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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 21, 2006 1:51:29 GMT -5
Croskrey is a proven 'rock' star in her field'Caving' teaches lessons about the Earth and self-discipline' Published December 20, 2006 11:44 pm - By MARK NEWMAN Ottumwa Courier staff writer OTTUMWA — A bad hair day for Andrea Croskrey may cause someone to ask if she just crawled out from under a rock. When she says “yes,” she’s being honest. Croskrey, 25, loves to go caving, both for work and as a hobby, and she shared her knowledge at Horace Mann Elementary School Wednesday. Currently a resident of Denver, Colo., she was in Wapello County visiting her parents, Kim and Celeste Croskrey of Blakesburg. It was that connection that brought her to Ottumwa: During her childhood in Blakesburg, Andrea had Joan Fall as her third-grade teacher. Fall saw Croskrey, a geologist with the National Park Service, on the Discovery Channel documentary, “What lies below.” In it, her former student crawled through caves in Iceland and managed to see the underground spot where Europe and North America touch. “I asked if she could come talk to my class,” said Fall, telling kids in the gymnasium, “she was one of my third-graders when I taught in Blakesburg. Now she’s taller than I am.” She’s more than tall. She’s well-traveled, too. She’s gone “caving” in China, Greece and on an island off the coast of Portugal. And with her hard-earned experience, she’s become knowledgeable about caving. She has gotten stuck underground, wedged in darkness between two rocks. But because she follows safety guidelines, she’s always gotten out. “You have to have three sources of light. You must have two or more friends when you go, so one can stay with you while the other goes for help. And think small,” she said. Full Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 13, 2006 16:50:58 GMT -5
MSU professor's geological collection to be honored FridayDecember, 13 2006 Springfield News-Leader A longtime Missouri State University professor’s geological collection will become part of the new Watershed Center at Valley Water Mill Park, a Greene County spokesperson announced this morning. The establishment of the Kenneth C. Thomson Memorial Karst Collection will be announced at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Watershed Committee offices, 320 N. Main Ave. Refreshments and building tours will follow. Ken Thomson dedicated his career to documenting area caves, sinkholes, springs and aquifers. He died in a 2004 vehicle wreck. Thomson left behind a collection of books, maps and reports produced over a lifetime of geological study. His friends and colleagues will speak Friday about his dedication to the science of karst geology, the importance of his work and the value of his collection. Scheduled speakers include Greene County Commissioner Dave Coonrod; Jerry Vineyard, a retired geologist from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources; Matt Forir, lead paleontologist and executive director of the Natural History Museum of the Ozarks; and Watershed Committee chair Stuart Wetzel. Contact the Watershed Committee at 866-1127 for more information. Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 5, 2006 9:03:24 GMT -5
Rappelling a Handley family affairPublished: December 04, 2006 11:48 am The Fayette Tribune At this year’s Bridge Day™, Robert Handley, 78, Todd Handley, 41, and Meghan Handley, 14, all rappelled together off the New River Gorge Bridge. Robert hails from Renick, and Todd and Meghan live in Williamstown. Robert is a member of the VBats rappel team, and Todd is a member of Extreme Rappels team. Both Robert and Todd have been participating in Bridge Day for years. The younger Handley has been training with her dad and spent several days down at Whitesides Mountain in North Carolina in September. Whitesides is a 660’ rappel. Bridge Day rappel coordinator Benjy Simpson was at Whitesides to observe them. Meghan says, “In 1999, I went to my first Bridge Day. I was only seven years old. When I looked up at the awesome structure above me and saw my dad on rope, I said out loud, ‘Some day, I’m gonna do that.’” Meghan goes on to say, “It’s really awesome to be able to rappel with my dad and grandpa. I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. They have both been so supportive and have always encouraged me to do my best.” Simpson says that she has become the youngest to rappel off the New River Gorge Bridge. “I grew up following my dad underground and then got into rappelling with caving friends,” said