It’s been a time for cavers to hold science and electronics meetings: BCRA and CREG’s autumn gatherings.

The Creation of Twll Du

A new entrance has been opened into Ogof Draenen.

Seldom Sitting Still

We say farewell to Boyd Potts, a caver always active and supportive of others.

The Sharp End of Mulu

The Spirit of Ungap

The first of two linked articles about the 2017 expedition to Mulu takes us into the high-level passages of Creedence, a cave full of promise.

Mulu’s Hidden Valley

Helicoptered into a remote area, the team is intent on following up known leads in the search for new passage.

Life Under Earth

To Boldly Go …

Hazel Barton concludes her influential series on cave life: this is how microbes are slowly yielding their secrets.

The Stal of Dentdale

How fast does stal grow? Quite quickly, in Dentdale.

Back in the Pleistocene

Someone’s been getting very annoyed about the theft of some bones.

Gear Review

The FixnZip

A handy device to repair a broken zip.

It’s Not Ideal

For years cavers have tried for a connection to create a mile-deep system in the Dachstein.

Cover: Lucy Greenwood in Curtain Chamber, St Cuthbert’s Swallet. Photo: Stu Gardiner

Back cover: Cat Hulse and Luke Cafferty in Liberation, Wonder Cave, Mulu. Photo: Jeff Wade

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It’s been ten years since Excalibur Pot on the North York Moors was discovered; now we have the full story of how it has been linked with Jenga Pot – complete with a two-page survey.

Cave Science

Of Neanderthals and Modern Man

Ffynnon Beuno Cave in North Wales is an important archaeological site, the last known occupied site of Northern European Neanderthals in Britain and the first inhabited by modern man.

Gear Review

SOL Emergency Bivvy

John Cordingley has located an incredibly light and useful emergency bag.

Under Doi Phu Kha

Shepton Mallet CC’s expeditions to Thailand have proved immensely successful, no less so than this latest to the mountains of Doi Phu Kha.

Viewpoint

The Last Sandwich

Conservation vs. exploration – where should we draw the line in the mud?

Caves in an Ancient Land

What might entice cavers to travel from the UK to the other side of the world? The International Congress of Speleology held in Sydney.

Memories of Sludge

It’s been fifty years since the attractive features of Sludge Pit were first revealed.

Lost Treasures of the Green Canal

Dan yr Ogof’s Green Canal has a certain notoriety for swallowing everything dropped by careless cavers.

Cover: Andy Eavis and the Deer Cave bat flight, Mulu, Best in Show winner at the International Congress of Speleology 2017. Photo: Chris Howes

Back cover: Annie Guiraud in Tuglow Cave and (inset) a close-up of formations in the Barralong Cave, Jenolan, New South Wales. The photographs were shot by Philippe Crochet during the International Congress of Speleology in Australia.

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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 Tale of Two Caves

A breakthrough in Hobnail Hole produced a problem with the route; this is how Mendip cavers fixed it.

Caving in the Wild West

The caves of the west coast of New Zealand are not only exciting and ripe for exploration, they are also stunningly beautiful.

Training to Train

You will probably have come across the acronyms LCMLA and CIC – so what do they represent and how might they benefit you?

Urban Cavers in Preston

Cavers will delve into any void that tantalises their curiosity, no less so than one underneath a drinking establishment.

Life under Earth

Building With Life

In part three of her series on how microbes are inextricably linked with caves, Hazel Barton turns her attention to formations of many and varied kinds.

Holy Waters

Our explorers meet plenty of holy water on their way to the source of the Blue Nile.

Stretchers in the Sunshine

Over a gloriously hot weekend in South Wales, cavers gathered to discuss cave rescue.

Gear Review and Competition

Gerber Multi-plier

Gerber’s Suspension Multi-plier is on review, plus we have a competition to win one of these highly useful tools.

Cover: Honeycomb Hill on the west coast of New Zealand. Photo: Neil Silverwood

Back cover: Martin Grass climbing out of Arête Chamber in St Cuthbert’s Swallet, one of Mark Burkey’s winning photos in the Mendip Cave Photography Competition, and Alan Purcell in Withyhill Cave by Dave Watts, one of the runners-up.

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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.

We say farewell to a caver embedded in Mendip caving and co-author of its guidebook, Tony Knibbs.

Life Under Earth

Bring on the Microbes

Hazel Barton continues her series on how microbes have helped to shape the passages we traverse, using sometimes unexpected food sources.

