Lectures, Posters, Workshops & Field Trips

Archive of the sessions at EuroSpeleo 2016

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Caver's Cinema - Thursday

Mr A & A Freem

Discovery of Ogof Marros in South Wales,
Caving in Pakistan,
China: Gavin Newman

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 18:00 to 20:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caver's Cinema & Video Salon - Tuesday

Mr A & A Freem

Last chance to see the VIDEO SALON - 45mins
Photographer's Paradise v1631,
Royal Gift v1632,
From the blue into the dark v1351,
Stop Motion Start Colouring v1961,
Otter Hole Cave background v1811

FEATURE FILM
'The Unexplored': film about diving in Mexico by the Bulgarian Caving Society

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 18:00 to 20:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caver's Cinema - Monday

Mr A Freem

Cinema tonight
'Gaping Gill - Bar Pot to Stream Passage Pot'. Short film by A & A Freem
'Son Doong; Vietnam' spectacular 6.5min. film by Ryan Deboodt,
'Wookey Exposed' feature film by Gavin Newman

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 18:00 to 20:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Paperless Surveying - Tips & Tricks

Mr Dincan Simey

An opportunity to share things in your workflow that you think other people should know.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 16:00 to 18:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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UIS Congress 2017 - Caves in an Ancient Land

Dr Tim Moulds (Australia)

The Australian Speleological Federation Inc (ASF), as the peak caving body in Australia, is honoured to host the 17th ICS in 2017 on behalf of the UIS.
It will be held in Sydney, Australia, from 23 to 29 July 2017.

This presentation will give you a flavour of the event, including the excellent pre and post excursions. More information is available at:
www.speleo2017.com

The Australian Speleological Federation (Inc) (ASF) is the national body that represents the interests of 28 Australian caving clubs and has over 700 members. ASF appoints Australia’s delegate to the International Union of Speleology. For further details about ASF visit www.caves.org.au

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 17:30 to 18:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caver's Cinema & Video Salon - Sunday

Mr Andy Freem

VIDEO SALON - 45mins
Photographer's Paradise v1631,
Royal Gift v1632,
From the blue into the dark v1351,
Stop Motion Start Colouring v1961,
Otter Hole Cave background v1811

FEATURE FILMS
'St Francis Level' 3 min. CGI film,
'The Chamber' feature film by Gavin Newman

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 18:00 to 20:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Surveyor's Get Together - Cave Symbols, Data Entry and more...

Mr Andrew Atkinson

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 16:00 to 18:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Surveyor's Get Together - Cave Symbols, Data Entry and more...

Mr Andrew Atkinson

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 18:00 to 20:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Surveyor's Get Together

Mr Duncan Simey

Therion, Survex, PocketTopo, TopoDroid and DistoX - this is an opportunity to swap tips, tricks and best working practices with other cave surveyors. This is an opportunity to learn from each other.

Chaired by Duncan and/or Wookey

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Visit to the Headquarters of the Cave Rescue Organisation, Clapham

Mr Whittle Sean

An opportunity to visit the Headquarters of what is probably the world's busiest cave rescue team. Drop in on Wednesday any time between 5pm and 9pm to have a look around and chat to CRO members. Situated in the village of Clapham next to the New Inn pub.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 17:00 to 21:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Zoological Results of the British Speleological Expedition to Papua New Guinea 1975

Mr Petar Beron

List of everything published so far from the material collected during the expedition, bibliography, list of the new taxa and the main conclusions from the material identified so far. It remains the most important contribution to the biospeleology of New Guinea so far, with important theoretical contributions to the theory of troglomorphogenesis. In the caves at 1700 - 3000 m the temperature is comparable to the one of mediterranean caves, and the long list of troglomorphic animals proves that temperature is important for the troglomorphogenesis. Another important discovery were the stygobites (Gastropoda, Isopoda Anthurides and Polychaet worms) of marine origin, found high in the mountains and very far from any sea. Substantiol part of the material is still under sttudy.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Lights Cameras Caves…

Mr Gavin Newman

How developments in technology have changed how we film caves and what its possible to film.
From 16mm film and car batteries through to 4K Video and high powered LEDs the technology available has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. Camera and Lighting Technology has changed what we can film, and computer technology has changed what we can do with that footage once we’ve captured it. The changes are mostly for the better but with everybody filming everything these days what are the pitfalls and where will it all end…
An illustrated talk by Gavin Newman looking at what new technology can do for us and how we don’t need to spend a fortune to take advantage of it. Using examples from Gavin’s 20 year career as a professional cave cameraman.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 16:30 to 17:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Diving Deep in Durmitor, Montenegro

Miss Catherine Moody

Joint talk with Andy Vick. Following the discovery in 2014 of a (presumed) sump at -622 m in Bunda Jama, a team returned to Durmitor in July 2016 to further explore "The Blue Lagoon". With the aid of a small team of only 11 to rig/derig the cave and carry all the necessary equipment, Tony Seddon successfully completed the first ever cave dive on Durmitor.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Mendip Round-Up

Mr Peter Glanvill

A quick overview of Mendip's significant finds in recent years and current prospects including Upper Flood, Charterhouse, Reservoir Hole, and Wookey. This year looks to be a bumper year for Mendip with several sites looking very promising...

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 16:45 to 17:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Video Salon Feedback Session

Mr Andy Freem

A discussion led by the judges of the Video Salon, intended to feedback to all entrants of the Video Salon the comments raised by the judges during the review process.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 17:00 to 17:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caves and photogrammetry

Mr Nigel Steel

This lecture supports the workshop which provides a basic session for cavers about using photogrammetry to create 3-D models of caves and the artefacts found within. Digventures are using the modelling to record archaeology but the method could potentially be used in cave conservation.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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The history of exploration in Șura Mare Cave (Romania)

Miss Oana Chachula

Situated in the Southern Carpathians, in Șureanu Mountains, Șura Mare Cave is located near Ohaba Ponor village, Grădiștea Muncelului-Cioclovina Natural Park. It was first explored by local people at the beginning of the 20th century.

Speleologists from Emil Racoviţă Speleological Institute established in 1964, through a fluorescein dye test, that the water from a major engulfment (the swallow hole of the Ohaba stream), re-appeared in Șura Mare after 14 hours. A report on the first 1000 m explored, was published in 1967.

Interest in Şura Mare Cave increased. Numerous contacts were made between researchers from the Emil Racoviţă Speleological Institute, the Karst Research Institute of the Slavonian Academy of Postojna and caving clubs from the UK, some of which reunited under the Joint Universities Expedition to Romania. Collaboration with Great Britain between 1967 and 1969 was important due the lack of knowledge and equipment in Romania at that time compared to the present. A significant effort to survey the cave started in 1976. Between 1981 and 1984, expeditions took place and still continue to the present day. An important theodolite survey was carried out by the Speotimis Caving Club. As a result of co-operation between Romanian and French cavers, Şura Mare reached in 1999 a length of 11.123 m and a difference in level of +425 m. Thus the cave now has a total length of 11.694 m and is still ongoing. This colossus of the Romanian karst, Şura Mare Cave, has certainly not finished telling its story, and is still offering us pleasant surprises.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 16:00 to 16:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Demonstration of Electronic Equipment for Caving

Mr Mike Bedford

Hosted by CREG – The Cave Radio an Electronics Group, a BCRA Special Interest Group – this field trip will provide an opportunity for attendees to see caving-related electronics gear in operation. The trip will have a strong communications theme although it’s hoped that other electronics aids for cavers will also be on show with people on hand to talk about the gear, demonstrate it, and answer questions. Of course, you’ll also be able to try out equipment yourselves.

Of particular note is the new Nicola 3 cave radio which is in the process of being made available to the UK’s rescue teams for the first time and which will be the subject of a talk at EuroSpeleo 2016. There will also be more conventional cave radios such as the HeyPhone available so that inter-operation with Nicola 3 can be demonstrated. In addition, we plan to have conventional HF radios available which have recently been shown to have application for through-rock communication and which might offer some benefits compared to LF or VLF cave radios.
This session will take place in Kingsdale Master Cave (Valley Entrance) and/or the nearby Yordas Cave.

If you’re interested, please sign up at the BCRA exhibition stand. Efforts will be made to secure transport for those who don’t have their own transport.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 10:00 to 16:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caving in the Abode of the Clouds, Meghalaya, NE India 2016

Mr Simon Brooks

Meghalaya a small state situated in North East India has much limestone plus a warm and very wet climate that results in many fine caves. Something of a novelty in a subcontinent that was once considered devoid of any significant caves. Over the last 24 years, 27 predominantly multi-national expeditions have explored just over 1,000 of the known caves to yield over 455 kms of cave passage.

This lecture, followed by a slide/sound sequence gives and insight into the Landscapes, Karsts, Cultures and Quirks of Meghalaya along with a concise overview of the exploration from 1992 to 2015.

The most recent 2016 expedition saw a multi-national team of up to 27 cavers, based initially in the Sielkan Area deep within the forests in the Jaintia Hills and then for the main part of the expedition in the Mawsynram/Mawlongba Area of the West Khasi Hills. Across these two areas the team explored and mapped another 18.2 kms of excellent Meghalayan Cave. In the Sielkan Area the stunning river cave, Pielklieng-Sielkan Pouk was extended to 13.3 kms. In the Mawsynram/Mawlongbna Area Krem Puri was explored for 8.3kms and is ongoing, establishing it as the Indian Sub-Continents longest Sandstone Cave and the 2nd and possibly the longest Sandstone Cave in the world. This and other finds clearly indicated that Meghalaya Sandstone Areas have as much to offer as its Limestone Area.

Bio-Speleological work was ongoing by members of the team finding new Bat species. In addition find out about ‘best tea shop in Meghalaya’ and why trucking and caving are a good mix.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 16:30 to 17:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Peak District Round-Up

Mr Simon Brooks

The Peak District that predominantly lies within the Counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire is one of Britain’s oldest National Parks, famous for its stunning limestone and gritstone landscapes. Within what is essentially a Limestone Plateau there are many fine caves with documentation of these extending back to the 16th Century.

Lead miners, also known as ‘t’owd man, who were very active in the Peak District had knowledge of many of the more well know caves, particularly where these had been intersected by Lead Mines.

With some of the more notable cave discoveries taking place from the late 1920’s onwards the casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that most of ‘what could be found, has been found’. However, ongoing exploration is still very active within the Peak district and particularly in the last 10 years there have been some significant discoveries.

This lecture gives an overview of the landscapes of the Peak District, the Geology and the Caves. Outlining significant milestones in discovery from 1926 onwards, focusing on the finds of the last 10 years the latest caving activities, digs and discoveries in the Peak District during 2015 – 2016.

Access and Gating are always controversial topics and in respect of the latter the Peak District has some very fine examples.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 10:15 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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The benefits a scientific element can bring to a Caving Expedition

Miss Oana Chachula (Romania)

Over the years many expeditions have embodied a scientific element as part of their investigations of a cave or caving area. Sometime this is done for genuine scientific interest and sometimes with the dual agenda of attracting funding or gaining access to an area.The Caving in the Abode of the Clouds Expedition has since its outset in 1992 taken bio-speleological observations as part of its mapping and exploring caves. Over the years this element has grown with expedition member who are either professional or amateur biologist taking the lead on various aspects related to their particular interest or expertise. From 1999 onwards there has been a focus on cave invertebrats, particularly spiders, and cave fish. More recently from 2011 onwards there has been a strong focus on bats and micro-organisms with an international compliment of cavers and professional biologists working alongside the exploration teams. In 2011 two new bat species were identified, Murina jaintiana and Murina pluvialis, with other species that were new for India or for Meghalaya identified. In 2014 one new endangered species, namely Otomops wroughtoni were discovered that double known world bat population of this species. In 2016, the biggest known bat colony in Meghalaya was observed in the Piel Klieng Pouk/Seilkan Pouk System with an estimated 0.5 million Hipposideros armiger and H. lankadiva. These discoveries have not only added to the knowledge of bio-speleology of Indian Caves but also enriched the overall expedition experience for all.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Paleoclimate reconstruction based on stalagmite studies from Lebanon

Mr Fadi Nader (France)

Since 2005, studies on speleothems have been undertaken in Lebanon, for the first time, aiming at reconstructing the paleoclimate in this special location on the Levant climate belt. The studies lead to nearly continuous curves from the last Glacial period to the Middle Ages and of the Last Interglacial period and the following glacial inception.

