White /Rabbit /Sand /Pit shut

Richard Masters has sold the fields containing White Pit, Sand Pit, and White Rabbit. Tuska (David Morrison) is contacting the new owner to confirm access.

Please temporarily avoid visiting these three sites until arrangements are secured, hopefully within a week.

Christmas Party

The Chistmas party was well attended last weekend.  A sumptous meal was enjoyed by all, followed by a talk on Mulu by Paul Fairman.

The remainder of the evening was filled with spirited entertainment, including traditional caving games and free-flowing conversation that lasted late into the night.

GB Lock Killed by Mud

On Friday afternoon the GB lock was jammed, preventing access.  A guest party had been down there the night before and returned the key to the Belfry caked in mud.

This is a reminder that care should be taken when using cave keys and that any dirt on the key should be cleaned off before use.  Additionally, all kit, including keys should be returned to the tackle store clean.

While WD40 is a great short term fix in locks, it dries into a sticky oily residue which then binds with the dirt.  If you must use a can then carburetor cleaning is a much better option.

Respect cave keys, return them clean!

OFD Padlocks

Shiny new locks have appeared on OFD.  These padlocks are equipped with internal shutter gates over the keyway (as seen in the attached images). These gates must swivel into precise alignment before the key can be fully inserted and the mechanism engaged. 

You still need to clean your key before using.