Issue 144 - October/November 1998

(Click cover for full view).

Cover: Cave diving in Hurtle Pot. Artwork by Mark Lumley.

Features:

Dropping the Hemisphere's Deepest

In 1995 an expedition to Papua New Guinea explored a cave to a depth of more than 1km. This year the challenge was to make a through-trip and push an open lead in 'the most promising cave on the plateau'.

Taking the Healing Airs. Speleotherapy is a well-known medical treatment prescribed by doctors in many eastern European countries - so why is it virtually unknown elsewhere?

The Bad News, and the Good. With expedition grants thin on the ground the big news is that major funding is once again available - so send for a form and go for it!

A Return to Pir Ghaib. Frustrated by repeated attempts to explore a cave in the hills of western Pakistan, it's the fourth time lucky for Simon Brooks.

Time to Play TAG. Freshly returned from this year's NSS Convention deep in the heart of TAG country, Ian Chandler reports on the reception given to SpeleoArt in the USA.

Plus all the usual news, plus the latest book and gear reviews and the start of a new Descent Caption Competition.