The general pattern of the Last Interglacial (LIG) suggests wet conditions at around 130 ka with a rather active vegetation. The δ18O increase between 125.4 ka and 122.0 ka seems to be mostly due to a ‘source’ effect, suggesting a link between Mediterranean cooling and enhanced aridity. Lower growth rates and slightly higher δ13C may reflect drier conditions related to a regional climatic deterioration. During the glacial inception, two wet periods are defined based on changing growth rates and δ18O values at 108.8 ka to 99.9 ± 0.7 ka.

A stalagmite was also retrieved from and Qadisha cave (about 1750 m above sea-level, in northern Lebanon). Initial dating revealed the age of the sample between 6482±32a and 3247±127a (before 1950). Samples having similar ages from different altitudes, yet relatively close locations from central and northern Lebanon are believed to reveal invaluable information on the paleoclimate in the Levant region and on the altitude influence. Hence, new data from Lebanon completes the picture of the Levant and provides a better regional understanding of climatic changes and associated societal evolutions.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Recent Exploration in Luoshui Kong, Wulong, China

Ms Erin M Lynch (China)

Luoshui Kong is a 220m surface shaft located at the northern edge of the Houping Tiankengs cluster of South China Karst UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. For the last three winters, small Hong Meigui CES expeditions have taken advantage of the dry (but miserably cold) weather to push this flood-prone cave. LSK is tantalizingly close to Sanwang Dong and Erwang Dong - two of the longest caves in China - and has potential to connect to both. Now 7km long and 380m deep, the cave continues to defy expectations, with recent finds including 60m-wide gypusm-encrusted borehole heading north into unexplored territory.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 14:30 to 15:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Austria Expedition 2016

Mr Matthew Watson

For 40 years members of the CUCC Austria Expedition have been exploring and mapping the caves of the Loser-Augst Eck plateau. Several large systems have been found, and over the years many have been connected together to form the 114 km long Schwartzmooskogel master cave. This year’s expedition ran from 25th June - 30th July and the aims included camping in Tunnockshacht to push some of our deep leads (-600 m +), extending a recent discovery (Balkonhöhle), and reexploration of some old plateau caves to see whether they can be connected to the main Schwartzmooskogel system.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Hidden wonders of the underground world

Ms Antoniya Vlaykova (Bulgaria)

“Hidden wonders of the underground world” project focuses on studies of caves in the region of Godech municipality, Bulgaria. It was accomplished by the “Association of Speleoclubs in Sofia” from November 2014 to April 2016. Project helped to organize systematic work in various areas: gathering and summarizing information available about the area, studying biospeleological diversity, surveying up-to-date maps caves, training of young cavers in methods of bio-speleological collection of samples and mapping, in-depth training in modern methods of mapping by electronic means and promoting the project and speleology as a whole.

Popularization of the discoveries achieved is of special importance as the dissemination of information about caves as unique ecosystems is crucial for their conservation and contributes to the sustainable use of karst areas. Specialized activities for children were organized at the National Museum of Natural History and within Sofia Science Festival, and students from all over Bulgaria took part in the drawing competition “The caves around us”.

The first part of the series “Speleological study in the area of Godech municipality” (in Bulgarian and English) were published thanks to this project.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 16:00 to 16:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Cave explorations at Tennengebirge, Austria since 1980

Mr Vladimir Georgiev (Bulgaria)

The history of the Bulgarian explorations in the Tennengebirge massif in Austria that started in 1980 and were continued now, more than 30 years later.
In the years between 1980 and 1983 our teams explored more than forty vertical caves ranging from small ones to maze ones with a depth close to -600m. All of those were wet and cold alpine caves, with entrance shafts often filled with snow and ice.
The explorations were stopped in 1983, but were continued at the 30th anniversary, in 2013. For the last three years, there has been new discoveries and new adventures, some related to caving and some not.
This talk will cover the history if the old expeditions and the problems they had back then, as well as the findings of the new ones.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Čertova diera (Devil`s hole) – a part of the Domica-Baradla cave system (Slovakia)

Mrs Alena Gessert (Slovakia)

The Čertova diera Cave (together with Domica cave is about 5,5 km long) is known more than 80 years and first measurements and mapping were conducted here in the 30s of the 20th century. The cave is fluviokarstic and the stream is in the next kilometers flowing through the Domica (SK) and Baradla cave (HU). In 2014 we started new project in this cave: mapping, air temperature and discharge measuring and dye tracing experiments. During mapping activities we revised all old mapping points, mapped more than 200 meters of new corridors. For discharge measurements were 4 weirs with MARS devices installed, and since 2014 we have continuous data from the main stream and all tributaries. Air measurements have shown interesting relationship of the cold water inflow a quick drop of temperature in the winter. During flood situation at the beginning of the 2016 we conducted small successful experiments with water flow and we confirmed connection of two tributaries with two ephemeral ponors.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Crocs, cocks and karst - caving adventures in East Timor

Mr Pete Talling

East Timor has a troubled past, and potential for major cave systems. After being invaded by Indonesia in 1975, it gained independence in 1999 after a bitter struggle. It has large areas of unexplored karst, some crashed helicopters, and is now opening up for travel. Its biggest river disappears into a large-crocodile filled pool at the foot of the Paitchau Mountains. This talk summarises trials and tribulations of one of the first caving expedition to visit this distinctive country, charting the expedition's fluctuating morale. Initially, the expedition gingerly contemplated the crocodile filled sink, before mapping tasty bat filled caves in the nearby Paitchau Mountains. Following a solid meal of freshly-washed fried possum entrails, the team explored caves that could house 1,000 (rather small) people. Ancestors failed to open caves in the high limestone mountains, where guerrillas had made their last stand. After getting lost on an optimistic short cut, the team arrived at a cave entrance that had been filled in 30 years ago. Morale teetered on the brink. Then on the final day, a hole in the ground was spied. It led down 140m of pitches into large ongoing passages; left with a 60m disto leg into blank space.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Bärenschacht, Switzerland

Mr Rolf Siegenthaler (Switzerland)

The Karst system of Réseau Siebenhengste-Hohgant, situated near Interlaken (Berner Oberland) totalises over 300km and the Bärenschacht is the southernmost of the big caves in this complex. Until 1996 the cave was accessible only to cave divers who surveyed over 3 km post sump - world record at that time. Mining of a tunnel bypassing the only sump allowed non-divers the further exploration of this incredible 3D-maze and today Bärenschacht itself measures exactly 77km. Exploration in the depth of almost 1km is only possible in multi-day bivouac trips and is still limited only by time resources of the explorers.

This presentation showed some of the extraordinary decorations in the fossil passages and discussed the major findings of the multinational explorers since the opening of the tunnel, the particularities of this system of mainly three major levels of which one is the active collector of the whole area leading directly to the lake of Thun, the prospects of a potential connection to the 7H-System by diving the remaining +/-800m of the mythical ‘Nordsiphon’…that would create a cave longer than 230km.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Myanmar 2010-2016

Mr Pete Talling (UK)

Myanmar is an exceptionally beautiful and friendly destination with plenty of limestone, which is opening up for travel and cave exploration. The tropical karst plateau on its eastern side is over 400 km long. This talk will summarise results from five expeditions by small teams to Myanmar since 2010/11. These expeditions include recent trips to the Ywangan area in the Southern Shan State, which discovered the longest (~5 km; Stone Bird Cave) and deepest (~300 m; Ju's Gu) caves in the country. The talk will show how the area was found, and bones were lost or rearranged. It will finish with the 2015/16 expedition that explored a large resurgence cave, and then a pitch-series on the side of a plateau with 1,400 m of depth potential. We will outline ideas for future expeditions, and include tales of falling rocks, golden stupas, teak crutches, why cigarettes failed to light, and accidental meetings with the local tribal armies. Hopefully, we can explain why Myanmar is a tremendous country with huge potential for much longer and deeper cave systems.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Caves, climate change and Neanderthals: ongoing palaeoclimate research in Matienzo, northern Spain

Miss Laura Deeprose

The Matienzo depression, northern Spain, formed over the past 2.6 million years, revealing a potential for the caves of the region to contain a record of climate and environmental change throughout the Quaternary. Ongoing research programmes of cave monitoring have been addressing how in-cave climate signals contained within the hydrology and cave atmosphere are transferred into modern carbonate deposits. Analysis of speleothem deposits is providing a palaeoclimatic perspective, revealing variability in climatic conditions stretching from the modern day back through the Pleistocene. Currently we are aiming to reconstruct past variations in climate and environment between 80,000 – 30,000 years ago; a period which marks the decline and eventual extinction of the Neanderthals. Analysis of a stalagmite from Perlas Cave which grew between 80,000 – 60,000 years ago has demonstrated a high degree of climatic instability during this period. Future work aims to extend the record to 30,000 years ago using stable isotope analysis to infer climatic change. Flowstone deposits in neighbouring cave systems with sediments containing Aurignacian artefacts above and Mousterian artefacts below will be dated using U-Th to provide a timeframe for the last known presence of Neanderthals within the Matienzo region.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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The Caves of the Kosua - Exploring the Darai Plateau in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, December 2015 – January 2016

Ms Aileen Brown (United Kingdom)

In December 2015, an Irish-led team of 14 cavers returned to the remote village of Fogoma'iu, in the lands of the Kosua tribe in Papua New Guinea. The village is situated in foothills of Mt. Bosavi, a relatively unexplored, extinct volcano deep in the jungles of the Southern Highlands province. The primary objective of the expedition was the exploration of the Darai Plateau, which extends for at least 70 km in a southeasterly direction from Mt. Bosavi and encompasses an area of well over 5000 km2. The expedition was the continuation of cave-mapping and exploration work begun by a similar, but smaller reconnaissance expedition in 2011, which in turn was inspired by caver and rope access specialist Tim Fogg's tales of huge caves experienced while filming the BBC “Lost Land of the Volcano” documentary in the area. In total, the team explored 36 caves and surveyed over 8 km of passage, while avoiding foot-rot and any major medical injuries and overcoming footwear trials and food tribulations.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 12:15 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poor man's laser scanner, a simple method in 3d cave surveying

Dr Attila Gáti (Hungary)

We present our new 3D cave surveying technique and software, Poor Man's Laser Scanner (PMLS). Our method is based on splay shots performed with Beat Heeb's DistoX or similar laser distance meter equipped with compass and inclinometer. The sampled points should be distributed in all directions on all over the walls visible from the stations. Utilizing a robust and reliable surface reconstruction algorithm, our software interpolates the measured points with a watertight surface, which is free of self-intersections.
We have found that even complicated geometric layouts can be recovered with good detail from as few as 50 to 150 splay shots per station. Our 3D models are more accurate and realistic than those generated by already existing, widespread cave mapping programs like Compass or Therion. To be able to exploit the excellent 3D visualizing capabilities of the free software Blender (www.blender.org), we implemented our algorithm as a Blender add-on.
We have surveyed Bányász cave, the deepest cave in Hungary, completely with impressive results. Using a tripod and a special DistoX firmware upgrade by Beat Heeb made on site work fast and convenient. The 3D model of the cave and further details about our method can be found on our website: cave3d.org.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Workflows and Data Formats Supporting Wider Use of Cave Data

Mr Mike Futrell (United States)

Recent years have seen a shift toward numerous options for analyzing, visualizing, and sharing cave data. In days past most computer time was spent with the classic cave software options, a “compile and view” task. Increasingly the trend is to quickly pass the cave data through a compilation step, then on to various geospatial and specialty applications.

