Well I finally did my first mine yesterday down Smallcleugh lead mine and it was a life changing experience. I have always loved anything underground such as bunkers, drains etc etc but this was unreal.

Huge thanks to sparty_lea and Ben88800 for being so nice and for being ultra patient in showing me the basics of ropes and harnesses and SRT stuff

I am really addicted now and can't wait to get back down there
😉

Good on yer matey!!

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Now you realise just what its all about eh?

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You'll be hooked forever now! Pretty soon you'll be craving to be underground 24 hours a day and hate seeing sunlight!

You'll be hooked forever now! Pretty soon you'll be craving to be underground 24 hours a day and hate seeing sunlight!

I am already like that mate as I am into exploring culverts and drains etc but after having spent my whole life listening to me dad telling me stories about his life down the coal mines, I thought I better get down there myself!

The photos I see on here are amazing but seeing it in real life was indescribable. I just wish my dad was fit enough to go down, he would love it. Sparty_lea was very patient with me and although we only covered the very basics, such as wearing a harness and the other bits, and although I only got about 5 feet off the ground (if that!) it was brill.

Its just a pity I live 60 mile from Weardale, I might have to try and convince the girlfriend that we need to move house ::)

Or holiday in North Wales!

Don't move to Nenthead they eat outsiders up there :lol: it was grand to see you on all ways happy to meet new like minded people hope we can get some more underground done sometime

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Next thing you know, you're eyes will get bigger,your skin paler and you will shun normal human contact, preferring to spend your time with other Gollum wannabes.

When you are with them you will find that you've adopted an entirely new language consisting of strange new words and utterances. Words like 'adit, whim, gin, sump, crosscut' will be what you say in future.

You will also become fascinated by shiny metal things and on the rare occasions you do surface you will be drawn as if by magic towards shops which sell these things to the likes of you. Like drug pushers they are - forcing you to part with money for the latest led powered descending safety, cows tailed crab.

Not only that but your diet will change to one of Mars bars, tin of Sardines and luke-warm coffee eaten while perched on some uncomfortable rock and tasting of mud and grit.

Eventually, like me you'll need Mine Explorers Anonymous ...

"My name is Monty and I'm a mine explorer. I have been exploring mines for 28 years. The last time I did it was on Sunday when I went down a mine with Bograt."

I've tried to give up but I can't. (Lies - but Mrs Stubble thinks it's true).

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Not only that but your diet will change to one of Mars bars, tin of Sardines and luke-warm coffee eaten while perched on some uncomfortable rock and tasting of mud and grit.

GTF A reel mine explorers lunch *should* consist of:
ciabatta bread. truffel stuffed salami, roasted red peppers in olive oil, (carried in a brown paper bag) washed down with 10year old island single malt.

just ask some of those who have partaken of a lunch with me. :thumbsup:

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i could go with the single malt not sure about the rest of it i am more of a traditional man much prefere roast beef sandwich for lunch

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i thought lunch consisted of flattend sarnies and molten bars of chocolate after you sat on them whilst doing SRT
Thorpey

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That reminds me of the Christmas Sandwiches we bought in Barrow and took through Capelcleugh, Smallcleugh and some other cleugh. They got submerged in filthy water and were all mashed up but I was so hungry I had to eat one! Oh the joys of mine-exploring.

I remember a situation when mr Simonrl was obliged to 'drink' his sandwiches :lol:

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Thats the one!

Anyhow, real explorers stay hungry, the more to relish the evenings vindaloo.. 😉

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Really real explorers eat at Blaenau kebabs before going underground, it creates an uncontrolable thirst that rages causing one to drink water from a flooded chamber - a drink for men* in the height of their manliness.



* Or indeed women in the height of their womanliness

Quite a few people still in denial in here.

"I can give it up whenever I want to..."

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There is no escape - soon you'll be lying in bed at nights thinking about digging out adits and whether particular shafts might link to lost systems, you'll find yourself scouring Ebay for bits of kit or worse still, starting to develop your own, and spending far too much time on websites like this one.... Ye're doomed, aye, doomed I tell ye!

My top tip for underground provisions - sticky flapjack from the Bakewell WI market, comes in oversuit-pocket sized bits wrapped up in plastic, is flexible enough to fold and gives you both quick and slow release carbohydrates in one mouthful. Don't know what it would be like washed down with a single malt, I might have to put a *** of the 13YO moscatel-casked Caol Ila that's my current post-work de-stresser into the hip flask! 😉

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Not only that but your diet will change to one of Mars bars, tin of Sardines and luke-warm coffee eaten while perched on some uncomfortable rock and tasting of mud and grit.

GTF A reel mine explorers lunch *should* consist of:
ciabatta bread. truffel stuffed salami, roasted red peppers in olive oil, (carried in a brown paper bag) washed down with 10year old island single malt.

just ask some of those who have partaken of a lunch with me. :thumbsup:

Do you know my mate John perhaps? He dines underground on things like "calfs cheeks in jelly" & other weird muck he buys in France - the rest of us have cheese butties!

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Do you know my mate John perhaps? He dines underground on things like "calfs cheeks in jelly" & other weird muck he buys in France - the rest of us have cheese butties!

By gum, I wonder which end of a calf they make those things out of ? I think I'd rather choose 'snails in their shells' :blink:

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Onion bahjis and spring rolls formed my most unusual (and unpolular) underground lunch 😮 The colonel's alluded to 'christmas sandwich mine water puree' without doubt the most revolting :)

One day would really like to do the formal dress underground mid summer or christmas meal idea..

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