Todd Handley. “To be the one in the middle has its own twists; I get to see my dad continue to defy age and my daughter show her maturity. At a young age, she has shown the interest, set her goals and continued to advance her rope skills. She won’t let me go rappelling without her now. The Three Generation Rappel will be one that I cherish as long as I live.” Robert offered the following comments: “One of the hardest things I’ve had to do as a parent was to let my boys go and do what they really wanted to do. I worried a lot for their safety. I taught them mainly by doing things with them and exposing them to my associates, hard core cavers who don’t let many obstacles stop them. Today, Todd is more skilled at rope work that I ever was. I cautioned Todd about pushing his daughter Meghan to do the Bridge Day rappel, but he said she was pushing him to let her do it. Meghan is well trained and definitely has the Handley spirit. I have a lot to be thankful for.” Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 4, 2006 17:31:29 GMT -5
Age not slowing down elder HandleyDecember 04, 2006 The Fayette Tribune At this year’s 27th annual Bridge Day™, Robert Handley became the oldest person to rappel off the New River Gorge Bridge. Handley, 78, is a member of the VBats Bridge Day rappel team. Bridge Day is West Virginia’s largest one-day festival and also one of the top 100 festivals in North America. Handley began caving and rope work in the 1940s. He has received the prestigious Lew Bicking award from the National Speleological Society, the only West Virginian to hold that honor. Lately, the West Virginia resident has been working with the West Virginia Wilderness Coalition to protect the Monongahela National Forest. Handley says, “I won’t quit. I have a T-shirt from West Virginia Public Radio that says ‘God put me on this earth to accomplish a certain number of things, and at this point in time, I am so far behind I’ll never die.’ That’s sort of my personal motto.” Bridge Day rappel coordinator Benjy Simpson presented Handley with the New River Gorge Bridge Day Rappel Eagle award for being the oldest rappeller. “May we all be as active as Bob when we reach our older years,” Simpson said. Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 2, 2006 18:36:14 GMT -5
Glenwood Springs isn't as snooty as Aspen, Telluride, or Vail. It has McDonalds and Wendy's. Aspen is the capital of Snootistan.
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 2, 2006 15:04:18 GMT -5
The area is filthy with caves (and digs, shhh!). I would not be surprised if one of the featured activities is the pool and vapor caves. You can catch a gondola right in town up to Glenwood Caverns. It's literally right next to the White River Plateau that has at least 5 major caves including Groaning, the longest in the state. Mark Maslyn did his Master's Thesis on paleokarst up by Aspen (just up the Roaring Fork) and I used to work in the Leadville District. There's Marble, Colorado, closer than Aspen as well. I toured the Gypsum gypsum mine a couple of summers ago.
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 2, 2006 12:26:48 GMT -5
What's y'alls' take on having the 2011 convention in Glenwood Springs, Colorado? G. S. Attractions
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 7, 2006 18:56:23 GMT -5
Part of caverns' butterfly stolenDec. 6, 2006, 1:29AM Houston Chronicle News Services Photo courtesy of Caverns of Sonora SONORA — Officials at the Caverns of Sonora said Tuesday they are hoping for the return of a stolen portion of the site's most well-known attraction, a naturally formed translucent butterfly. About two-thirds of one of the butterfly's wings were stolen shortly before Thanksgiving, and the Sutton County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate Tuesday, officials said. "That was our signature formation," said Gerry Ingham, the cavern's co-owner and chief financial officer. "It was literally the heart of our cave." The longer the wing is out of the humidity of the caves, the harder it will be to reattach, she said. The wing will dry out and eventually crumble. "It is worthless out of its cave, its natural environment," Ingham said. The cave system is 90 percent active or "alive," meaning that most of the formations are still growing as minerals are deposited by percolating water within the caves The cave is eight miles west of Sonora, which is 70 miles south of San Angelo. Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 16, 2006 9:36:34 GMT -5