A workflow to facilitate data exchange across a bewildering array of data formats is crucial. Focusing on a few widely accepted standards allows support to nearly all map related professions. Opening cave data and models to the archaeologist, engineer, or planner is great, but perhaps the most benefit is to the cave scientist or surveyor.

Working from a GIS / geospatial focus cave data moves in many directions including, collection, 2D and 3D GIS, drafting, methods for internet sharing, archival thoughts, mobile app support, and various modeling options. Data formats make it all work.

The workflows should use inexpensive or open source software, require little or no programming, be understandable by the average technical person, and still be fun.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Women and caving: a world history

Mr Bernard Chirol

It seems that very few women in the world have chosen to become cavers. Since the prehistoric period, this work tries to make understand that women were in fact early and courageous cavers, also lead by scientific purposes. A large survey on many countries shows that overcoming sexism during the pioneers times, women cavers deserve a good place in our common history, even if their % remains very low in many countries. Now differences are swept off in most of the cases.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Room 1

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The oldest artificial cave map

Mr Bernard Chirol (France)

The first drawing of an artificial cave with orientation information is the plan of the Labyrinth of Gortyne (Crete) drawn in 1415 by Cristoforo Buondelmonti. Until today, it was considered that the map of the artificial cave "Stufe di Nerone" situated at Pozzuoli near Naples and published by Georg Bauer (Agricola) in 1546 was the most ancient (T. Shaw, History of cave science, 1992, p. 13). The Labyrinth of Gortyne drawing is a sort of bird's eye view, with orientation (almost usual one). It was published in 1417 (C. Buondelmonti, Descriptio insulae Cretae, 1417). I found this "map" on Internet (see the numerous references joined in the article about Buondelmonti) when doing a research about Anna Petrochilou who studied it in 1984-1985 (topography). Michel Fournier has given a lot of e-documents about the mysteries of this site. My colleagues of the UIS History Commission confirm the novelty of this ascertainment.
For the moment, the oldest natural cave map is that of Santa Rosalia in Sicilia (1627).

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Cyprus caving history

Mr Bernard Chirol

Since the late Prehistoric period Cyprus has been inhabited by mankind. At that time, dwarf fauna was living on the island and often Mediterranean caves were filled with animals bones of which Homer wrote about in the Odyssey. During the Renaissance a few books were written about the caves. Since the 19th century and during the second half of the 20th century the island has been explored mostly by the English. In 2003 in the northern part of the island, Turkish cavers from Ankara led a survey on 42 caves on or close to the Kyrenian Range.The Republic of Cyprus is currently concerned with the European project for Bat protection in caves near Akamas and the Cape Pylaregions. A French team recently conducted investigations on the whole of the island to determine the real karstic potential and an NGO was created in the north after that expedition in 2014. An European caving project is programmed to start in 2016.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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10 years of Cave Lighting project. LED lighting in show caves.

Mr Alexander Chrapko (Germany)

This presentation tells about ten year experience of Cave Lighting in equipping (development and maintenance) modern subterranean tourist attractions. Here are just a few tourist attractions we equipped: Herbstlabyrinth Cave (Germany), Fundata Cave (Romania), Postojnska Jama (Slovenia), Grotte de Clamouse (France), Prometeus Cave (Georgia), Höllgrotten Cave (CH), Wendelstein Cave (Germany), Cayman Crystal Caves (Cayman), Grotte de Han (Belgium). We are going to talk about problems arising when operating a cave for a long time on a daily basis, as well as strategies and tactics in their solution. We are presenting tried-and-true modern technologies and equipment, which allow minimizing the harm caused by anthropic interference when operating a cave.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Life and water in karst regions

Dr Nadja Zupan Hajna (Slovenia)

There is usually no water on the karst surface because it infiltrates through fissures in the rocks and then flows deep into the unknown underground. Because there is no thick soil cover, the karst surface is rocky and unsuitable for cultivation. Consequently, the karst was never densely populated, and the people who persevered there lived modestly and worked hard to survive.
The karst is not just about the world-renowned karst phenomena, but also the landscape which extends over almost half of Slovenia and Croatia and also along states border. The area has numerous significant karst springs which are of vital importance for the water supply of the region. These springs have catchment areas on both sides of the border.
The recharge areas of karst springs are very vulnerable due to their complex structure, and this poses complicated challenges for their protection. A great knowledge of the relationships and processes of the karst underground water flow is necessary.The film is result of joint work and many years of mutual cooperation between researchers from Slovenia and Croatia to spread the knowledge of scientific findings about karst, caves and the water sources and importance of their protection.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 17:00 to 17:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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HIGHLIGHTS OF SLOVENIAN KARST AND CAVES

Dr Nadja Zupan Hajna (Slovenia)

The word karst (kras) entered into the international scientific terminology from Slovenia; kras in Slovenian language means rocky and bare landscape and it is often used as a toponym for such a landscape. It means also the Kras Plateau (Karst Plateau) in SW Slovenia which extends between the Trieste Gulf (N Adriatic Sea) and Vipava Valley; it is the NW part of the Dinaric karst. Southwest Slovenia is also known as the Classical Karst, due to its distinctive surface, massiveness of karst forms, early scientific descriptions and explorations done in the 19th century.
In Slovenia karst covers 43 % of surface, 35 % is on limestone and about 8 % on dolomite; it boasts numerous types of karst with superficial and underground forms; in 2016 there are about 11,700 known caves. Cave sediments represent an important source of information on the evolution of tectonic and geomorphological units of different sizes. Correlated- and numerical-ages of cave deposits obtained in last 20 years support new trends and ideas concerning the evolution of karst surfaces especially in the region of the Classical Karst, indicate that cave deposits are up to 5 Ma old and perhaps even older. All sediments were deposited within one post-Eocene karstification period.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 16:00 to 16:45, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Mulu 2015 - Unlocking another mountain

Mr Mark Brown

The Mulu Caves 2015 Expedition comprised a team of 21 cavers from the UK, Denmark, Australia, and Germany, who worked with the Mulu National Park staff, local guides and Sarawak Forestry, throughout the month of October. The expedition had a varied set of objectives – a recce by a small team to the Hidden Valley; a larger team to continue exploration of Whiterock Cave and other sites, based at Camp 5 in the Melinau Gorge; and a team conducting high resolution 3D laser scans and photography of Sarawak and Api chambers.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 14:00 to 14:45, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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A brief (fictional) history of Speleomusic

Dr Rostam Namaghi (United Kingdom)

A brief (disclaimer: fictional) history of Speleomusic and its influence on mainstream culture, given by the frontman of the Speleophonics and caving music super group, the super furry undersuits.

Be prepared to be sung at and to join in. You have been warned.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 21:00 to 21:30, Bar Tent

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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China Caves- A Journey into the Unknown

Miss Catherine Moody (England)

Having had permission for the expedition pulled just a few weeks before departure, the team of British cavers left the UK with no idea of their final destination. This talk tells the story of the journey that followed and gives a flavour for some of the incredible caves that were explored over the three week expedition. From a potentially ruinous setback the team, along with the Karst Institue of Guilin managed to survey over 20km of varied and exciting caves.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 14:00 to 14:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Jinfo Cave and its Sediment Sequences in Jinfoshan Karst, South China

Prof Baojian Huang (China)

Jinfo Cave is the longest and most complicated infilled branchwork cave in the system at ~2000m a.s.l. in Jinfoshan Karst World Natural Heritage Site. Comprehensive methods including cave survey, sediment analysis, super-high-density resistivity and multiple age-dating techniques, were employed to study the relict underground river cave and elucidate its development history. Jinfo Cave is >12.8km long, including a wide corridor (trunk passage), tubes (medium-size branch passages), canyons (narrow-high maze) and vadose shafts. Its sediment sequences include fluvial clastics, collapse bedrock blocks and chemical deposits. Direct links were demonstrated amongst Jinfo Cave’s passage characteristics, its sediment sequences, and local environmental change.
Initially (pre-Miocene), trunk passage was generated by a large underground river fed by surface flow from the ancient Jinfoshan Syncline Basin. Following tectonic uplift, tubes were formed during the Miocene by diminishing subterranean flow as recharge area decreased due to slight incision by gorges surrounding Jinfoshan. Before/during early Pleistocene, breakdown enlarged the corridor passage. From early to mid-Pleistocene there was repeated deposition/removal of fluvial fine clastic sediments. From mid-Pleistocene, maze-like canyons and domepits were produced by vadose streams and Jinfoshan table mountain was dissected from the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, resulting in inverted topography supporting limited autogenic streams forming tiny downstream passages.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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A geographical web content management system for cave and surface data

Mr Alex Pologea (Romania)

SilexGIS is a new web software application which aims to provide speleological groups and individuals with a way to manage the existing cave and associated surface data.

It allows you to import existing data files (surface GPS data, cave survey data, surface and cave maps, photos, trip reports, activity logs and various other files / information) and to organize this information in a connected and easy to retrieve manner. You can visualize the imported information online on interactive maps on top of public available satelite imagery sources and other layers you define, work collaboratively with your colleagues on the data and export compiled maps with selected information.

Another aspect, currently under development, is the data analysis functionality which is a lightweight (but easy to use and aimed at cavers) alternative to current complex GIS tools for analyzing underground and surface mapped information in karst areas.

The software is opensource and comes with a license that allows you to freely use or modify it.

Main functionality of the application will be presented in a live demonstration during the session.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 16:30 to 17:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Pester Plateau - A student expedition to Serbia

Miss Helen Fairclough

In July 2016 a group of enthusiastic student cavers from the UK will head to the Pester plateau, Serbia, in search of new cave passage.
As well as the (hopefully) amazing discoveries that we will make, we will also cover some of the challenges of organizing an expedition which will be the first experience of exploratory caving for two thirds of the team, and forging a relationship with student cavers from the other end of the continent.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 14:00 to 14:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Evolution and Characteristics of Jinfoshan Cave Systems in Chongqing, China

Mr Jing Zhang (China)

Jinfoshan is a karst table mountain that has been separated from the surrounding Yunnan-Guizhou-Chonqing plateau by deep fluvial dissection. A series of ancient and enormous cave systems with active streams are located at the top of Jinfo Mountain at 1,800-2,100m a.s.l., perhaps the highest elevation of any known extensive horizontal trunk cave passage on Earth. The cave systems total over 25km in length, with passages 20-120m wide and 10-18m high. They include Gufo Cave and Xiannv Cave along the northern slope, and Lingguan Cave, Yanzi Cave, and Jinfo Cave along the western slope. Large-scale trunk passages formed during the early stage are mixed with maze passages formed during the middle stage and vadose shafts formed during the most recent stage to create a highly complex system. The top layer of clastic sediments in Jinfo Cave has been dated to 5.7Ma, implying Neogene (5-20Ma) deposition for cemented sediments found in upper levels of the system. This is the oldest measured age for a cave in Asia. Together with the historical remains of large-scale nitrate extraction found in the cave system, this vividly demonstrates the whole process of the development, degradation and disappearance of the subterranean streams in Jinfoshan.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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International exploration is key to karst cave protection and development in China

Mr Yuanhai Zhang (China)

Since the 1980s international cooperative exploration has been a cornerstone of effective protection and exploitation of karst caves in China.

