About me

Born in England and started travelling at age of 6 months. Visited several show caves in Europe from around the age of 5 onwards, but had absolutely no desire to go caving. Did my first caving trip in 1974 (Sludge Pit and Nine Barrows on Mendip) and hated it, but by the 3rd trip was hooked, and since then, caving has taken over my life.

Was a very active member of Cerberus Spelaeological Society for 30 years and served on the committee, also a member of British Cave Research Association ; and for shorter periods the Portsmouth Poly Caving club, and the South Wales Caving Club , also an honorary member of Axbridge Cave Group, as well as CSS.

Regularly participated in cave digging on home territory of Mendip, and at one stage was caving 3 times a week. Did frequent caving trips around the UK. Had an interest in the Bath stone mines and wrote a book on them, ‘Bath Freestone Workings‘. Took up cave diving and qualified under the Cave Diving Group, and was a member of the local cave rescue team, Mendip Cave Rescue. Experienced in SRT, surveying and exploration, qualified cave diver, and was licenced to use explosives .

Have caved in 5 continents – Africa, America (N), Asia, Australasia and Europe. Participated in expeditions to Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Morocco (twice), Madagascar (twice), Indonesia (Sumatra and Sulawesi with BEC ), as well as south Thailand, Laos (3 times), Cambodia, Myanmar and Vietnam (twice), (photos). Have also visited caves in other areas whilst on holidays. Have worked as a cave guide in Chillagoe, Australia, and at Dark Cave in Malaysia.

I started using carbide light on my first trips in Malaysia in 1988. It then became my main form of light. Over the following years I had a love-hate relationship with it. The main benefits were on expeditions to remote areas where there was no electricity to charge batteries, in the days before LED lights. My last trip using carbide was Laos 2006.

I have lived in Malaysia for more than 25 years, researching the caves there, and have published 5 books on Malaysian caves :
Malaysian Cave Bibliography upto 2014 (3rd edn), Malaysian Cave Bibliography up to 2012, (2nd edn) and Malaysian Cave Bibliography (first edition 1998),
Caves and Karst of Peninsular Malaysia, A register, 2014 and Caves & Karst of Peninsular Malaysia – a Register.
Have also co-authored 2 editions (2016, 2010) Atlas of the Great Caves and the Karst of Southeast Asia, and have contributed to a book on Karst and Caves of Myanmar (2010), and see also publisher BHB. Frequently write on the caves of SE Asia for international publications and have had more than 235 articles published on Malaysian caves by end of 2014.
In Oct 2011 I was invited as a guest to be on the Evening Edition of BFM 89.9 radio, to talk about caves. Podcast.

There are few active cavers in Malaysia so I also spent time caving in neighbouring SE Asian countries. 2012-2013 I was involved with the Save Merapoh caves project in north Pahang.
I have a special interest in tropical cave fauna. I also do consultancy work on cave related matters.

An 2017 article about me, “How to Join Caving Expeditions and Go Cave Exploring All Over the World” on MightyGoods.

I was Vicechair of IUCN / WCPA Working Group on Cave and Karst Protection for several years from 2001. I was also Malaysia’s cave representative for International Union of Speleology, UIS.

Postitions currently held:

Collaborator for Malaysian input to BBS / SA Speleo Abstracts
Member of IUCN SSC- Cave Invertebrate Specialist Group