The Great Round Trip in the Forest
Chris Scaife describes the first ever Long Round Trip in Slaughter Stream Cave – an event that was supposed to be a ceremonial procession, but turned into a Poseidon adventure.

Eric Holland: Hero or Villain?
Eric Holland has a complicated legacy. The author of five books, but with a writing career heavily tarnished by plagiarism scandals, he was  also an inspirational figure to some, as Phil Murphy writes.

São Desidério and Terra Ronca
If you were impressed by the formations in the first part of Martyn Farr’s Brazil article, in Descent 298, just wait till you see these!

North by North End Pot
Tim Allen reports on another great find by the Space Miners: a surface dig that turned into an archaeological site and then broke into the Three Counties system.

Violet Smith and the Fairlawn Hotel
Simon Brooks writes about a hotel, and its owner, that played a major part in shaping the Meghalaya caving expeditions.

Johnny B. Goode and the Dave Gill Demons
Following the death of Dave Gill, Stuart Weston and Andy Maloney remember a tale of hallucinations and jungle disappearances, in which Dave was a lifesaver.

Putting Your Feet Up at the Buttertubs
Peter Ryder describes his first foray into SRT, a 15m descent with his feet pointing vertically upwards against the rock wall.

Cover: Rachel Smith in Terra Ronca 2, Brazil. Photo: Martyn Farr
Back cover: Harwood’s Hole, digital art of the 180m entrance pitch in New Zealand. Artwork: Peter ‘Snablet’ MacNab

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Blunders Into the Unknown
There is a great crescent of limestone sweeping around Morecambe Bay, from Barrow to Lancaster, but the area contains few known major caves. Andy Walsh recounts rare tales of significant finds in the area from 60 years ago.

Competition Time
We have teamed up with the QI Elves, and hosts of the podcast No Such Thing as a Fish, to bring you a unique competition. To be in with a chance of winning a great prize, we are asking you to send us some facts about caves and underground exploration. We also reveal the winner and correct answers from the Descent 297 quiz.

The Greater Horseshoe Comeback
Chris Scaife has been underground with the Sussex Bat Group, looking for Greater Horseshoe bats, which have recently returned to South East England after an absence of 100 years.

The Caves of Peruaçu
Brazil will host next year’s International Congress of Speleology. Anyone unsure about whether to attend could well be swayed by Martyn Farr’s two-part article about the country’s exceptional caves.

In Memoriam
The caving world has lost some great characters in recent months. We have obituaries for Dave Gill, Pete Rose, Andy Sewell and David St Pierre.

Cymmie’s Rucksac Edition
Alan Jeffreys has uncovered a draft copy of an unpublished guidebook: A Guide to the Yorkshire Caves and Potholes (The Rucksac Edition) by Eli ‘Cymmie’ Simpson, dated 1932.

Cover: Judith Calford in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu 1, South Wales. Photo: Chris Howes
Back cover: Gruta do Janelao, Brazil. Photo: Martyn Farr

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders outside of the UK 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.

Cave Rescue 2023
The annual report by the British Cave Rescue Council, with details of all underground incidents for the year.

Is Optimism a Strategy?
Pete Talling reports on a trip to Peru. Sometimes you go on a caving expedition with numerous promising leads, sometimes you have nothing more than optimism.

Attaining Unobtainium
Rowter Hole in the Peak District has been extended, writes Mark Richardson. It wasn’t easy, but the results are certainly impressive.

Of Gods and Kids
Crete has long been a popular destination for a family holiday and, as Carolina Smith writes, it has many caves that are suitable for all.

Suspension Trauma
Bob Mehew discusses this potentially serious problem.

Mermaids and Angels
Andy Goddard reports on the conglomerate caves of Thailand, a side project for some of the cavers on the recent Shepton Mallet CC, Wessex CC and friends expedition.

Cover: Loz Appleby and Stuart Weston in Peaches and Popcorn, Moon Cave, Mulu. Photo: Mark Burkey
Back cover: Rene Haemers in Optimism is a Strategy, Tragadero de la Soledad, Peru. Photo: Boaz Langford

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders outside of the UK 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.

Flow Beneath the Peak
John Gunn gives an account of some recent extensive water tracing experiments in the Eyam-Stoney Middleton area.