During the era of tradition exploration techniques using hemp-strand rope, a total of less than 100km of cave passage was explored in China. Most individual caves known at this time were less than 5km long and 100m deep. Exploration was driven by nitrate exploitation, and speleothems were damaged.

SRT techniques were first introduced to China by British cavers in 1985, and since this time over 1000km of cave passage have been explored and surveyed through international exploration. Foreign cavers also introduced the “take only memories, leave only footprints” ethos, influencing generations of Chinese cavers.

Some of the new discoveries have been developed as show caves. Since the 1980s more than 400 show caves have been opened to the public, generating total revenue of more than 1 billion CNY each year and making significant contributions to local economic development.

Following international expeditions, including in particular Guilin (1985), Fengshan (1987), Xingwen (1992), Fengjie (1994-1997), Wulong (1997-present), Lichuan (1987-2004), and Shuiyang (>30 years), a number of geoparks/natural heritage sites have been established, preserving the caves and karst officially and legally for future generations.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Karst Landscape and Caves in China

Prof Weihai Chen (China)

China has approximately 3.4 million km2 of karst, including about 0.91 million km2 dominated by outcrops of carbonated rocks. The ‘South China Karst’ with Guizhou as its centre and ‘North China Karst’ with Shanxi as its centre cover the largest area. The karst landforms of China may be subdivided into humid tropical and subtropical (South China Karst); humid, semi-humid, tropical-subtropical; arid and semiarid temperate; and plateau-alpine karst landforms. To date over 100 tiankengs have been identified worldwide, of which 75 are located in China. As of 2010, there were about 100 caves in China with surveyed length exceeding 5000m, 25 caves exceeding 10km, and 400 show caves had been opened to public. The longest cave in China is the 183km-long Shuanghe Dongxuexitong in Suiyang, Guizhou. With a vertical range of 1020m, Tianxing Dongxuexitong (Qikeng) in Wulong, Chongqing is China’s deepest cave and also the deepest cave in Asia. The largest chamber in China is Miao Chamber in Gebihedong, Ziyun, Guizhou, which has floor area of 140,540m2, and volume of 10.57 million m3.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Amplitude and pacing of abrupt climate change: derived from Asian stalagmite records spanning the last 70ka

Ms Xiumin Zhai (China)

Abrupt millennial events characterized the last glacial period. Weak monsoon events in the East Asian monsoon zone have an obvious low latitude precession cycle strongly distinct from the 100ka period of the northern high latitude ice sheet. Investigation of the pacing and amplitude of these events is an important approach for uncovering the underlying forcing mechanisms. Intact and continuous speleothem 18O records from the last 70ka were constructed, based on two stalagmites from Luoshui Cave in a karst gorge near Lichuan city, Hubei province. The two stalagmite 18O records replicate well in terms of pattern and amplitude with regard to the millennial events. Abrupt millennial events over the last glacial period and the Holocene were compared in pacing and amplitude, and we attempted to calculate the relative contributions of low latitude precession and the high latitude ice sheet to the amplitude of the abrupt millennial events in the East Asian monsoon zone. These studies shed light on the underlying mechanisms for abrupt millennial events over the last glacial period, and they help unravel the relationship between pacing and amplitude of these abrupt events, and solar insolation.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Project-based Serious Leisure in Adventure Sports: Older adult male cavers and positive adjustments to health related adversity – a small case study.

Mrs Sharon Rosser

This presentation will report preliminary findings from a current study investigating ways in which a group of older adult male cavers aged 65+ relate to their adventure sport. Specifically, it will explore some of the ways these men use caving as a vehicle to ameliorate and positively adjust to health-related adversity.

Mainstream trauma psychology has traditionally focused on distress and pathology but recently there has been a trend towards understanding the causes and consequences of positive functioning (Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000), with a growing number of scholars now considering how strengths such as optimism, resilience and savouring function in the face of hardship (Bryant & Veroff, 2007). However, much of this research has been quantitative, has not given voice to the human experience, and hard-to-reach groups remain under represented.
Led by an insider-researcher who has been a caver for over thirty years, this presentation uses qualitative findings that bring a very human voice not only to the often ignored and marginalized older adult but also to the varied ways that caving can enrich our lives.

Themes that will be considered include:
• Turning space into place.
• Project-based serious leisure.
• Legacy.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Subterranean and surface cryptopid centipede diversity in Western Australia.

Dr Timothy Moulds (Australia)

Cryptops is the most speciose genus of the scolopendrid centipede family Cryptopidae, with nearly 200 species described worldwide from both surface and subterranean habitats. All species are blind and often lacking in pigmentation. The genus Cryptops currently has five recognised species in Australia (C. australis, C. haasei, C. hortensis, C. megalopora and C. spinipes) and a single troglomorphic member of the subgenus Trigonocrytops roeplainsensis Edgecombe from a cave on the Nullarbor Plain. This study has used a multigene approach of COI, 12S and 28S for 140 specimens to determine the diversity of Cryptops in Western Australia, focussing on the Pilbara region in the north of the state. Specimens from South Africa, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia and the Canary Islands have also been sequenced to place the Australian fauna in a global framework. We plan to investigate biogeographic and phylogenetic patterns of subterranean and epigean Cryptopid species. Preliminary data show three major clades of species with at least three separate invasions of the subterranean habitat in Western Australia.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 16:30 to 17:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Looking seriously at the social landscape of casual leisure: Caving with older rural females in North Yorkshire

Dr Helen Hooper

Studies show the importance of socially interactive leisure pursuits in determining healthy older adulthood yet, the social intricacies of active leisure, along with the significant contributions of older females to the rural social landscape, have received little attention. Findings from an ongoing participative study of caving with 10 older females (54 – 82 years) are explored with reference to the theoretical perspectives of social capital, serious leisure and social comparison.

A socially constructed notion of well-being emerged that challenged the consensually validated concept of old age. For the ‘Hardraw Ladies Caving Club’, seizing presented opportunities and completing previously uncontemplated challenges were motivations, sources of satisfaction, and formed the content of socially comparative narratives told to researcher and within the local community. The social support offered by a group of known women also influenced participation and was compared to perceptions of competitiveness and a gendered dynamic if the group had been mixed sex.

Increasing our understanding of the reasons older, rural, females choose to participate in outdoor activities, and their perceptions of benefits, should inform strategies to make such activities more inclusive and to target the under-represented in the form of both older females and rural communities.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Cave Exploration in Ethiopia

Mr Robin Weare

An overview of almost 120 years of cave exploration in Ethiopia from Donaldson-Smith's visit to Sof Omar in 1897 to the joint explorations by British and French teams since 2011 and the formation of Ethiopia's first caving club.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Vietnam, '25 years of exploration'

Mr Martin Holroyd

The magnificent Hang Son Doong cave was explored in 2009 by the British caving expedition. Not only is the unbelievable scale of the cave that remains with you but the vast number of unique and diverse situations you find yourself in.
The stunning discovery was the culmination of many expeditions which began in 1990. The early expeditions were faced with a Communist country still affected by a trade embargo.Vietnam was a difficult and challenging country to visit the team were faced with challenging travel, abject poverty and limited information.By building friendships and links with Hanoi University and local people the expeditions thrived and continue today exploring many fantastic caves often in remote areas of the jungle. Today Vietnam is a must visit destination for many and is benefiting from a booming tourist industry with many travel restrictions lifted.
The expeditions have focused on the World Heritage protected jungle of the Ke Bang massif which stretches across the border into Laos. This sensitive area is still protected and access is severely restricted which still requires permits to visit. With some of the oldest limestone in the world this densely jungle covered limestone has revealed many large and beautiful caves.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 14:45 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poster: Norwegian Cave Index and Bibliography (Founded 1963)

Mr David St. Pierre

David and Shirley St. Pierre. (SWETC Caving Club),. visited Gråtådalen. Northern Norway in 1963. Over forty caves were studied (CRG Trans. 8 (1) 1966}. On their return they started a Norwegian Cave Index and Bibliography. This is held in card indexes at the compiler’s home. Members of Norsk Grotteforbund - NGF (The Norwegian Speleological Society) visited in 2009 and 2013 and scanned over 4000 cards. By 2013 (50 years),1922 marble caves and 641caves in other rocks had been indexed and the bibliography held 2365 and 592 references respectively. They are cross-referenced. Many cards have been added and there is a large backlog of material to be indexed. A paper copy of most references is held - about 15m of shelf space. Lists of Norway’s longest, deepest and highest caves are updated for NGF and abstracts submitted for BBS SA. Many annotated bibliographies of various caves and caving areas including Svalbard have been published, mainly in Norsk Grotteblad. Caves in marble, other rocks, ice and littoral caves are differentiated. The compiler would be pleased to receive copies of anything published about Norwegian caves.The records will eventually be deposited with NGF.

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Poster: 12,000 years of rainfall history revealed by stalagmite deposits from Cueva de Asiul (Matienzo, N. Spain)

Dr Andrew Smith (United Kingdom)

Here, we present combined geochemical data (oxygen isotope) from two stalagmite deposits extracted from Cueva de Asiul (Matienzo, N. Spain). The isotope record covers the period 12,000 – 0 years BP and identifies cycles of approximately 1500 year duration throughout the Holocene. These cycles are interpreted as changes from relatively wet to dry climatic conditions and their timing suggests that rainfall delivery is tightly coupled to cooling events within the North Atlantic Ocean. This relationship indicates that rainfall delivery to western Europe is paced primarily by changes in North Atlantic Ocean circulation, the signal of which is transmitted to the atmosphere through sea surface temperature and pressure patterns. These speleothems offer us an important insight into past rainfall dynamics in western Europe and help to identify key interactions between the ocean and atmospheric systems during the last 12,000 years.

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Here, there and everywhere: Britain's cave and karst databases.

Dr Andrew Farrant

The UK has many databases of cave and karst features at various levels of sophistication. Some cover the whole county whilst others are more regional or club based in extent. Some are focused on caves, others include a wider variety of karst features such as sinkholes and dissolution pipes. Some databases also record anthropogenic and pseudo-karst cavities including dene-holes, mines, mass-movement and sea-caves. Together, they provide a comprehensive inventory of Britain’s underworld. What emerges is a surprisingly diverse and widespread distribution of underground features. These can be interrogated for many applications including ground stability assessments, conservation and groundwater protection. However, lots of questions and gaps still remain and there is plenty more work to be done if we are to create a comprehensive single inventory of the UK's underworld.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 15:00 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poster: The new edition of the Grotte Casteret (Gruta Helada de Casteret) Annotated and Illustrated Bibliography.

Mr David St Pierre

The Grotte Casteret is a famous glacière in the Spanish Pyrenees. A bibliography compiled by David St. Pierre was published 2007 by BCRA. 300 additional references have already been compiled. 80 speleologists and librarians from 12 countries have provided contacts, ,information, publications for annotation, photographs, surveys, and translations. Since 2014, Alain Dole, Spéléo Club de Tarbres, who bought part of the Casteret Archives in 2009, has been collaborating. He has provided many references relating to Norbert Casteret. Spanish speleologists, 2015, compared the 1961 SWETC CC information included in 2007 with modern conditions. The new edition will have the same format: and be illustrated with maps, surveys and photographs. References dating from 1789 which relate to the locality, or to ice in caves will be included. The chronology of the entries in the bibliography will provide a sense of history of exploration and study of the Grotte Casteret and local features. Classification will facilitate searches for references of a particular subject. Selective annotations will generally not be abstracts. A request is made for more information.

