya in India, Rob Eavis excels in his coverage.

Life Thrives in Draenen

We know that Ogof Draenen is a unique cave, but even apart from its extensive passages, the cave life is proving significant.

Farewell, a Caving Legend

As can happen with legendary cavers, you don’t discover everything they accomplished until they are gone from our lives. We pay tribute to one of the most extraordinary figures in our recent history: Bob Leakey.

Beneath the Mountains

Again to Xitu

In the closing part of our coverage of exploration in the Picos de Europa in Spain, the challenge is on to rig an ambitious diving trip through the mountain.

Calculating, the Miners’ Way

Anyone who has wandered the mined passages at Box will have seen tables of numbers on the walls. Finally, we know what this old arithmetic was for.

Write it down!

Ruffling Feathers

All they wanted was a nice, clean abseil. A few hours in the sun. A bit of fun. But then along came the birds and the birders …

Cover: Steve Sharp on Maypole Inlet, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. Photo: Paul Dold

Back cover: Exploring the streamway in Krem Khung in Meghalaya, India. The photo was shot during the 2013 Caving in the Abode of the Clouds expedition and extends this month’s Showcase. Photo: Rob Eavis

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.

Golokratna Untouched

Peter Gedei’s Showcase feature presents stunning photographs shot during a single trip to a pristine cave.

Born in a Blizzard

With 50th anniversary celebrations prevailing, the Northern CC turns an inward eye to look at how the club was formed and what it has achieved.

Gear Review

Sawyer Water Filter

The Sawyer company takes a different tack to preparing clean, safe drinking water: instead of using chemicals, it relies on mechanical filtration.

Finding Thatcher’s Doom

A new cave has been opened in South Wales, culminating with a discovery on a very specific day.

A Return to Fairy Holes

The longest cave passage in the UK was once attributed to Fairy Holes in the Yorkshire Dales. With no visits permitted for over four decades, cavers have gained access once again.

The Birth of the RATs

First it was LADS and now it’s the RATs exploring a highly unstable, unpopular cave.

The Rescues of 2012

The annual rescue statistics always reveal some surprising facts and figures – learn from the incidents where something went wrong.

Cover: Admiring the curves in Golokratna jama, Slovenia. Photo: Peter Gedei

Back cover: Crystal-clean formations in the pristine Golokratna jama in Slovenia, extending this month’s Showcase. Photos: Peter Gedei

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.

Britain’s Biggest Chamber …

When The Frozen Deep was discovered on Mendip it set off comparisons with Gaping Gill’s Main Chamber, but calculating volume is not straightforward.

Dan yr Ogof: The Early Days

Two cavers involved in the 1966 breakthroughs that extended Dan yr Ogof here present their memories of this exciting golden age of exploration.

The Expeditions of 2013

The expedition season is upon us, with fourteen groups gaining grants.

Hard Labour … Chasing the Draughts

Prospecting and digging in Langstrothdale has recorded a new cave.

Beneath the Mountains: A return to Xitu

For five decades British expeditions have returned to the Spanish Picos, seeking depth and connections. David Rose, joint author of the seminal Beneath the Mountains, opens our major coverage of the project with his return to the front after thirty years.

More on the Crossed I

Joe Duxbury investigates a strange letter left by T’owd Man on passage walls.

A Passing Star

We pay tribute to Oliver Wells, a pioneer cave diver of Wookey Hole who has died aged 82.

Gear Review

Lyon Caving Suit

A new oversuit made from ‘Flex-PVC’ is given a rigorous test.

A Brief Visit to Ukraine

In a foreign country, the authorities seem bent on preventing drunken cavers from reaching home.

Cover: Sam Townsend on a recently discovered false floor in Cliffstile Mine. Photo: Rob Eavis

Back cover: Back cover: Pinnacle Chamber (top), The Meanders (inset) and Flabbergasm Oxbow, Dan yr Ogof in South Wales. Photos: Brendan Marris

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.

Another new cave has been dug open on Leck Fell, the result of a dig in a depression that seemed – to some, at times – a lost cause. Yet Shep Pot lay waiting below.

We Should Have Gone to Aygill

It’s one of the problems with a new discovery – it has lain for millennia, untouched and balancing its boulders, waiting for the unwary to find it, waiting to fight back.

The Man Who Followed the Water

We say farewell to Bill Gascoine, a chemist who turned hydrologist to unravel the secrets of South Wales.

More Than Just Another Party

CHECC’s latest gathering shows how the group’s stature has matured.

Flights of Fancy

A Drone for Cavers

In the first of two allied articles, Juan Corrin takes us underground in full control of a lightweight flying camera. What is at the top of that climb? Send in the drones.

The Hollow Hill of Gomantong

Photographing remote regions is one use of a caving drone, but why not go one stage further and produce a 3D survey as well?

The Descent Pixa Competition

Were you puzzled by the questions in our competition? Find the answers here, and who won the Petzl Pixa 3R rechargeable light.

Gear Review

Peli has taken a new look at how we carry kit, by building a hard protective case into a rucksack.

Write it down!

The Ady Standard

Dry caves can be wet, wet caves can be … wetter. Within his club, one caver’s descriptions set a new standard.

Cover: The Triple Jump in Shep Pot on a wet day. Photo: Frank Pearson

Back cover: Annie Guiraud in the gypsum-encrusted main passage of József-Hegyi Barlang, in an area known as Kinizsi Railway Station, Budapest, Hungary. Photo: Philippe Crochet

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.