Hatstand
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15 years ago
I read in Descent 211 that Smoke Flu is reported collapsed and that only lake level remains open.

There is no mention on the FOC website (indeed their news section was last updated September LAST YEAR... ::)

I haven't spotted it on here or ME - have I just not been paying attention?

There was a time when I would regularly hear reports that smoke flu had collapsed, would go and investigate and find that it was exactly as it always had been, and that the old sandy collapse had been assumed to be unpassable. But then the BGBs have been digging that collapse out so I doubt that is the case this time.

Can anyone shed any light on the situation?

Hat

[tweak]Title altered - Vanoord[/tweak]
simonrl
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15 years ago
There was a topic on this a while back IIRC http://www.aditnow.co.uk/community/viewtopic.aspx?t=3692 

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by
jagman
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15 years ago
Incorrect information.
The smoke flue is passable (unless somthing has changed this week!)
Hatstand
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15 years ago
"jagman" wrote:

Incorrect information.
The smoke flue is passable (unless somthing has changed this week!)



Ta.

I assumed it was. Its bizarre that SF gets reported as run in so often!!!
hymac580c
15 years ago
Ed and me had a look today and this is what we saw and photographed.
Judge for yourselves whether it is blocked or not.
Could anyone squeeze thru this???

๐Ÿ”—Personal-Album-106-Image-45663[linkphoto]Personal-Album-106-Image-45663[/linkphoto][/link]


๐Ÿ”—Personal-Album-106-Image-45664[linkphoto]Personal-Album-106-Image-45664[/linkphoto][/link]

๐Ÿ”—Personal-Album-106-Image-45701[linkphoto]Personal-Album-106-Image-45701[/linkphoto][/link]

๐Ÿ”—Personal-Album-106-Image-45665[linkphoto]Personal-Album-106-Image-45665[/linkphoto][/link]
Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
Vanoord
15 years ago
It's been a rather tight squeeze on the inside of the blockage for a while - you have to remove your bag and slither through.

Probably best to add clearing some of the looser material to the list of things to do once the access situation has been resolved and work can be undertaken again.
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
I can't think where those photos are taken? Could someone pinpoint them perhaps? eg, distance from brick lined tunnel etc? They don't look at all familiar to me :confused:
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
hymac580c
15 years ago
"chrisataditnow" wrote:

I can't think where those photos are taken? Could someone pinpoint them perhaps? eg, distance from brick lined tunnel etc? They don't look at all familiar to me :confused:



The collapse is not on the brick lined side of the tunnel that would be entered from the gate, but as seen from the inner end of the adit.
Enter the mine along lake level adit, then climb up over the wall that is opposite the back vein incline where the ladders are. Walk up the incline that would originally come out on the surface at fl.5 or 6. Take the first right into the inner floor 2 adit and walk thru 4 ins high water untill you get to the inner side of the original fall.
Thought you would have recognised the area by looking at the photos Chris.
Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
Vanoord
15 years ago
It's quite possible that the existing collapse has settled a bit, which (by my reckoning) would cause the gap to the roof at the inbye end to tighten up a bit.

It's possible a bit of new material may have come down, but it'll be shiftable.

I would imagine that now the smoke flue is gated, it will have removed the passing traffic that would otherwise be shifting dirt out of the way as people slither through the gap.
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
"hymac580c" wrote:

"chrisataditnow" wrote:

I can't think where those photos are taken? Could someone pinpoint them perhaps? eg, distance from brick lined tunnel etc? They don't look at all familiar to me :confused:



The collapse is not on the brick lined side of the tunnel that would be entered from the gate, but as seen from the inner end of the adit.
Enter the mine along lake level adit, then climb up over the wall that is opposite the back vein incline where the ladders are. Walk up the incline that would originally come out on the surface at fl.5 or 6. Take the first right into the inner floor 2 adit and walk thru 4 ins high water untill you get to the inner side of the original fall.
Thought you would have recognised the area by looking at the photos Chris.



That doesn't go to the smoke flu ๐Ÿ˜‰
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
hymac580c
15 years ago
"Vanoord" wrote:

It's quite possible that the existing collapse has settled a bit, which (by my reckoning) would cause the gap to the roof at the inbye end to tighten up a bit.

It's possible a bit of new material may have come down, but it'll be shiftable.

I would imagine that now the smoke flue is gated, it will have removed the passing traffic that would otherwise be shifting dirt out of the way as people slither through the gap.



