Red Rake Mine - safety notice

[Tamsin]

Hi all, this is my first post on here but I thought I should bring some attention to a couple of things a friend and I found during a trip down Red Rake Mine at the weekend - I hope this is the right place to put it!

Firstly, the winze on the way down to the boat passage (the one with the rope hanging down it) is starting to fall in a bit. I was there a few weeks back and was able to comfortably step around the hole but the sides have opened up a lot more at the top now meaning that extreme care is required to pass it.

Secondly, there is a short up-rope section further in that has suffered some damage from rubbing at some point, we rigged an additional ascent rope over top of this but left the original in place, you can see the damaged section from below so please make sure you clip onto the newer, cleaner, rope if ascending this.

I'll be going back again sometime later in the year and will probably rig a safety line at the winze if no-one beats me to it

Pics of the winze and the bottom of the short pitch (before new rope was rigged)

 

[Jennralize]

Just wanted to add top view of the section we added rope to, in case someone is traveling from opposite direction. This was before we put the new rope in.

Core is shot and outer frayed from rubbing below the anchor:

Also should note that someone has recently shadow roped the big descent, but left the old rope tied in a bundle hanging down the face of the stope, so make sure you're on the one that goes through the deviation, if it's still there. Unsure if left for a return or intended to replace old.

 

[tdobson]

Nice to see you here @Jennralize - thanks for the advice.

Mods: I'm not quite sure if this belongs in the Peak sub forum or not.

 

[Cantclimbtom]

Nice to see you here @Jennralize - thanks for the advice.

Mods: I'm not quite sure if this belongs in the Peak sub forum or not.

It's a mine. You caving lot are always trying to steal the good stuff (mines) out of this section

 

[Tamsin]

It's a mine. You caving lot are always trying to steal the good stuff (mines) out of this section

This mining vs caving classification is a tricky thing

I'd been caving a bit as a kid with my Dad, who was a very keen caver back in the day, but very little since then. Recently I discovered mine exploring as an offshoot of urbexing, and in my head I'd just sort of framed it as underground urbex at first. A year or two on, getting more geared up and serious about it, now realised I'm just caving again really so I might as well accept that for what it is and join the caving community

 

[pwhole]

Thanks for the update - did you go right to the end? If so, are the other 'up' ropes still OK?

 

[Jennralize]

Thanks for the update - did you go right to the end? If so, are the other 'up' ropes still OK?

Besides the one we replaced, the ropes look OK. We only used the up on route toward the big face and the one as you return from the boat. We didn't fully ascend the up at the end by the big face due to lack of time so can't comment on top anchor there - rope looked OK from bottom, but obviously it's a fair way up. The rope by the collapsed winze looks fine at the anchor, but we didn't go up/down it so can't comment further - would recommend caution if attempting to ascend this, due to ongoing collapse there.

One of the maillons on the newer rope for the big down is a little skinny for my liking, probably fine though. Some surface rust on hardware where not stainless, but all solid and not spinning. Recommend taking a spanner with as some maillons very stiff to open, so if using own ropes in shadow, may need some assistance.

Pics for reference:

 

[Tamsin]

Thanks for the update - did you go right to the end? If so, are the other 'up' ropes still OK?

Definitely didn't get right to the end, but it seems like there might be more than one 'end' to this place

 

[pwhole]

It's been a long, long time since we put most of that in, so I'm not surprised it's seeing some wear, but pleased the place is getting seen, as it's amazing. We left a wooden ladder poking at a hole in the roof at the highest, most westerly point, but the lower sough level also leads to come interesting vertical. It's not played out at all

 

[pwhole]

This is the junction of Catsall Rake with Red Rake, looking out of Catsall Rake (north). Completely different bedding straight ahead, so I guess Red Rake faulted again, left or right.

