How to dig in Grolsch passage

Below is Tom's excellent description of how to operate the dig.

There are now 3 trays in use:

1. The original small one.
2. The large one with the flap on the top.
3. A new large one without a flap. And there is a fourth even larger tray lying around if you really feel the need to use it!

There is also a new thicker rope for dragging across Severn Beach.

Each tray has a sling with a krab attached (I think we left the krabs there), and each drag rope has a knot in the middle. Instead of tipping spoil from one tray into another at the exchange point at the drop, you now just unclip it from one rope and onto the other.

Before each full tray of spoil is hauled out, an empty tray is sent down to the dig face. The digger unclips it from the rope and clips his full tray onto the rope. This way the digger always has an empty tray at his side.

With 7 people this worked brilliantly as we could have 2 people at the drop and a person just behind the digger hauling and exchanging the trays. We even had 2 people up at Severn Beach disposing of spoil which was pure luxury!!

It still also worked well with 4 people for the last hour or two though:

1. Person 1 digs.
2. Person 2 is stationed on the corner half way down the dig. This is the hard job as its a long haul lying down.
3. Person 3 is stationed at the top of the drop, hauling and then lifting the trays up into Severn Beach, and exchanging ropes.
4. Person 4 hauls across Severn Beach and drags the trays round to the spoil heap which is now further round to the right from where it was, behind the tape on the right.

Tom Foord, Cardiff, 14 June 2004