Yes, its happened again. For the second time during the Editorship of the present editor, a
number has to be missed out. The last
time this occurred was November 1959. On
that occasion, a series of mishaps to the duplicator was to blame. This time, it has been mainly the lack of
material.
When the first editorial of this regime was written, for
B.B. number 110 in March, 1957; it was said that articles would be obtained by
passing amongst you with a big stick. The editor has, for some time now, felt that he has not been doing this
job as well as he once did. Eleven years
is a long time, and it would seem to be the best thing for the Club to have a
new face running the B.B. next year. We
hope to be able to make a suitable suggestion to the A.G.M., but meanwhile, the
present editor will try to produce a last minute spurt with the few issues
remaining under his editorship.
Alfie
de Joly and all that
by Kevin Barnes.
contains on of the finest cave systems in the world the Grotte de Han. Its size, formations and waterways are well
worth a visit in spite of the extravagant entrance fee. But what I intended to tackle was the Chasm
of Belvaux where the river Lesse disappeared underground, only to appear 1,138
metres through the mountain at the Grotte de Han.
In 1818, the Comte de Robiano tried to sound the mystery of
the chasm, and more recently, M de Joly attempted the source in a diving suit,
only to find the same trouble as my story will tell.
To look at the chasm on a postcard is quite something, but
when one gets close up in real life, it is different. The river Lesse, in a fast swirling torrent,
enters the chasm and turns round an L shaped bend and then travels for
fifteen metres in an underground gorge before disappearing below the rock. However, packed between this sump and the L
shaped bend is the most grotesque collection of bottles, tins, bits of wood and
debris in general.
This, however, should be nothing to daunt the foolhardy, so
I donned my wetsuit and secured a line with a belay by two companions, I
entered the water. The water in the
chasm may be divided into two parts. On
the opposite bank was the fast rushing white water, while the near side was a
slightly more placid type. My first
attempt got me within ten feet of the debris, and it was only when I found
myself drifting upstream that I realised that the more placid water consisted
of a strong eddy current in opposition to the main stream. This meant that I could only approach the
debris from the fast flowing side. I had
the good fortune to have an airbed, which was quickly inflated and, hanging on
to it, I paddles forth. Every time I got
near the main stream, I was forced out again. A few seconds later, I fell off the airbed and was ignominiously dragged
ashore. Having taken a few breaths and
told myself I was an idiot, I once more sat astride the airbed.
This time I lunged at the stream and suddenly I was in the
main flow. Disaster struck. I headed straight in to the rock face. The airbed overturned and the pair of us were
hurled with some force against the debris. I straightened up, shaking and found myself on a log which was submerged
four feet below the water.
The debris was a mass of oscillating rubbish and the smell
was vile. Using the airbed as a type of
float on a mass of quicksand, I climbed on top of the debris, and made my way
to the sump end. The debris ended in a
mass of logs each a foot in diameter completely blocking the way on. I could find no way through, round or over
them, and I set out for the return journey.
To enter the rushing water was like jumping into the
unknown. By myself, it would have been
impossible to return. I gave a signal
for my companions to pull. The water hit
me forced me under my helmet fell off and a bootee was wrenched off my
left foot. Then it was all over, and I
was pulled close to the bank where spluttering and cursing I touched terra
firma again.
Monthly Notes No 4
Editors
Note. The compression of the May and
June B.B.s into one (short) number the editor will be on holiday for the
next fortnight has meant that Dave Irwins excellent Monthly Notes on caving
matters will be found below at number 4 (for June 1967) as this one contains
more up to the minute information
.
by Dave Irwin.
Goughs Cave. Permission is being sought to stage classical
plays in the Black Cat Chamber. (Daily
Telegraph 25.5.67.)
THATS US! They have such lost degraded souls
No wonder they inhabit holes;
When such depravity is found,
It only can live underground. (G.K.
Chesterton)
Emborough Swallet Keith Franklin and Phil Coles have begun
work. To date, a shaft some seven feet
deep has been dug, but now needs shoring (This has been done temporarily Ed)
Any help would be appreciated. According
to both diggers, it looks extremely promising.
Lamb Leer. Over the past few years, M.N.R.C. have
made an extensive effort to locate Palmers Chamber. The latest dig off Agony crawl is plagued
with a high concentration of Carbon Dioxide. Another dig off the main chamber could possibly lead to Lyons
have discovered three miles of new stream passage. This was found by the discoverers of a new
entrance to the system. A connection
with the show cave has been made. Anyone
with more details?
C.R.G. Publications. A new survey of Lancaster/Ease Gill system
complete with report is now available. Price 17/6. Available form Bryan
Ellis. 62 pages of text plus photographs
and bibliography. Very good value.
Lightweight Carrying Sheets. These are manufactured from a material
developed for space garments. A sheet of
this light plastic will carry the weight of a man. It is treated with and aluminium coating
which reflects body heat. This sheet
or rescue blanket is 84 x 56 and folds down to 4.5 x 2. Weight is four ounces. Price is 20/-. The other version made by the same
manufacturer is of heavier material and has corner eyelets. Wt. 11oz. Price 68/6. Whether this material
is suitable for cave rescue is not known, and will be worth trying. U.K Distributor SAMS BROTHERS LTD.,
HODDESDON HERTS.
