Investigating a sough in Lathkill Dale in the Peak District has revealed a highly unusual cave at Bubble Springs.

The Loss of Penderyn Cave

Following mention of Penderyn Cave in Descent (248), a bit of research has revealed more information about the photographs taken by William Black.

The Croesor–Rhosydd Traverse

The Croesor–Rhosydd traverse through a mountain in North Wales is considered a classic trip, though not without its difficulties. Mark Burkey, in a photo essay, has documented some of the sights.

Cave Science

Biofilm in the Peak

The subject of biofilm research in the UK starts off our new series on cave science.

What a Rollercoaster!

Recent expeditions to Mulu in Malaysia have uncovered some spectacular, exciting and hitherto unsuspected possibilities for exploration – and now we have Conviction Cave to add to the list.

Mountains and Rivers Without End

While one team explored Mulu’s Hidden Valley, another was busy at the northern end of the mountain.

Testing Anchors in Slate

Anchors in limestone have been installed and tested for years, so we know a fair bit about how they behave. But what of anchors in slate? Will they take the same strain?

How to Lose a Cave

Caves discovered in quarries must rank among our most vulnerable sites – so exploring and documenting them becomes doubly important.

Cover: Tony White on the pitch into Naughty But Nice, Conviction Cave, Mulu. Photo: Rob Eavis

Back cover: Chloe Burney and Mark Burgess at the second pitch in Croesor Quarry. Photo: Mark Burkey

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

A pot of gold lies at the end of the rainbow – or, just perhaps, beyond the next sump in Cat’s Hole.

The Saga of Rod’s and Drunkard’s

Digs can produce incredible breakthroughs, but even with much hard work things don’t always go according to plan.

Showcase

West Coast Caving!

The thrill of leaving the surface for an underground world is captured by Neil Silverwood’s image shot in New Zealand.

The Marros Enigma

A new cave has been explored in West Wales – learn the story of Ogof Marros.

Pillars of Ice

While Europe’s winter has been unseasonably warm, the caves of northern Russia have not!

A Remote Place to Tumble

The sharp edge of exploration is not always without risk, where even surface prospecting in Mulu can lead to a serious incident.

Langcliffe Silver

Langcliffe Pot sees infrequent visits, but Simon Wilson considers it well worth a trip and has installed a set of new anchors.

Gear Review

Apex Headlight

Is Princeton Tec’s Apex light, an off-the-shelf product, suited to caving?

Write it down!

56 Reasons for Giving Up Caving

Graham Proudlove recalls a trip that was almost bad enough to make him give up the sport.

Cover: Kelda Jones in Selenite Tunnel, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, South Wales. Photo: Chris Howes

Back cover: Jonathan Williams with stunning curtain formations in the Grotte des Écossaises, Hérault, France. Photo: Clive Westlake

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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.

Changing Attitudes to Cleaning Caves

Rubbish, litter and unwanted kit … and we cavers leave it rotting underground! It’s time for action.

Underground Turkey

Feast upon some fine photography shot during the Third International Meeting of Cave Photographers.

A Ripple Under Archways

After seven years of digging on Mendip, Home Close Hole has finally broken into the further reaches of Wigmore Swallet.

Meet the Mellops

Pigs go caving? Whatever next? Join the Mellops as they venture underground.

A Golden Age of Exploration

Martyn Farr has been lured back to continue cave diving in New Zealand, drawn by the current Golden Age of exploration.

Surveying OFD

After decades of work, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu’s new survey has been published … and it reveals a new length and depth for this classic cave.

Gear Review

Klean Kanteen Flasks

A vacuum flask is the obvious choice for a hot drink or soup, but which design is best to resist the rigours of the underground?

The Academy Cavers

For 2015 the annual Hidden Earth conference returned to Churchill Academy on Mendip, with great success.

Write it down!

Roy’s Recollections

Roy Holmes remembers his first foray into the unknown when he climbed up to Cave Ha. Damn those jackdaws!

Cover: Havva Yıldırım Çoltu in Mencilis Cave, Turkey. Photo: Paul Dold

Back cover: Ian Millward descending Garlands Pot in Giant’s Hole; the picture won the delegate ballot in the 2015 Hidden Earth Photo Salon. Photo: Mark Burkey

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

A salt cave on Qeshm Island, Iran, is a very special place to shoot a set of photos.

The Dean’s Party

For 2015 the BCRC Conference was held at the same time and place as the BCA Party in the Forest of Dean.

Operation Twenty

Chamber Twenty in Wookey Hole has always been the domain of cave divers, but now – with a new tunnel driven by the showcave – a dry route finally exists.