Hawk Watch founder was passionate naturalist By Paul Legall The Hamilton Spectator PARIS, Ont. (Nov 14, 2006) SPECIAL TO THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR Bruce Duncan: a community treasure.Bruce Duncan will be remembered as a dedicated environmentalist whose passion for the outdoors was second only to his love and affection for his family. Until his death Saturday after a car accident the day before, the 60-year-old ecologist and head of the Hamilton Conservation Authority had been doing his best to pass on his knowledge of plants, birds and animals to his own children, James, 13, and Katie, 10. With his wife, Janet, he would often take them camping and hiking in parks and wilderness areas in Ontario where he had introduced hundreds of other young people to the magic and mysteries of the outdoors. "He definitely would want to be remembered as a family man who enjoyed camping, canoeing and bird-watching with his children," said Deborah Duncan, who had been married to Bruce's deceased older brother. "He was always involved in family and we're going to miss him," she said from the Duncan's Paris home yesterday. The family was still reeling from his death following a head-on collision while he was returning from Brantford at about 7:20 p.m. Friday. He suffered fatal injuries when an oncoming car driven by Susan Jones, 38, swerved across the centre line into his path. Jones was pronounced dead at the scene and Duncan later died at Hamilton General Hospital. "It's so sudden. It's like he's been removed from earth by aliens. The club members are all in shock," said Paul Attack, who is president of the Hamilton Naturalist Club. Duncan was a past-president of the 500-member club, which was formed in 1919, and had established himself as a raptor expert. He had written scholarly articles about hawks and eagles and participated in raptor preservation programs in the area. In 1991, he founded the Niagara Peninsula Hawk Watch program, which organizes bird counts at the Beamer Conservation area in Grimsby during the raptor migrations each year. "The people of Hamilton often don't realize the kinds of treasures they have in their own community," said Hamilton naturalist and birder Bob Curry, who has known Duncan for 35 years. He described his friend as a "gentleman and gentle man" who was always respectful of others and tended to understate his own accomplishments. After working for the Grand River Conservation area for more than 15 years, Duncan was hired by the Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) in 1988 to run its outdoor education program. He would take schoolchildren on hikes through the Dundas Valley where he pointed out the unique animal and plant life of the region, much as he later did with his own children. In 1992, he became the HCA's staff ecologist and a decade later he was promoted to director of watershed planning and engineering. Until 2004, Duncan had been responsible for all forms of watershed planning from storm warnings to water quality and quantity. Then he succeeded Scott Konkle as general manager and chief administrative officer of the authority. "He will be sadly missed. The sadness will be widespread," said Ben Vanderbrug, who headed up the HCA from 1970 until his retirement in 2002. Vanderbrug said he always sought out Duncan's input when the authority was asked to assess the environmental impact of various development proposals. Vanderbrug described him as a "pragmatist and realist" who presented his opinions in a reasoned, fair and thoughtful way. People were usually swayed by his obvious sincerity and honesty, Vanderbrug added. Born in England, Duncan immigrated to Canada with his parents and two siblings as a young boy and obtained most of his early education in Orillia. A proud Scot who occasionally donned his kilt, he had been living in Paris for about 10 years. The family will hold a private funeral. A public celebration of Duncan's life will be held at Bay Gardens Funeral and Memorial Centre, 1010 Botanical Dr., Burlington (next to the RBG) on Saturday, Nov. 