The four-year Stories in Stone project to conserve the limestone landscapes of Ingleborough has come to an end.

Anchoring Newby Moss

Another cave in the Yorkshire Dales now sports a set of new hangers and, therefore, a new topo and an up-to-date route description.

Seventy-five Years On …

Seventy-five years ago pioneer cave divers gathered at Ogof Ffynnon Ddu in Wales and decided to form the Cave Diving Group of Great Britain.

Showcase

The imagery of Philippe Crochet.

Climbing the Winze

A soaring shaft simply demanded to be climbed, for no better reason than to find out what lay at the top. It was not an easy project.

An Orgnac in Ethiopia

Robin Weare continues his quest to find deep caves in Ethiopia, but finds himself in the Most Beautiful Cave in the country.

105 Days Below

We are sad to say farewell to a man who challenged the records for an extended solo stay underground.

Cave Rescue 2020

Annually, the British Cave Rescue Council releases statistics for the previous year’s rescues – learn what not to do underground (and on the surface).

Exploring Hells Bells

A new site with potential in a not-so-well-known caving area in the UK? Hells Bells, it was time for a closer look to see what might be discovered.

Cover: Annie Guiraud in the entrance to the Grotte de la Vieille Folle, France. Photo: Philippe Crochet
Back cover: Mike Bonner in foam and high water in the Ogof Ffynnon Ddu streamway. Photo: Mark Burkey

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 Peak District’s Cussey Pot, where a major breakthrough was reported in Descent (277), continues to reveal its secrets.

Seven-eighths of a Hole

Placing hangers in Broken Finger Pot proved more of a challenge than was at first anticipated.

The Ultimate Cave Tour

Taking a commercial tour of the caves of Vietnam, including the immense Hang Son Doong, has yielded some superb images to Martyn Farr’s camera.

Gaining Depth Through Megzit

Ogof Ffynnon Ddu is not only the deepest cave in the UK, it still hides remote passages within its heights … and has become a little bit deeper still.

The Kilnsey Enigma

A dig in Kilnsey Crag has fascinated cavers for years; Steve Warren looks at how the secrets are starting to unravel.

A Caver for Life

Another of our community has departed, with the speleohistory of Swildon’s Hole strongly recorded within this tribute to Len Dawes.

Decrypted Cavers

If you found the Cryptic Cavers crossword in the previous issue too, well, cryptic, we have the answers for you (and the winner).

Pilgrims in Lockdown

A lockdown, it transpires, cannot get determined cavers down … but it can keep them underground, digging and digging away.

Write it Down!

Nostalgia

John Gillett’s memories have been triggered by an obituary in Descent (276) – nostalgia has the ability to keep much alive.

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.

It’s BIG … for Stoney

Cussey Pot was only discovered this year – not even Covid-19 restrictions could slow down its exploration, which has opened up a massive extension.

Drain That Cave

Tham Luang in Thailand, site of the daring rescue in 2018, has yielded more of its secrets to a 3D laser scan. But what was it like to visit in person?

Land of Hope and Glory

Not only has an extension been made to Wookey Hole, an incredibly significant connection has been dug.

In a League of his Own

Pavel Demidov lost his life to a boulder collapse in Integral cave in Georgia. Robbie Shone pays tribute to the achievements of this astounding caver.

The Sound of the Sea

Exploring the coast of West Wales by kayak reveals a new cave for the registry, and it’s superbly decorated too.

Cryptic Caver

To help while away minutes or hours, we have a cryptic caving crossword with which you can flex your mental muscles.

Lech: 150

It’s time for a celebration: the survey of Lechuguilla Cave in New Mexico has passed the 150 mile mark.

Swildon’s in Flood

In the aftermath of Storm Alex, going caving in Swildon’s Hole seemed an exciting idea.

Cover: Dylan Kocher in the recently discovered Timewarp Aven, Cussey Pot. Photo: Rob Eavis

Back cover: Elemental sulphur in the latest extensions in Lechuguilla Cave, USA . Photo: Max Wisshak

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.

It has long been known that an inlet in Swinsto Cave carried water from Turbary Pot, and now a through-trip is possible.