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Field Trip: Ben Scar Cave Excavation - Open to All

Mrs Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Under the Uplands is an exciting new HLF-funded project uniting archaeologists, researchers and Yorkshire’s well-established caving community with the public to bring the region’s distinctive cave archaeology to international attention.
As part of the project, the DigVentures team will be excavating Ben Scar Cave, near Settle, Yorkshire, during the week of the EuroSpeleo Congress (15 – 21st August). Congress delegates are encouraged to come along as visitors or participants (free of charge). No previous experience of cave archaeology is necessary.
And this is no ordinary cave dig: there is no known record of any previous investigation in Ben Scar and the team will be using photogrammetry (3D digital photography and modelling) to record their finds and trenches, as well as offering all participants a taster session in this essential recording skill.
Ben Scar is within easy walking distance of the archaeologically rich Jubilee, Victoria, and Attermire caves, and should be just as exciting in terms of finds. Why not make a day of it? Come and see us and join in!

Time: 09:00 – 17:00 daily, 15 – 21st August 2016
Cost: Free. Booking needed to participate in the dig. Visiting is open anytime.

To book: contact us by email, [email protected] or call 0333 011 3990
Website: http://digventures.com/under-the-uplands/

How to get to Ben Scar: the popular Settle Loop footpath runs immediately below the cave, and there will be signage pointing to the dig. See map here:

https://eurospeleo.uk/presentation_photos/97585304_1466169794.jpg

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 09:00 to 09:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: Ben Scar Cave Excavation - Open to All

Mrs Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Under the Uplands is an exciting new HLF-funded project uniting archaeologists, researchers and Yorkshire’s well-established caving community with the public to bring the region’s distinctive cave archaeology to international attention.
As part of the project, the DigVentures team will be excavating Ben Scar Cave, near Settle, Yorkshire, during the week of the EuroSpeleo Congress (15 – 21st August). Congress delegates are encouraged to come along as visitors or participants (free of charge). No previous experience of cave archaeology is necessary.
And this is no ordinary cave dig: there is no known record of any previous investigation in Ben Scar and the team will be using photogrammetry (3D digital photography and modelling) to record their finds and trenches, as well as offering all participants a taster session in this essential recording skill.
Ben Scar is within easy walking distance of the archaeologically rich Jubilee, Victoria, and Attermire caves, and should be just as exciting in terms of finds. Why not make a day of it? Come and see us and join in!

Time: 09:00 – 17:00 daily, 15 – 21st August 2016
Cost: Free. Booking needed to participate in the dig. Visiting is open anytime.

To book: contact us by email, [email protected] or call 0333 011 3990
Website: http://digventures.com/under-the-uplands/

How to get to Ben Scar: the popular Settle Loop footpath runs immediately below the cave, and there will be signage pointing to the dig. See map here:

https://eurospeleo.uk/presentation_photos/97585304_1466169794.jpg

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 09:00 to 10:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

Read more...

Field Trip: Ben Scar Cave Excavation - Open to All

Mrs Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Under the Uplands is an exciting new HLF-funded project uniting archaeologists, researchers and Yorkshire’s well-established caving community with the public to bring the region’s distinctive cave archaeology to international attention.
As part of the project, the DigVentures team will be excavating Ben Scar Cave, near Settle, Yorkshire, during the week of the EuroSpeleo Congress (15 – 21st August). Congress delegates are encouraged to come along as visitors or participants (free of charge). No previous experience of cave archaeology is necessary.
And this is no ordinary cave dig: there is no known record of any previous investigation in Ben Scar and the team will be using photogrammetry (3D digital photography and modelling) to record their finds and trenches, as well as offering all participants a taster session in this essential recording skill.
Ben Scar is within easy walking distance of the archaeologically rich Jubilee, Victoria, and Attermire caves, and should be just as exciting in terms of finds. Why not make a day of it? Come and see us and join in!

Time: 09:00 – 17:00 daily, 15 – 21st August 2016
Cost: Free. Booking needed to participate in the dig. Visiting is open anytime.

To book: contact us by email, [email protected] or call 0333 011 3990
Website: http://digventures.com/under-the-uplands/

How to get to Ben Scar: the popular Settle Loop footpath runs immediately below the cave, and there will be signage pointing to the dig. See map here:

https://eurospeleo.uk/presentation_photos/97585304_1466169794.jpg

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 09:00 to 09:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

Read more...

Field Trip: Ben Scar Cave Excavation - Open to All

Mrs Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Under the Uplands is an exciting new HLF-funded project uniting archaeologists, researchers and Yorkshire’s well-established caving community with the public to bring the region’s distinctive cave archaeology to international attention.
As part of the project, the DigVentures team will be excavating Ben Scar Cave, near Settle, Yorkshire, during the week of the EuroSpeleo Congress (15 – 21st August). Congress delegates are encouraged to come along as visitors or participants (free of charge). No previous experience of cave archaeology is necessary.
And this is no ordinary cave dig: there is no known record of any previous investigation in Ben Scar and the team will be using photogrammetry (3D digital photography and modelling) to record their finds and trenches, as well as offering all participants a taster session in this essential recording skill.
Ben Scar is within easy walking distance of the archaeologically rich Jubilee, Victoria, and Attermire caves, and should be just as exciting in terms of finds. Why not make a day of it? Come and see us and join in!

Time: 09:00 – 17:00 daily, 15 – 21st August 2016
Cost: Free. Booking needed to participate in the dig. Visiting is open anytime.

To book: contact us by email, [email protected] or call 0333 011 3990
Website: http://digventures.com/under-the-uplands/

How to get to Ben Scar: the popular Settle Loop footpath runs immediately below the cave, and there will be signage pointing to the dig. See map here:

https://eurospeleo.uk/presentation_photos/97585304_1466169794.jpg

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 09:00 to 09:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: Ben Scar Cave Excavation - Open to All

Mrs Lisa Westcott Wilkins

Under the Uplands is an exciting new HLF-funded project uniting archaeologists, researchers and Yorkshire’s well-established caving community with the public to bring the region’s distinctive cave archaeology to international attention.
As part of the project, the DigVentures team will be excavating Ben Scar Cave, near Settle, Yorkshire, during the week of the EuroSpeleo Congress (15 – 21st August). Congress delegates are encouraged to come along as visitors or participants (free of charge). No previous experience of cave archaeology is necessary.
And this is no ordinary cave dig: there is no known record of any previous investigation in Ben Scar and the team will be using photogrammetry (3D digital photography and modelling) to record their finds and trenches, as well as offering all participants a taster session in this essential recording skill.
Ben Scar is within easy walking distance of the archaeologically rich Jubilee, Victoria, and Attermire caves, and should be just as exciting in terms of finds. Why not make a day of it? Come and see us and join in!

Time: 09:00 – 17:00 daily, 15 – 21st August 2016
Cost: Free. Booking needed to participate in the dig. Visiting is open anytime.

To book: contact us by email, [email protected] or call 0333 011 3990
Website: http://digventures.com/under-the-uplands/

How to get to Ben Scar: the popular Settle Loop footpath runs immediately below the cave, and there will be signage pointing to the dig. See map here:

https://eurospeleo.uk/presentation_photos/97585304_1466169794.jpg

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 09:00 to 10:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poster: Grotte Casteret (Gruta Helada de Casteret) An annotated and illustrated bibliography. 2007

Mr David St. Pierre

The Grotte Casteret., Aragon, Spain. An Annotated and Illustrated Bibliography, 2007.
This famous cave 2665m high in the Ordesa and Mont Perdido National Park was explored by Norbert Casteret in 1926. At the time the World’s highest known glacière. The author visited the cave in 1961 with SWETC Caving Club Since that time information about the cave has been collected and is published here There are notes and illustrations on location, access, reports, surveys, and significant features of the cave. 341 items in the bibliography are annotated and presented chronologically from 1801. The centre-fold pages of the 1961 survey shows the extent of the ice at that time. Although the ice forms seasonally there has been a general degradation and the photographs, surveys and reports from various decades illustrate this. A request is made for further information to be sent to the author for inclusion in a new edition. Access is strictly controlled by the Spanish Authorities.

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Poster: The Cave Radio & Electronics Group Journal

Dr David Gibson

The Cave Radio & Electronics Group (CREG) is a Special Interest Group of the British Cave Research Association. The CREG journal is a quarterly publication that has been published for just over 27 years and is close to reaching its 100th issue. It is available online at bcra.org.uk/cregj.

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How Earth-Current Antennas Really Work

Dr David Gibson

With cave radio equipment, there has been a trend away from the use of induction loop antennas to the use of so-called earth-current antennas, i.e. long wires grounded at both ends. Both the HeyPhone and Nicola system use this type of antenna. However, the popular explanation for how this antenna works is fallacious. The antenna does not operate by allowing the current to flow in a 'big loop' in the ground, nor is it a 'conduction mode' of operation. In fact, it does not depend, fundamentally, on current flow in the ground at all. The fact that the popular explanation is wrong is important because, if we do not understand how the antenna works, it is difficult to know the best way to use it, nor how to design a better one. In this short talk, without too much emphasis on theoretical physics, David Gibson outlines a more useful model - that of the Grounded Horizontal Electric Dipole.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 14:00 to 14:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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The Unexplored - documentary film

Mr Vanyo Gyorev (България)

This is 38 min documentary! Bulgarian cavers who moved to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico in 2012 and started exploring what was to become the longest single entrance underwater cave in the world - the Ixtlan Cave System. This was the beginning of the longest sustained full time exploration project in Mexico, which is still ongoing four years later with an average of 7 dives per week. With nearly 14 kilometers of surveyed length and more than 30 open-end lines still, the effort of the ATI Cave Exploration Team is probably the most difficult underwater sidemount exploration ever conducted. The movie will be presneted from Alexey Zhalov with the special appointment and kind permission of Ivo Kalushev!

