Montenegro karst. Photo by Sam Brace.Hello UBSSlings,
This month has been one where quite a few cars are owed an apology … yes, it's a long story, a bit like the length of our record-breaking Trip Log! UBSS members have been dragging their muddy kit across the globe, and as you'll see, this newsletter celebrates an expedition extravaganza - with the club receiving postcards from Matienzo, Ireland, Ario, Mexico, France, Austria and Montenegro, which says a lot about our inability to sit still, and our collective need for dark, wet spaces, and some sunny wet spaces, too …
The reports, photos and updates we’ve received are amazing and we’re so excited to share them with you! Speaking of photos, Isaac Neale has a beautiful photo in the latest Descent magazine, alongside a great piece on carbide lamps - proof that despite the massive expedition fever that's gripped us some people are still finding to work, study, and publish great pieces! Do check it out. And talking of publishing great pieces, the latest UBSS Proceedings is out, too! So let's pop some corks off the fizzy wine and settle down for a celebratory read ...
Whether your summer involved chasing new passage or just trying to get the mud out of the car boot before your mum notices, we hope you enjoy this issue. As always, a massive thanks to everyone who sent something in, because between flights, ferries and questionable side-quests, we know a write-up wasn’t top of the list (but don’t worry we’ll keep on nagging). And we really loved getting all your postcards!
Keep the write-ups, photography, art and gossip coming! As we approach the new school year, soon we’ll have a rush of brand new readers so let’s show off ;)
This month has been one where quite a few cars are owed an apology … yes, it's a long story, a bit like the length of our record-breaking Trip Log! UBSS members have been dragging their muddy kit across the globe, and as you'll see, this newsletter celebrates an expedition extravaganza - with the club receiving postcards from Matienzo, Ireland, Ario, Mexico, France, Austria and Montenegro, which says a lot about our inability to sit still, and our collective need for dark, wet spaces, and some sunny wet spaces, too …
The reports, photos and updates we’ve received are amazing and we’re so excited to share them with you! Speaking of photos, Isaac Neale has a beautiful photo in the latest Descent magazine, alongside a great piece on carbide lamps - proof that despite the massive expedition fever that's gripped us some people are still finding to work, study, and publish great pieces! Do check it out. And talking of publishing great pieces, the latest UBSS Proceedings is out, too! So let's pop some corks off the fizzy wine and settle down for a celebratory read ...
Whether your summer involved chasing new passage or just trying to get the mud out of the car boot before your mum notices, we hope you enjoy this issue. As always, a massive thanks to everyone who sent something in, because between flights, ferries and questionable side-quests, we know a write-up wasn’t top of the list (but don’t worry we’ll keep on nagging). And we really loved getting all your postcards!
Keep the write-ups, photography, art and gossip coming! As we approach the new school year, soon we’ll have a rush of brand new readers so let’s show off ;)
Grace and Linda
PS If anything is in blue and underlined, it's a clickable link!
PPS You can final all previous newsletters back to 1919 on our website! Do take a look!
PPS Yeah, we know we overuse exclamation marks - so sue us!
PPS You can final all previous newsletters back to 1919 on our website! Do take a look!
PPS Yeah, we know we overuse exclamation marks - so sue us!
IN THIS ISSUE
- Diary Dates
- In the News
- UBSS Proceedings for 2026 Published!
- Trip Log
- Wish You Were Here (Postcards and Letters Home)
- Banging Fun
- CSCC C&A News
- NSS News on its Way
- Artist's Corner
- 100 Memories - Trat
- Puzzle Corner - The Solution
- Kermit Definitely Read to the End!
- Diary Dates
- In the News
- UBSS Proceedings for 2026 Published!
- Trip Log
- Wish You Were Here (Postcards and Letters Home)
- Banging Fun
- CSCC C&A News
- NSS News on its Way
- Artist's Corner
- 100 Memories - Trat
- Puzzle Corner - The Solution
- Kermit Definitely Read to the End!
DIARY DATES
Some of the things on offer at Hidden Earth.
13th - 20/09/2026 – (Re)freshers’ week! Keep it in mind and keep an eye out for our social secs on WhatsApp!
18/09/26. Freshers' Fair.
19th - 20/09/2026. Training weekend for leaders at The Hut.
22/09/2026. Chilli night at the Stables!
25th - 27/09/2026. Hidden Earth
29/09/2026. Cowtails Pub Crawl
3rd - 04/10/2026. October freshers’ weekend at the Hut, Mendip
9th - 11/10/2026. Joint Cardiff and Aber weekend!, South Wales, staying at SWCC
31/10 – 1/11/2026. Bonfire weekend on Mendip
13th - 15/11/2026 BIG CHECC!!
22/11/26. J-Rat Digging Award. Hunters' Lodge Inn, Mendip
Some of the things on offer at Hidden Earth.
13th - 20/09/2026 – (Re)freshers’ week! Keep it in mind and keep an eye out for our social secs on WhatsApp!
