Friday 9th January 2026

Mike Kushy and Trevor Hughes. TH clearing with MK hauling, 22 loads done. Then MK took pfs down to break up larger rocks and TH did winching. Nearly 50 loads in total and at the end the large shelf started peeling away and all the floor moves, so loads more to clear yet. No standing water on arrival and there's a large mud pocket which looks to be taking the full drain. Ladder that was left in during charge completely unscathed, although it currently doesn't sit on the floor (extra anchors needed). 2 hours, Mike.

Looking at the floor, facing south. Photo MK.

Looking South, horizontally. Photo MK.

Looking North, horizontally. Photo MK.

Sunday 4th January 2026

AM - Mike Kushy and Lee Venning. LV went down the bottom to use the breaker with MK on surface hauling. 15 buckets. 2 hours. Mike.

View from the bottom looking up. Photo LV.

Looking at the floor, facing North. Photo LV.

PM - Mike Kushy and Trevor Hughes. TH drilled holes and MK set up. The floor is really odd and kind of crystalised so not sure what the outcome will be. 3 holes drilled and 2m of 40 used. Mike.

TH drilling. Photo MK.

Friday 2nd January 2026

John Cooper, Mike Kousiounis and Dave Morrison. Kushy arrived first and started work with breaker. When John arrived he started hauling out until Tuska arrived when Kushy stopped breaking up the floor. The final bits of debris were removed and then Kushy started installing the ladder. Secure for the moment but extra work still needed securing top (cement scaffold pole in place and securely fix top of ladder to it). Only 10 loads today. 3 hours.

MK cutting pole with JC in support. Photo DM.

Temporary fix. Photo MK.

Looking down to base. Photo MK.

Thursday 1st January 2026

Mike Kushy, Hollie London and John Cooper. MK and HL to begin with. HL went to the bottom and MK winched, 25 loads cleared then JC turned up. HL stayed down at the bottom with MK and JC hauling. HL came out around 1330 and MK went down to the face and smashed apart some more spoil and cleared some more with JC.  Breaker work next. The floor has gone back to conglomerate again and sounds very hollow, nice solutional rift to one side. 10.9m deep now. 73 buckets cleared today in total. 4 hours. Mike.

Video of the current dig face

Before clearing. Photo MK.

After clearing, looking North. Photo MK.

Looking South. Photo MK.

Looking at the floor, facing West. Photo. MK.

Wednesday 31st December 2025

Mike Kushy and John Cooper. MK to begin with, arrived on site around 11am. Started cutting blackthorn back on the North side of the hole and burning all the brash. Nice area to build another spoil wall. JC arrived around 13.30 and set to work on the breaker, with MK periodically winching and moving rock to the new pile. With JC down the bottom around 30 buckets cleared. MK and JC swapped places and another 15 buckets sent up. MK then set to drilling holes for charge. In the floor, all over, the drill bit went through rock and into void/soft mud around 400mm deep. Got a couple of good angled holes higher up into the side walls also. The noise from this charge was interesting and some large rock fall after the immediate bang...perhaps there is no floor under that flake? Finished at 1700. Mike.

Cleared area ready for spoil. Photo MK.

Sunday 28th December 2025

Mike Kushy, Hollie London, Lee Venning and Adrian Miles. MK got to site first and set up the breaker and ladder, then HL arrived and went down to do some breaking. LV arrived shortly after, he and MK did the surface work. AM arrived and there wasn't much for everyone to do so he and LV headed off to go and clear Valinor. HL came up to swap over with MK around 1230. We carried on until 13.30 then headed off to the hunters for lunch. Ready for a charge. 50 buckets cleared. Mike.

Before clearing, looking North. Photo HL.

Before clearing, looking South. Photo HL.

Caterpillar! Photo' HL.

Sunday 21st December 2025

Mike Kushy. Did 45 minutes on the breaker. Mike.