 

[Tamsin]

It's been a long, long time since we put most of that in, so I'm not surprised it's seeing some wear, but pleased the place is getting seen, as it's amazing. We left a wooden ladder poking at a hole in the roof at the highest, most westerly point, but the lower sough level also leads to come interesting vertical. It's not played out at all

The sough level is very interesting! Turning down the left passage the surrounding rock apears very different to that in the main stope. We were running out of time by this point so I didnt go much firther than this.

Ive been three times now, including one solo trip, a little further each time.

The right passage of the sough level has some interesting sounds coming from it, like it joins flowing water somewhere further down maybe

I'm curious if its possible to link this system up with Northcliffe Sough next door?

 

[paul]

Nice to see you here @Jennralize - thanks for the advice.

Mods: I'm not quite sure if this belongs in the Peak sub forum or not.

This subforum was set up as a replacement for the defunct aditnow website so it's sort of its own mine oriented section for UKCaving.com.

 

[pwhole]

At the very end of Red Rake, at the highest possible point, we left a wooden ladder pointing at a hole in the roof - this was the closest point to Northcliffe, but we never really got chance to push it. We possibly found the connection point from the Northcliffe side, but it's completely and deliberately blocked with deads.

 

[Jennralize]

At the very end of Red Rake, at the highest possible point, we left a wooden ladder pointing at a hole in the roof - this was the closest point to Northcliffe, but we never really got chance to push it. We possibly found the connection point from the Northcliffe side, but it's completely and deliberately blocked with deads.

Any idea where this tunnel goes?

 

[Tamsin]

At the very end of Red Rake, at the highest possible point, we left a wooden ladder pointing at a hole in the roof - this was the closest point to Northcliffe, but we never really got chance to push it. We possibly found the connection point from the Northcliffe side, but it's completely and deliberately blocked with deads.

Ah sounds like you got about as close as its possible for anyone to get then I guess!

 

[pwhole]

Nice photos. It looks to me like the workings at sough level heading toward the far end. These Survex models (sadly incomplete) show most of Northcliffe, Red Rake and the Catsall Rake opencuts, and their relationships to each other. Coloured by altitude, Red Rake is the blue section, Northcliffe green, and the opencuts red.

Plan with north at top

Elevation looking north

Elevation looking west

 

[Tamsin]

Nice photos. It looks to me like the workings at sough level heading toward the far end. These Survex models (sadly incomplete) show most of Northcliffe, Red Rake and the Catsall Rake opencuts, and their relationships to each other. Coloured by altitude, Red Rake is the blue section, Northcliffe green, and the opencuts red.

Plan with north at top

View attachment 25649

Elevation looking north

View attachment 25650

Elevation looking west

View attachment 25651

Omg this is amazing! I've been trawling the Internet trying to find a survey of either mine, can I find these to view online anywhere?

 

[Jennralize]

Nice photos. It looks to me like the workings at sough level heading toward the far end. These Survex models (sadly incomplete) show most of Northcliffe, Red Rake and the Catsall Rake opencuts, and their relationships to each other. Coloured by altitude, Red Rake is the blue section, Northcliffe green, and the opencuts red.

Plan with north at top

View attachment 25649

Elevation looking north

View attachment 25650

Elevation looking west

View attachment 25651

What I really love about these is that you can see exactly the way the ore seam they were chasing runs/slopes/folds, from top to bottom. Thanks so much for sharing!

 

[pwhole]

Omg this is amazing! I've been trawling the Internet trying to find a survey of either mine, can I find these to view online anywhere?

You're viewing them online now!

John Gunn testing a thermal inlet which is the main source of water in the further lower workings in 2016, and which proved to be fairly warm - can't find the exact figures now, but from memory it was about 12.5° C. Photo by Richard Shaw.

 

[Tamsin]

You're viewing them online now!

John Gunn testing a thermal inlet which is the main source of water in the further lower workings in 2016, and which proved to be fairly warm - can't find the exact figures now, but from memory it was about 12.5° C. Photo by Richard Shaw.

View attachment 25653

Well thank you for sharing! its fascinating being able to see how the different systems line up with the features on the surface and other places of interest in the area