Fire and Ice in the Picos
Chris Curry and Mark Sims report on this year’s Ario Caves Project expedition.

Downstream Breakthrough in Redhouse
Tim Nichols reports on yet more discoveries in the Forest of Dean’s stunning Redhouse Lane Swallet.

Microplastics Underground
Is anywhere safe from plastic pollution? Maria Zainab has been studying the presence of microplastics in some of Britain’s caves.

May I Have a Word?
Alan Jeffreys points out a simple mistake that many journalists are wont to include in any writing about caves.

The Lows and Highs of Wales
Oliver Hill describes a long, long day combining caving, cycling and hillwalking to reach the deepest and highest natural points in Wales within 24 hours.

Remembering Harry Long
The death of Harry Long has left the caving world a poorer place. Here, some of his close friends and caving companions pay tribute.

The Early Years in South Wales
As both South Wales Caving Club and the Cave Diving Group, which was founded in the Swansea Valley, celebrate their 80th years in 2026, Martyn Farr describes some of the major caving activity in South Wales’s distant past.

Front cover:Violet Hill under the first ice plug in Morrón del Torco, Ario. Photo: Bartek Biela

Back cover: Nicola Bayley in Bakerloo Straight, Dan Yr Ogof. This image appears in our new Pot Trumps card game, raising money for the British Cave Rescue Council. Photo: Andy Harp

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 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.

Calf-length leg. Terry foot bottom for cushioned comfort. Piquet welt for a refined comfort cuff. Classic flat linked toe seam for comfort.

Size
UK adult 5-10

Composition Oeko-Tex certified
75% Organic Cotton, 23% Nylon, 2% Elastane

Made in Portugal

Made from heavyweight steel with thicker enamel for extra durability, with a 350ml capacity.

The design in by Emma Caspers.

£5 from the sale of each pack will be donated to the British Cave Rescue Council.

May the best cave win!

Here We Go Again
Richard Bendall, James Carlisle and Chris Scaife tell the tale of the exploration of a new horizontal cave on Leck Fell in the Yorkshire Dales.

Colours in the North Wales Metal Mines
Lydia De Brett takes a look at the fascinating world of acid metal mines.

A Running Joke and Foolish Desires
Despite being a Scottish caving club, GUPA usually travels south for the weekend and only ever joked about visiting Applecross. But, as Piper Cusmano writes, sometimes you just have to act on those jokes.

The Size of the Mouth
Donald McFarlane, Guy van Rentergem and Joyce Lundberg reveal the true size of the West Mouth entrance to Niah Great Cave.

Uncharged of the Light Brigade
In a world of powerful electric lights, youthful caver Isaac Neale reignites the carbide lamp.

Speleobikepacking
As part of our series of articles on sustainable caving, Chris Scaife gives some practical tips on how to reach the caves by bike.

Front cover: Jos ‘Yoxz’ Burgers, Rachel Turnbull and Elgazer ‘Boi Boi’ Blein beside the Fractured Column in Krem Wah Dngiem, Meghalaya. Photo: Bill Nix

Back cover: Jasper Crabb caving with a Premier carbide lamp. Photo: Isaac Neale

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 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.

Terranauts and Deep Time
Polly Judd talks to director Robert Petit about his film Underland.

Into the Echo Chamber
Tim Allen reports on another magnificent Yorkshire Dales find by the Space Miners.

The Great Geoff Yeadon
Geoff Yeadon was undoubtedly one of the greats of the caving world. Following his death at the age of 75, Geoff Crossley, Martin Grass and Mick Nunwick pay tribute to him.

Discovering Giants in Longwood Valley Sink
In this second instalment of her two-part article, Alison Moody concludes the tale of the outstanding discoveries that have recently been made in Longwood Valley Sink, on Mendip.

Decarbonising Expeditions
As part of our series of articles on sustainable caving, Becka Lawson – with a little help from Julian Todd – offers some words of wisdom on how we can cut our carbon emissions without sacrificing our time spent exploring caves.

A Motorcycle Diary
Peter Ryder recalls a cave-themed road trip through the Pyrenees.

Families, Ducks and Frogs
Jen Sloan reports on a caving trip for six young families to the Yorkshire Dales.

LifeStraw Peak Series Collapsible Squeeze Bottle
Chris Scaife and Carolina Smith review a bottle with its own built-in filtration system.

Front cover: Mike Wise on the Second Pitch in Longwood Valley Sink, Mendip. Photo: Mark Burkey

Back cover: Tim Allen, Nick Bairstow and Dave Gledhill in the Echo Chamber, Gavel Pot. Photo: Bartek Biela

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 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.

Highest in the World
Chris Howes discusses Brazil’s Gruta Casa de Pedra, which may be home to the world’s tallest cave entrance.

Cave Rescue 2025
All underground rescues from 2025 are summarised here by the British Cave Rescue Council.

A Fortnight in the Peloponnese
Craig Holdstock reports on a two-week expedition to the Peloponnese region of Greece.

