United Cavers Exploration Team

Cave and Mine Exploring => General Chatter => Topic started by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 09:28 PM

Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 09:28 PM
everhi gust seeing if you would like a look round minera quarry at the week end there are a few holes i would like to look into but need some one wit me
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 23, 2012, 09:52 PM
What is it you're after looking at?

I ask as i'm half interested, i really need a weekend at home, but could be tempted if it was something interesting
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 09:57 PM
i now  there is a big cave network there some one told me that i had alook after they told me were it was and there is know gate or hatch on it so going to look at that and a few other things there to
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 23, 2012, 10:19 PM
Minera mine should be this Thurs trip ....

There are gates is on ODB and Llyn Ddu, neither of which we can go in without a NWCC person with us.

Ragman Mine is open ...

The gate to Grand Turk is now open and this also leads into Minera mine where we "should" be on Thurs  ;)

Ian
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 10:29 PM
there is a few more holes to look into here the air rade shelter  and a few more that i would like a bit of compeney on to have a look and take some photos
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 23, 2012, 10:42 PM
as Ian has said, Ogof Dydd Byraf is gated and locked, i was told the lock was missing at one point, but it had been re-fitted about 8 weeks ago, if it was ever missing at all.

Ragman passage in Ogof Llyn Du was open, but is (or was) locked again, a very nice passage but not worth making a trip to minera just to see it as it is short, i have no info on the rest of ogof llyn du, but if Ian's saying it's locked, then it would take that as gospel.

Ogof Llyn Parc, i know nothing about other than NWCC access it using a winch which drops 98m down a vertical shaft, if this is the only way in, I dont care if it's open or not, i'm not ascending back out of it.

there are lots of open shafts around there, which all drop into the minera lead mine workings, there is what looks like an "adit", well there are 2 facing each other, both exposed after the quarry cut accross a passage, both are quite uninteresting, the one to the right been horrid, dirty flat out full of spiders and very muddy. the one to the left is a little more forgiving, but IMO not worth the effort, as everything it connects to can be accessed much easier from other entrances.

the only other natural passages i know of there is Grand turks, which is entered via the lead workings, eather on a long trip from cabin or directly down a shaft above the kilns

or an entrance facing ODB on the North face of the quarry, this is a short passage which comes out again further up the quarry face, and the last time we looked in there, there was a homeless person living in it, it is really only maybe 30m - 50m long
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 10:56 PM
is there any that you will be intrested to go to moel fferna or penarth or some were els
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 23, 2012, 11:31 PM
i would maybe go to minera, as i say, it depends on what exactly you want to do and if you can SRT or not, we were working on something in there but stopped a couple of months ago as we needed to break to go and do other things.

the only other things high on MY to-do list at the moment is force crag through trip, OHA past the sumps, Long rake, box and i need to have another look in facit, as my camera wouldnt work the last and only trip i did there.

i also fancy a look to see what remains of cefn spar mine and the older lead workings on the same site, but only cos i cant find any info on either of them (but i bet someone on here knows about them)
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: mr B on Sep 23, 2012, 11:39 PM
yes can srt we can go on a satarday to have a look if thats ok
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 24, 2012, 09:25 AM
I can't commit to anything till later in the week, arrange a trip and post it up, I'm sure some people would be interested
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 24, 2012, 09:30 AM
The two adits facing each other in the quarry is Ragman Mine and there is a connection in there to Llyn Ddu  ;)
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: mr B on Sep 24, 2012, 10:33 AM
how are you fix for satarday ian can you put up the trip as iam no good at it
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: John Nicholson on Sep 24, 2012, 10:35 AM
Hi - I've just found this topic, and not sure why I appear in the title. (It has gone now!)

Actually I really did NOT like the Minera Maze squeeze I did before, especially that awful free climb up a wet shaft. There were many moments when I thought I was about to fall and be sliced in to four parts by the rusty iron bars far below.

I am also very concerned about the arrangements for this Thursdays trip because Marcelle and a group from France are looking forward to joining us. They will have a trip to Poachers on Saturday, but they would also like to explore a cave or mine in Flintshire on Thursday. I think they have only explored slate mines in Blaenau area so far.

Based upon my previous experience of the 'Minera Maze' I feel this could put them off going undground for ever! Or are there some well know other routes in the Minera area that are less demanding? I believe they are also palnning to stay near Colwyn, so Minera is quite a treck.