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 17:00 to 17:45, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Search and Discovery of Ogof Marros

Mr Andy Freem

Two films will be shown that follow the search and discovery of the cave and also the unique character of its speleothems. The presentations contain film of the actual events and capture both the excitement and the complex decision making and safety issues related to digging and discovery. The films together make a 50 minute session so it might be an option to timetable 2 sessions - 1 x 40 minute for the ' SEARCH FOR OGOF MARROS' film and 1 x 20 minute for the SPELEOTHEMS AND GEOMORPHOLOGY OF OGOF MARROS presentation / discussion

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 14:00 to 15:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caverns of the Mind: Science and the Imagination in 18th Century Caves

Mr Frank Pearson

John Hutton's 'A Tour to the Caves of the West Riding of Yorkshire' of 1781 was the first book in Britain solely dedicated to caves and caving. It is an extraordinary book as it is part tour guide, part cave guide; it includes poetry, natural history, theories on cave geomorphology and climate and concludes with a glossary of northern dialect words. Though independently published it was also in the appendix of the best selling 'A Guide to the Lakes' by Thomas West. It inspired travellers to visit the caves of Yorkshire, such as the poet, William Wordsworth, and the painter, William Westall but it also drew on the context of cave exploration from around the country, on the development of cave science and on thousands of years as the cave as the mythic underworld. It is a landmark of caving history in the UK.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Northern Round-up of Cave Exploration and Conservation

Mr Frank Pearson

A presentation of the exploration of caves in Northern England over the last year by both clubs and individual groups of cavers, which will include newly found caves, extensions to existing caves and connections between caves. The presentation will include both 'dry' caving and cave diving illustrated throughout with photographs and surveys. The round-up will also include work done on all aspects of cave conservation and any publications related to caving in the North.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 11:30 to 12:15, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Forest of Dean Round Up

Mr Paul Taylor

The Forest of Dean is one of the smaller caving areas in the UK but still boasts (just) the 10th longest cave in the UK at 13km plus. It does not give up its secretes easily and over the years significant amounts of digging and civil engineering have been required. This presentation takes a look back at some of these projects and the results thay gave as well as looking at the latest work that is going on to continue that development. Also a sneak preview of some of the amazing film footage that is being produced by the filming team working on the Otter Hole Project.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 09:30 to 10:15, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Cave Link- Through the Rock Text Messaging

Mr Paul Taylor

Since its arrival in the UK in 2013 Cave Link has been extensively tested and subsequently adopted by 6 of the UK Cave Rescue Teams. With gCRG being one of those that has purchased it.This presentation will take a look at the equipment showing what it can do and can't do. Show where it excells over other forms of communications equipment. Provide an opportunity for a Table Top Exercise. Show how teams with Cave Link are joining up to expand networks and also show some of the coverage results that have been achieved. If you attend a Cave Rescue in the UK you could find yourself working with this equipment so an ideal opportunity to see it.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 16:00 to 16:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: Dowsing a fresh look at finding Caves

Mr David Morrison

Dowsing Field Trip for EuroSpeleo 2016

As this Millenium approached half of 1000 UK adults surveyed believed in Telepathy. Co-incidence or chance that some attending this years EuroSpeleo Congress might have already wondered whether there will be a discussion on finding cave by dowsing for the existence of cave passages beneath.

An interesting jaunt into the 'I wonder if it works' category for those who may not know they know yet. A light-hearted look into the possible. Guided by cave digging venturer David 'Tuska' Morrison, who knows he may not know, yet.

It will be a fun sunny Wednesday afternoon on a Yorkshire hillside?!

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 13:00 to 18:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caving and climate change

Mr . Wookey

What is your 'caving carbon footprint'? Does it matter?

We are used to the scientific relevance of caves to climate change as preservers of paleoclimate data, but less thought is given to the carbon footprint of caving itself. Have you any idea what the effects of various caving activities are and how these compare to what you do in the rest of your life? This thought-provoking talk will attempt to give you some numbers and context.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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The Cave at the Source of the Nile

Mr Robin Weare

To be honest it was the Blue Nile and, although we were told it was the source I think it could certainly be described as a source. To be totally upfront about this; we were about 3,700m up Mount Guna in Ethiopia and at a rising which is the highest feeder of Lake Tana, which is the source of the Blue Nile, so maybe the locals are right.

It all started in November 2015 when Hailu Menale, a Lecturer at Debre Tabor University, stumbled across a couple of caves during a field trip. He hit the internet and contacted the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project in New Mexico. They contacted George Veni of the National Cave and Karst Research Institute. He contacted Chris Howes, the editor of Descent, and Chris contacted me. I then contacted Hailu & suggested he might like to try to find a few more caves; three weeks later he was able to tell me he now knew of 48.

This is the story of the expedition which followed ……..an expedition to a previously unknown caving area where we found caves in Churches, caves in rock we couldn’t identify, the largest single cave chamber in Ethiopia and, on the final afternoon, The Cave at the Source of the Nile.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 12:30 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Nicola 3 Cave Radio

Mr Pete Allwright

To follow.
Will be based on the training to be delivered to British Cave Rescue teams shortly.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 16:30 to 17:15, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poster: Biospeleology of three caves in Lurë Mountain (Albania)

Ms Heliana Dundarova (Bulgaria)

Lurë Mountain is located in the region of Diber, East Albania. The aims of the expedition were exploration, mapping and biospeleogical study of the Sopanik cave, Loshnesh cave and Russit cave.
In Soponik cave three bat species were detected: Myotis blythii Tomes, 1857, Myotis capaccinii Bonaparte, 1837 and Rhinolophus еuryale Blasius, 1853. Moreover, Rhinolophus еuryale use the cave as a summer roost, where females give birth. Invertebrate fauna of Soponik were present by spiders, crickets, snails and centipedes. Three spider species from three genera were identified: Metellina merianae (Scopoli, 1763) – 3 juv., Segestria senoculata (Linnaeus, 1758) – 1 juv. and Nesticus cellulanus (Clerck, 1758) – 1 f. Crickets, centipedes and snails were present with only one genus - Troglophilus Krauss, 1879 – 1 juv., Lithobius (Linnaeus, 1758) – 5 juv. and Vitrea Fitzinger, 1833 respectively.
Invertebrate fauna of Loshnesh cave were present by the spider Metellina merianae – 2 f., the snail Clausilia montenegrina (Pfeiffer, 1848) 1 add., the wasp Diphyus quadripunctorius (Müller, 1776) – 3f and two juvenile millipedes from the genus Acanthopetalum Verhoeff, 1900.
Invertebrate fauna of Russit cave were present by the spider Nesticus cellulanus – 2 f. and new described beetle Albanodirus ivanpetrovii Giachino, Vailati,

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North East Iran - Bulgarian-Iranian Speleo Expedition 2015

Ms Heliana Dundarova (Bulgaria)

The aims of the Bulgarian-Iranian joint expedition were exploration, mapping and chiropterological study of the caves within Razavi Khorasan Province, located in northeastern Iran with center Mashhad.
The first part of the expedition took place in Bezangan Mountain, where 787m of the “Ghar Kharkas” cave were surveyed and a colony of the bat species Rhinolophus blasii was identified. Within the same area in “Ghar Bezangan” cave a huge colony of the species Miniopterus pallidus was found.
The second part of expedition was in South Khorasan Province close to the city of Sarayan, and the main aim was exploration of the “Ghar Baton” cave which is located at 2400 m altitude and has two vertical entrances: upper and lower. The lower entrance starts with sloped passage and a small plumb that reaches a labyrinth of galleries which are connected with two halls. Within this part of the cave a Myotis blythii colony was identified. The upper entrance starts with series of verticals which lead to one of the halls of the lower entrance.
The Razavi Khorasan Province is characterized by high cave diversity and almost unexplored biodiversity. Further joint expeditions could provide more detailed picture

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Poster: Chinese – Bulgarian Expedition in Gaolingongshan Mt. , South West China

Mr ALEXEY ZHALOV (Bulgaria)

Chinese – Bulgarian Expedition in Gaolingongshan Mt. , South West China
Oral presentation
By Alexey Zhalov – Bulgarian Caving Society

In the period 2011 – 2013 two Chinese – Bulgarian expedition in Yunnan Province – South West China were held. During the expedition 25 caves were explored and surveyed with total length of 7 157 m . The longest caves explored are : Xian Ren Dong – 1863.70 m , Yenze Dong (Swallow cave) with 1514 m and Da Shi Dong (Big rock cave) with 1394 m length. All objects were studied from bio speleological point of view, respectively, had collected a considerable zoological material. Among them new species for science were found.

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“Exploration of the Caves of Holy Mt.Athos – Greece”

Mr Peter Delchev (Bulgaria)

The Peninsula of Athos (Agion Oros) – Khalkidhiki Greece was systematically explored by the international project “The caves of Holy Mountain Athos”. In the period from 2011 - 2016 five consecutive expeditions have been carried.
After the last expedition in Athos the total number of the surveyed underground sites become 155 m with total length of about 2 km. The caves could be divided into three main categories - caves associated with the lives of Saints, cave chapels, caves-cells, usual and sea caves and artificial caves (water catchments and reservoirs).The exploration of the Athos caves is still going.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 15:00 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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International expedition to Turkey "KIZILIN'2015"

Mrs Heliana Dundarova (Bulgaria)

International expedition in 2015 year was held from 5 until 13 June. It was organized by Ali Yamac from OBRUK. Seven more Turkish cavers from different clubs took part in the expedition . Among them was also a team of 4 cave divers. The international character of the expedition comes with the participation of Bulgarians (A. Zhalov and K.Stoichkov members of Bulgarian Caving Society) and L. Makrostergios of Speleological group of Karditsa - Greece.
During the expedition were explored in total 28 artificial caves and complexes with total length more than 2 km, but tens of the located caves rest unexplored. The most ingesting discovery in that place was necropolis consisting 4 (or probably more) cave tombs. Having in mind the historical and archaeological written sources all discovered cavities could be dated form the Hellenistic – Roman period.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 14:30 to 15:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Natural and cultural heritage values of the Geomunoreum Lava Tube System, Jeju Island, Korea

Prof Kyung Sik Woo (Korea)

Jeju Island contains a variety of volcanic landforms and more than 120 lava tube caves of international geoheritage significance. Among them, the geosites of the World Heritage Status consist of one major shield volcano, Mt. Hallasan, with satellite cones around its flanks, the parasitic cone (Seongsan Ilchubong Tuff Cone), which shows Surtseyan-type underwater volcanic eruption; and a variety of lava tubes (Bengdwi, Manjang, Gimnyeong, Yongcheon and Dangcheomul caves), which show a complete flow system and display perfectly preserved internal structures despite their old age. Other geosites showing various types of geological features are Jeju Jungmun Daepo Coast (Columnar Joints), Mt. Sanbangsan (lava dome), Yongmeori and Suweolbong (tuff deposits), the Seoguipo Formation (fossil site) and Cheonjiyeon Waterfall. Several aspects are identified which demonstrate the congruence of geoheritage values of Jeju as World Heritage and Global Geopark status. 1) The volcanic exposures of these features provide an accessible sequence of volcanogenic rocks formed by at least three different eruptive stages between 1 million and a few thousand years BP. 2) The geoheritage features include a remarkable range of internationally important volcanic landforms that contain and provide significant information on the history of the Earth. The environmental conditions of the eruptions have created

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 09:30 to 10:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Workshop on EuroSpeleo Projects (ESP) - How to get funding from the European Speleological Federation (FSE) for your speleo event/expedition

Mr Michael Laumanns (Germany)

The EuroSpeleo Projects are one of the flagship activities of FSE and substantially contribute to bring European cavers together. Since 2006, when FSE has launched its EuroSpeleo Projects, well over 150 events/expeditions received sponsoring either through FSE funds and/or equipment sponsoring by FSE Partners (Beal Ropes, Aventure Verticale, and Scurion). Every year 10 to 20 EuroSpeleo Projects are approved by the FSE. In case all necessary criteria are met the sponsoring can amount for a value up to 2,500 EUR for each EuroSpeleo Project.
The paperless Workshop will provide a detailed explanation of the recently much updated ESP Guidelines and the concept behind it, on the receivables and benefits provided by ESPs as well as on the responsibilities of applicants. Q&A-style discussion on sponsoring issues is welcome The Workshop also aims to diversify the currently received ESP applications by enabling more FSE member countries to apply for a EuroSpeleo Project. Audience may wish to inform itself about the ESP Guidelines before the Workshop at the FSE Website (http://www.eurospeleo.eu/en/events/eurospeleo-projects-fundings.html). However, this is not a pre-requisite for attending the 2-hour Workshop.
The working language of the Workshop will be English. Other language skills may be available in the room.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 11:00 to 13:00, Room 2

