Aberllyn zinc mine
- Thread starter todcaver
- Start date
Pete K
Well-known member
Access to the top level (Floor 1) of Aberllyn is via an open stope on private land not belonging to NRW. There is a house immediately next to the fenced off area where permission should be gained. All other entrances are on NRW (ex Forestry) land and are technically off limits as the Cave Access Ltd & NRW agreement has not included this site.
If you do venture in, don't go below floor 4 as the orange silt disturbed will enter the river and cause all manner of issues for the caravan site who extract water downstream. (A proper access agreement could be made here if everyone stops going lower than floor 4 or if it was gated/sealed off internally.)
As for North Wales rigging guides, you'll find some bits here and the content will grow steadily over time: http://www.peakinstruction.com/blog/lcmla-training/wrysgan-rigging-guides/ and http://www.train4underground.co.uk/srt-rigging-guides/
Disclaimer - information here does not infer a right of access underground etc etc etc....
If you do venture in, don't go below floor 4 as the orange silt disturbed will enter the river and cause all manner of issues for the caravan site who extract water downstream. (A proper access agreement could be made here if everyone stops going lower than floor 4 or if it was gated/sealed off internally.)
As for North Wales rigging guides, you'll find some bits here and the content will grow steadily over time: http://www.peakinstruction.com/blog/lcmla-training/wrysgan-rigging-guides/ and http://www.train4underground.co.uk/srt-rigging-guides/
Disclaimer - information here does not infer a right of access underground etc etc etc....
Dave Tyson
Member
Cave Access Limited had a chat to the landowner regarding official access, but we decided against trying to add it to the Gwydyr Mine list because of liability issues.
The landowner has historical rights to abstract water from the lowest level (level 6) and the water feeds the caravan site near the road and the farm and holiday cottages towards the estuary. He has filters on the supply, presumably to take out the zinc and other matter. If people enter or exit on level 6 (or stir up sediment in level 5) then ochre gets into his supply and knackers the filters at ?200 each.
Because of this CAL could not afford to take the risk, since we have zero funds - being essentially non-profit and could have been taken to court to recover costs of new filters. We wouldn't be able to control where explorers went and while the majority would abide by the rules there are always idiots who know better!
It is possible to get in at the top behind the cottage and it's a short abseil pitch. It's also easy to enter or exit from the level 3 portal. Heading down to level 4 is fine. But dropping down to level 5 AND going into the aqueous bit is a no-no as is heading down to level 6.
Any current access is not covered by the CAL agreement and so it is criminal trespass being on NRW (ex Forestry Commission) land.
CAL will not condone access, but we know it has happened in the past and will almost certainly happen in the future. The level 3 adit allows you to get to all the areas of interest without SRT or the risk of causing pollution. Roll Eyes
As Chris mentions, Parc mine is a good explore and if you register with CAL then you have legal access.http://ukcaving.com/board/Smileys/ukbCustomSmall/rolleyes.gif
http://www.caveaccess.co.uk
Dave
The landowner has historical rights to abstract water from the lowest level (level 6) and the water feeds the caravan site near the road and the farm and holiday cottages towards the estuary. He has filters on the supply, presumably to take out the zinc and other matter. If people enter or exit on level 6 (or stir up sediment in level 5) then ochre gets into his supply and knackers the filters at ?200 each.
Because of this CAL could not afford to take the risk, since we have zero funds - being essentially non-profit and could have been taken to court to recover costs of new filters. We wouldn't be able to control where explorers went and while the majority would abide by the rules there are always idiots who know better!
It is possible to get in at the top behind the cottage and it's a short abseil pitch. It's also easy to enter or exit from the level 3 portal. Heading down to level 4 is fine. But dropping down to level 5 AND going into the aqueous bit is a no-no as is heading down to level 6.
Any current access is not covered by the CAL agreement and so it is criminal trespass being on NRW (ex Forestry Commission) land.
CAL will not condone access, but we know it has happened in the past and will almost certainly happen in the future. The level 3 adit allows you to get to all the areas of interest without SRT or the risk of causing pollution. Roll Eyes
As Chris mentions, Parc mine is a good explore and if you register with CAL then you have legal access.http://ukcaving.com/board/Smileys/ukbCustomSmall/rolleyes.gif
http://www.caveaccess.co.uk
Dave
Dave Tyson
Member
One of the platforms on level 4 has collapsed, but it is possible to climb up and over it. That gives access to the rest of level 4, the portal (which should not be entered - deep ochre and possibility of contamination of water supply) and the hole down to level 5.Jackalpup said:Unless someone has managed to get past it, there is a collapse on level 4 that prevents access to level 5 and below ....
Ian
There are anchors in place for the abseil, but this is the area where the previous anchors failed mysteriously and so should be treated with respect. As noted before traverse of the wet areas on level 5 will cause water supply pollution. There is not much to see down there anyway - a couple of ore chutes which are carbon copies of the ones elsewhere in the mine.
Dave
Wayland Smith
Active member
From my memory the entrance to level 4 is best described a "waist deep Diarrhoea?" 
