CSS Newsletters 2015 - Volume 57

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Nos. 1-2, January-February 2015

Cover: Lee Hawkswell in Antler Passage, Daren Cilau. Photo by Steve Sharp.
  • Curry Evening - The Annual CSS Curry Night at Whitewalls.
  • Candidates from North East Somerset and Wells constituencies taken on awareness tour of potential North Somerset gasfield - Local politicians are taken on a caving trip and surface tour to highlight possible issues fracking might cause to the hydrology in the fractured geology of the of the Mendip plateau and Somerset Coalfield.
  • CSS Evening Trips - Trip to the Dinas Silica Mine at Pontneddfechan on Nov 2014.
  • Swildon's Hole - Trip to the Black Hole Series in Swildon's Hole.
  • Mendip Underground - Taking photographs for the upcoming Mendip Underground 5.
  • Keyhole Chamber Extensions - New discoveries at Keyhole Chamber in Agen Allwedd with photos and surveys.
  • Are We There Yet? - Trip to Busman's and Antler Passage going in and out of Cnwc.
  • St Andrew's Well - Diving in St Andrew's Well in the grounds of the Bishop's Palace in Wells. The third largest resurgence in Mendip.
  • Reservoir Hole - Update on progress in Reservoir Hole including a minor breakthrough at Skyfall and preparations to fly a drone over The Frozen Deep.
  • Swildon's Hole - Trip to Sump 2 and back with one of the team injuring his arm.
  • More Caves Visited on Lundy Island - Sea caves explored on Lundy Island including those at Lametry Bay.
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Nos. 3-6, March-June 2015

Cover: John Newton in Antler Passage, Daren Cilau. Photo by Lee Hawkswell.
  • Whitchurch Farm Rifts - Interesting slip rifts discovered by excavation in East Mendip.
  • CSS Evening Trips - With a meandering trip around OFD II and Craig a Ffynnon trip to The Hall of the Mountain King.
  • Cave Rescue Practice at Cwmystwyth - Report from an interesting rescue practice in Cwmystwyth Mine with an unusual scenario.
  • Big Sink - An SRT trip to Big Sink in the Forest of Dean.
  • Vurley Swallet - Starting work on the Vurley Swallet digging project and fitting the entrance shaft.
  • Yorkshire - Easter 2015 - 4 Yorkshire trips including Pippikin Pot/Mistral Cave, The Dowbergill Traverse - Providence to Dow, Black Shiver Pot and a Simpson's Pot Pull-through down Great Aven Pitch.
  • Otter Hole Trip Report - A trip to assist with a filming project at the Hall of Thirty and transport the equipment required.
  • Otter Hole Film Project - The Otter Hole filming project and the techniques used to illuminate and film this well decorated and unique cave.
  • CSS Dorset Weekend - Round up of the 2015 CSS Dorset weekend, with a through trip of Ariel/Sandy Cave in Portland and a limestone mine near Swanage.
  • Shatter Cave - Smoke testing in Shatter Cave, Fairy Cave Quarry.
  • HSCC 'Try Caving' Weekend in Mendip - A weekend of taking potential new scout leaders caving in Mendip.
  • Matienzo 2015 - Events from the 2015 Matienzo expedition with trips to Cueva de la Hoyuca and the Vaca, Renada and Villine cave systems and a Via Ferrata.
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Nos. 7-9, July-September 2015

Cover: Alum Pot. Photo by Steve Sharp.
  • Underwater Potholer by Duncan Price - Book Review of Underwater Potholer by Duncan Price.
  • Nant Rhin and the Children Within - Solo SRT trip to Ogof Nant Rhin from Pont Gam.
  • Sipun Cave Cavtat - A Sneaky trip to Sipon Cave while on holiday in Cavtat, Montenegro.
  • Three Trips in the Peaks - Caving trips to Peak Cavern, the Ice Cream Trail in Rowter Hole and Nettle Pot to Elizabeth, Crumble and Beza pitches.
  • Skeleton Passage - Charterhouse Cave - News of new finds in Charterhouse discovered diving Skeleton Sump. Full report in CSS Newsletter Vol.57, Nos 10-12.
  • Alum Pot - A trip to the bottom of the impressive Alum Pot in Yorkshire.
  • The Eglwys Potato Masher - Construction of the Eglwys Pump (otherwise known as the remote Potato Masher) to drain St Patrick's sump in Eglwys Faen.
  • More Chain Ladders for Daren Cilau - The construction and underground assembly of the new chain ladders at the Eastern Flyover and the route up to Frag Street along Bonsai Streamway.
  • Bradshaw's Cave, Asham Wood Quarry - History, location, access, description and survey of Bradshaw's Cave an on-going dig on Mendip.
  • Wookey Hole - Tunnel to Chamber Twenty - Duncan's involvement in the project to drill a tunnel from Chamber 9 to 20 in Wookey Hole.
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Nos. 10-12, October-December 2015

Cover: Decorations in Daren Cilau. Photoshopping by Mark Lumley.
  • CSS Bonfire Party - Summary of the CSS Bonfire Weekend at Whitewalls November 2015.
  • Best Caving Trips in South Wales - Adrian Fawcett lists what he regards to be the best caving trips in South Wales.
  • Skeleton 2 - Charterhouse Cave - Diving Skeleton Sump in Charterhouse Cave.
  • Return to Reservoir Hole - Nick's first trip back to Reservoir Hole after being hit by a falling boulder there the year before.
  • The Caves of Nagaland - Reconnaissance trip to the caves of the Nagaland State, North-East India.
  • More Climbing in Agen Allwedd - Bolting and climbing up avens above Midsummer Passage in Agen Allwedd. Survey included.
  • Gear Reviews - Reviews for bolting equipment including drills, drill bits and cases.
  • CSS Golden Oldies Meet 2015 - The CSS Golden Oldies annual gathering with walks, pub dinners and nostalgia. Includes photos of Whitewalls during it's renovation in the 1960s.
  • Namibia 2015 - Report from the Namibia 2015 expedition and the caves explored
  • Vurley Swallet - Update on the Vurley Swallet dig, near Cheddar Gorge, Mendip.
  • Derbyshire Weekend - Trip undertaken on the CSS Derbyshire Weekend 2015 with trips to Hourglass Aven in Rowter Hole, Speedwell Streamway in Peak Cavern and through-trips in Hillock's Mine.
  • Cwmystwyth Lead and Copper Mine - SRT trip down to Level Fawr and visit to Herbert's Level.
  • Index to Volume 57
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