18/09/26. Freshers' Fair.
19th - 20/09/2026. Training weekend for leaders at The Hut.
22/09/2026. Chilli night at the Stables!
25th - 27/09/2026. Hidden Earth
29/09/2026. Cowtails Pub Crawl
3rd - 04/10/2026. October freshers’ weekend at the Hut, Mendip
9th - 11/10/2026. Joint Cardiff and Aber weekend!, South Wales, staying at SWCC
31/10 – 1/11/2026. Bonfire weekend on Mendip
13th - 15/11/2026 BIG CHECC!!
22/11/26. J-Rat Digging Award. Hunters' Lodge Inn, Mendip
IN THE NEWS
A short round up of caving related pieces from around the world.
Were these ancient rock images painted with human blood?
Black layers in speleothems as a proxy for natural and anthropic processes
A short round up of caving related pieces from around the world.
Were these ancient rock images painted with human blood?
Black layers in speleothems as a proxy for natural and anthropic processes
Compiled by Linda Wilson with thanks to Herman de Swart for the links
UBSS PROCEEDINGS FOR 2026 PUBLISHED!
Graham Mullan, our hard-working Editor, is pleased to announce the publication of the next issue of UBSS Proceedings, the Society’s long-running academic journal dedicated to cave and karst studies.
The issue starts with the Secretary’s report and an obituary of Andy Currant.
The entrance to Hoyle’s Mouth Cave © Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.
There are three papers. Two are major reports on archaeological excavations at Hoyle’s Mouth and Little Hoyle near Tenby, Pembrokeshire, where work was carried out under the direction of the late Stephen Aldhouse-Green and is presented here by a team led by Elizabeth Walker and Rick Peterson. The reports include work on human and faunal remains and lithic and other artefacts deposited over a period from the Pleistocene to at least the Neolithic, spanning at least 128,000 years.
A third report describes an unusual worked bone implement found in a cave in the Wye Valley.
Graham Mullan, our hard-working Editor, is pleased to announce the publication of the next issue of UBSS Proceedings, the Society’s long-running academic journal dedicated to cave and karst studies.
The issue starts with the Secretary’s report and an obituary of Andy Currant.
The entrance to Hoyle’s Mouth Cave © Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.
There are three papers. Two are major reports on archaeological excavations at Hoyle’s Mouth and Little Hoyle near Tenby, Pembrokeshire, where work was carried out under the direction of the late Stephen Aldhouse-Green and is presented here by a team led by Elizabeth Walker and Rick Peterson. The reports include work on human and faunal remains and lithic and other artefacts deposited over a period from the Pleistocene to at least the Neolithic, spanning at least 128,000 years.
A third report describes an unusual worked bone implement found in a cave in the Wye Valley.
TRIP LOG
Sunset in Montenegro. Photo by Sam Brace.
Standby to be exhausted just reading through this lot! Yes, it's been Expo season. Trip Sec Dan Rose shows just how much caving has been going on over summer.
01//08/2026. Dan Rose, Emily Wormleighton, Ben Morgan, Joe Bidie, Alex Stacey, Isaac Neil, Emma Caspers, Dave Kinzett, John Stevens, Digging at Priory Road.
02/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Noah, Tommy DeAth. Mosthajo Upper Series Round Trip, Matienzo, Spain.
03/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mark, Tommy DeAth, Noah, Marty Hebden, Mungo Palmer. Renada, Matienzo, Spain.
05/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Noah, Tommy DeAth, Freya Bearn. Regaton, Matienzo, Spain.
07/08/2026. Joe Bidie, Tom Headington, Willem Glass. Gouffre Berger, Vercors, France. Nearly to the bottom, up to but not through the pseudosiphon ;). Completed in 15h20m.
08/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Juniper Gulf, Yorkshire. To the bottom.
09/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Gingling Hole, Yorkshire. Big Pitch Route.
09/08/2026 Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden. Pants, Matienzo, Spain.
10/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Gaping Gill down Dihedral up the winch at Craven Pothole Club winch meet, Yorkshire.
Interesting formations they have in Matienzo!
10/0/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Jim Lister, Tom Warren. Valline, capping at the 'G-spot', Matienzo, Yorkshire.
11/08/2026. Ben Pett with the Burnley Caving Club. Peak Cavern to Moss Chamber, Derbyshire.
11/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Noah, Marty Hebden, Tommy DeAth. Risco, Matienzo, Spain.
13/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Tess Hopes, Leila Nicholson. Unnamed Shaft, Matienzo, Spain. To try to look at some questions marks, hadn’t been entered since 2012 so took a lot of cleaning.
14/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Tom, Leila Nicholson, Dylan Tooley. Unnamed Shaft, Matienzo, Spain. Returned to re-bolt to be able to properly descend and found a few new chambers.
14/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Noah, Tom Warren, Myfanwy Watkins. Risco, Matienzo, Spain.