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. There will be an opportunity for remembrances and eulogies at 3 p.m. ArticleWe lost a teacherBy Robert Howard The Hamilton Spectator (Nov 16, 2006) Bruce Duncan is memorialized in millions of tonnes of uncarved stone -- and grass, woods, streams and caves. Head of the Hamilton Conservation Authority, Duncan died this past weekend in a head-on collision near his hometown of Paris, Ont. He was just 59 -- gone too soon, senselessly and suddenly. Just three days before, he beamingly presided at the announcement of a $1.5 million donation to Hamilton's newest conservation area, the cave-riddled Eramosa Karst property on Stoney Creek Mountain. Bruce Duncan's legacy is generations of people, from children to seniors, who appreciate nature and its wonders better because he showed them, taught them, or helped give them a place to learn for themselves. His death is a terrible loss for his family and friends and leaves a void at the conservation authority and in the close-knit local conservation and naturalist community that will not soon or easily be filled. Duncan was by every account a genuinely nice man who cared deeply and equally for the environment and for people. He was admired and respected by colleagues and peers for his dedication, his uplifting nature, his sharing of knowledge and skills, and his teaching abilities. His contributions to this community will long be remembered. We offer gratitude for his life and our condolences to all who loved him. Editorials are written by members of the editorial board. They represent the position of the newspaper, not necessarily the individual author. Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 16, 2006 9:26:29 GMT -5
Group aims to map, protect Ozarks cavesAnn Keyes For the news-leader Members of Ozark Highlands Grotto make their way through Breakdown Cave in Christian County.News-Leader File Photo Who: Ozark Highlands Grotto Mission: This group of southwest Missouri cavers seeks to explore and restore caves in the Ozarks and nationwide. Its goal is to survey, conserve and protect caves and karst features. About: Formed in 1975, OHG was the brainchild of students at then-Southwest Missouri State University. The current membership of OHG varies in age and occupation, but they share a responsibility, says club vice president Jeremy Bounds: Spread the message of cave conservation. OHG meets at 7 p.m. the first Wednesday monthly at the Library Center, in southeast Springfield. Dues are $15 annually for individuals and $17 for family membership, says club president Charley Rey. OHG is a member organization of the National Speleological Society and Missouri Caves and Karst, among other associations with similar aims. Members of OHG enjoy access to a library of club-held books and videos on caves and caving; skills required for proper exploration of caves might be of interest. "Under the Highlands," the group's monthly newsletter, gives members a detailed account of upcoming meetings and scheduled trips to area caves. The OHG Web site tells much the same and touts the benefit of membership in OHG as having "someone to go caving with." Past projects: Surveying caves in the Ozarks has been on the OHG agenda for some time. The group maps and studies caverns and offers information to private landowners in regard to their grottos in an effort to promote closing off private caves with gates. OHG looks to the Missouri Department of Conservation for guidance; liabilities for installing gates in caves and associated permits are myriad. Cave restoration has been a goal of OHG: Breakdown Cave in Christian County holds a restoration laboratory and classroom that is used by members. Lawrence County's Turnback Cave has been worked on by OHG experts; damage has been repaired in the cavern that is home to Turnback Creek Cave Spring, part of an underground stream known to contain the endangered Ozark cavefish. Upcoming: OHG will continue efforts that further cave restoration and the health of the environment in general. Organized adventures might number several a month. One weekend cavers slog waterways toting trash bags as part of a stream cleanup; the next weekend, group members camp overnight between trips below ground for cavern mapping. Want to join, volunteer or need to know more? Take in a meeting; contact information is found on the Web at Ozark Highlands Grotto. Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 12, 2006 2:21:37 GMT -5
The way we handled minor magnetic deviations when I was a geologist was to back-sight all our readings. To do this you always sight back to the station you just shot and compare readings. A way to deal with minor discrepancies is to average the two readings. If one reading is way off and shooting over doesn't change it you might want to throw out the readings from that particular station altogether and use the readings from either side of it. Up in the Iron Range of Minnesota, everything had to be shot from known references by measure of the angles with a transit theodolite as compasses were useless.
GPS is not based on the Earth's magnetic field and so should not be affected as compasses are affected.