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caves and photogrammetry

Mr Nigel Steel

The workshop will provide a basic session for cavers about using photogrammetry to create 3-D models of caves and the artefacts found within. Digventures are using the modelling to record archaeology but the method could potentially be used in cave conservation.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 11:30 to 13:00, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Caves and Karst in British Carbonate Rocks

Prof John Gunn

There is nowhere else on earth where there is a greater temporal range of carbonate rock outcrops in such a small geographical area as in Great Britain. They comprise Quaternary freshwater carbonates (tufa and travertine), limestones and dolostones of Cretaceous, Jurassic, Permian, Carboniferous, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician and Cambrian ages and Cambrian to Neoproterozoic metacarbonates. Geographically they extend from the southern coast of Devon to the northern coast of Scotland (about 900 km) and from the tip of western Wales to the Cliffs of Dover in the east (about 450 km). Surface karst landforms have developed and caves can be explored in rocks of most ages but the vast majority of caves are in rocks of Carboniferous age. This presentation will briefly outline the characteristics of cave and karst development in each of the main geographic areas.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 14:00 to 15:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: Lancaster Hole to County Pot in Ease Gill Caverns through trip. Through Trip in either direction on Sun 14th August

Mr Andy Hall

Lancaster-Ease Gill Cave System

The Caves under and around Ease Gill on the Cumbria/Lancashire of border of the UK form part of the longest and most complex system in Britain, the Three Counties System. The system extends beneath Casterton, Leck and Ireby Fells around the western and southern flanks of Gregareth Hill, with around 80Km of passages. The caves are formed in the Carboniferous (Dinantian) Great Scar Limestone.They contain a wide range of passage types, sediments and speleothems.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 10:30 to 19:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: Accompanied Caving Trips

Mr Dave Hollingham

Happy to accompany some groups of cavers on some of the trips already rigged and also on others if suitable. Good sporting knowledge of Easegill and Leck Fell systems. Keen to explore deeper into Gaping Gill system.

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The Fuchslabyrinth Maze - a speleogenetic obstacle?

Mr Michael Ross (Germany)

The "Fuchslabyrinth" is a maze of 11 km of passages, located near Rothenburg ob der Tauber in southwestern Germany, in triassic limestone strata. The cave’s ceiling is covered by a layer of minimal permeability, therefore a very dry cave with minimal amount of formations evolved.

In contrast to the prevailing dense maze pattern of clay-filled fossil passages, an underlying active stream passage shows completely different and rather traditional, features.

After a brief introduction to the cave’s hydrological environment, the talk summarizes 40 years of exploration.

Centerpiece of the talk is a description of morphology and cave contents, leading to ideas about the speleogenesis of this unique cave system.

This includes a discussion about whether the maze pattern and underlying water passage are speleo-genetically separate caves.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 14:30 to 15:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Art Workshop 5 - Fantasy workshop

Mr Robin Gray

Caving dreams and Memories; for those who can draw a bit, working from imagination to produce your ultimate cave. ‘Is it the finest pitch you ever descended or the fabulous formations and the delight of finding your lost love waiting for you there?’

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 10:00 to 11:30, Room 2

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Art Workshop 4 - Drawing the great Chamber in GG

Mr Robin Gray

Mainly for adults, sketching in and around the Great Chamber in Gaping Gyll: Winch ride down and out. Three or four sessions tutored by ISSA members. Sketch books and drawing equipment provided. Maximum number 10 due to time taken in descending the main pitch. Wear warm clothes!
Pre-registration will be required, apply at Reception or online closer to the date.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 11:00 to 15:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Art Workshop 3 - Drawing cavers in costume

Mr Robin Gray

Drawing cavers: a couple of workshop sessions with models in caving gear, diving gear both inside and on the SRT tower. Boards and paper provided. Professional tutors, Robin Gray, Ceris Jones, Pete Martin
OK for Kids of 12 upwards.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:00 to 11:30, Room 2

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Art Workshop 2 - Cave protection and conservation

Mr Ian Ellis Chandler

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 10:00 to 15:30, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Art Workshop 1 - Tryout drawing techniques

Mr Robin Gray (United Kingdom)

Demonstrations of various drawing and painting techniques and try out sessions led by Robin Gray and Members of ISSA. Materials provided by makers such as St Cuthberts Mill, Derwent, Caran d’Ache and others: Morning, afternoon and evening sessions.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 10:00 to 11:30, Room 2

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Field Trip: White Scar Cave - 14th August 2016

Mr John Webb

Craven Pothole Club field trip into White Scar Cave which EuroSpeleo members are welcome to join.
This famous UK show-cave consists of a long vadose streamway including sections of swimming and deep water traversing in a classic stream canyon. After approx 400m of show-cave we leave the public path to enter the main stream by swimming 150m to a major boulder choke. Care is needed as we traverse through the choke which breaks out into a long vadose canyon up to 20m high for over 1000m. The final section consists of wading through low arches in a 10m wide phreatic streamway to Sump 1. Return is via the same route making the trip a total of approx 3000m.
NOTE: Due to the swimming section and final phreatic wading sections it is necessary to wear a neoprene or neo-fleece suit. Electric lamps are mandatory (NO carbide) and a fee of £2.50 has to be paid to pass through the show-cave. Meet at the White Scar Cave car-park at 09:45hrs on Sunday 14th August.

NOTE: Pre-registration will be required, apply at Reception or online closer to the date

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 09:30 to 14:00, Off Site

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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Matienzo Caves Project - 56 years of expedition caving

Mr Juan Corrin (United Kingdom)

A 20 minute summary of 138 speleological expeditions to Matienzo, Cantabria. Digs leading to major systems explored above and below water; geology; paleoclimate; cave biology; future leads; archaeology and changing methods and equipment will all get a brief mention in a whirlwind tour of the area.
By 2016, over 370km of cave passages in more than 4400 sites have been documented by the expeditions and much of the information published online - see www.matienzocaves.org.uk

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 14:00 to 14:30, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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An Introduction to Cave Photography

Mr Duncan Simey

Cave Photographers face many challenges and there is no standard solution.
This workshop aims to introduce a wide range of equipment and techniques with tips and tricks on how to get the best results from each of them.
The presentation will include practical demonstrations using Duncan's cave photography equipment.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 14:00 to 15:30, Room 1

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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SpeleoPhilippines 2016

Mr Henry Bennett (United Kingdom)

Six weeks before the planned return to our remote camp in the jungle, the local terrorists kill six policemen a kilometer from our destination. Ironic since we are on the edge of civilization camped on an old logging track.

With a strong team rearing to go an alternative location was arranged at short notice with a lot of help from our local team. Hear about massive caving potential, pollution, international communication issues, cancelled wedding invites (when the terrorists turn up in our village) and how to organise a village party.

We return next year to huge river cave with open leads.

Caving - it's more fun on the Philippines - even when it's over 40 degrees every day.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 12:15 to 13:00, Main Lecture Theatre

Please note that date and time may change so check this page during the event.

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CINEMA: India or Bust: A Caving Trip by Double-Decker Bus

Mr James Newton

This is a DVD recording that includes photographs and commentary covering a 6 month overland trip to India by 11 cavers in a converted double-decker bus in 1970. It is a fascinating record of the countries through which we traveled (Europe, Iran, Aghanistan, Pakistan, India) at that time. In addition, the caving photographs show exploration around the region of the hills of Simla (recommended by Mr. Bob Leakey). Also included is photographic evidence of the difficulties we faced in traveling in a bus through areas ranging in temperature from -30 to 100 degrees!

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Cave Diving in Sistema Huautla: 2013 and 2016

Mr Chris Jewell

In 2013 an international team of cavers and cave divers re-launched exploration in Sistema Huautla with an expedition to dive sump 9 and explore the sump area. Three years later in 2016 Chris Jewell was back in Mexico with another team, this time diving the Huautla resurgence. This talk will recap on the 2013 expedition and the logistics of diving in remote locations before unveiling the finds of this year’s expedition.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 11:30 to 12:15, Main Lecture Theatre

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Hundreds of tropical islands in Myeik Archipelago - which one has caves?

Dr Joerg Dreybrodt (Switzerland)

The vast area of in the tropical Myeik archipelago with eighthundredfour islands is located in southern Myanmar, not far from Phuket. A British recon trip in 2003 confirmed karst on some of them. This is the story of a spontaneous caving trip struggeling to get on the islands. We got stranded on the road,walked to seashore villages, waited for the tide, got on a tiny boat and found caves. But not where we expected them.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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From the blue into the dark – Exploration of the amazing Blautopfhöhle, Germany

Mr Rainer Straub (Germany)

The Blautopf-Cave-System, located in south Germany is explored since 1997 by the German caving group Arge Blautopf. Prior to this new explorations the Blautopf with his 1.2km long first sump attracted cave divers over years. So far the group surveyed and explored more than 13 kilometer, mostly dry or river passages beyond the first sump. The detailed survey of the team allowed 2010 to dig a dry entrance. This safe and easy access into the cave pushed the exploration and scientific work of the project. New sumps were dived at the far end, extremely well decorated calcified galleries and rare speleothems including living bacterial filaments (Pool-Fingers), aragonite, crystals and helictites were found and documented.

The presentation incl. a 10 min movie will give a brief overview about the exploration, discoveries and beauties of this fantastic cave.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 15:00 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Kayah- the new caving frontier in South-East Asia

Dr Joerg Dreybrodt (Switzerland)

The Kayah State is located on the remote southern edge of the Shan limestone plateau in Myanmar. Here several karst ridges merge and valleys of 1000 m depth are formed by the Salween River and tributaries. After more than 60 years of civil unrest, the state could be visited for the first time by a speleological expedition with a special permission. A variety of tower karst landscapes hosting several large river caves are confirmed. Three of the five longest caves of Myanmar are documented from 2015-2016, with Red River Cave the 2nd longest with 3.8 km length. The state possesses also a rich tribal culture like the famous Long neck women and caves used as burial sites with coffins. Therefore it is interesting as destination for karst-related eco-tourism. The session gives an overview of the karst areas, major cave systems and concludes with an outlook and challenges faced for further exploration.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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What's new in Survex

Mr . Wookey

Survex was first released in 1991, and remains popular cave survey software. It has gained significant new functionality in the last few years, and this is probably not widely known, so it's time for an update.

The talk will cover Survex's status on different OSes, and its new knowledge of co-ordinate systems and terrain models. I will try to collect feedback from users on future developments, and perhaps hope to enthuse some contributors.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 17:00 to 17:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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3D Mapping the world's largest cave chambers

Mr Roo Walters

This 3 year project set out to scan in 3D the world's top ten largest cave chambers in the world. This is an update on the progress of this work which has already re-written the list of 'world's biggest' and will in all likelihood have further changes to announce at the conference. Roo will update cavers as to current status and give some insight into the process and issues in 3D scanning underground.

Scheduled for: Saturday 20th August from 14:00 to 14:45, Main Lecture Theatre

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The Golden Years of Shnongrim Ridge - Caving in Meghalaya

Mr Thomas Arbenz (Switzerland)

Exploration of the caves of Nongkhlieh Ridge started properly in 2002 with the discovery of Krem Liat Prah, a system which has grown to become India’s longest since over the exploring years speleologists have found more caves in the vicinity and been able to connect them to achieve the Liat Prah Cave System at over 30 kilometres surveyed length.