Rescuing Wildlife from Caves
Cavers often encounter wildlife underground: some of it perfectly at home in its subterranean habitat, some distressed and in need of help. Descent editor Chris Scaife and Professor of Ecology Mike Sweet consider the best approach for cavers to take in such situations.

Great Sporting Trips of the World:
the Gouffre Berger
Jasper Crabb recounts a trip to one of the world’s greatest caves.

Armytek Wizard C2 Pro
Chris Scaife reviews an affordable headlamp.

Accessing the Inaccessible
The capital of Wales is visible from the entrance, but Ogof Pen Y Craig is still an adventurous place. Ned Hopes tells the tale of accessing and then surveying this little gem.

The Underview Effect
Stuart Weston muses on a caver’s view of the world.

Front cover: The Hall of the Thirteen in the Gouffre Berger, France. Photo: Thibault Poinas, Galimey

Back cover: The enormous entrance to Brazil’s Gruta Casa de Pedra. Photo: Chris Howes

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 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.

Ease Gill Open House
In June 2025, a 10-day caving festival was held at Bullpot Farm, the home of Red Rose CPC, with numerous SRT routes through Ease Gill rigged for the duration. Rachel Turnbull tells the tale.

Inside the Mountain
The free ascent of Gaping Gill Main Chamber in 1988 was a historic moment for both climbing and caving. Jack Homan writes about a documentary he is making about this challenging route and the climbers planning to repeat the ascent.

Great Sporting Trips of the World: Sótano de las Golondrinas
Martyn Farr describes a pensioners’ day out in one of the world’s most spectacular holes.

A Question of Size
Loyal Descent readers will be aware of the two enormous UK underground finds from the last few years – Redhouse Lane Swallet in the Forest of Dean and the Draughting Hole-Missed Pot system in the North Pennines. These caves may be of similar length, but their characters are worlds apart, as this scale comparison of their surveys shows.

The Dry Traverse
The North of England’s Three Counties system offers all sorts of sporting trips for cavers, but Todd Rye might just have come up with the best of the lot.

Adventures in Ultraviolet Photography
Dave Watts looks at caves in a different light.

Big CHECC ’25
Polly Judd reports on November 2025’s annual gathering of students from the Council of Higher Education Caving Clubs.

Crossword Answers
The results of quite possibly Descent’s most popular crossword ever.

Front cover: Peter Lord in Sótano de las Golondrinas, Mexico. Photo: Martyn Farr

Back cover: Keith Edwards and Melissa Bell in the Smithy, Cwm Dwr (OFD), South Wales. 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 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.

Fairies Fest
George North, with the help of many others, reports on a grand underground get-together in County Durham.

Back to Llangollen
Last year’s Hidden Earth venue, the Llangollen Pavilion, proved so popular that it was chosen to host this year’s – and next year’s – events. Polly Judd writes about her experience of the greatest social gathering in the caving calendar.

A River in the Clouds
Simon Brooks and Brian Kharpran Daly report on the 2025 Caving in the Abode of the Clouds expedition, which took place from 2-28 February 2025 as part of the enduring partnership between Indian and international cavers, supported by the Shillong-based Meghalaya Adventurers’ Association.

Speleosisters+ at Five
Gwenllian Tawy and Rachel Turnbull write about alternative spaces in caving.

Caving in Madeira
The volcanic Atlantic island of Madeira is better known for its jagged peaks, unique wildlife, rocky beaches and cerulean waters than for its subterranean delights, but as Chris Scaife writes, cavers who find themselves over there on a beach holiday need not despair.

Exploring the Caves of the Big Blue
Konstantinos Trimmis reports on an expedition to explore caves on the Greek island of Amorgos.

The Descent Christmas Crossword
Martin Wright keeps up the Descent Christmas tradition.

Cover: Emma Key in Doolin River Cave. Photo: Bill Nix

Back Cover: Mathew Sedgwick on the High Level Route in Heron Pot,
Yorkshire Dales. Photo: Gareth Williams

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 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.

Tham Long
Peter Allison concludes his tale of caves and culture in Laos.

A Redhouse Summer
Tim Nichols summarises recent discoveries in the Forest of Dean’s ongoing treasure trove of underground glory.

Big Caves, Exceptional Congress
Chris Howes reports on the 19th International Congress of Speleology, held this year in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

The Lost Boys of Carbis Bay
Filmmaker Daniel Simpkins follows the Carbis Bay Crew into the hidden and hazardous heart of Cornwall’s abandoned mining network.

The Slaughter Survey
Surveyors in the Forest of Dean have certainly had a busy couple of years. Mark Tringham describes the project to survey the extensive and complex Slaughter Stream Cave.

Where Does All the Water Go?
Phil Murphy discusses the history of water tracing in the Yorkshire Dales and the development of the Northern Caves and Karst Hydrology Database.

Fulmar Rescue
Stanley Lewis reports on the unlikeliest of animal rescues.

Cover: Judith Calford in Caverna do Morro Preto, PETAR, Brazil. Photo: Chris Howes

Back Cover: Lancaster Hole Main Drain. 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 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.