Starry Skies Underground

Max and Stefanie Wisshak share a chapter from their new book about caves and karst in New Zealand, portraying the country’s famed glowworms.

The Crowning Glory

Two expeditions to Laos have produced some excellent results in sometimes stomping passages to dream of.

Nameless Optimism

Bolting, climbing, pushing an untapped aven in Peak Cavern – might it, could it, will it yield results?

Caves Be Where You Find ‘em

We remember another of yesteryear’s pioneer cavers, Fred Davies, who coined what has become a well-known Mendip saying.

Known Only to Dragons

Finding caves in Armenia is not the only challenge – you are faced with porcupines, snakes and bats and … perhaps, dragons.

So You Want to Make a Video

When it comes to shooting film underground, one name always springs to mind: Sid Perou. Here he offers some advice for up-and-coming film-makers.

Cover: The 187m entrance drop into Harwood Hole, New Zealand. Photo: Max Wisshak

Back cover: Kayleigh Wood on the Greasy Slab, Alum Pot. Photo: Mark Burkey

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.

Activity in Longcliffe Mine has continued since we last reported on progress two years ago – with some impressive discoveries made to date.

Painting with Light

Light painting in photography is an old technique, but rarely in caving can it ever have been used to reach this level of the art form.

How Many Cavers?

From time to time the question arises: how many cavers are there? Here is part of the answer, with an analysis of numbers active in Europe.

Memories of Draenen

Mike Simms looks back at his experiences of many years spent in Ogof Draenen, from its exploration to formulating theories of its genesis.

Call of the Depths

Imperial College CC’s expeditions to Slovenia’s longest cave, Sistem Migovec, have yielded yet more discoveries. Klic Globin awaits …

Nothing Quite Like It …

Northern England has seen another breakthrough in Jenga Pot – and a major, significant find at that, even if it does involve a degree of mud.

Absent Friends

With great sadness, we must bid farewell to long-time cavers Fred Davies, Helen Farr and Andy Farrow.

The Ease Gill Chapter

Stuck for caving-orientated ideas during lockdown? Tom Calpin set himself a challenge, based on a guidebook chapter.

Cover: Pete Hodkinson, Grotte de Quatre, Greenland. Photo: Vincent Gerber

Back cover: Alum Pot. Photo: Bill Nix

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.

Discussions over two similar knots led Bob Mehew to run some tests – so which one turned out to be the safer for cavers to use?

Greenland’s Calcite

With two science-based expeditions to Greenland in 2015 and 2018 completed, a major trip in 2019 brought further success.

The General

From expeditions, exploring and digging to supporting British caving behind the scenes, Dave Checkley was always busy; his friends pay tribute.

Cave Science

Accessible Science

Interesting data relating to the pandemic and how it affects caves has been emerging from the newly renamed British Cave Science Centre at Poole’s Cavern.

Surveys and Copyright

A statement of copyright on a cave survey implies that legalities are involved, but what are these and how might they affect you?

Mobile Phones Come of Age

Cave photographs are often taken on mobile phones, but the quality is not always high. Dave Bunnell has investigated a significant new option.

A Quarry to Call My Own

You might yearn to own your own cave – for Simon Brooks, it meant he also had to buy a quarry .

Write it Down!

Sixties Caving

Nick Chipchase’s reminiscences of caving in the 1960s might serve to remind us not only of days long gone, but also how techniques have changed.

Cover: Pete Hodkinson, Grotte de Quatre, Greenland . Photo: Robbie Shone

Back cover: Alum Pot. Photo: John Dale

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.

In the first of a two-part article, we head to Greenland for a series of expeditions examining the science encapsulated in its frozen caves.

Booking In

Access to the caves of Northern England has been undergoing a series of changes – Matt Ewles covers the background to this and the current status.

Cave Rescue 2019

Once again the BCRC has collated data about all the cave rescues of the year, so that we might learn what not to do.

Talking of How Things Were

The UBSS has been conducting an oral history project to record some of its members … and it’s documenting some interesting memories.

Pushing the Frontiers

The caving community has lost two of its dynamic characters: Simon Halliday and Chas Yonge. Here, their friends pay tribute to two lives spent underground.