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 9, 2006 16:25:41 GMT -5
Caver remembered for love of outdoorsby Lindsay Nash, LNASH@CITIZEN-TIMES.com published November 9, 2006 12:15 am credit: Special to the Citizen-Times William “W.C.” Austin was well known in the outdoors community as a caver, rock climber, backpacker and lover of the outdoors. He died Saturday, Oct. 28. MARION — With his big burly beard and boisterous voice, William Cubbage “W.C.” Austin had a personality that wasn’t easily forgotten. Austin was known for his love of spelunking through the caves and spiraling down the cliffs of Western North Carolina. An avid outdoorsman, Austin, 51, of Marion, died unexpectedly Oct. 28 after a heart attack. On Sunday, his family and fellow cavers and climbers gathered to remember their friend, father and husband as they spread his ashes among the cliffs where he felt most at home. “In his everyday life, he was a regular old burly-looking mountain man,” his son William, 26, said. “But get him out on a hike, and he opened up and become a completely different person. He was the happiest and most open and free-spirited when out in the woods or out on a rock face or in a cave.” Austin was a member of the Flittermouse Grotto, an area caving club where he was known as the “gear head” and the go-to guy for help. “He was constantly trying to find new techniques, new equipment,” said Ray Morgan, 49, who first introduced him to the caving club about 15 years ago. “He was a gear head. The guys at Black Dome (Mountain Sports) probably knew him as well as anyone.” His love for the outdoors brought him closer to his family, his son Cole, 24, said. “When I was younger, we didn’t get along too well,” Cole Austin said. “But once we got into rock climbing and caving, it really helped me and him and my brother bond. It was really nice to spend the last eight years of his life with him. It makes up for some of the lost time in my childhood.” One of the caver’s favorite things to do every year was to go to the annual caving convention known by cavers as “OTR” or Old Timers Reunion. “He looked forward to it every year,” Cole Austin said. “From the day he’d left the convention, he’d be waiting for the next year. He spent all year buying gear so he could show it off the next year.” Austin’s death came as a shock to his family, the caving and rock climbing community. But they will always have their memories that can make them laugh — like the times he annoyed instructors with loud questions and comments in his quest for more knowledge. “He was very outgoing, loud and boisterous,” said fellow caver Scott McCrea. “Some people describe him as a hippy, but I think of him more as a giant teddy bear. He had one of those personalities that you meet him once and you’ll never forget him.” Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 6, 2006 6:21:26 GMT -5
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Post by jonsdigs on Nov 4, 2006 18:36:23 GMT -5
I found a ground sloth (Megatherium) scapula in the spoils of a dig we were doing in Narrows Cave. Since it had already been disturbed, I gave it to the natural history museum in Denver. It turned out to be only the third Megatherium site in Colorado. We consider it unethical to sell fossil material from caves and it is mostly illegal.
When we have found human artifacts and remains in other caves in Colorado we have contacted archaeologists to deal with them and carefully left them undisturbed and the specifics undiscussed. Anything found in a cave on private property belongs to the landowner and should be left in place although preservation should be the foremost concern. Remember, anything over 100 years old is considered archaeological. Furthermore, even broken speleothems should be left where found.
If you have found something the landowner would profit by, it is between you and them. There are specific laws about about protection of resources and salvage on public lands. In Britain, where abandoned mines revert to the Crown, the rule is to leave artifacts in place.
Take nothing but pictures, and if it cannot be physically protected don't spread the word. Contact your local NSS Grotto and they can guide you.
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Post by jonsdigs on Oct 27, 2006 19:25:16 GMT -5
Cave explorer to visit Lyon MondayStephen Alvarez PhotoGeologist Louise Hose descends a 518-foot drop into Majlis al Jinn Batesville Daily Guard Geologist and noted cave explorer Dr. Louise D. Hose will visit Lyon College for a convocation at 7:30 p.m. Monday in Nucor Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public. Hose has traveled the world in an adventurous pursuit to better understand unusual geologic sites, particularly some of the world’s most intriguing caves. She has more than 30 years of experience in research, education, exploration and conservation efforts, including the exploration and investigation of caves in New Guinea, England, Greece, South Africa, Oman and Yugoslavia. Some of her most noted work has been featured twice in National Geographic magazine. Hose left a 13-year career in higher education and academic research to help the National Park Service establish the new National Cave and Karst Research Institute in Carlsbad, N.M., over the last three years. During her professorial career, her work was sponsored by her academic institutes and organizations including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Forest Service, National Geographic Society, National Speleological Society, and two foreign resource management agencies. She considers working at Westminster College in Missouri under Dr. Walter Roettger’s mentoring to be the best years of her academic career. The experience was cut short by his appointment as Lyon College’s president. She also served six years as a director of the National Speleological Society and has edited their multi-disciplinary, refereed scientific publication for more than seven years, the Journal of Cave and Karst Studies. Hose holds a doctorate of philosophy in geology from Louisiana State University, a master of science in geology from California State University, Los Angeles, and a bachelor’s in secondary education from Arizona State University. Prior to her Ph.D. program, she taught junior high school, worked as a geologist in the petroleum industry, and spent 15 months with the U.S. Geological Survey. While at Lyon, Dr. Hose will also accompany a group of Lyon students on a wild cave tour at Blanchard Springs Caverns. The event is sponsored by the Student Activities Council and the X-treme Adventure Squad (XAS). article
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Post by jonsdigs on Oct 19, 2006 8:27:36 GMT -5
In The Dark Grotto?
