United Cavers Exploration Team

Cave and Mine Exploring => Trips and Events => Topic started by: Tony Salusbury on Jan 12, 2016, 11:46 AM

Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Tony Salusbury on Jan 12, 2016, 11:46 AM
Hi all.

Here is this weeks trip.

Trip: Belgrave Mine (http://ucet.org.uk/~ucet9504/index.php/forum/21-knowledge-bank/649-belgrave-mine) - Click link for Knowledge Bank details

Trip Type: General mooch.

Meet Point: Llanferres lay by (about 100 meters past the Druid Inn on the A494 between Mold and Ruthin, Nearest Postcode CH7 5ST)

Google Maps: 53.129069, -3.216384, Click to view on Google Maps (https://goo.gl/maps/PDTxs)

Meet time: 18.30 - 18.45

-----

A few of us will be elsewhere this Thursday but places are limited and taken so will be in the pub later.
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: mike leahy on Jan 13, 2016, 10:01 PM
will people please reply if they are going :angry:  :angry:  :angry:  :angry:  :angry:
for f*** sake tony could'nt make it any easier for you
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Robin Jones on Jan 13, 2016, 10:18 PM
See you in the pub (hopefully) :kiss:
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Doug Thompson on Jan 14, 2016, 11:08 AM
looks like no one is out so see you in pub unless anyone posts later I will check about 4 o clock
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Ian A on Jan 14, 2016, 11:29 AM
Trip Report

I arrived 10 minutes early (as I always do) and, having waited more than 20 mins, I made my way to the usual parking spot.

The local farm (opposite) had 1000 sheep in the pen and since the gate was partly open, they were jumping over each other trying to get out of my way.

Alighting from my vehicle I trod in several mountains of sheep shit and, to be frank, my leather work shoes are now fooked.

Realising I was going to be alone, I got changed under the eyes of 999 sheep (I think one was crushed and unable to watch) and then I made my way up to the mine.

It was cold, wet and windy and the sheer blast of cold air nearly caused me to turn back but I was determined to brave it out even if no one else was.

I arrived at the upper mine and found a river of sludge to crawl through to get in - being a trooper, this was no problem and I entered the mine covered head to foot in sheep shit and gloop.

The mine was fairly warm and some of the cack dried and cracked emitting a somewhat less than pleasant aroma.

I explored most of the mine and remembered, the whole time, that I had already seen every particle therein. Nevertheless, this was a caving night and I was caving.

I made it past the rough marble plate and down along to the old drop, coming back up the winze where I belly crawled through water almost to the ceiling, only surviving drowning by keeping my head twisted to the side. The water was icy cold but that doesn't matter to me.

I left the top section and entered the middle adit and made my way to the rear damn (which is now broken) and recalled previously scooting over with Crazy John underneath in the water grabbing everyone's goolies as they carefully traversed the water below (which everyone fell into). I was relieved the water was gone.

I came out frozen solid from the ice water, sheep shit and cack and made it back to my car and the waiting 998 sheep (another one had been crushed).

I changed back into my sheep shitted leather shoes and went home having had a ball of a time.

You all missed an awesome trip.

 :dry:

Ian
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: mick murphy on Jan 14, 2016, 01:37 PM
Ian
    you are a star you would make a good reporter also a good map maker and also a good friend and if I catch
you putting your life at risk again I will kick your arse, only 2 kinds of people cave on there own,idiots
and old fuckers who think theirs not much left life,so fuck it and I,m both of these, so theirs a moral here if
there is no sheep at the entrance don.t go in. you are essential to this club and we cannot afford to lose you and I feel it more because I constantly remember when I first met you and gang down in car park all those years ago and you asked me were OHA was because you were all going caving with a rucksack gaiters and
boots and I doubled up laughing I thought then you have got some bottle this group belongs with us and that
day will never leave me, so stop causing me to worry ,what may have happened, what could have happened.
 mick
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Ian A on Jan 14, 2016, 02:16 PM
[quote="madmicks" post=27883]Ian
I constantly remember when I first met you and gang down in car park all those years ago and you asked me were OHA was because you were all going caving with a rucksack gaiters [/quote]

... Not true ... we weren't wearing gaiters  :whistle:

Ian
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Paul Boyd on Jan 14, 2016, 03:17 PM
I will be out so I will be at the layby and see who turns up
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: mike leahy on Jan 14, 2016, 03:20 PM
had a text from shan, she is going so is boydy by the sounds of it
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Les Williams on Jan 14, 2016, 03:31 PM
[quote="Ian" post=27882]Trip Report

I arrived 10 minutes early (as I always do) and, having waited more than 20 mins, I made my way to the usual parking spot.

The local farm (opposite) had 1000 sheep in the pen and since the gate was partly open, they were jumping over each other trying to get out of my way.

Alighting from my vehicle I trod in several mountains of sheep shit and, to be frank, my leather work shoes are now fooked.

Realising I was going to be alone, I got changed under the eyes of 999 sheep (I think one was crushed and unable to watch) and then I made my way up to the mine.

It was cold, wet and windy and the sheer blast of cold air nearly caused me to turn back but I was determined to brave it out even if no one else was.

I arrived at the upper mine and found a river of sludge to crawl through to get in - being a trooper, this was no problem and I entered the mine covered head to foot in sheep shit and gloop.

The mine was fairly warm and some of the cack dried and cracked emitting a somewhat less than pleasant aroma.

I explored most of the mine and remembered, the whole time, that I had already seen every particle therein. Nevertheless, this was a caving night and I was caving.

I made it past the rough marble plate and down along to the old drop, coming back up the winze where I belly crawled through water almost to the ceiling, only surviving drowning by keeping my head twisted to the side. The water was icy cold but that doesn't matter to me.

I left the top section and entered the middle adit and made my way to the rear damn (which is now broken) and recalled previously scooting over with Crazy John underneath in the water grabbing everyone's goolies as they carefully traversed the water below (which everyone fell into). I was relieved the water was gone.

I came out frozen solid from the ice water, sheep shit and cack and made it back to my car and the waiting 998 sheep (another one had been crushed).

I changed back into my sheep shitted leather shoes and went home having had a ball of a time.

You all missed an awesome trip.

 :dry:

Ian[/quote]

Was all this just before you woke up...  :whistle:  :P
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: John Oh on Jan 14, 2016, 04:11 PM
I am not down tonight but Harry and possibly a friend will be down. harry has a helmet but if some one could take a spare just in case his friend goes that would be great.   :)
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: shan keaney on Jan 14, 2016, 10:21 PM
QuoteIt was cold, wet and windy and the sheer blast of cold air nearly caused me to turn back but I was determined to brave it out even if no one else was.

I arrived at the upper mine and found a river of sludge to crawl through to get in - being a trooper, this was no problem and I entered the mine covered head to foot in sheep shit and gloop.

Ian[/quote]

Thanks Ian, that's exactly how it was.  Sorry we missed you, don't know how it could have happened without the flux capacitor, a real mystery!  And you forgot to mention the hailstones, you did have hailstones didn't you?!!  (Still can't work out how to do this quote thingy, polite advice welcome please).

Edit - Ha, I've done it, wahoo!
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: Ian A on Jan 14, 2016, 11:00 PM
Great fun isn't it  ;)

Weeeeeeeeeeee  :)

Ian
Title: Thurs Night Trip - 14th Jan 2016 - Belgrave Mine
Post by: John Oh on Jan 15, 2016, 09:02 AM
Just spoken to Harry and his friend let him down and he wasn't keen to drive back down given the weather conditions so sorry if he delayed your start :(  He is keen to come out again so hopefully next week.