14/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Billy Evans. Digging at JRat Digging Award, Kameno-More, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Stanley Lewis, Billy Evans, Alex Stacey. Throwbar to bottom of pitch 1, Kameno-More, Montenegro.
Joe Bidie at the top of Life Itself in Doboka Jama, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, bolting to bottom of Life Itself, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Leila Nicholson, Tom. Pants, Matienzo, Spain. Some capping done.
16/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, bolting to bottom of One Day at a Time, Montenegro.
16/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Leila Nicholson + 3 Aber members, American Calvin, Jim Lister. Valleni, Matienzo, Spain. To the mud vulva where Jim kept trying to explode the G-spot.
17/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. Bolting to Beyond Good and Evil, Montenegro.
17/08/2026. Billy Evans, Stan Lewis, Sam Brace. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. Bolting Chimera bypass.
18/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Willem Glass, Billy Evans, Stan Lewis, George Bano, Ben Morgan. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. De-rigging.
19/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Ben Morgan, Willem Glass, Stan Lewis. Vieje Fields, Montenegro. Prospecting.
20/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Ben Morgan, Willem Glass, Stan Lewis, Sam Brace, Billy Evans. Vieje Fields, Montenegro. Prospecting.
20/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Coolagh River Cave, West Series - Pink Panther Passage connection to PD North, Co Clare, Ireland.
21/08/2026. Dan Rose, Ben Morgan, Alex Stacey, Miguel. Pavlova Cave, Montenegro. Surveying and bolting
21/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Coolagh River Cave, West Series, Co Clare, Ireland.
It's a work in progress! The re-survey of the Coolagh River Cave, Co Clare, Ireland.
22/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Peter Ward. Coolagh River Cave, Co Clare, Ireland.
23/08/2026. Ash Gregg, Dan Runcan. Polldonough, Main Streamway, Co Clare, Ireland.
24/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Polldonough Upper and Delightful Bedding new discoveries, Co Clare, Ireland.
26/08/2026. Jacob Podesta. Piper's Cave, Tresco, Scilly Isles. Legend has it that Piper's Hole, Tresco, is connected via an underground passage to Piper's Hole, St Mary's.] People who attempted to traverse the passage were apparently never seen again, and dogs who went through would emerge without much of their fur.
26/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Thomas DeAth. Polldonough West Inlet, Co Clare, Ireland.
Left to right: Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg and Kermit, Co Clare, Ireland.
27/08/2026. Ash Gregg, Dan Runcan,Thomas DeAth. Poulnagollum-Poulelva, Co Clare, Ireland.
28/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Thomas DeAth. Polldonough, Co Clare, Ireland. Main streamway side passages, saw cave fish.
Cenote Xkeken, Valladolid, Mexico, photo by Jake Reich.
28/08/26. Jake Reich. Xlakaj Cenote, Cenote Samula, Cenote Xkeken, Cenote Saamal, Cenote Noolha, Cenote Zaci, Valladolid, Mexico.
Sunset in Montenegro. Photo by Sam Brace.
Standby to be exhausted just reading through this lot! Yes, it's been Expo season. Trip Sec Dan Rose shows just how much caving has been going on over summer.
01//08/2026. Dan Rose, Emily Wormleighton, Ben Morgan, Joe Bidie, Alex Stacey, Isaac Neil, Emma Caspers, Dave Kinzett, John Stevens, Digging at Priory Road.
02/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Noah, Tommy DeAth. Mosthajo Upper Series Round Trip, Matienzo, Spain.
03/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mark, Tommy DeAth, Noah, Marty Hebden, Mungo Palmer. Renada, Matienzo, Spain.
05/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Noah, Tommy DeAth, Freya Bearn. Regaton, Matienzo, Spain.
07/08/2026. Joe Bidie, Tom Headington, Willem Glass. Gouffre Berger, Vercors, France. Nearly to the bottom, up to but not through the pseudosiphon ;). Completed in 15h20m.
08/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Juniper Gulf, Yorkshire. To the bottom.
09/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Gingling Hole, Yorkshire. Big Pitch Route.
09/08/2026 Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden. Pants, Matienzo, Spain.
10/08/2026. Dan Rose, Billy Evans, Sam Brace. Gaping Gill down Dihedral up the winch at Craven Pothole Club winch meet, Yorkshire.
Interesting formations they have in Matienzo!
10/0/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Jim Lister, Tom Warren. Valline, capping at the 'G-spot', Matienzo, Yorkshire.
11/08/2026. Ben Pett with the Burnley Caving Club. Peak Cavern to Moss Chamber, Derbyshire.
11/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Noah, Marty Hebden, Tommy DeAth. Risco, Matienzo, Spain.
13/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Tess Hopes, Leila Nicholson. Unnamed Shaft, Matienzo, Spain. To try to look at some questions marks, hadn’t been entered since 2012 so took a lot of cleaning.
14/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Tom, Leila Nicholson, Dylan Tooley. Unnamed Shaft, Matienzo, Spain. Returned to re-bolt to be able to properly descend and found a few new chambers.
