Report - Llanberis copper mine oct 19

[monk]

Explored with sparky.

I drive past this one at least twice a week, or at least the spoil heap for it anyway, was only a matter of time before we stopped to check it out.
From the road it doesn't look that far to the possible entrance, but in reality it's a bloody killer having to climb most of the way up the slippery spoil heap.

Not the biggest of mines and not particularly easy to photograph but nice to tick it of the list.

A bit of lifted history on copper in the area.

Today the main copper mine remains can be found at Drws y Coed, Beddgelert and Cwm Pennant. The remains of a Roman fort near Beddgelert suggest that the Romans may well have mined for copper on the Sygun mine site nearby. During the 18th Century more than 70 men from the village and others from as far a field as Cornwall and Scotland were employed in the mine. The raw ore was taken to a nearby crushing mill before being transported by horse and cart to Beddgelert and Porthmadog and shipped to Swansea for refining. Much of the copper was used to line the wooden ships of the Royal navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

The Sygun mine was briefly used as a location for the 1958 film Inn of the 6th Happiness starring Ingrid Bergman. Today the mine is open to tourists with guided tours provided through the caverns with their magnificent stalactites and stalagmites.

Further up than it looks from the road, Dinorwic in the distance.

Dodgy old false floor

A partially blocked way, we was able to climb up, unfortunatly led to a dead end.

 

[Calamity Jane]

Very vibrant, I like this. That climb,bugger that lol.

 

[monk]

Very vibrant, I like this. That climb,bugger that lol.

It's not the worse but it isn't much fun lol

 

[The Lone Ranger]

Good to see in here again, nice pics too (y)
30 years since I last visited, similar weather so too wet to climb in the pass so went underground instead before we hit the pub.

 

[monk]

Good to see in here again, nice pics too (y)
30 years since I last visited, similar weather so too wet to climb in the pass so went underground instead before we hit the pub.

It's a bloody nightmare in the wet, pub would definitely have been the better option