Here we go for Part 2 of Team Pastys amazing trip back down to the older section of wheal jane mine.
Part 1 was here:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=48048
We returned recently to get a few more pictures and unfortunately the far end of the workings seems to be on the move... There are several more bits of rock now on the floor and part of it decided to give way while we were down there.
The far end of this mine is dangerous and should be probably avoided.
So im not going to go on with any more history, lets get straight back to the deep adit section...
The deep adit over winter has been pretty wet (as you would imagine) on the last trip it was over welly depth.
This section of the mine runs through an area know as 'the great crush' due to the poor ground.
This is obvious by the section of heavy timbering, and there is one section you have to pass which usually has a few rocks down, but its normally a case of scrambling over them, as we did, unfortunately this would not be the case on our return but we will save that for later!
The bridge on the last trip was about knee to thigh deep. Compare this with when we did it in June last year....
In the next few sections the rock seems much weaker.
Those slabs on the floor used to be the roof, and not all that long ago either!
This tunnels floor has collapsed into the stope below leaving just the line on the side of where it once was.
timbered section still holding up.
looking down the timber section
Further on, looking at a ore chute in the distance and remains of a cart skip to the right.
The mineral waterfall. This section is very impressive and hard to capture due to the wet and the scale of it.
looking up above the blue waterfall at the shaft above. From directly below it would appear to have been capped.
This photo gives a great sense of scale to the larger part. The two explorers are at the base of a footway shaft which although is open has been grilled top side.
looking down into another larger part of the mine.
An old box left behind in one of the stopes. You can just make out the words GELIGNITE branded on the side. Pity it was empty.
looking back up at one of the ladders.
At this point we decided we had had enough as we couldnt get much further. We retracked our steps through the stopes and tunnels, back into the deep adit, across the bridge, to find this looking at us....
Yep that was the tunnel in! bugger. Never been trapped down a mine before so that was a first for us. Although being carefull, we must have disturbed the ground too much passing through several hours previous.
We very carefully moved rocks until there was a gap to squeeze through, luckily it was all movable material, if it had been big lumps we would probably still be down there.
We made our way back through the first section back to the access shaft and climbed back out to freedom.
Part 1 was here:
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=48048
We returned recently to get a few more pictures and unfortunately the far end of the workings seems to be on the move... There are several more bits of rock now on the floor and part of it decided to give way while we were down there.
The far end of this mine is dangerous and should be probably avoided.
So im not going to go on with any more history, lets get straight back to the deep adit section...
The deep adit over winter has been pretty wet (as you would imagine) on the last trip it was over welly depth.
This section of the mine runs through an area know as 'the great crush' due to the poor ground.
This is obvious by the section of heavy timbering, and there is one section you have to pass which usually has a few rocks down, but its normally a case of scrambling over them, as we did, unfortunately this would not be the case on our return but we will save that for later!
The bridge on the last trip was about knee to thigh deep. Compare this with when we did it in June last year....
In the next few sections the rock seems much weaker.
Those slabs on the floor used to be the roof, and not all that long ago either!
This tunnels floor has collapsed into the stope below leaving just the line on the side of where it once was.
timbered section still holding up.
looking down the timber section
Further on, looking at a ore chute in the distance and remains of a cart skip to the right.
The mineral waterfall. This section is very impressive and hard to capture due to the wet and the scale of it.
looking up above the blue waterfall at the shaft above. From directly below it would appear to have been capped.
This photo gives a great sense of scale to the larger part. The two explorers are at the base of a footway shaft which although is open has been grilled top side.
looking down into another larger part of the mine.
An old box left behind in one of the stopes. You can just make out the words GELIGNITE branded on the side. Pity it was empty.
looking back up at one of the ladders.
At this point we decided we had had enough as we couldnt get much further. We retracked our steps through the stopes and tunnels, back into the deep adit, across the bridge, to find this looking at us....
Yep that was the tunnel in! bugger. Never been trapped down a mine before so that was a first for us. Although being carefull, we must have disturbed the ground too much passing through several hours previous.
We very carefully moved rocks until there was a gap to squeeze through, luckily it was all movable material, if it had been big lumps we would probably still be down there.
We made our way back through the first section back to the access shaft and climbed back out to freedom.
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