Issue 146 - February/March 1999

(Click cover for full view).

Cover: Steve Thomas and Mike Thomas diving in Doux de Coly. Photos by Gavin Newman

Features:

Diving Without Limit

Cave diving has grown in stature over the years, until its current standing of a highly technical sport with rebreathers, underwater habitats and staged air and mixed gas supplies. The Doux de Coly in the French Dordogne is a case in point, where dives have taken cavers further and further from base - and still the cave continues, without limit.

The is Mr P.B. Smith

On 19 November 1988 Pete Smith lost his life in a tragic fall. His friends and colleagues from the world of caving pay their tribute to one of Derbyshire's true characters.

Gingling by Night

'It was not the great depth Gingling Hole that provided the attraction, then no more than 140ft, but it had a fascination and quality all of its own.' Join Len Cook for another in his occasional series on caving in the 1950's as he descends this 'Very Difficult Pothole'.

Bright Ideas in Lighting

Cavers are always on the lookout for newer, better ways of doing things. A fresh look at lighting is therefore bound to be of interest.

To Gate or Not to Gate ...

'To those who gate mines: you should examine your motives.' So wrote Chris Jones in Descent (145), and in so doing attracted some counter-opinion from Colin 'Steve' Knox.

Within the Accursed Mountains

As a holiday destination, Albania is perhaps not most people's first choice. Members of Axbridge CG succeeded in organising an expedition just before the climate changed further for the worse - and against all the odds not only found caves, but also made a film.

Plus Bookshelf, Caption Competition, Calendar, International News, Publications, Speleonet, Belay Point, Calcified Ads and all the news from around the regions ...