The Ups and Downs of BigMat

Discover a new entrance into the remoter regions of a cave, dig it out and look forward to returning for some serious exploration … Then, with an expedition in the field and time of the essence, the first cavers to go in find the entrance collapsed.

Probing Juniper’s Heights

Tracking the inlets to Juniper Gulf’s big shaft resulted in the creation of a new and challenging traverse.

A Blast from the Past

Len Dawes explains how he shot his classic image of Gaping Gill using flashpowder, back in the pre-digital days of the 1950s.

The Zebedee Revolution

Large, tripod-mounted laser scanners are one thing – instead, how about a hand-held scanner that creates a 3D survey while you walk or crawl down a passage?

Cover: Andy Kempster prusiking up The Narrows, Nettle Pot. Photo: Mark Burkey

Back cover: Actively growing crystals and a collapse chamber in 3N Cave, a salt cave on Qeshm Island, Iran. Photos: Philippe Crochet

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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.

A visit to Trenchtown might require crawling in muddy squalor, but its discovery should still be reported.

The Undescended Pit

Can it be? A huge, open, undescended surface shaft located in the British Isles was waiting for cavers to realise it was there!

Nenthead’s Heritage

NAMHO’s annual conferences are renowned for their underground excursions, and for 2015 Nenthead’s environs let nobody down.

If in Doubt – Bring it Out

To enhance the caving community’s efforts to conserve our caves, a new initiative has been launched.

Keep Canada Clean

As White Nose Syndrome continues to expand within North American bat populations, Western Canadian cavers would like to keep their area safe.

What Goes On in the Shadows

Bulmer Cavern in New Zealand is a significant system – and with dye-tests concluded, cavers have found that its hydrology is even more complex than first thought.

The World’s Voids … in 3D

As the work of the 3D Caves Project proceeds to measure the largest caverns on earth, the data reveals more changes to the world rankings.

Bound in a Nutshell

Watching laser scanning in Gaping Gill, Frank Pearson was reminded of the works of a pioneer long gone.

Groundwater Days

Speleologists gathered from around the world for a conference on … groundwater.

Write it down!

Of Warm and Wet and Vertical

John Davey remembers a few stories from his caving career.

Cover: Neil Warrington releasing dye in Bulmer Cavern, New Zealand. Photo: Neil Silverwood

Back cover: The winning entry in the Mendip Cave Photography Competition: Laura Appleby climbing at the bottom of Swing Pitch, Longwood Swallet. Photos: Mark Burkey

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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.

John Beck was a doyen of Peak District caving and researching and digging and surveying and … the list goes on. We say farewell to this most respected of cavers.

Write it down!

Looking for Bill and Hughie

There’s a Turkey Passage in Agen Allwedd, but Ribden Mine has first call on the name.

Diving at Depth

Chris Jewell and Jason Mallinson have been diving at the bottom of the GESM in Spain, discovering a kilometre of dry cave and adding to its depth.

The Rescues of 2014

With the statistics to hand we can learn about what went awry for cavers in 2014.

Britain’s Longest Maze Cave

Few cavers will know of Hudgill Burn Mine Caverns, yet not only is this the country’s longest maze cave, its natural passages weren’t even formed by running water.

It Was April, After All!

And now … the truth about Xanadu and the cave of Kubla Khan!

To Foreign Climes

The expeditions of 2015 – where are cavers heading this year?

Chauvet Revealed

A replica of Grotte Chauvet opened in April to great acclaim, and Descent brings you a report of the first trip on the first day.

Cover: Matthew Wood on the Grand Circle, Agen Allwedd. Photo: Steve Sharp

Back cover: Annie Guiraud (top) in Cueva de Santo Tomás (with inset, a cave crustacean) and Cueva de Santa Catalina, Cuba. Photos: Philippe Crochet

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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.

How big is that chamber we found? Cavers always want to know such things, but the answer isn’t that easy to come by. Do you work with area or volume, and just which is the largest chamber in the world, anyway?

A Challenge for All Cavers

The Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association helps cavers and others in times of need. Now, they need your support.

Explorer of the Sunless Sea

We say farewell to one of the world’s legendary cavers: Mike Boon.

Before Xanadu

We have some exciting news that ties together a classic poem with the final resting place of a Mongol leader: Genghis Khan.

Tales of the Unexplained

An expedition to the caves of Mulu in 2014 found some strange speleothems, so now the discoverers want to learn more of how they were formed.

