How to shaft bash

1.

Find a good area (see below).

2.

Take with you: tackle, map, compass, shaft bashing guide (the correct volume), paper, pencil, identification tags, punches and nails.

3.

Find a promising entrance, not just a shakehole that obviously chokes.

4.

Explore the cave.

5.

Mark the cave with an identification tag. Include the cave number and one of the following:

$\bigcirc$

if the cave has not been descended

$\oslash$

if the cave has been descended, but not bottomed

$\otimes$

if the cave has been bottomed.

Do this discretely, not so that the marking can be seen by passing ICONA guards.

6.

Make notes on the location. Include the following

• Approximate position, eg `on the left hand side of the Valle Extremero, 100m above the woods'. Note that left and right refer to directions when looking down valleys.
• Proximity to other features, but only include ones which other people are likely to be able to find. Avoid references to other caves, unless they are well known or easy to find. See the description of 37/7 as an example of how not to do it.
• Take compass bearings to prominent features. It's best to pick near by features; it's no use saying 98${}^\circ$ to the obvious entrance in the central massive, because it's on a bearing of 98${}^\circ$ $\pm$ 2${}^\circ$ from nearly all of our area.

7.

When you get back to camp, write this all up. Include a concise description and location. If it's still going, say so and encourage people to go back.

8.

If you find any errors or ommissions in this guide, please tell me (Gavin).

9.

There should be a complete area guide at Ario, for reference. Please add notes to this, describing any finds, and making cross references to the log book. This makes updating the shaft bashing guide for next year much easier.