Croesor 31st November

[AndyF]

Well this w/e was the day that we went for our threatened trip under the Welsh mountais to do the "legendary" Croesor-Rhosydd slate mine through trip. That means going in one old slate mine, finding a way into another, and emerging on the opposite side of a mountain. This particular trip has boats, zip lines, abseils and is really quie hazardous.
The trip starts on a cold bleak mountainside... the entrance is just behind

The first major obstacle comes about 750m in, a large collapse has to be passed by climbing up, and doing a 70 foot abseil. This is the top..

Richard going "over the edge" on a 10mm rope

Ian nearing the bottom

After a further 80 foot abseil, you reach a flooded section, that has to be crossed by zip line, followed by a boating section. Our "Toys'r'us" dingy did us proud.

Further flooded chambers had to be crossed, sometimes there was a bridge (sort of)...

Sometimes there wasn't (thats me BTW)

These were a bit scarry crossings. The water was 40 feet below and was 180 feet deep down to level 7. You could see down a loooong way, and the sides were shear. If you fell in that would be bad.

After more zip lines, and the so-called "Bridge of Death" came a further abseil, this time you had to land IN a boat, and then cross the "Chamber of horrors" about 200 feet to reach a beach.

Shortly after we crossed into Rhosydd mine, and things started to ease as there were fewer obstacles. Inside the mine was an internal "inclined plane", complete with trucks, rails nad winding gear. Here is Dave standing on the cariage.

We got a tadge lost here, but eventually had to go back down deep into the mine to reach the "Adit level", from there a simple half-hour walk brought us out into daylight (well night and a hailstorm to be exact). Got back to the vehicles after being underground for seven and a half hours.

Loved it...

 

[Elaine]

Good pictures - next time smile at the camera so that we can see what you look like!

PS - Are you sure you went on the 31st? 

 

[Ian Adams]

Great trip and great Pics !

Our club was there a couple of weeks ago and this is a short vid of what we did;

Croesor Rhosydd

From you pictures it looks like we took the same route - did you see the pair os "Simpsons" undies left by a previous party trip caver ? 

Ian

 

[Crazy Claire]

Great pics Andy F.

Great vid Jackalpup    liked the grim reaper and alien! :alien:

have you done Pandora mine? the long wet crawl is a laff, especially the tight bit  broad chested pople beware 

and the one in Cwm Pennant ? (cant remember the name) its one where you go accross the wire rope with your butt in the water  tis great.

Ive done a few up there. 

 

[AndyF]

have you done Pandora mine? the long wet crawl is a laff, especially the tight bit  broad chested pople beware 

and the one in Cwm Pennant ? (cant remember the name) its one where you go accross the wire rope with your butt in the water  tis great.

No not done either of those... but there are dozens of great mines in Wales, its a bit of a different atmosphere to other areas.

There is another good Croesor video on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgbliEy2J-s

 

[Crazy Claire]

chears Andy, it was fantastic

 

[Burt]

Claire - up for an SCG trip sometime?

 

[Crazy Claire]

Sure thing huni 

give us a buzz.

am up this weekend, cant do sat but sun is clear need to be out by 4pm latest.  ?Dallimore?????   both bru and me want to do it, you come too.


next sat, you guys come down here for a mud bath (pridd) - dare ya, or are you guys chickens

 

[solocavediver]

Ho Hum, looks like a great trip. Looks like it might be quite fun as a cavedive if you can "see a looong way down in the clear water". If doing it as a dry caving trip I'd make sure I was positively buoyant though----- not sure I trust those cute little plastic dinghies!

        Cheers,

                          Charles.

 

[wormster]

----- not sure I trust those cute little plastic dinghies!
Cheers,

Well go for it your way, i'm sure you would survive.

 

[AndyF]

Ho Hum, looks like a great trip. Looks like it might be quite fun as a cavedive if you can "see a looong way down in the clear water". If doing it as a dry caving trip I'd make sure I was positively buoyant though----- not sure I trust those cute little plastic dinghies!

         Cheers,

                           Charles.

2 x 2litre plastic coke bottles stuffed down your oversuit.... 

The water is 180 feet deep down to level 9.

 

[vanoord]

Ho Hum, looks like a great trip. Looks like it might be quite fun as a cavedive if you can "see a looong way down in the clear water". If doing it as a dry caving trip I'd make sure I was positively buoyant though----- not sure I trust those cute little plastic dinghies!

        Cheers,

                          Charles.

2 x 2litre plastic coke bottles stuffed down your oversuit.... 

The water is 180 feet deep down to level 9.

Not sure I'd consider diving in there... mind you, there would be the possibility of going down the main incline and popping out under one of the bridge crossings, but you'd have to be *very* sure about navigation and how a slate mine is laid out!

The dinghies are fine as long you don't pop them!

***
Probably not Floor 9 btw - Croesor was numbered alphabetically downwards from the incline (Adit level being A) and only has two floors under the water level at that point, although it does drop to D in the further reaches. Rhosydd was numbered from Floor 1 at the top of the twll with the lower adit being on 9: it's then flooded down to Floor 14.