Breaking Records in Pozo Azul
With over 9km of sump diving needed to reach the previous limit of exploration, Jason Mallinson was never going to have an easy time in northern Spain’s Pozo Azul. This is a fascinating first-hand account from the cutting edge of cave diving.

Scottish Caving Regions
Descent’s Scotland correspondent, Alan Jeffreys, gives a detailed account of the major and minor caving areas north of the border.

In Defiance
Colin Boothroyd reports on the November 2023 expedition to Mulu.

Petzl Duo RL Headlamp and Boreo Caving Helmet
Chris Scaife has been trying out Petzl’s latest caving helmet and ultra-bright lamp.

Rubber Ducks in Czechia
Czechia is a country British cavers rarely visit but, as Reynard Spiess reports, it is a warm and welcoming place with some excellent caves.

Prize Winners
Find out the answers to the crossword and quiz from issues 295 and 294 respectively, and find out the names of the lucky winners.

Stereo Photography
It’s time to see if your eyes are up to the challenge of seeing stereo images in 3D, in this article by Maurice Hewins.

Cover: Mel Dalby entering Pozo Azul, Spain. Photo: Martyn Farr
Back cover: Martin Grass in Pisa Passage, Shatter Cave, Mendip. Photo: Chris Howes

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VAT is not charged on UK publications. Orders outside of the UK 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.

Underground Pains
Anna Taylor presents the results of an extensive survey she has carried out on the subject of menstruation among cavers.

BCRC in Norway
Cavers know they have to take their opportunities, so when a group from the British Cave Rescue Council was offered a trip to Norway, they could hardly refuse, as told by Brendan Sloan.

Subterranean Fishes of the World
Graham Proudlove gives a fascinating summary of the world’s underground fishes.

Drawing and Pumping: Underground Waterwheels
Ioan Lord tells the story of the discovery of two large, intact, underground waterwheels at an old lead mine in Ceredigion, mid-Wales.

The Descent Christmas Crossword
Martin Wright has put together another fiendishly difficult puzzle with a caving theme.

Is This a Record?
Alan Jeffreys gives his opinion on the importance of writing it down.

Cover: Diana Hierro Zapico in Cueva Mur, Cantabria, Spain. Photo: Paul ‘Beardy’ Swire
Back cover: ‘Caving Huts of Britain’, Highly Commended in the art salon at Hidden Earth. Design: Sam Dredge

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

The Aquamole is Back
After a break of 26 years, Geoff Yeadon decided it was time to return to cave diving. This turned into a big event in the Yorkshire Dales, as told by Geoff, Mark Burkey and Roo Walters.

In the Wilds of Crete
British cavers have been visiting Crete’s Lefka Ori – or White Mountains – for many years; but, as Chris Scaife reports, it is still a wild place with undescended holes everywhere.

Of Clouds and Barren Lands
Meghalaya in India is also known as ‘the Abode of the Clouds’ and, as Simon Brooks reports, expeditions to this region never fail to deliver.

Petzl Duffel 85 Review
The large, durable transport bag is reviewed by Chris Scaife. The review is followed by a quiz for your chance to win one.

NAMHO in the Lake District
Chris Jones reports on this year’s NAMHO conference, held in Grasmere.

Extraterrestrial Caves
When Descent was launched in January 1969, humans had not set foot on the moon. Now, in October 2023, we feature an article by
Francesco Sauro and the European Space Agency about the exploration of caves on other planets.

The Oldest Northerners
Tony Brown and Martin Stables write about recent excavations in Cumbria’s Heaning Wood Bone Cave, including the discovery of the oldest human remains ever found in northern England.

Cover: Geoff Yeadon in Frake’s Passage, Kingsdale, Yorkshire Dales. Photo: Mark Burkey
Back cover: Loz Appleby in Retdung Khur, Meghalaya, India. Photo: Bill Nix

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

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Not So Hopeless Hole
A few years ago, Hopeless Hole on Portland, Dorset, was known as just a small phreatic tube. Now though, following much determined digging, as told by Tim Rose, the hole has proved to be anything but hopeless.