This cave system lies underneath the northern part of Shnongrim Ridge – as expedition members used to call Nongkhlieh Ridge, when from 2003 base camp was installed on a patch of common land near the village of Shnongrim. This camp became home to seven successive expeditions until 2009, when exploration of this extraordinary cave region was terminated.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 17:00 to 17:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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PESH (Proyecto Espeleologico Sistema Huautla), the project in Mexico's deepest cave

Mr Andy Chapman

PESH was launched following the historic 2013 British-led expedition to Sistema Huautla organized by Chris Jewell. PESH co-leaders Bill Steele and Tommy Shifflett joined that expedition and decided to organize PESH to conduct annual expeditions for a decade. Their 2016 expedition was the third of those. The presentation will cover what's been done so far and give a summary on 50 years of caving in the Huautla area.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 16:30 to 17:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Workshop - How strong is your rope?

Dr Bob Mehew

The mobile BCA Rope Test Rig will be present on site and in operation during the whole event (bar the day of the Field Trip to the other rig). Bring samples of 2.5m length for testing on this simple dymanic rig and find out how many drops your rope can survive.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 10:00 to 11:00, Off Site

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Field Trip - Hands On Rope Testing

Dr Bob Mehew

The field trip will be a visit to the near by Bradford Pothole Club's Rope Test Rig located at their hut in Horton in Ribblesdale. The rig together with a tensile tester will be shown in action. Together, these rigs provide an ability to both dynamically and statically test rope. The aim of the trip will be to provide an opportunity to discuss in depth the design and operation of the instrumentation and see it in action. Data processing techniques will also be on show.

Attendees can either turn up and stop for as long as they wish or attend all day. The session will last from 10am to 4pm. Hot refreshments (but not food) will be available. The hut is accessible via a train ride together with a 3km walk but hopefully we an organize sharing of private vehicles. An indication of interest should be lodged at the on site mobile rope test rig which will be operational through out the week. The date of the trip will be set closer to the event.

For back ground information, see the web site at http://www.roperesearch.co.uk/index.html

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:00 to 16:00, Off Site

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Measuring Energy to Dynamically Break a Rope

Dr Bob Mehew

The presentation will cover the development of a means of measuring the extension of rope in a dynamic drop test, together with a force measurement to thus calculate the energy required to dynamically breaking a rope. Results for a variety of ropes will be presented and the implications for cavers (and others who use static ropes) will be discussed. Results from a program of work on the impact of use on a rope’s strength will also be presented.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 14:30 to 15:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Namibia Kaokoland 2015

Dr Mark Tringham

This presentation will summarise results from the 2015 expedition when a small team from UK & France visited Kaokoland in Kunene Province NW Namibia. The expedition found and evaluated 7 new caves of moderate length.The longest and most impressive of these was Ondimba ja Omungongo 358m long and 59m deep. Two further new caves found were each nearly 100m long and the remaining 4 caves were each around 25m.
The caves are formed in Neoproterozoic dolomite and limestone and located on faults or other fractures. The caves are likely to be of hypogenic origin with no obvious relation to present day surface drainage or topography. The caves contain significant bat populations for future study with lots of dried bat guano in some places. Other fauna of interest included mummified antelope and an oryx skeleton. All the new caves explored had entrance locations shown to the expedition by local villagers. The entrances are mostly quite small and require local knowledge to find. It can be expected that many more hypogenic caves of similar character will be found and another expedition is likely to take place in 2017.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 12:00 to 12:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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World’s First Geophysical Surveys of Bat Guano

Dr George Veni (USA)

Bracken Cave, Texas, USA, holds the world’s largest colony of bats, estimated at 40 million. But what is the depth of the bat guano that covers the floor? Working with Bat Conservation International and other partners, the US National Cave and Karst Research Institute conducted the world’s first geophysical surveys of bat guano. Using electrical resistivity methods and overcoming various technical challenges, the guano is estimated at about 35 m deep. Analyses of the results plus limited coring to date for paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental research has verified some of the findings and found limitations to the method. Additional resistivity surveys will be run next year to refine the results, and reconfigured to see greater depths through the breakdown below the guano, and its underlying sediment, to map the underlying bedrock cave floor.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 16:00 to 16:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Second longest cave in Krabi or 'How to run a serious caving expedition with toddlers in tow'

Miss Imogen Furlong (United Kingdom)

Krabi, Thailand is a popular tourist destination, and yet for all its limestone there are very few recorded cave entrances. Choosing a part of the region that had been overlooked for decades the team packed up their kit and their kids and headed off. Two weeks later and we'd found the 2nd longest cave in the region, pristine formations and a human skull artefact. Come along to find out how a serious expedition can be combined with a family holiday and taking kids caving.

Scheduled for: Friday 19th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Amazing Caves: Amazing Microbes

Dr Hazel Barton (USA)

Caves, by their nature, are aphotic and geologically isolated. It would therefore seem that the microbial ecology of these environments would be of limited interest. Yet it is the isolated nature of these environments that make them so fascinating to study. Not only do caves contain a remarkable and varied microbial ecosystem, but their very geologic isolation allows us to examine processes that cannot be studied elsewhere. The absence of disturbance (such as diurnal, seasonal or meteorological) allows us to study ecosystems that have been in equilibrium for thousands of years and reveal aspects of microbial evolution and physiology that would be impossible to study in surface ecosystems.

Scheduled for: Sunday 14th August from 10:15 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Poster: Cave archaeology and Photogrammetry

Mr Nigel Steel (UK)

The use of photogrammetry to capture artefacts is currently being used within the discipline of archaeology, Digventures is using the method underground to capture images of the artefacts insitu and the surrounding cave topography in order to create a 3D model of the artefacts and the cave.

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Middle East A reminiscence of 4 expeditions to Iran and Iraq between 2000 and 2007 (M. Laumanns, Speleoclub Berlin)

Mr Michael Laumanns (Germany)

This presentation will report on expeditions which have yielded the longest caves of Iran as well as on a pioneering expedition to Iraq in 2007.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 10:30 to 11:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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Southeast Asia A summary of 21 expeditions to Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, and the Philippines (M. Laumanns, Speleoclub Berlin)

Mr Michael Laumanns (Germany)

The presentation will summarize many caving expeditions conducted by myself within the last 15 years to SE Asia. The results yielded by these expeditions as well as general info on the countries involved will be communicated.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 15:00 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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East and Central Africa - 25 years on a glance. Expeditions to Madagascar, Tanzania, Mozambique, Rwanda, and Gabon

Mr Michael Laumanns (Germany)

This presentation provides an overview on many expeditions led by myself to East and Central African countries. The results of these expeditions will be communicated as well as general prospects of caving in the afore-mentioned regions.

Scheduled for: Monday 15th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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UIS Publications Exchange Workshop

Dr Trevor Faulkner (UK)

This workshop is for all Caving Librarians, Caving Editors and others interested in the exchange and safe archiving of speleological literature. It will be a formal meeting of the UIS Publications Exchange Working Group that was established within the UIS Informatics Commission at the 2013 International Congress of Speleology in Brno, Czech Republic. The Terms of Reference of the Working Group are expected to be posted on the UIS website in advance of the Workshop. The aims of the Workshop are: 1. To review the ToR; 2. To review progress in achieving the aims of the Working Group; 3. To provide an opportunity for networking and the physical exchange of publications amongst the attendees.

Prior registration via EuroSpeleo 2016 is requested, so that a suitable agenda can be proposed, but is not essential for attendance.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 14:00 to 16:00, Room 2

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Field Trip to the caves of Giggleswick Scar and discussion about their speleogenesis

Dr Trevor Faulkner (UK)

This Field Trip will complement a similar talk that should be presented early in the week. It will visit the prominent Giggleswick Scar at the southern extremity of the Carboniferous limestone in North Yorkshire, which contains relict phreatic caves whose speleogenesis is enigmatic. The trip will examine the local geomorphological evidence for glaciation and deglaciation and how these have influenced the various caves and karst features. Open inception fractures and bedding plane partings, probably created during deglacial isostatic uplift, will be observed. A distinctive ravine, created by a deglacial jokulhlaup, and cupulas, formed by water flowing upward at a short cliff, will be visited. Cave archaeology, dating from the Lateglacial Interstadial, will be briefly discussed.

The trip will be organised for the later part of the week, starting at 10.00 am and completing by about 4.00 pm. Attendees should wear boots for rough walking and be prepared for inclement weather. Those who wish to enter short caves should bring helmets, lights and oversuits. Packed lunches and refreshment should be brought by attendees. Transport will be by shared use of private vehicles. Pre-registration early in the week will be required, when more detailed information will be provided to attendees.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 10:00 to 16:00, Off Site

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The caves of Gigglewick Scar - examples of deglacial speleogenesis?

Dr Trevor Faulkner (UK)

Abstract
The prominent Giggleswick Scar at the South Craven Fault extremity of the Carboniferous limestone of the Askrigg Block in North Yorkshire contains relict phreatic caves whose speleogenesis is enigmatic. This paper examines the local geomorphological evidence and proposes that some, but not necessarily all, karst features formed after the Last Glacial Maximum. Building on a previous deglacial model, it is hypothesised that inception fractures and bedding plane partings were created during isostatic uplift. These were enlarged by dissolution in cold unsaturated meltwater beneath a deglacial ice-dammed lake that formed initially at an altitude of c. 300m. As the icesheet downwasted further, the surface of the lake lowered past the newly-formed cave entrances, some of which were probably enlarged by freeze-thaw and lake-ice push and pull processes. If this hypothesis is correct, it has wider implications for cave speleogenesis and sedimentation in the Yorkshire Dales and in other deglaciated regions.

Full Paper:
Murphy, PJ, Faulkner, TL, Lord, TC and Thorp, JA. 2015. The caves of Giggleswick Scar – examples of deglacial speleogenesis? Cave and Karst Science 42 (1) 42-53.

Scheduled for: Wednesday 17th August from 10:00 to 10:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Recent discoveries in Sanwang Dong, China

Mr Madphil Rowsell (UK)

Hong Meigui Cave Exploration Society (HMG) has been exploring the area around Houping (后坪), Wulong (武隆), The two largest systems in the Houping area are Sanwang Dong (SWD 三王洞) and Erwang Dong(EWD 二王洞) and at the time of writing are 74.9km and 47.5km long respectively. The caves are in very close proximity to each other with some passages over laying the other cave, but despite considerable effort, the two caves as yet have not been connected.

This talk discussed the recent exploration in these two caves, including recent attempts to connect the two systems, and new exciting discoveries it the SW of the system, where a 110m bolt climb has discovered a new multi lever fossil drainage system in the far NW, which is posing some interesting questions about the drainage in that area of the cave. Much of the new passage in this area is very well decorated.

Scheduled for: Tuesday 16th August from 15:00 to 15:30, Main Lecture Theatre

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Poster: Under the Uplands - Exploring the Cave Archaeology in the Yorkshire Dales

Mr Nigel Steel (UK)

Under the Uplands is digitising the archive from Victoria Cave and creating a digital museum, a' museum in your pocket'. This will enable users to read original excavation manuscripts and examine artefacts (in 3D) from the comfort of your armchair. The project aims to hold workshops for cavers and instruct them in the specialist field of photogrammetry. We will hold regular meetings to discuss all matters cave archaeology related and provide a digital tool kit, which will enable cavers to proceed proactively when they find archaeology underground.

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AESDA Calib - a calibration device for DistoX/X2

Dr Frederico Regala (Portugal)

The Paperless Cave Surveying System created by Beat Heeb, with DistoX and DistoX2, has proven its effectiveness for speleologists around the World. Howevwer, the required calibration of the measuring instrument is a rather difficult and time consuming process. In this paper we present a device especially conceived to make the calibration procedures significantly easier and faster.

Scheduled for: Thursday 18th August from 11:30 to 12:00, Main Lecture Theatre

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