12th June 2018: with Brockers, Jonathon and Duncan.
Straight from work to the suppliers to make a collection of the ingredients necessary for the application of induced rapid speleogenesis (IRS), then up to Wigmore Farm to make the preparations for the evenings task while waiting for the team to arrive.
I got changed and walked over to the entrance with the kit. Brockers and Jonathon arrived, Duncan was almost ready, so we set-off underground.
At the bottom of the 26m pitch, Duncan started to dig a potential lead, Jonathon went off to explore Home Close, later to join Duncan, Brockers and me headed off to the 60m crawl. At the obstruction, drilled 1no. hole, 500mm x 12mm, into the right-hand wall, 2no. holes, 500mm x 12mm, into a fractured flake of rock, and 1no. hole, 350mm x 12mm, into a large boulder. Brockers led out with the drill bag and tube, I followed on with a bag and laid out the wire.
Back at the pitch, got the SRT kit on, and when the last man was on the rope, went back to the 60m crawl to bring the evenings endeavour to a satisfactory conclusion – a low, rumbling echo.
The evening was finished off with refreshments at the Hunter’s Lodge Inn. All was good!