14/08/2026. Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Noah, Tom Warren, Myfanwy Watkins. Risco, Matienzo, Spain.
14/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Billy Evans. Digging at JRat Digging Award, Kameno-More, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Stanley Lewis, Billy Evans, Alex Stacey. Throwbar to bottom of pitch 1, Kameno-More, Montenegro.
Joe Bidie at the top of Life Itself in Doboka Jama, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, bolting to bottom of Life Itself, Montenegro.
15/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Leila Nicholson, Tom. Pants, Matienzo, Spain. Some capping done.
16/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, bolting to bottom of One Day at a Time, Montenegro.
16/08/2026. Emily Wormleighton, Leila Nicholson + 3 Aber members, American Calvin, Jim Lister. Valleni, Matienzo, Spain. To the mud vulva where Jim kept trying to explode the G-spot.
17/08/2026. Dan Rose, Willem Glass, Joe Bidie. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. Bolting to Beyond Good and Evil, Montenegro.
17/08/2026. Billy Evans, Stan Lewis, Sam Brace. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. Bolting Chimera bypass.
18/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Willem Glass, Billy Evans, Stan Lewis, George Bano, Ben Morgan. Duboka Jama, Montenegro. De-rigging.
19/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Ben Morgan, Willem Glass, Stan Lewis. Vieje Fields, Montenegro. Prospecting.
20/08/2026. Dan Rose, Joe Bidie, Ben Morgan, Willem Glass, Stan Lewis, Sam Brace, Billy Evans. Vieje Fields, Montenegro. Prospecting.
20/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Coolagh River Cave, West Series - Pink Panther Passage connection to PD North, Co Clare, Ireland.
21/08/2026. Dan Rose, Ben Morgan, Alex Stacey, Miguel. Pavlova Cave, Montenegro. Surveying and bolting
21/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Coolagh River Cave, West Series, Co Clare, Ireland.
It's a work in progress! The re-survey of the Coolagh River Cave, Co Clare, Ireland.
22/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Peter Ward. Coolagh River Cave, Co Clare, Ireland.
23/08/2026. Ash Gregg, Dan Runcan. Polldonough, Main Streamway, Co Clare, Ireland.
24/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg. Polldonough Upper and Delightful Bedding new discoveries, Co Clare, Ireland.
26/08/2026. Jacob Podesta. Piper's Cave, Tresco, Scilly Isles. Legend has it that Piper's Hole, Tresco, is connected via an underground passage to Piper's Hole, St Mary's.] People who attempted to traverse the passage were apparently never seen again, and dogs who went through would emerge without much of their fur.
26/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Thomas DeAth. Polldonough West Inlet, Co Clare, Ireland.
Left to right: Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg and Kermit, Co Clare, Ireland.
27/08/2026. Ash Gregg, Dan Runcan,Thomas DeAth. Poulnagollum-Poulelva, Co Clare, Ireland.
28/08/2026. Dan Runcan, Ash Gregg, Thomas DeAth. Polldonough, Co Clare, Ireland. Main streamway side passages, saw cave fish.
Cenote Xkeken, Valladolid, Mexico, photo by Jake Reich.
28/08/26. Jake Reich. Xlakaj Cenote, Cenote Samula, Cenote Xkeken, Cenote Saamal, Cenote Noolha, Cenote Zaci, Valladolid, Mexico.
WISH YOU WERE HERE ...
Look what we got from the depths of the Gouffre Berger!
This summer has seen a record-breaking number of club members on expo this year, with trips to France, Matienzo, Ario, Austria, Montenegro and Ireland. Everyone has been so busy caving that there's not been time for full write ups, but we've received lots of lovely post cards in the meantime, and there was even a short letter tucked in with the Irish card, so thanks, folks, we're so glad you've had fun, and we hope everyone will enjoy reading them as much as we have!
French cave post offices do a great job of delivering cards!
My oh my, the Matienzo cave post office has been just as busy!
How on earth did the Montenegro lot find a post office in the midst of those mountains?
Dragging Kermit out of the bar to find a post office was harder than surveying parts of Coolagh!
Kermit also managed to pen a quick note and stuff it into an envelope with the postcard. We've tried to remove most of the Guinness stains but a few were just too stubborn, much like UBSS Members (and their mascot) when someone tries to drag them out of the bar ....
Just when we thought we'd had all the postcards we were likely to get, the postie knocked on our door with the one from Jake Reich, and he'd even managed to pop in a letter for us and a few photos! And now your editors want to go swimming in Mexican cenotes!
Cenote Samula, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
Cenote Xkeken, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
Xlakaj Cenote, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
Look what we got from the depths of the Gouffre Berger!
This summer has seen a record-breaking number of club members on expo this year, with trips to France, Matienzo, Ario, Austria, Montenegro and Ireland. Everyone has been so busy caving that there's not been time for full write ups, but we've received lots of lovely post cards in the meantime, and there was even a short letter tucked in with the Irish card, so thanks, folks, we're so glad you've had fun, and we hope everyone will enjoy reading them as much as we have!
