United Cavers Exploration Team

Cave and Mine Exploring => Trip Reports => Topic started by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 12:08 AM

Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 12:08 AM
Visited by myself and errrm, well just myself  :dry:

I got to the bottom of Cwm Pennant just in time to see the sun rise and began making my way up the mountain.  Passing a number of old mine buildings and a flooded adit which I believe is connected with the Gilfach mine, I was soon up on the moors where the Cwm Cipwrth site quickly comes into view in the distance.  It was at this stage that I realised I was wearing my trainers and my wellies were in the van (what a tw@t!).

A narrow bridge crosses the stream over to the old water wheel.  It was very icey up there and the ground seemed quite crisp.  All of a sudden I heard a sickening cracking of ice under foot and ended up knee deep in a bog (brilliant!).

That aside, Cwm Cipwrth is well worth a visit if you're in the area.  The waterwheel and pump rods have recently been restored to a very high standard.

If, like me, you're a bit of a geek, there are lots of interesting gears, cogs & tools etc. lying around the site to get excited about too.

I then made my way back down to the van and headed towards Coed y Brenin to meet the others at 11 o'clock for my second trip of the day

Video is currently uploading, I'll post a link when it's done  B)
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 07:58 AM
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee779XJ9j_g[/video]
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Ian A on Feb 24, 2013, 08:48 AM
Awesome Rob ... was the adit "do-able" (I hadn't read your report on here before I watched the youtube video and posted a comment).

Also, can you post the video in the video section of the forum as well as here please ?  B)

Fanks !

Ian
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Danny Sutton on Feb 24, 2013, 09:20 AM
has this not been done by anyone off here?
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Ian A on Feb 24, 2013, 09:48 AM
[quote="Mad-Dan" post=14953]has this not been done by anyone off here?[/quote]

Not to my knowledge - it seems from your FB page you are bored today, perhaps you could ZIP down and have a look ?  :woohoo:

Ian
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: John Nicholson on Feb 24, 2013, 10:38 AM
An excellent film Rob.  This place has changed a lot since I was last there, probably 15 years ago.  The whole wheel has been well restored.
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 11:20 AM
[quote="Ian" post=14952]Awesome Rob ... was the adit "do-able" (I hadn't read your report on here before I watched the youtube video and posted a comment).

Also, can you post the video in the video section of the forum as well as here please ?  B)

Fanks !

Ian[/quote]

The adit looked do-able.  I would guess it's approx 15 mtrs down, however the most solid thing to rig off was the fence and that was only a loud fart away from falling over  :dry:

The trees are all rotten and certainly wouldn't hold my weight.  There was plenty more to see but I didn't want to be late for the other trip  :huh:

I'll post the vid in the vid section where the vids go  ;)
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Danny Sutton on Feb 24, 2013, 02:48 PM
[quote="Ian" post=14954][quote="Mad-Dan" post=14953]has this not been done by anyone off here?[/quote]

Not to my knowledge - it seems from your FB page you are bored today, perhaps you could ZIP down and have a look ?  :woohoo:

Ian[/quote]

no can do, i've no caving lamp, or not one i would set off underground with anyway..

I suspect these workings must be known by another name, with wide open adits/stopes/shafts or what ever they are, you would think the interwebs would be full of pictures, but it isnt.

how far is the nearest parking?
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 03:13 PM
[quote="Mad-Dan" post=14981.

how far is the nearest parking?[/quote]

It took me about 30 mins to reach the moors from the van but that was with faffing with my camera, then less than 10 minutes over the moorland
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Dylan Roberts on Feb 24, 2013, 05:20 PM
I've done Gilfach
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Robin Jones on Feb 24, 2013, 08:52 PM
[quote="Dylan" post=14989]I've done Gilfach[/quote]

Any good?
Title: Cwm Cipwrth Copper Mine 23.2.13
Post by: Dylan Roberts on Feb 24, 2013, 08:58 PM
I did it a couple of years ago and from what I remember you go in the top level and abseil down to the botton level. There wasn't a lot of stuff to see as the mine was very small.