Mainly through an interest in railways. As soon as I found there were tramways leading into these places I needed little persuassion to go in! My dad used to take me to various mines and quarries to explore but we seldom went underground, mainly concentrating on what was on the surface. For years I wanted to get underground but I had to wait until I had my first car at 17 to do that.
The first mine I explored with a schoolfriend was Bwlch Glas which we thought was amazing. Later we went to Cwmorthin and on our first visit took in the Lake Level and the chambers off the Back Vein incline not realising how massive the place was and just how little we'd seen.
I guess its also in my blood. My mother's grandfathers worked at Aberllefenni and Braich Goch Slate Quarries and she grew up in what is now Aberllefenni Mine office!
As most of you already know, its a highly addictive hobby and I try to limit my trips to one a week! Failing miserably most of the time 🙂
Seems to run in my family as well, my grandad lived in Lancashire in the 50s - and did tonnes of mine and cave exploration, not forgetting digging out quite a few of them, including Buckden Gavel (with other people...)
Kein geneis kanaf - Cain gnais canaf
Byt vndyd mwyhaf - byth onddyth moyav
Lliaws a bwyllaf - Líows o boylav
Ac a bryderaf - ac o boryddarav
Kyfarchaf y veird byt - covarcav yr vairth
Pryt nam dyweid - poryth na'm dowaith
Py gynheil y byt - Pa gonail y byth
Na syrch yn eissywyt - na soroc yn eishoyth
Neur byt bei syrchei - nour byth bai sorochai