French cave post offices do a great job of delivering cards!
My oh my, the Matienzo cave post office has been just as busy!
How on earth did the Montenegro lot find a post office in the midst of those mountains?
Dragging Kermit out of the bar to find a post office was harder than surveying parts of Coolagh!
Kermit also managed to pen a quick note and stuff it into an envelope with the postcard. We've tried to remove most of the Guinness stains but a few were just too stubborn, much like UBSS Members (and their mascot) when someone tries to drag them out of the bar ....
Just when we thought we'd had all the postcards we were likely to get, the postie knocked on our door with the one from Jake Reich, and he'd even managed to pop in a letter for us and a few photos! And now your editors want to go swimming in Mexican cenotes!
Cenote Samula, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
Cenote Xkeken, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
Xlakaj Cenote, Valladolid, Mexico. Photo by Jake Reich.
BANGING FUN
Having safely arrived in Matienzo, Spain for this year’s Expo, Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Tom Warren (SUSS) and Jim Lister (TSG) headed into Vanille to experience their first taste of underground capping. Tess tells the story.
The plan was to push towards Renada and hopefully help create a bypass for divers, allowing them to enter through Vanille and get into Renada without having to tackle Sump Two.
We made our way steadily through the cave, with Jim providing a constant supply of stories and even taking the time to teach us some rescue techniques along the way. We stopped at the Dragon for the obligatory photoshoot before carrying on past the sections already capped by other clubs. We were then on the hunt for the rather suspiciously named “G Spot” - a bypass that apparently earned its name because so many people spent an impressive amount of time trying, and failing, to find it. Once we finally located it, we were ready to make our own contribution!
Left: Jim Lister, photo by Tess Hopes. Right: Tess Hopes, photo by Mungo Palmer.
Everyone got to have a go at capping, with two or three shots each. We blew out loads of rock and quickly started making the passage wider. Little orange ponchos were shared around to keep us as warm as possible, which can be seen in Mungo’s incredible Lidar scan of the cave, done on their phone.
Lidar scans of Jim Lister by Mungo Palmer.
Mungo even managed to have a quick snooze underground and was completely oblivious while I was capping nearby. Later, they woke up long enough to blow up a rock that came very close to hitting Marty and I, rudely interrupting our conversation about what our dream breakfasts would be…
On the way back out of the cave, Jim kept us entertained with yet more very in-depth stories, which meant we all had to sit down for an extra ten minutes due to Jim’s apparent inability to multitask. Among them was the unforgettable tale of a parrot that bit his finger and then proceeded to call him a wanker.
We then decided to find our own way out of the cave to practise our navigation skills. After successfully making it back to the entrance, we were rewarded with the most amazing starry sky. We lay outside stargazing, before Jim - the kindest of them all - treated us all to a Fanta.
Having safely arrived in Matienzo, Spain for this year’s Expo, Tess Hopes, Mungo Palmer, Marty Hebden, Tom Warren (SUSS) and Jim Lister (TSG) headed into Vanille to experience their first taste of underground capping. Tess tells the story.
The plan was to push towards Renada and hopefully help create a bypass for divers, allowing them to enter through Vanille and get into Renada without having to tackle Sump Two.
We made our way steadily through the cave, with Jim providing a constant supply of stories and even taking the time to teach us some rescue techniques along the way. We stopped at the Dragon for the obligatory photoshoot before carrying on past the sections already capped by other clubs. We were then on the hunt for the rather suspiciously named “G Spot” - a bypass that apparently earned its name because so many people spent an impressive amount of time trying, and failing, to find it. Once we finally located it, we were ready to make our own contribution!
Left: Jim Lister, photo by Tess Hopes. Right: Tess Hopes, photo by Mungo Palmer.
Everyone got to have a go at capping, with two or three shots each. We blew out loads of rock and quickly started making the passage wider. Little orange ponchos were shared around to keep us as warm as possible, which can be seen in Mungo’s incredible Lidar scan of the cave, done on their phone.
Lidar scans of Jim Lister by Mungo Palmer.
Mungo even managed to have a quick snooze underground and was completely oblivious while I was capping nearby. Later, they woke up long enough to blow up a rock that came very close to hitting Marty and I, rudely interrupting our conversation about what our dream breakfasts would be…
On the way back out of the cave, Jim kept us entertained with yet more very in-depth stories, which meant we all had to sit down for an extra ten minutes due to Jim’s apparent inability to multitask. Among them was the unforgettable tale of a parrot that bit his finger and then proceeded to call him a wanker.
We then decided to find our own way out of the cave to practise our navigation skills. After successfully making it back to the entrance, we were rewarded with the most amazing starry sky. We lay outside stargazing, before Jim - the kindest of them all - treated us all to a Fanta.
