Episodes

  • Mike Wooding | The first 1,000' cave dive in Keld Head

    Mike Wooding | The first 1,000' cave dive in Keld Head
    Feb 19 2009
    Mike Wooding (1943-2006) began caving whilst at Bristol University, and soon built up a considerable reputation, being involved with a number of new explorations in Swildon's Hole. In 1964, together with Dave Drew and Dave Savage, he co-founded the Independent Cave Diving Group, a short-lived group which met with considerable success. He later continued his caving career in the Yorkshire Dales. In 1970 Mike successfully completed the first 300 metre cave dive in the UK. In this recording he discusses his Keld Head dive with Sid Perou, explaining how it was a deliberate attempt to overcome the psychological problems associated with long cave dives. Mike also recounts how he was forced to leave the line for some distance on his return when he discovered that it had pulled over into a tight bedding. You can also hear another account of the same dive.
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  • Martyn Farr | Diving in Agen Allwedd and the death of Roger Solari

    Martyn Farr | Diving in Agen Allwedd and the death of Roger Solari
    Feb 19 2009
    Martyn Farr is a world renowned caver, cave diver, author and photographer who has been diving for over four decades both at home and abroad. In the UK his explorations include major discoveries in Wookey Hole, Peak Cavern, and South Wales. In 1986 he completed the first subterranean traverse of Llangattock Mountain between Daren Cilau and Elm Hole, a distance of some 5 km - the culmination of many years of exploration by many cavers. Unfortunately, such progress does not always come without a cost. In this harrowing account, Martyn describes his 1974 diving explorations in the Agen Allwedd cave system with Roger Solari, and the circumstances surrounding Roger's unfortunate death on the 15th June of that year in the terminal sump.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 1 - His early caving experiences

    Dave Brook | Part 1 - His early caving experiences
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. These recordings were made in 1983 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book about Gaping Gill, which was to be a follow-up to the link up with Ingleborough Cave. The book was never written, but these valuable records remain. In this recording Dave describes how he started caving and his early trips to Skoska Cave and to Ireland, where he first became involved in surveying.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 2 - Surveying and a possible Car Pot connection

    Dave Brook | Part 2 - Surveying and a possible Car Pot connection
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. These recordings were made in 1983 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book about Gaping Gill, which was to be a follow-up to making the connection with Ingleborough Cave. The book was never written, but these valuable records remain. This recording covers surveying Car Pot for Monty Grainger, and the discovery of a potential link with East Passage; discussion on surveying as a tool for exploration, and the prospecting for a connection between Car Pot with Gaping Gill's East Passage.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 3 - "Cloak and dagger" in Whitsun Series

    Dave Brook | Part 3 - "Cloak and dagger" in Whitsun Series
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. This interview covers the (re)discovery of Gaping Gill Whitsun Series, searching for a way on in Hensler's roof passages, a "Cloak and Dagger" episode with the Bradford Pothole Club, and surveying Whitsun Series. It is interesting to compare with the BPC account of the same episode. These recordings were made in 1979 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book which was to be a follow-up to the Yorkshire Television film "Underground Eiger". The book was never written, but these valuable records remain.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 4 - Chasing draughts in Hensler's Master Cave

    Dave Brook | Part 4 - Chasing draughts in Hensler's Master Cave
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. These recordings were made in 1983 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book about Gaping Gill, which was to be a follow-up to the link up with Ingleborough Cave. The book was never written, but these valuable records remain. In this recording Dave tells of chasing draughts in the Hensler's Master Cave roof tubes.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 5 - First breakthrough into Far Country

    Dave Brook | Part 5 - First breakthrough into Far Country
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. These recordings were made in 1983 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book about Gaping Gill, which was to be a follow-up to the link up with Ingleborough Cave. The book was never written, but these valuable records remain. This part describes the breakthrough into what was to be called "Far Country" and the first stages of the ensuing exploration.
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  • Dave Brook | Part 6 - The first exploration of Far Country

    Dave Brook | Part 6 - The first exploration of Far Country
    Feb 19 2009
    Dave Brook, together with his brother Alan, was a leading light of a very successful ULSA group in the late 1960s and the 1970s. ULSA's many important discoveries included Kingsdale Master Cave, Far Country in Gaping Gill, Black Shiver Pot, and the major part of Langcliffe Pot and was largely a result of undertaking major resurveying projects and an unwillingness to accept the guidebook. Dave was also a member of a number of international expeditions to places such as Borneo and China. These recordings were made in 1983 by Geoff Yeadon and Lindsay Dodd who were researching a book about Gaping Gill, which was to be a follow-up to the link up with Ingleborough Cave. The book was never written, but these valuable records remain. This part tells of the discoveries in Gaping Gill's Far Country as exploration progressed.
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    Less than 1 minute