Mossdale. A survivor’s story

It is barely possible to mention Mossdale Caverns without thinking of the loss that occurred there exactly fifty years ago. Yet, not every caver died that day.

Beyond Yorkshire Gold

A long series of expeditions have taken York University cavers ever deeper into Bunda Jama in Montenegro – indeed, their explorations have taken them to greater depths than Yorkshire Gold.

Write it down!

Grave Superstition

Strange things have happened deep in the Gouffre Berger.

Cave Science

Opening Your Eyes to Cave Science

It might not always seem so, but the science of caves touches all of us and, in one way or another, every caver might become more involved in research that makes a difference.

Cover: Russ Brooks in Devis Hole Lead Mine Caves in Swaledale. Photo: Dave Ryall

Back cover: Iron caves in the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil. Photos: Luciana Alt and Vitor Moura

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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 Peak District has given up yet another of its secrets with the rediscovery of Hall’s Old Grove, a mine with a challenge.

One Hundred Entrances

A new area of Malaysian karst has been researched for the first time and over one hundred recorded entrances now await proper examination.

Choices Ahead

The British Caving Association is faced with several constitutional issues with respect to the campaign to see caving recognised as a right on open access land. Bob Mehew looks at the pros and cons in advance of the association’s AGM.

Life Under Earth

Microbes Make Caves

Explanations of how caves form was once so simple … but modern research has moved the emphasis from geology to biology. In the first part of an important series of articles, Hazel Barton introduces us to the life found beneath the earth.

Cobbling It All Together

Hobnail Hole took a lot of perseverance to dig open and then attempt to link it with Thrupe Lane Swallet on Mendip – was the team successful?

A Visionary Researcher

John Gunn bids farewell to another stalwart of the caving community, Trevor Ford.

Caption Competition

The Mont Cenis Tunnel

Our latest competition draws to a close with some entertaining captions.

In Bond’s Footsteps

It’s not so much ‘normal’ urban exploration; rather, this is exploration in remote tunnels where you can imagine someone uttering the phrase: ‘My name is Bond …’

Write it down!

Slainte, Farrell

Pam Fogg recalls times with Farrell McGourty and the friendly welcome he offered to passing cavers.

Cover: Paul Mackrill in Krem Mawpun, Meghalaya, India. Photo: Chris Howes

Back cover: The waterfall in the 52m deep entrance shaft of Pollnatagha, Co. Fermanagh. Photos: Rob Mulraney

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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.

Another successful dig by White Rose cavers has been recorded for posterity: here is how Hagg Beck Sink was discovered.

Another Lascaux

After years of planning and millions of euros, a new and outstanding replica of Grotte de Lascaux, perhaps the world’s most famous painted cave, has opened.

Cave Science

Mendip’s Ice Caves

You might not have noticed these formations, but they indicate a chilly past.

The Endless Abyss

We present not only an account of the latest deep shaft discoveries, but also how one was photographed and the impact on world rankings.

The Indomitable Chester

Stories about the one-legged Chester abound; we say farewell with just one more.

The Allure of Digging

Diggers, well, dig … but here is a project that most would see as squalid, tight, miserable and, well, would you return year in, year out?

Cave Photography

A poetic nod to what a photography trip is all about

EuroSpeleo (the extras)

The EuroSpeleo report in December’s Descent drew praise, so here are a few more memories of this astounding event

Caption Competition

Valvasor’s Living Speleothems …

Turn the page for a chuckle and see if you won, and to find a new competition kicking off.

Write it Down!

Jungle Drums

How did Sylvester Pot receive its name?

Cover: Annie Guiraud in São Mateus II, Goiás, Brazil. Photo: Philippe Crochet

Back cover: Fine formations in Sandford Levvy, Mendip. Photos: Peter Towndrow

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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.

That Wicked Smile

We sadly say farewell to a talented caver, leader and photographer, Paul Dold – the man with an infectious, wicked smile.

The Boreham Extensions

After access was lost for many years, Boreham Cave is once more revealing some of its incredible sights and secrets.

Caves in an Ancient Land

The Bible is filled with references to caves, so cavers who follow every lead might consider exploring the depths of Israel – though it might not be that simple.

Hidden Earth on Steroids

For a week in August cavers descended on and into the caves of the Yorkshire Dales: it was time to get down and dirty for EuroSpeleo 2016.

Cave Science

Life in Matienzo

The cave life of Matienzo is being documented in an ongoing biological project.

Write it down!

The Curse of Borovitz

Dave Gill remembers the year of 1982, when Sid Perou was shooting a caving film in Mexico.