Tess Hopes
Emily proudly (and drunkenly) displaying her artistic talents.
Emily Wormleighton also decided to give herself some overdue emotional release and blow shit up ...
Like many before me, my first experience in capping was down a shady lane in the Cantabrian mountains. Despite not actually doing one myself, my witness experience felt like plenty to get on with.
Later that day at PANTS, meanwhile me and Dylan were exhausting the highs and lows of mud and big rock removal (much more thrilling than expected), Mowgli was attempting to help Tom cap, but instead was getting the rod stuck.
Once unstuck, Mowgli reckoned (toning down some even more extreme advice from Pringle) that retracted amount of black caps minimum was needed for this tough wall. The rod got stuck from doing just one, so of course - ‘yeah, reckon that’s about right’- she says embarking on her first attempt. Cue cinematic experience after one hit. Potentially should have drilled in a bit further than under half the drill bit…
Once my hearing returned and I had checked for all my limbs (~ 5 seconds in purgatory), we found ourselves gaping at each other in a cloud of dust.
Rest assured, dearest readers, that all safety precautions were in place, and all advice was followed. But for the future of capping in Matienzo, don’t assume Pringle knows what he’s doing, in fact it would probably have made more sense to assume the opposite.
And please wear your ear plugs xxx
Emily Wormleighton also decided to give herself some overdue emotional release and blow shit up ...
Like many before me, my first experience in capping was down a shady lane in the Cantabrian mountains. Despite not actually doing one myself, my witness experience felt like plenty to get on with.
Later that day at PANTS, meanwhile me and Dylan were exhausting the highs and lows of mud and big rock removal (much more thrilling than expected), Mowgli was attempting to help Tom cap, but instead was getting the rod stuck.
Once unstuck, Mowgli reckoned (toning down some even more extreme advice from Pringle) that retracted amount of black caps minimum was needed for this tough wall. The rod got stuck from doing just one, so of course - ‘yeah, reckon that’s about right’- she says embarking on her first attempt. Cue cinematic experience after one hit. Potentially should have drilled in a bit further than under half the drill bit…
Once my hearing returned and I had checked for all my limbs (~ 5 seconds in purgatory), we found ourselves gaping at each other in a cloud of dust.
Rest assured, dearest readers, that all safety precautions were in place, and all advice was followed. But for the future of capping in Matienzo, don’t assume Pringle knows what he’s doing, in fact it would probably have made more sense to assume the opposite.
And please wear your ear plugs xxx
Emily Wormleighton
CSCC C&A NEWS
The Council of Southern Caving Club's Conservation and Access Officer, Wayne Starsmore, has, as usual, been working hard on behalf of cavers. The following is his report to the recent CSCC general meeting on 1th August, covering the period since the last meeting in May 2026 and will give an idea of what's been going on. So for those who wonder at times what all the 'political stuff' is about, don't forget it includes a lot of practical work as well!
Harridge Woods Caves
The access arrangements for Harridge Woods has been finalised. This included:-
Many thanks to Cookie for helping install the padlocks.
Pressure Washers
The pressure washers have been returned by the Wealden Cave and Mine Society. They have been serviced and ready to be borrowed for any clean-up projects you may have.
CSCC Access Guide
Many minor updates have been made to the CSCC Access Guide, including:-
• The bookings calendar for the Cheddar caves is now displayed on the Cheddar Caves South page.
• Added a Harridge Woods Area page with links to an area map, the permit system and trip report page.
• Transferred a number of files onto the CSCC web site and updated the links.
• Transferred a number of Google forms from my personal account to the CSCC account.
Wookey Hole
All of the handlines in the rift down to Wookey 24 have been replaced, along with the associated mailons. A traverse line has been installed to guide cavers over the floor holes where a recent rescue occurred. Many thanks for Duncan Price, Pete Hellier and Chris George for their help with this.
Reservoir Hole
The new SRT route, Ceiling Good, up to High Country has been rigged. The conservation tape at the base of the pitch has been modified to accommodate the pitch and the Conservation and Training Guide has also been updated. A new email group for the Cheddar Wardens has been created and used to inform them of the new Ceiling Good pitch and how it should be used.
Stock Hill Woods
I have had some initial conversations with the Forestry England ranger, Mark Maynard, concerning the caves within Stock Hill Woods. They are investigating how the entrance to Stocks House Mine can be made more secure but still permit access for bonafide cavers. I will continue the dialogue with them and, at present, there are no changes to the access arrangements.
Future Priorities
In the coming months I will be concentrating on the following priorities:-
1) Progress the Spider Hole digging application with Longleat
2) Complete the conversation work in Reservoir Hole
3) Progress the new lids for Home Close and Stock Hill Mine Cave
If anyone has anything else they would like progressing then please let me know.
