Knotlow - Whalf Through Trip. 10/10!!!!!!!!!!

[drainrat]

Today Myself, Jasonbirder, Wazza and Oggy, assaulted the infamous Mecano Passage and won! It really wasn't as bad as we were led to believe. The coffin level about 25m in from the Knotlow end was rather wet, but the tight bits further on weren't too tight. Navigation was aided by some helpful arrows at junctions we were unsure of, the end of the passage as we popped out into Whalf came a lot sooner than expected.

A good hour was spent scampering around Whalf/Hillocks. Some of us located an awesome coffin level well below the floor of the engine shaft chamber. It was at the bottom of a long steep (45 deg.) sloping passage that we almost slid all the way down. This was a fantastic example of a coffin level. Further beyond this was a sump pool and a rift with very dubious looking boulders everywhere!

Fortunately, Paul from the Orpheus had visited the mine today and was leaving his ropes in place so we could complete the through trip. Cheers Paul!!!!! A quick march across the field and we hauled the ropes out of the 210' and it was off to the pub.

All in all, a thouroughly enjoyable trip, that I'd reccommend to anyone.

Drainrat.

 

[paul]

Glad you enjoyed your trip!

It's an interesting place, Hillocks Mine, isn't it? It's a pity the connection with Knotlow Cavern is such a low, wet passage (Mecanno) - although you lot seemed to enjoy it.

 

[AndyF]

The lower coffin level is rarely visible, unless the Summer has been dry. It's been pumped out IIRC, but was blind....  Some natural in that area too...

There is another one ending in a choke (that someone dug) going past the engine shaft down on the right.

I've not done the through trip, where do the "other" passages go at the various junctions..?

 

[drainrat]

I seem to remember there were around 4 side passages. The one nearest Knotlow ended at a choke, the others were very small and aqeous so we didn't investigate further. I guess they were all blind as the survey shows no further passsages.

As for the lower coffin level being flooded, the sump pool surface was probably 2m below the floor of the coffiin level, but you could see from the patterns in the mud that it does flood.

Drainrat.

 

[AndyF]

There are some excellent dig sites in Knotlow/Hillocks, Including one containg some live ammunition (old 30-06 rifles cartridges from WW2)

The place I always though needed digging was at the corner of Crimbo pipe where it meets the Coffin level (East level?) Just looks wrong on the map to have a 90 degree corner, and it suggests Crimbo carries on under the rubble cone...

 

[Cave_Troll]

should that not be removed and hand over to the local bomb disposal people?

 

[AndyF]

should that not be removed and hand over to the local bomb disposal people?

This was ten years ago. The ones lying around were removed and thrown down the flooded shaft near Four Ways shaft (not by me!). Doubt there are other visible unless one dug the choke more...  Probably best let spleeping dogs lie to avoid access risks...