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THRUPE LITE - PICTURES-3

(The Rubicon and beyond)

Photographs by Clive North (CN); Tony Audsley (TA); Rob Taviner (RT)

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12^th June 2002 (TA)
Clive and Richard having a pensive five minutes at the bottom of Rubicon Chamber.

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12^th June 2002 (TA)
Clive, drilling the boulder which blocks the way on into the Rubicon pot, Richard looks on.

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30^th June 2002 (TA)
The low level route. Looking straight down the Rubicon pot, Clive is at the bottom, lying on the gravel slope.

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30^th June 2002 (TA)
The high level route - the back of the Rubicon chamber, before drilling into the roof. Note the elephant's trunk to carry the stream over the top of the Rubicon Pot.

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30^th June 2002 (TA)
Clive, drilling into the roof at the back of the Rubicon Chamber. Clive has his feet in the Rubicon Pot - the green container in the right foreground is the dam used to divert the stream.

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Wednesday, 2^nd March 2003 (TA)
Dave Speed at the top of the Rubicon Pot

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30^th June 2002 (TA)
Stal in the grotto at the entrance to the Rubicon - (a composite of two photographs). The grotto is immediately to the right of the base of the entrance shaft..

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9^th October 2002 (TA)
Looking vertically downwards towards Richard at the bottom of the Rubicon Pot. The "way on" is at floor level, by his left foot, and under the stalled blocks on the left of the photograph.

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20^th October 2002 (CN)
This is where Richard was standing in the previous photograph - the "way on" is behind the rock that protrudes from the right. While it might be small and uninviting, there is a definite draught.

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3^rd November 2002 (CN)
The newly enlarged "passage" at the bottom of the Rubicon Pot. From the end can be seen an approx 3 ft wide bedding plane, with the stream flowing into it. Is this the beginning of the end?

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29^th January 2003 (TA)
Clive passing a poly bag of spoil back into Rubicon passage (bottom of the Rubicon Pot). This is more or less the same place shown in Clive's photograph of 3^rd November, above.

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29^th January 2003 (TA)
Clive and Richard in the bedding chamber, near the digging face. From Clive's expression it looks like Richard has just kicked him in the crutch.

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29^th January 2003 (TA)
The small grotto on the updip side of the bedding chamber.

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29^th January 2003 (TA)
The bedding chamber and the current (January) digging face. Under the stalled arch is a low continuation for about 10 to 15 feet.

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29^th January 2003 (TA)
The way on. A choked rift, with a mud and gravel floor. The small stone sticking out of the water in this photograph is also visible in the previous picture.

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23^rd February 2003 (TA)
The passage after a small amount of enlargement.   Tav, basking in the pool and moving a bit of spoil.

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23^rd February 2003 (TA)
The start of the passage, having removed the spoil (and Tav).

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23^rd February 2003 (TA)
The "unimproved" continuation of the tube, looking towards the constriction, with the bend beyond.

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26^th February 2003 (TA)
Inside Out before enlargement

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23^rd February 2003 (TA)
Tav bailing the pool into a convenient hole in the wall. The atmosphere is rather steamy because he would insist on breathing. (After this photograph was taken, a hole was opened up in the floor, allowing the pool to drain naturally).

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9^th March 2003 (RT)
Nik-Nak digging in the start of "Inside Out".

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Wednesday, 2^nd March 2003 (TA)
Inside out passage after initial enlargement.

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Sunday, 9^th March 2003 (TA)
Inside out after even more of its insides had been taken out.

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Sunday, 9^th March 2003 (TA)
Inside out passage, the left hand bend that has been so difficult to get past.

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Sunday, 16^th March 2003 (TA)
The continuation of Inside Out just round the bend. This is a bit under-lit in the critical area, but a small triangular shark's fin of stal can just be made out in the gloom. This may be at the "end" of the passage.

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Sunday, 16^th March 2003 (TA)
Taken from the same place as the last one, slightly different angle and different lighting - interesting because of the light reflected apparently from a pair of eyes looking back up the passage - see enlargement below.

Sunday, 16^th March 2003 (TA)
The beast of Thrupe

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Sunday, 23^rd March 2003 (TA)
The approach to the pitch head, stones can be thrown into the void and rattle down in a very satisfying manner.

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Sunday, 23^rd March 2003 (TA)
A closer look at the pitch head before it was terminally enlarged.

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Last Modified:   23-Jun-2007