Wayne Starsmore
C&A Officer
CSCC
The Council of Southern Caving Club's Conservation and Access Officer, Wayne Starsmore, has, as usual, been working hard on behalf of cavers. The following is his report to the recent CSCC general meeting on 1th August, covering the period since the last meeting in May 2026 and will give an idea of what's been going on. So for those who wonder at times what all the 'political stuff' is about, don't forget it includes a lot of practical work as well!
Harridge Woods Caves
The access arrangements for Harridge Woods has been finalised. This included:-
- Implementing an online permit system
- Updating the CSCC Access Guide
- Fitting CSCC padlocks to the locked caves (Harridge Wood Hole and EMMC)
- Updating the trip report to include any Bat sightings
Many thanks to Cookie for helping install the padlocks.
Pressure Washers
The pressure washers have been returned by the Wealden Cave and Mine Society. They have been serviced and ready to be borrowed for any clean-up projects you may have.
CSCC Access Guide
Many minor updates have been made to the CSCC Access Guide, including:-
• The bookings calendar for the Cheddar caves is now displayed on the Cheddar Caves South page.
• Added a Harridge Woods Area page with links to an area map, the permit system and trip report page.
• Transferred a number of files onto the CSCC web site and updated the links.
• Transferred a number of Google forms from my personal account to the CSCC account.
Wookey Hole
All of the handlines in the rift down to Wookey 24 have been replaced, along with the associated mailons. A traverse line has been installed to guide cavers over the floor holes where a recent rescue occurred. Many thanks for Duncan Price, Pete Hellier and Chris George for their help with this.
Reservoir Hole
The new SRT route, Ceiling Good, up to High Country has been rigged. The conservation tape at the base of the pitch has been modified to accommodate the pitch and the Conservation and Training Guide has also been updated. A new email group for the Cheddar Wardens has been created and used to inform them of the new Ceiling Good pitch and how it should be used.
Stock Hill Woods
I have had some initial conversations with the Forestry England ranger, Mark Maynard, concerning the caves within Stock Hill Woods. They are investigating how the entrance to Stocks House Mine can be made more secure but still permit access for bonafide cavers. I will continue the dialogue with them and, at present, there are no changes to the access arrangements.
Future Priorities
In the coming months I will be concentrating on the following priorities:-
1) Progress the Spider Hole digging application with Longleat
2) Complete the conversation work in Reservoir Hole
3) Progress the new lids for Home Close and Stock Hill Mine Cave
If anyone has anything else they would like progressing then please let me know.
Wayne Starsmore
C&A Officer
CSCC
NSS NEWS ON ITS WAY
The latest number of the monthly magazine to reach these shores from the National Speleological Society in the USA dates from July. The UBSS library has a lengthy run of these newsletters, and a large donation of these from UBSS member Tim Atkinson filled many gaps over recent years. Tim subscribes to the journal and kindly sends these on when they arrive. He gives a brief description of the contents, and this edition will shortly be available to read in the library.
The lead article describes the exploration of some long and deep caves in and beneath the 800-foot deep Rocky River Gorge in West Virginia and is worth a look for the spectacular photos of huge ‘dome pit’ chambers with multiple waterfalls bursting into them. High quality photography is a feature of this publication.
Another article describes the construction of a huge, realistic ‘artificial cave’ in the Cincinatti Museum of Natural History. Complete with an underground river and real blind fish, the exhibit took four years to build and was extremely popular with the public for 33 years until it had to be demolished when the Museum moved to a new and larger building. The site is now a car park.
The third article reflects the sociability of the American caving community. It is a history of the annual ‘Old Timers’ Reunion’ held each year on Labor Day weekend at a camp ground owned by cavers for cavers in West Virginia. The issue concludes with an account of the reopening of a forgotten cave beneath a rubbish dump in Tennessee. Its walls have graffiti dating from the early 1800s to the 1970s.
The latest number of the monthly magazine to reach these shores from the National Speleological Society in the USA dates from July. The UBSS library has a lengthy run of these newsletters, and a large donation of these from UBSS member Tim Atkinson filled many gaps over recent years. Tim subscribes to the journal and kindly sends these on when they arrive. He gives a brief description of the contents, and this edition will shortly be available to read in the library.
The lead article describes the exploration of some long and deep caves in and beneath the 800-foot deep Rocky River Gorge in West Virginia and is worth a look for the spectacular photos of huge ‘dome pit’ chambers with multiple waterfalls bursting into them. High quality photography is a feature of this publication.
Another article describes the construction of a huge, realistic ‘artificial cave’ in the Cincinatti Museum of Natural History. Complete with an underground river and real blind fish, the exhibit took four years to build and was extremely popular with the public for 33 years until it had to be demolished when the Museum moved to a new and larger building. The site is now a car park.
The third article reflects the sociability of the American caving community. It is a history of the annual ‘Old Timers’ Reunion’ held each year on Labor Day weekend at a camp ground owned by cavers for cavers in West Virginia. The issue concludes with an account of the reopening of a forgotten cave beneath a rubbish dump in Tennessee. Its walls have graffiti dating from the early 1800s to the 1970s.