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Post by jonsdigs on Oct 18, 2006 21:39:38 GMT -5
How about Bluegrass Grotto?
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Post by jonsdigs on Mar 14, 2007 11:07:13 GMT -5
If cave men get sitcom, why not M&M guys, or Doughboy?The Washington Post The misunderstood Geico cave man and his unexpectedly sophisticated pals will star in a sitcom on ABC. Getty Images/MARK DAVIS Turns out ABC is planning to give those sensitive cave men from the Geico insurance commercials their own sitcom. If they survive their pilot season, the lovable hirsute Neanderthals reportedly will "battle prejudice as they attempt to live as normal thirtysomethings in modern Atlanta." This got us thinking: Perhaps other commercial characters should pitch their own television projects. "The Melting Pot": The M&M guys move to a gentrifying neighborhood and discover their candy coating isn't as tough as they think. "My Coke's Warm": The Coca-Cola Polar Bears deal with domestic issues (rebellious preteen daughter, gifted but mouthy 6-year-old) against a backdrop of global warming. "Miller Time": Burt Reynolds leads an unconventional private detective agency that exists solely to bring Man Law-breakers to justice. "Spare Tires": Pillsbury Doughboy and Michelin Man are rivals vying to get fit and whittle down their super-pillowy selves. Host: Kirstie Alley. Full Article
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Post by jonsdigs on Mar 3, 2007 18:04:07 GMT -5
It would be hilarious if they had to go to grotto incognito to avoid the stereotypers. All kind of awkward, tension-filed situations could come from this angle. They would fit in so well another angle would be the cavers are oblivious they are "different", perhaps even thinking the cavemen were effete stiffs. Az should write a script and sell it to them!
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Post by jonsdigs on Feb 23, 2007 0:52:35 GMT -5
Mines are a lot more dangerous than caves as they have not had as much time to stabilize. In addition, the greatest danger in the mines out here in Colorado, imho, is bad air as the air gets oxygen depleted without good circulation.
In Great Britain, mine exploration is a accepted sport along with caving as the mine properties revert to The Crown (who can't be sued) when abandoned. They even publish stories about them in their publications.
Here in America where mining was a means to convert public land to taxable private land, if it has had enough excavation to be interesting, it is probably on private land and the owner is liable for an "attractive nuisance." That is why mine exploration, or "minelunking" here is a dirty little secret.
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Post by jonsdigs on Dec 13, 2006 16:22:41 GMT -5
Intersec's Health & Safety Exhibition and ConferenceHealth and safety experts from all over the world will gather in Dubai on 21 January for the much anticipated opening of Intersec's Health & Safety Exhibition and Conference 2007.AME United Arab Emirates Thursday, December 07 - 2006 at 13:35 ...Petzl, the market leaders for work and rescue at heights equipment and techniques, will hang ropes from the ceiling of Zabeel Hall and demonstrate the latest rescue ‚rapeling' techniques. Petzl was established 30 years ago by two avid cavers, Paul and his father Fernand, produces safety products for those who work at heights and difficult access rescue scenarios... Full Article
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