AndyF
New member
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...
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...