Descent (192)
October 2006
In the Deep, Deep Freeze
Diving the ice-cold waters of a Russian cave is not merely a case of putting on more clothes under a drysuit – there’s the small matter of freezing solid when you emerge to take into account, let alone how to cope with a local free-diver who swims like a dolphin in this utterly frigid underwater world.
Ken Pearce – My Part in His Downfall
Alan Jeffreys recalls what it was like to be on the sharp end of the Iron Man of Caving’s training regime.
The Siege of Black Keld
With the 2006 diving season underway at Black Keld in the Yorkshire Dales, after years of pushing, at last a major breakthrough has taken place.
The Star of Mendip
Mendip mines are far from unknown, yet the background of their operation is often firmly obscured by time. Cavers have found that a mine once lay near the Star Inn and, it turns out, it had an associated Cornish beam engine – the first confirmed on Mendip.
An International Recovery
In August a tragic fatality occurred when a cave diver lost his life in the Plura River Cave in Norway. It triggered an international response in order to recover the body, as those involved report here.
Caves Through a Magic Lantern
Our caving heritage is so often locked away in dimly lit libraries or club collections, yet there is a wealth of enjoyment waiting to be uncovered. How were early cavers dressed, how did they approach their exploration in those long-lost days? A set of delightful lantern slides in the Red Rose CPC collection tell a wonderful, pictorial tale.
Cover: Helen Rider diving in Ordinskaya, Russia. Photo: Martyn Farr
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