Tom Atkinson
ARTISTS' CORNER
This month featuring UBSS' talented artist, Tess Hopes. If anyone else sketches or paints, we'd love to hear from you!
Matienzo camp site.
Cow skull found in the entrance of Regaton - probably to ward off unwanted cavers!
This month featuring UBSS' talented artist, Tess Hopes. If anyone else sketches or paints, we'd love to hear from you!
Matienzo camp site.
Cow skull found in the entrance of Regaton - probably to ward off unwanted cavers!
100 MEMORIES - TRAT
Professor Edgar Kinsgsley 'Trat' Tratman (left) at the Hut.
UBSS cavers on the various expos this year have benefitted from two funds that benefit the society and its members: the Tratman Fund of the University of Bristol and the Oliver Lloyd Memorial Fund. Both of these only exist due to the generosity of past and present members. The combined funds disbursed a total of £9750 this year alone for expos. We had some photos of Oliver in the last newsletter, so let's put a face to the name for Trat as well. Mike Statham has kindly sent in some old photos to aid us in this trip down memory lane and whilst the faces won't be familiar to many people, the setting has changed very little! We'll be featuring more of Mike's photos in our next few editions.
Trat (right) and Mike Norton (left), (image cropped slightly at the bottom.)
Mike Statham said: "Attached a couple of very poor quality photos taken at the hut - can't remember the date - might have been a New Year party? The guy next to Trat with the bottle and mug looks to be ex secretary Julian Clokie? - dunno the other two! The other photo is Mike Norton and Trat."
Mike commented that he took the photos with a cheap Polaroid camera and they were put in an equally cheap album which caused the lines across the images.Despite that, the photos still capture people, places and memories, preserving a valuable part of the society's history.
If anyone can help identify the others in the photo, do let us know! And if you have old photos, please send them in. Just let us know, who, where and when, if you can remember. If you can't, we'll put out an appeal for missing details.
Professor Edgar Kinsgsley 'Trat' Tratman (left) at the Hut.
UBSS cavers on the various expos this year have benefitted from two funds that benefit the society and its members: the Tratman Fund of the University of Bristol and the Oliver Lloyd Memorial Fund. Both of these only exist due to the generosity of past and present members. The combined funds disbursed a total of £9750 this year alone for expos. We had some photos of Oliver in the last newsletter, so let's put a face to the name for Trat as well. Mike Statham has kindly sent in some old photos to aid us in this trip down memory lane and whilst the faces won't be familiar to many people, the setting has changed very little! We'll be featuring more of Mike's photos in our next few editions.
Trat (right) and Mike Norton (left), (image cropped slightly at the bottom.)
Mike Statham said: "Attached a couple of very poor quality photos taken at the hut - can't remember the date - might have been a New Year party? The guy next to Trat with the bottle and mug looks to be ex secretary Julian Clokie? - dunno the other two! The other photo is Mike Norton and Trat."
Mike commented that he took the photos with a cheap Polaroid camera and they were put in an equally cheap album which caused the lines across the images.Despite that, the photos still capture people, places and memories, preserving a valuable part of the society's history.
If anyone can help identify the others in the photo, do let us know! And if you have old photos, please send them in. Just let us know, who, where and when, if you can remember. If you can't, we'll put out an appeal for missing details.
PUZZLE CORNER - THE SOLUTION
So, how many did you get right?
KERMIT DEFINITELY READ TO THE END!
Or at least he says he did.
Many thanks to our faithful correspondent, the ever-resourceful Jan Walker, who flagged up that there was a muck up in our email address at the end of the last issue, so apologies to anyone who tried to pay their respects to our lovely mascot Rouffy Rhino and got a bounced messaged. Much cursing ensued, as that mistake slipped through our proof-reading, so sorry about that! But we did get lots of lovely reactions on WhatsApp, so not all was lost.
- Brilliant newsletter, as always. The videos were super (and Clive deserves all the awards for his starring role in the OFD film). Lots of lovely new information about history, as well. [Jan Walker]
- Loved it, well done. [Peter Smart]
- Another excellent NL thanks. [Bob Churcher]
Kermit, I promise I made it to the end, so will you buy me a Guinness?
THE END
Or at least he says he did.
Many thanks to our faithful correspondent, the ever-resourceful Jan Walker, who flagged up that there was a muck up in our email address at the end of the last issue, so apologies to anyone who tried to pay their respects to our lovely mascot Rouffy Rhino and got a bounced messaged. Much cursing ensued, as that mistake slipped through our proof-reading, so sorry about that! But we did get lots of lovely reactions on WhatsApp, so not all was lost.
- Brilliant newsletter, as always. The videos were super (and Clive deserves all the awards for his starring role in the OFD film). Lots of lovely new information about history, as well. [Jan Walker]
- Loved it, well done. [Peter Smart]
- Another excellent NL thanks. [Bob Churcher]
Kermit, I promise I made it to the end, so will you buy me a Guinness?
THE END