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ATLAS ANNUAL REPORT - 13 December 2008 to 9 December 2009
This report is not aimed at the cavers but their partners who may wonder what happens every Wednesday evening –
Their beloved disappears early in the evening loaded down with all sorts of tatty clothing and around the witching hour they reappear. Covered in mud, with scratches and bruises; complaing about aches, surrounded with an aura of alcohol and some even smelling of rubber!!! What have they been up to? A simple answer, cave digging, but it is difficult to portray the obsession to find new cave passages; however you don’t want to miss one Wednesday evening because that could be the night they breakthrough!
Still on to more mundane things a round up of the last years highs and lows –
Fernhill Cave – After the excavator phase there were 69 visits hauling 1,181 skips of spoil to the surface weighing 32 tons and involving 982 hours of effort. This paid off because on 11 May we broke through into the main chamber and were then able to view the magnificent Curtain Passage which had not been seen since 1965. The main curtain was still intact with only about 18 inches of its tip missing due to quarry blasting. Digging has continued in the main chamber one dig has been temporarily abandoned (Manering’s Meander) and the current dig is in a mud filled rift where we are hoping to find the aven that will take us into Duck’s Pot stream passage. During the year there were 358 caver digging trips. Steve Sharp has made a documentary film which had a magnificent review in Descent.
Balch Cave – Digging along the passage at the bottom of JW Passage has proved difficult with flooding bringing more spoil, from ahead, and blocking the dig face. However just before the end Geoff’s Rift (in honour of Geoff Dawson the renown latch photographer) is still heading upwards and draughting. During the year there were 109 caver digging trips.
Withyhill Cave – A clearing exercise in the entrance chamber to prevent flooding of the cave. During the year there were 76 caver digging trips.
Surveying – Duncan Price along with several willing helpers has nearly completed surveying all the caves in the quarry. When completed a 3D survey linking all the caves and surface features will be available.
A total of 563 caver digging trips in Fairy Cave Quarry during 2009 in excess of 1126 hours.
TOP 10
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