Longest Caves. Flint Ridge (U.S.A.) 55 miles.
Hollock (
53 miles.
(
51 miles.
Flint Ridge and Mammoth come within 200 miles of each other!
M.R.O. The Hon. Sec.s Report (Published March 1967) for 1966
pointed out some serious comments as a result of rescues during 1966.
1. Clothing for sump trips does have to be
adequate.
2. Sitting still when cold is as tiring as caving.
3. Climbing on a tight lifeline is good, as long as
the subject can climb. When he falls off
the ladder it is best to let him down to the bottom at once. It is only possible to pull him up by direct
pull if there is a second man on the ladder to stop the subject from jamming on
the overhang.
4. The long round trip (Swildons Shatter Link and
Figure of Eight) is exceptionally difficult and arduous and have given more
than half the parties attempting it serious trouble, including two M.R.O.
callouts.
Procedure in the
Event of an Accident.
1. Person having knowledge of accident will go to
the nearest call box or telephone (details at cave entrance) and ring the
police. WELLS POLICE TEL. No. WELLS
3481)
2. The police will require the following
information:-
Name and address of caller.
Number and situation of call box or telephone.
Nature of Accident.
Name of Cave.
Position of accident in cave if known.
Number of people on party.
Whether experienced cavers
3. The informant will remain at phone for further
instructions.
lamp are available from CASEY BROS.,
WESTFIELD STREET
Dalesman Publications. Have a revised version of Caves of
Derbyshire back in print. It is a
slightly different format with limp covers. Price 10/-. Caves of the
given generous discounts.
St. Cuthberts. Work continues at the sump. The big traverse for the new survey is
about to be closed and corrected. When
the traverse is completed, several of the new surveys will be drawn and
published in the early autumn.
B.E.C. Caving Report No.5. A revised edition of this report Headgear
And Lighting will be available soon. Revision by Geoff Bull. Price and
publication date details later.
Nine Barrow Swallet. Following the collapse of the shaft at
Fairmans
attention to the old B.E.C. dig at Nine Barrows Swallet. On the subject of digs, the U.S.S.S. are said
to be progressing well at manor Farm and M.N.R.C. have prepared the ground to
commence digging at Stockhill Swallet.
B.E.C. London Section. Some time ago, enough members lived
in the
area to form a London Group which, during the time of its existence, was
extremely active. The same situation exists
today, and any member interested in
re-forming the section are invited to contact Dave Irwin, 9 Camden Hill
Gardens, London, W.8.
6127. A general get together and a
natter can then be arranged.
Rock and Fountain Inn. The proprietors of this pub are
prepared to serve cooked meals as a reasonable price to any members caving in
the Aggy area. The pub is located on the
old Brynmawr road. At least a days notice
would be appreciated.
Letter to the Editor.
Withy House,
Withy Close West,
Dear Alfie,
I wonder if you would like to have two corrections for the
B.B. concerning cave rescues. (No. 230,
Page 14). The reason for contacting John
Childs is not in the case the C.R.O. is needed. It is to enable him to put caving parties in
so that they know where to turn for help if needed. Call out is through the local police or
Gardia.
If cave rescue is required in the
area, it must be done not through Col. Fraser but (as everywhere) through the
police. Dial 999 and the police are
supposed to contact the nearest rescue team.
Oliver. C. Lloyd
Pitons
A very informative report on pitons has recently been
published by the National Engineering Laboratory at East Kilbride,
British Mountaineering Council. This
report (which is short and available in the club library) is well worth reading
by anyone who uses or who intends to use pitons.
Even climbers who make regular use of pitons may be
surprised and perhaps dismayed at some of the conclusions drawn. A good piton should be made form high tensile
steel, shoulder have a small eye as close to the shoulder of the piton as
possible (in the case of elliptical eyes, the ellipse should slope downwards
towards the rock face when driven in with the shoulder downwards). The shoulder should be as square as possible,
to enable the piton to be driven right up to the shoulder. This should always be done, and where this
cannot be effected, a loop with a karabiner attached should be tied onto the
piton right against the rock face.
The use of pitons in vertical cracks is generally frowned
upon, although it is recognised that individual skills in the placing of pitons
plays a large part of their holding power. Even so, the report prefers an indifferent horizontal crack to a good
vertical crack under most circumstances.
Pitons were pulled off by use of a hydraulic test rig
and in some cases the pull requires was as low as 400lbs from hard
limestone! On the other hand, well
designed pitons of good high tensile steel driven into hard volcanic rock stood
pulls offs in excess of 5,000lbs.
S.J. Collins
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Helmets. Fibreglass
helmets are now on sale at the Belfry at 10/- each.
Donation of Furniture. The Hut Warden would like to thank Bob Price for his gift of chairs for
the Belfry.
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(We will be printing Steve Grimes interesting letter next
month).
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Can you write? Why
not have a bash? Write for the B.B.