Progress Report.

Over the Summer of 2007 and into the Winter Democratic Dig located near to Crowdecote has maintained its position as the 'Orpheus Dig of Choice' despite it becoming something of a 'Poo Mine' in very wet weather. With the Installation of a second hand, courtesy of the Paul Thorne workshop, winch at the top of the second pot greatly easing the extraction of silt and rock a regular 60 bucket loads have been extracted from the dig on most Sundays. This has allowed the base of the pot to be reached where it levelled out to a horizontal tube that has been followed for some 8m to reach a small rift chamber. The cave passage currently discovered so far is just over 30m in length and reaches a depth of around 12m.

Despite the way on remaining fully choked with silt and the occasional boulder the size of the passage remains encouraging. Occasionally the diggers get a short respite from the solid fill when what looks like a solid roof to the lower passage collapses to reveal a small rift aven. This has happened on at least two occasions with the diggers fortunately being on the surface at the time taking a tea break. Digging continues as the 'Upper Dove Master System' cannot be far away. Or at least that's the story that regular Orpheus Diggers, Ken Morton and Mick Chambers give to anyone who from the Club who can be lured along to help.