Hi all

I'm just back from Spain [One of the "French contingent, though I'm British!!].

Firstly a question, I was told Gavin might know[?]

53/5, in the Val Extremero, has a strong draft [outward]. The shaft bashing guide at the camp only says it ends at a tight rift. Claire, Harvey and Chris pushed this and found a pitch, BUT it had two hangers so they were rather disappointed! It's a damned good site so the question is what work has already been done in there? Can anyone mail the information onto the list so the guys in Spain can read it next time they go to Cangas? (I believe it has been descended but the draft was lost somewhere). [SGR: Link to 53/5 description]

Exploration

When I left the plan was to survey the inlet in 12/5 [above the Mendip bit] and descend the undescended shaft at the window at the Heath. As there are, so far, no other leads it is likely that they will begin to derig 12/5 after that [not enough time and resources to reach Chunder pot and derig afterwards].

1/5 [Xitu]. I finished the climb of the supposed 10m aven at 25m and, with Pip and Harvey we made the first push into a rather tight passage involving a climb to a pool which, when I drained it, gave the effect of a long flood pulse to Harvey who was, at the time, at the bottom of the aven! A team; Paul M, Pip, Brendan and Andy surveyed about half way up the passage for 90m to where it gets easier [and very pretty]. Access involves negotiating pools and sideways crawling. About 90m further after a walking size passage it ends at a sump. The access passage has a draft and the large area hasn't yet been fully explored....

The Aven has been bolted a further 25m up [so it's now 50m high - not bad for a 10m Aven!] by Eric and Graham. They reached the roof, the main passage is all blocked with Calcite but they say there might be a way on back in the main Aven area [4m traverse to do]. They left all the drill and rigging gear up there for someone else to have a look [It's a little slimy up there.]

Downstream Xitu still needs more trips. Beyond the Gap is still continuing without conclusion.

Surface shaft bashing in Area 4 and 5 continues. There is some talk of going and having a look at E12.

That's a brief picture of where everything was on Saturday 28 July.

See you around.

Paul Mackrill