The Mammoth Photographer

Cave photographers have never had it so good – take a look at what was required in 1866.

Caption Competition

Valvasor’s Speleothems

Our latest Caption Competition is drawing to a close: don’t forget to enter!

Cover: Adrian Hall in Tinkle Tubes, Boreham Cave. Photo: Dave Ryall

Back cover: Conny Straub in the Eiskogelhöhle, a high-altitude ice cave in the Tennengebirge, Austria. Photo: Rainer Straub

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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.

That long-gone miners once used caves to gain access to seams is well known, but nowhere is more spectacular than the mines and caves of Bilbao.

Exploring the World

Expedition cavers have again benefited from grants allocated by the Ghar Parau Foundation.

Cave Science

Solving a Climate Riddle

Finally, a solution to a decades-old scientific mystery at Devils Hole.

Finding the Lost River

Over the course of three dives, the bottom of the submerged shaft below Gaping Gill’s Lost River Chamber has at last been gained.

The Unique Status of Pen Park Hole

Long recognised for its historical importance, Pen Park Hole has now gained SSSI status.

Caption Competition

Valvasor’s Living Speleothems

Our ever-popular Caption Competition returns with a new (and rather strange) illustration.

Cover: Paul Dold in G.B. Cave. Photo: Steve Sharp

Back cover: Still life studies of a Premier carbide lamp and a candle with a survey and rope – seek out the fine detail, such as the reflection of winding gear from North Somerset’s Kilmersdon Colliery; the scrap of survey is based on a map by Harold Broderick drawn in 1908. Photos: Rob Carpenter

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.

Extending Krypton

Another discovery has been made in Peak Cavern, high above known passages.

Hypogenic Danby

Hypogenic caves – those formed by rising water rather than surface flow – are uncommon, but now another has been documented in the UK.

Gaping Gill: the Survey

A new survey of Gaping Gill has been released and is published here alongside the story of its creation.

Neuland

Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico is one of those rare systems: beautiful, unusual, keeping secrets that science seeks out, concealing hidden passages awaiting discovery. The most recent of these is Neuland, a major, gypsum-covered extension.

Do Nothing by Halves

Ray Mansfield’s time with us touched many, his friends numerous and his influence widely felt. We pay tribute to this calm, generous caver.

Cave Science

The Flows Beneath Malham

A major experiment, the largest of its kind ever run in the UK, has investigated the waters of Malham Cove.

Shadowplay

The tragic history of Mossdale Caverns has not dissuaded cavers from visiting its extremities, albeit quietly in the shadows.

Prophetic Fiction

The first edition of Descent set a milestone in 1969 – we might have moved forward ever since, but it is never too late to look back on an article that is both amusing and (just a little) prophetic.

Cover: Jess Burkey on the Twenty, Swildon’s Hole. Photo: Mark Burkey

Back cover: Winning images in the Mendip Cave Photography competition: Marc Carney in G.B. Cave and Lucy Greenwood on Swildon’s Twenty. Photos: Mark Burkey (top) and 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.

The caves of the Darai Plateau in Papua New Guinea belong to the Kosuan people who, an Irish expedition has found, are some of the friendliest and most helpful you are likely to meet anywhere. And this is an area of the world with everything to play for, cave-wise.

A Case of Desecration

These are sad days indeed, when a cave is found damaged, formations smashed and destroyed … by cavers (to use the term loosely). And it appears to have been deliberate.

Cyclist, Orienteer, Runner … Caver

All his life, Bert Bradshaw was a little powerhouse, a man who epitomised the concept of endurance. The caving world is a little poorer without this long-time president of the Northern Pennine Club.

Beyond the Puddle

White Keld in Wharfedale started as a puddle in a corner of a field, but today cave divers have 1.2km of passage to traverse in their search for a route towards Mossdale Caverns and Langcliffe Pot.

Cave Science

Caribbean Art

Cave-based scientific projects are proceeding apace around the world; this one is revealing more of our human history in the Caribbean.

Pal-y-Cwrt Revisited

Far from being a minor, unimportant cave, Pal-y-Cwrt could be the key to unlocking a major system – and after years of receiving attention, at last a new extension has been made.

Cover: Sharon Hussey in Swamp Creek, Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. Photo: Brendan Marris

Back cover: Krem Mawpun and (inset) Krem Puri, respectively limestone and sandstone caves shot during the 2016 Meghalaya expedition. Photos: Elena Buduran and (inset) Lisette de Graauw

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.