Croesor Rhosydd

[Tim Watts]

Location
SH 657 456 (top entrance)
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ie=UTF8&ll=52.990604,-4.00229&spn=0.001757,0.003449&t=h&z=18

[map]loc: 52.990578, -4.002266[/map]

Access
No known permission required.

Suggested Equipment
Full SRT, Buoyancy aid (lifejacket), pulley for the zip line (Suitable for steel cable), dinghy, rope.

Length
Unknown but extensive

Flood risk
Unknown but water is present (in great depth) in some chambers although this is not known to rise to flood.

Mine Attributes
Slate Mine. Extensive caverns. Multiple levels. Abseils, Prussocks, lakes (flooded chambers), zip lines, challenging bridges (as in there is not much left of them)

Description
A huge complex of slate workings.

A very popular through trip due to it’s sporting nature and full array of skills needed.

There are a number of entrances and it is possible to enter an adit low down in Croesor and walk through to the back entrance without the use of any equipment at all (except a lamp of course). The more popular route is to enter at the top and work through down two pitches, across a zip line, across a lake over the horizontal rope ladder bridge that has now been re-built, across two bridges and another lake by dinghy and then a short prussock up to finally come out of the back of the mountain.

Beyond this through trip there are a great many adits and passages to explore.

It is also worthy of note that a large amount of the system has partly collapsed (the ceiling) and is likely to continue to do so.

Unexplored Passages
A great many remain unexplored

Digs
None Known

Links
http://www.mine-explorer.co.uk/mines/Croesor_195/Croesor.asp

http://www.eldonpotholeclub.org.uk/croesor.html

http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Croesor-Rhosydd-Through-Trip-13-01-2007/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croesor_Quarry

http://www.ajw-photography.co.uk/subwales/mines/croesor.html

http://sleepycity.net/posts/136/UK_Blitz_-_Croesor_Rhosydd

http://www.swcc.org.uk/images/mines/mines07/slides.html

http://www.undergroundadventure.co.uk/?p=33

http://ukcaving.com/wiki/index.php/Croesor_Rhosydd_Through_Trip

http://www.heneb.co.uk/ffestiniogcharacter/ffestlanengfol12.html

[Joel Colk]