The Pit and the Storm

Even after being travelled by cavers for years, there are still secrets to find, new routes to discover in our more popular caves.

Write it down!

Inspired by Fell

A.E. Morgan remembers some of the good days, now long gone, that he spent with friends such as Jack Fell.

A Recce to Rift Pot

When two cavers checked the anchors in Rift Pot, they didn’t expect the trip to end with a serious self-rescue. Here’s how the day went.

Cover: Emma Battensby in Krem Ksow Lamet, Meghalaya. Photo: Hellie Brooke

Back cover: Gwenllian Tawy near Gypsum Caverns, Ease Gill Caverns, and a self-portrait of Toby Speight in Razor Rift, Skye. Photos: Toby Speight

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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.

In December a BCA poll was held to determine cavers’ wishes: to campaign for greater legal access to caves, or to retain the status quo. We said yes!

Draughting Heights

British cavers have been visiting the caves of Mulu for decades – surely, by now the area has been worked out. But no, the latest expedition has revealed an entirely new level of passages and thrown exploration dreams wide open.

Showcase

The Caves of Gunung Api

What is the attraction of Mulu? Clean-washed river passage and ongoing exploration, that’s what!

Ashton’s Flood Pulses

Most cavers know of the principles used in dye-tracing to determine the nature of unknown cave passages, but here we enter the world of Ken Ashton and his use of flood pulses.

Write it down!

Callout Time

All cavers know that a callout time is needed for every trip – and that you never, ever ought to exceed it.

On the Underside of Surrey

Old, forgotten mines are just as attractive as caves to some of our community, even if their rediscovery takes months and years of toil and trouble to uncover their secrets.

The Inconvenient Truth

The media is legendary for misreporting anything to do with caves, but this time one publication exceeded all expectations.

Cover: Judith Calford at the Moai formation, Easter Cave, Mulu. Photo: Chris Howes

Back cover: Lucy Greenwood at a tranquil pool in Dan yr Ogof, South Wales. Photos: Stu Gardiner

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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.

Gear Review

El Speleo Nichia 1000 Headlight

A new Croatian-built headlight is on the market – how did it fare underground?

Deakin: The All-Rounder

When Paul Deakin died in September, the UK lost one of its lauded cave photographers and surveyors. His friends here pay their tribute.

The Descent Caption Competition

Mining Potosi

Whether you won an Earthworm headlight or simply would like to have a laugh, you’ll want to check these caption entries.

The Mohole …

… turned out to be, the diggers decided, an education in more ways than one. Join Tim Allen and Frank Pearson for a tale of Christmas cheer.

Dante and the Discontinuity

It’s not so much about Greek mythology as delving into the depths of the earth.

The Restless Adventurers

The legendary caves of Mulu continue to beckon. What’s it like to face the trials and tribulations of exploring rainforest limestone, to take part in such an expedition?

The Great Indoors

Our annual caving conference, Hidden Earth, this year returned to Leek for a weekend of talks, competitions and sheer enthusiasm.

Cover: Henry Dawson in raging water in Swildon’s Hole. Photo: Stu Gardiner

Back cover: Dean Beard at the end of the Flood Entrance series and (bottom) crawling through The Canal in Little Neath River Cave, South Wales. Photos: Brendan Marris

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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.

Martyn Farr has returned to New Zealand to continue pushing the caves he found last year, and comes back with the ultimate selfie.

Gear Review

MacWet Gloves

If you need to manipulate kit underground, perhaps you would benefit from a glove that isn’t made from PVC.

My Dad, the Troglodyte

Keith Joule’s sudden death while caving was a huge loss to the caving world. His friends and daughter pay tribute to this Peak District caver.

The CRoW Legacy

Discussions about access to caves on land where others can roam freely continue apace – and it’s a game-changing subject.

All Our Yesterdays

Alan Jeffreys muses on what has become of our old but classic caving kit.

Peak’s Holy Grail

They’re off again, heading into uncharted limestone territory with the latest Peak discovery.

A Lacklustre Affair

Joe Duxbury was less than impressed by the 2014 EuroSpeleo Forum.

The Longest Cave

The Three Counties System in Northern England is the UK’s longest cave – but just how long is it?

The Descent Caption Competition

Mining Potosí

Make the most of your final chance to win a made-for-caving Earthworm headlight.

Cover: Martyn Farr in Avalon Hall, Totara Cave, New Zealand Photo: Martyn Farr

Back cover: Judith Calford on a ledge in the main chamber of Zelkse jame, a cave in Notranjska Regional Park, Slovenia. Photo: Chris Howes

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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.