Write it Down!

The Risk of Exposure

Jim had swum naked across a pool in an easy-to-enter cave to see what was on the far side. Then a family of tourists wandered in …

Cover: At the junction of two rivers, Kalvarija in Križna jama, Slovenia. Photo: Peter Gedei

Back cover:The horse gin in Rampgill Lead Mine and the blue cascade in Coniston Copper Mine. Photo: John Dale

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.

Primož Jakopin concludes his interview with Pavel Demidov, a caver spending much of his time exploring the deepest cave on earth: Verëvkina.

Relocating The Cave Book

The Cave Book is a very early private British record of exploration in the Yorkshire Dales, now refound and being reproduced for posterity.

Rumbling in the Grove

New explorations and surveys have enabled links to be made between the caves of Grove Cliff on Portland.

Gear Review

Petzl Boreo Caving Helmet and Duo S Headlight

Petzl’s latest caving helmet and LED headlight are put to the test.

This Thing of Darkness

Time can teach us so much, but what of cave exploration? And just what does this wilderness thing mean, anyway?

Following the Snowy River

Accepting the challenge of following the course of the world’s longest calcite formation is not without its complexities .

Cover: Pavel Demidov at –2,204m, the surface of the sump in Verëvkina in Georgia, the deepest cave on earth. Photo: Robbie Shone

Back cover: Mike Haworth on Waterfall Pitch, Knotlow Cavern. Photo: Bill Nix

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.

Bulgaria Calling

EuroSpeleo was this year held in Bulgaria, a country with plenty of caving on offer.

Climber, Cyclist, Walker … Caver

We say farewell to the hugely popular Harry ‘Eski’ Hesketh.

The Descent Caption Competition
King Pharaoh’s Caves

If you entered our caption competition, you’ll want to learn whether you won a major prize (for everyone else, your chuckles await you).

Japanese Caves and Karst

An extended photographic feature brings the best images from the 2019 meeting of cave photographers in Japan.

The Peak–Speedwell Connection

With a reason in mind, John Cordingley takes a historical look at the connection between Peak and Speedwell caverns.

Croeso

In September, Wales welcomed the annual Hidden Earth conference.

The Man from the Deepest Cave on Earth

In the first part of two, Primož Jakopin interviews Pavel Demidov, a caver inherently linked with exploring the deepest cave on earth: Verëvkina.

Gear Review
Petzl Stop, Freino Z and Rig

The new 2019 versions of Petzl’s descenders are put to the test.

Showcase
With Attention to Detail

Two cave photographers relate how the back cover images were shot.

Cover: Annie Guiraud in Kagekiyo-ana, Japan . Photo: Philippe Crochet

Back cover: Winning images from the Hidden Earth Photo Salon: Xe Bang Fai River Cave, Laos and Altınbeşik Cave, Turkey. Photos: Chris Howes and Rainer Straub

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 Tresviso do not reveal their secrets easily, though another expedition has made significant gains … and the attractions of cheese are always present!

Cave Rescue ’18

Our series bringing you the UK’s cave rescue statistics have caught up, now presenting the data for 2018. Read and learn what not to do.

Cave Science
Speedwell’s Sump Swap

The sumps of Speedwell Cavern are unusual, in that they can reverse their flow. Descent (269) reported they had done just that … but now, they’ve swapped again.

Maypole Antics

They’re still pushing loose ends in Thrupe Lane Swallet, with the latest attempt to find more passage resorting to using a maypole.

The Finest of All Underwater Caves

Cave diver Martyn Farr has returned to the Bahamas, where some of the stunningly decorated flooded systems on Abaco fell prey to his camera.

Every Other Year

Rescon comes but every other year, and for 2019 it was held on Mendip – with a standard of organisation that will be hard to top.

The Descent Caption Competition
King Pharaoh’s Caves

Here’s your only reminder: with a major prize from Petzl at stake, time is running out for sending in your competition entry.

Cover: Helen Rider diving in Ralph’s Cave, Abaco, the Bahamas. Photo: Martyn Farr

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.