Monday 27th February 2017

John Cooper, Simon Richards (Nik-Nak) and Tony Seddon. Reduced team hauled about 28 loads up the bottom shaft. Very drippy. 1½ hours.

Monday 20th February 2017

James Collings, John Cooper, Vern Freeman, Simon Richards (Nik-Nak) and Adrian Vanderplank. Clearing the spoil created last week. Lots of loads (uncounted 60?). Could have done a few more before much hammering required. 2 hours. John.

NikNak, James, John Cooper, Vern Freeman & Myself. A really good digging session. A minimum of 62 buckets hauled from the very bottom. Although I didn’t go to the bottom it sounds like the crack is continuing downwards and James & NikNak were getting quite enthusiastic about it. At present the banging is going under a rock slab 3m x 2m x 30cm which will have little physical support underneath. I’m not quite sure if this will be a problem or not. Whether the sideways pressure from the boulders jammed in the rift will hold it in place or whether I will need to put rebar in and then cement chocks above; probably the safer option. Possibly cosmetically more reassuring! Adrian.

Sketch by Adrian Vanderplank