Visited with Sweetie, Mad-Dan, -J-, AndyJ (CPC)
This was intended as a quick trip to show Jay the spar mine, grab a few pics and let me evaluate jay on fixed ladders.
My day started at 7am with me having to pack stuff for the trip, i should of done it the night before but i just couldn't be arsed.
with the bags packed, we just awaited Andy turning up, he had allready messaged me saying he could remember that he had agreed to come out, but he couldnt remember where we were going, he had clearly been quite drunk the night before.
he turned up, bang on time, loaded the car up and stuck Jay in the back for the hour or so drive to Hendre, We had arranged to meet Rob at the Oak, but when we arrived he wasn't here, we were 5 mins early so decided to kit up while we waited, not long after Rob turned up, he quickly got ready and off we went.
The trip through the mine was uneventfull, right untill we got to the bottom of the 3 ladders, whats that, yep, it's water, nut deep...
been going in here for the last 3 years or so, never seen the water level anything like this, as i hadn't dressed for a wet explore, and remembering that there is a couple of deep holes not far from the bottom of those ladders, i elected to take Jay back up the ladders, a was followed by Rob but as useual, Andy had to go for a paddle, if he hasn't been in chest deep water, he feels like he hasnt had a proper trip.
he eventually came back up and headed up the ladders, we decided to have a peek through the worm hole and see what it looked like in there, only having a short rope and no srt gear with us, getting to the bottom wasnt going to happen, we rigged the handline and popped through the hole to the edge, there was water, lots of it, i would say it was maybe 4ft deep down here, but that is only a guestimation.
we had a quick look at a couple of other things then headed back out.
all in all an uneventfull day in a very wet mine, just hoping that water level will drop again, would be a shame to lose yet another level in here.
some pics
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(https://test.anduin.org.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1189.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fz438%2FMad-Dan2010%2Fhendre-29-12-12%2F3.jpg&hash=2b26c808baf05a71125daf7ae87d016083085acf)
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I would be hopeful the water will drop when all the rain stops and the we return to the "global warming" that is supposedly burning up the planet :unsure:
has anyone any idea what the stone lined shaft is just over from where you get into the spar mine?
Ian - there is a massive quantity of water to ` drop `
this :
is below the 3 lader drop - there SHOULD be a 10m drop to the flooded level
we dont have a pic - as we only had a handline , but below the wormhole where one descends to the incline level - the entire chamber was flooded toa depth - with water rising uo the alloy ladder
dan opinies that that level will be lost
i disagree - as levels must have been higher very recently - as i found a peice of litter stuck to a vertical wall about 100mm above the water line - its my belief that it was flotsam that adhered to the wall - as waters droped
I am so glad that I experienced the long walk along the lower level several times before they abandoned the pumps in the quarry above. I wish Tim and co sucess with their plans to provide an alternative drain to the quarry water via Susan Shaft.
Did Jay like the ladders?
[quote="Mad-Dan" post=12457]has anyone any idea what the stone lined shaft is just over from where you get into the spar mine?[/quote]
Seen it but never been down - an obvious trip ;)
Andy ... good news about the flotsam and Jetsom being higher - the water should drop now B)
[quote="Ian" post=12463]
Andy ... good news about the flotsam and Jetsom being higher - the water should drop now B)[/quote]
'cos it's not like its going to rain any more now... :silly: :silly: :silly:
John, Jay was fine on the ladders, better than some of the adults i've been down there with.
Andy, I'm full of anger and hate at the moment, maybe even with a touch of depression thrown in, so it's all doom and gloom, the level will be lost forever.
Ian, i'm free untill wednesday but i'm waiting for rope to be delivered so we would need the clubs. That said, i find it hard to beleive mike or douge havent been down at some point
dan - have rope - will travel - will jump down holes in ground [ if attached to said rope ]
dan - as i wondered oiff to fine the open stope of the spar mine - i dunno what you found - but as i said there is a working up that hill called :
" big woods shaft "
its on my GE - but dont have any details
"big woods" is the name of a wooded area above hendre owned and managed by the woodland trust. if you'vegot a os for it, we should go and have a look at some point, maybe this and the one we found today, but to be honest, as said above, i would guess mike/douge or mic would allready know about them.
95% sure neither Mike nor Doug have been in the hole you describe.
There is another bigger one over the back which we have been in and leads to some workings at 225 feet (or was it 275 feet) and an alleged connection to the Milwr tunnel a further 50 feet or so down. When we sent down there was a shit load of water running along the bottom adit and we didn't fancy it ....