It is not the gap in the existing fall that is the problen. But slate material that has fallen on the top part of the gap as seen in the second photo.
To inspect the extent of the blockage you will have to enter the adit from the gated end as one cannot pass from the inner part of the adit.
We thought it should be known in case someone has problems getting out thru the lake adit gate and has to take an alternative way out.
Hopefully the slate material that can be removed with ease.
I take it the code for fl. 2 gate is the same as lake level?

Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
You get to the smoke flu by going through stripey vein on lake level and going through to the head of the OVI. Put the incline to your back and walk forwards then to your right.

Climb a wall in what appears to be a dead end and you are on top of a fall. Follow the wire cable installed by SpeedyCaver over some very large slippery slabs.

Once clear of the slabs you need to ascend a scree slope one level (it gets quite tight at the top) which brings you into a passage.

Turn right along this into gradually deepening water and eventually to the old collapse squeeze and then the flu itself.

It was clear when I was last there three weeks ago
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
Vanoord
15 years ago
Anyone want to have a look at the weekend? ๐Ÿ™‚
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
I am working unfortunately, but from Hymac580c's description above I am quite happy he was not in the smoke flu.

It isn't through the hole in the wall on the BVI lake level ๐Ÿ™‚
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
hymac580c
15 years ago
"chrisataditnow" wrote:

You get to the smoke flu by going through stripey vein on lake level and going through to the head of the OVI. Put the incline to your back and walk forwards then to your right.

Climb a wall in what appears to be a dead end and you are on top of a fall. Follow the wire cable installed by SpeedyCaver over some very large slippery slabs.

Once clear of the slabs you need to ascend a scree slope one level (it gets quite tight at the top) which brings you into a passage.

Turn right along this into gradually deepening water and eventually to the old collapse squeeze and then the flu itself.

It was clear when I was last there three weeks ago



You are nowhere near the floor 2 adit collapse there are you.
The floor 2 adit was known as the smoke flue adit as smoke from the steam engines working the old vein and back vein inclines went out that way.
Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
"hymac580c" wrote:

"chrisataditnow" wrote:

You get to the smoke flu by going through stripey vein on lake level and going through to the head of the OVI. Put the incline to your back and walk forwards then to your right.

Climb a wall in what appears to be a dead end and you are on top of a fall. Follow the wire cable installed by SpeedyCaver over some very large slippery slabs.

Once clear of the slabs you need to ascend a scree slope one level (it gets quite tight at the top) which brings you into a passage.

Turn right along this into gradually deepening water and eventually to the old collapse squeeze and then the flu itself.

It was clear when I was last there three weeks ago



You are nowhere near the floor 2 adit collapse there are you.



Ok, so now I admit to being a little confused. :confused: ๐Ÿ™‚ I know the area you described, I have been there and there is a collapse there. Head of the BVI, climb the wall, past the extension ladders and turn right.

However, and I am 100% certain of this as I have travelled the route on very many occasions, the route out to the smoke flue which we gated last year is as I described it above.

Am I missing something ๐Ÿ™‚

If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
Vanoord
15 years ago
Aha!

There are two floor 2 adits and this appears to be a discussion about both of them!

Sorry, I should have read the descriptions in full earlier, although to be fair, I haven't yet managed to find the smoke flue from the inside of the mine on my own...

Anyway, I *think* you're talking about different adits ;)

If anyone wants to have an amble up to Cwm over the weekend, I shall be happy to tag along with a survey :flowers:
Hello again darkness, my old friend...
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
I think we are too ๐Ÿ˜‰
:oops:
To my knowledge the one above the BVI has been blocked for a few years at the very least.

I do have it on good authority though that the blockage is fairly close to the surface, and there is a school of thought that it wouldn't take much work to clear.
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
hymac580c
15 years ago
"chrisataditnow" wrote:

I think we are too ๐Ÿ˜‰
:oops:
To my knowledge the one above the BVI has been blocked for a few years at the very least.

I do have it on good authority though that the blockage is fairly close to the surface, and there is a school of thought that it wouldn't take much work to clear.



The top of the incline was tipped into in approx 1995-96. Previous to that you could enter the mine from there. There is a good 20ft of material blocking it.
Bellach dim ond swn y gwynt yn chwibian, lle bu gynt yr engan ar cynion yn tincian.
chrisataditnow
15 years ago
Hehe, I meant your adit ๐Ÿ˜‰ I don't think anyone is ever going to open the top of the BVI.
If it's raining, put a mountain on your head
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