Exploring the Loser Augst-Eck Plateau
Cambridge University cavers have been visiting a huge expanse of karst in Austria since the 1970s but, as this article by Becka Lawson demonstrates, their expedition is a thoroughly modern one.

Enter Team Awesome
Hartle Dale Bottom Mine in the Peak District had been visited numerous times in the past, but had lain dormant for the last 15 years. Jon Pemberton writes about recent developments – another fascinating chapter in the Team Awesome saga.

Life Expectancy of SRT Rope
Bob Mehew shares the results of his experiments to test the dynamic drop capacity of caving rope.

Goodbye, Guy Meauxsoone
The colourful life of the Belgian caver and filmmaker is told by Sid Perou.

Cover: A straw in Hunters Lodge Inn Sink, Mendip. Photo: Dave Watts
Back cover: Julia Arce Sáez in Galería del Lago, Cueva de Alba, Huesca, Spain. Photo: Paul Swire

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A Return to the Deepest Cave in Thailand
Andy Goddard, Martin Ellis, Paul Dummer and Mike Thomas tell us about a major recent expedition to Thailand.

Into the Mulespinner
Teams Average and Awesome have been rewarded for their digging in Bagshawe Cavern, as Dave Cowley reports.

Cover: Fisherstreet Pot, Doolin River Cave. Photo: Martyn Farr
Back cover: Jess Burkey in the Lower Bung Streamway, Peak Cavern. 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.

The Geometry of Deep Space – Part Two
Frank Pearson continues his description of the exploration of Five Ways Pot in the Yorkshire Dales, a site where the digging work has certainly paid off.

Bats in Northern Caves
Professor John Altringham has been studying bats underground in the north for decades and now gives us an informative summary of his work.

Tin Mine Adventures
The underworld has a way of luring us in, as outdoor writer Julia Goodfellow-Smith found out on a recent trip to Cornwall.

Cave Rescue 2022
The BCRC has gathered all the data from last year’s surface and underground incidents involving cave rescue teams in Britain and Ireland.

Cavers of the Future
A recent caving trip to South Wales for several families is described by Katie Dent, with input from some of the children involved.

Bruce Leonard Bedford: Celebration of a Life  – Part Two
Clive Gardener continues his obituary for the founder of Descent magazine.

Write it Down!
The Eternal Flame
David Gill has a tale from the past, about a surreptitious visit to an underground bunker and having to think quickly when an eternal flame is extinguished.

Cover: Tara Beacroft in Straw Chamber, Ogof Craig a Ffynnon. Photo: Craig Holdstock
Back cover: Fighting a cascade in Ogof Ffynnon Ddu. Photo: Jerry Wooldridge

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

EIGHT EXTRA PAGES

The Mystery of Body Pot
In 1947, a body was discovered in a cave high up on Ingleborough. Alan Jeffreys investigates the matter in detail.

Twenty Years of CHECC
The Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs has now been active for 20 years. Aila Taylor writes about its past, present and future.

The Geometry of Deep Space – Part One
Five Ways Pot in the Yorkshire Dales is sure to be a classic SRT trip in years to come. Frank Pearson describes the work put in, over several years, to open up this vertical gem.

Cruciverbalists Abound in the Caving World
The Descent Christmas Crossword in issue 289 proved immensely popular. Here, we reveal the answers and the name of the winner.

In Memoriam
Some giants of the caving world have died recently. Jim Newton is remembered by David Creedy, Paul Seddon by Dick Willis; and we have a tribute to Bruce Bedford, the first editor of Descent. This is written primarily by Clive Gardener, with a selection of memories from others.

A Glorious Lot
Martyn Farr has been caving in the Lot region of France. He shares some of his fine photographs and thoughts on this stunning place.

The Legacy of Ghar Parau
Fifty years on from the British team’s deep exploration in Iran, Arthur Champion reminisces and comments on the legacy of this groundbreaking expedition.

It’s Cave, Jim, But Not As We Know It
Another impressive discovery in the Dales! Hugh St Lawrence reports on the exploration of Hazeltop Cave on Barbon High Fell.

Cover: Liz Lawton on the second pitch in Turbary Pot, Kingsdale, Yorkshire Dales. Photo: Bill Nix
Back cover: Roo Walters in Clearwater Cave, Mulu. 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.