Can I suggest an easier mine in Flintshire for this Thursday, and do Minera at half term when Bella can come?  Unlike me, she would love it!
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: mr B on Sep 24, 2012, 10:52 AM
sorry about your name in the tittel iam haveing problems with private message s i thort it would attract your attention to the topic
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: John Nicholson on Sep 24, 2012, 11:01 AM
That's OK.  I hope we get the PM system back soon.
I don't understand how some people are able to restore their acatars, but not me!

If you or anyone needs to contact me by e-mail .....  biopoweruk@hotmail.com

Bella loves squeezy, wet, muddy, slippery, awkward holes, and that's what the Minera trip was like.  But she can't come on a Thursday trip untill school half term.  So it would be great to save it till then.  She also wants to do the Bog Mine.

I have suggested to Ian that this Thursday we might to Belgrave mine top levels for our French guests.  Other UCET SRT people could do the round trip.  Maybe we could also arrange an afternoon trip to Hendre Spar mine.
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 24, 2012, 11:10 AM
[quote="mr B" post=9898]how are you fix for satarday ian can you put up the trip as iam no good at it[/quote]

Saturday is Poachers Cave - already listed on the forum and, oddly, you have your name down for it.

If you are able to be in two places at once I would be eternally grateful if you could let me know how you manage it as this would be a very useful ability to acquire.

 :)

Ian
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 24, 2012, 11:11 AM
[quote="JohnNicholson" post=9899]
I am also very concerned about the arrangements for this Thursdays trip because Marcelle and a group from France are looking forward to joining us. [/quote]

.... They will be fine  ;)

Ian
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: mr B on Sep 24, 2012, 04:05 PM
yes sorry ian my heads up my @@@ at the moment what about sunday gust going to have a mooch round the quarry and look down some holes there
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: John Nicholson on Sep 24, 2012, 05:32 PM
And remember, it is Marty's weddding party afterwards - and we are all invited.
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: mike leahy on Sep 24, 2012, 07:58 PM
[quote="JohnNicholson" post=9905]And remember, it is Marty's weddding party afterwards - and we are all invited.[/quote]


?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: John Nicholson on Sep 24, 2012, 08:01 PM
After Poachers
Title: trip to minera any one up for it
Post by: Martin Poole on Sep 24, 2012, 10:51 PM
[quote="JohnNicholson" post=9905]And remember, it is Marty's weddding party afterwards - and we are all invited.[/quote]Dont know where you got that idea John I had reminded a few people on here that they were invited and not to forget ..
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 24, 2012, 11:48 PM
[quote="Ian" post=9896]The two adits facing each other in the quarry is Ragman Mine and there is a connection in there to Llyn Ddu  ;)[/quote]

From my **extensive research this is'nt ragman mine, it's simpaly a passage that links ragmans vein (to the left)and red vein (to the right) which were all part of the boundry workings.

ragman mine is in a different area and was infact a zink and silver mine.


**= i read a single paragraph of a page Andy scanned out of some old "pages starting to turn yellow" book he foundgod knows where.
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 25, 2012, 08:23 AM
Cool ... I am sure you are correct.

Is the remainder accessible ?   :)
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Danny Sutton on Sep 25, 2012, 09:01 AM
We gave up on the left passage due to water, Andy spent an hour on the right passage, he says it goes, but its silky tight as in he had to take off his helmet for at least 50m of it, when he got back to tell us it goes, he didn't want to do it again, so it was another one that needed more looking at
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 25, 2012, 09:16 AM
Mmmmmm,

The passage full of water quickly becomes deeper and impassable - it must have been driven from the oppposite direction.

The dry passage does go a fair distance passing through a chamber first then becoming a "passage" again. It becomes low and knee pads are essential. It also has a number of holes in the floor which take you to small worked areas (some of which are very pretty).

One of the holes connects to Llyn Ddu.

It is a "mine" in it's own right .... I didn't think there was any more to it and I thought that was the extent of it. It is exciting to think there is more of it.

 :)

Ian
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Joel Colk on Sep 25, 2012, 09:37 AM
[quote="Ian" post=9927]

One of the holes connects to Llyn Ddu.

It is a "mine" in it's own right .... I didn't think there was any more to it and I thought that was the extent of it. It is exciting to think there is more of it.

 :)

Ian[/quote]

I didn't realise it went any further either. Interesting to know that it does. There are many holes in the Minera area that need to be looked at properly to be honest.

The connection to Llyn Du is slightly smaller than one "Glen"
Title: John Nicholson or ever one
Post by: Ian A on Sep 25, 2012, 10:08 AM
[quote="Suboffender" post=9928]

The connection to Llyn Du is slightly smaller than one "Glen"[/quote]

LOL ... that is exactly correct  B)

I do seem to recall that you were on that trip with one of your many "friends" lol

 :P

Ian