:unsure:
Ian
[quote="Ian" post=12473]There is another bigger one over the back which we have been in and leads to some workings at 225 feet (or was it 275 feet) and an alleged connection to the Milwr tunnel a further 50 feet or so down. When we sent down there was a shit load of water running along the bottom adit and we didn't fancy it ....
:unsure:
Ian[/quote]
80'odd meters, i'm not fit enough for that, a connection would be good though, but i'm guessing this is just hear-say, the easy way to find out is a big bottle of food colouring and a drive to baglit
[quote="Mad-Dan" post=12475]80'odd meters, i'm not fit enough for that, a connection would be good though, but i'm guessing this is just hear-say, the easy way to find out is a big bottle of food colouring and a drive to baglit[/quote]
How much Flourescin would be needed, given the potential amount of water, and would it be wise to do it?
i wouldnt have a clue, spose you could use 200 ping-pong balls.
[quote="Mad-Dan" post=12477]i wouldnt have a clue, spose you could use 200 ping-pong balls.[/quote]
I like that idea... wonder what colours You can get them in.
loads - http://www.milletsports.co.uk/table-tennis/balls/schildkrot-bulk-gross-boxed-table-tennis-balls-144-coloured/?utm_source=googleshopping&utm_medium=organic&gclid=CKWgreHhwLQCFSbMtAodei4AUA
Here's a pretty lame video that shows the water level
[video]http://youtu.be/lp001T7-JWs[/video]
Hendre Spar Mine (http://youtu.be/lp001T7-J%5Burl=http://youtu.be/lp001T7-JWs)Ws][/url]
what happens between 2.30 and 3.30, is Andy trying it on with you?
How did that bit get in there? Think it's one of my home movies :blush: . The trouble is I store most of my clips in a folder called "fun times in big holes" and sometimes there is a conflict of interests!
For the record my other nickname is "the man ladder of pleasure" which presumable is why someone shouts ladder free :kiss:
[quote="JohnNicholson" post=12460]I am so glad that I experienced the long walk along the lower level several times before they abandoned the pumps in the quarry above. I wish Tim and co sucess with their plans to provide an alternative drain to the quarry water via Susan Shaft.
Did Jay like the ladders?[/quote]
So do we assume the pumps in the quarry where also draining the spar mine, if yes where were they pumping water to?
when they where pumping it down susan shaft we thinkit was hitting the calabela(?spelling) cross cut , and at the same time the water level in the spar mine dropped
just looked at the video the hole that andy is having a peek at tekes you to the incline through the worm hole but i would'nt recommend it as it is all hanging death but you don't notice it until oyur dangling under theath it on a piece of rope.not a nice feeling, especially when you know you've got to prussic back up :dry: :dry: :dry:
[quote="mike leahy" post=12490]when they where pumping it down susan shaft we thinkit was hitting the calabela(?spelling) cross cut , and at the same time the water level in the spar mine dropped[/quote]
Be interesting to see what level it gets to before it starts to drain away. Might go and have a look myself over the next few days, knee feeling better now after the op so would be an easy test on it!
If you go to the very end of the level at the top of the triple ladders, you can crawl out to the bottom of that open stope Andy was in. Not sure I would want to get up or down it with anything other than SRT though. There is a decent size boulder jammed on there too, useful as a reference point.
[quote="NewStuff" post=12493]If you go to the very end of the level at the top of the triple ladders, you can crawl out to the bottom of that open stope Andy was in. Not sure I would want to get up or down it with anything other than SRT though. There is a decent size boulder jammed on there too, useful as a reference point.[/quote]
ive done it once and i won't be doing it again. id rather go through the worm hole, it's easier and safer
[quote="Frank" post=12492][quote="mike leahy" post=12490]when they where pumping it down susan shaft we thinkit was hitting the calabela(?spelling) cross cut , and at the same time the water level in the spar mine dropped[/quote]
Be interesting to see what level it gets to before it starts to drain away. Might go and have a look myself over the next few days, knee feeling better now after the op so would be an easy test on it![/quote]
take your srt kit with you frank . go through the worm hole and put an indicator on the wall to mark the water level
[quote="Frank" post=12486]
So do we assume the pumps in the quarry where also draining the spar mine, if yes where were they pumping water to?[/quote]
I am told by Tim that they were pumping out the quarry above into Susan shaft from there the water found its way to a much lower watercourse. The effect of this was to lower the water in Hendre Spar Mine, alowing us to explore the long lower passage. The pumps and connecting pipes are now removed or abandoned.
The water level in the quarry is now slowly rising. Tim had a plan to try and break a drainage route that would serve the same purpose of lowering the water levels in the quarry. If sucessful, this could suddenly discharge a huge amount of water in to Milwr Tunnel.