What's the toughest trip you've ever done?

Mine exploration, photographs and mining history for mine explorers, industrial archaeologists, researchers and historians

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration Topic Starter

14 years ago

As the subject line really. What's the toughest / most strenuous or exhausing mine exploration trip you've ever done?

I'll never complain about *anything* ever again after doing the the Brownley Hill round trip!

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

Wanna join the discussion?! Login to your AditNow Community forum account or Register a new forum account

NewStuff
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

I don't think I've done anything too bad to be fair. I'm a bit knackered alright, but not exhausted. I get more tired after a heavy shift in work!

I do plan to change this though, assuming I can organise some time to go out and play.

Searching for the ever elusive Underground Titty Bar.

DDDWH CC

Brakeman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Somewhere I shouldn't really have been 😉 lasted a good 12 hours but well worth it!

The management thanks you for your co operation.

Wormster
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

not mine ex - but self rescue 3/4 of the way out of a natural 'ole with a busted collarbone!

Better to regret something you have done - than to regret something you have not done.

kroca
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Maskgill oxlow on ladder in the 70s is a good one. :thumbsup:

ChrisJC
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Either the Great Nenthead Traverse - Caplecleugh to Haggs, or maybe Croesor to Rhosydd before all the fixed aids were in place.

Caving, has to be Daren Cilau, a round trip to the Time Machine.

Chris.

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

Full Nent traverse can be tough on the legs.

The most exhausted i've probably ever been was after a day at a dig in a Yorkshire Dales lead mine, basically spent about 4hrs sold dragging a spoil tub and then chucking big rocks down a passage.

When it came to the prussik out I couldnt actually lift my arms above my head anymore which made things a little slow.

Edd
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

A certain mine trip in Derbyshire is the longest and hardest i have done. 14 hours in a wet suit with a lovely wet way in and out :lol:

'I started reading it with full intention to read it all and then got bored and went and got beer instead!'

derrickman
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

"kroca" wrote:
Maskgill oxlow on ladder in the 70s is a good one. :thumbsup:

http://www.braemoor.co.uk/caving/dowbergill.shtml remains one I was never willing to do twice, partly because prop forwards even then were not generally noted for their sylvan build...

the protracted crawl at the top end of Gaping Ghyll, several hundred metres of hands-and-knees and flat-out crawling along a wide, flat passage liberally supplied with trickles of cold water and sharp stones, remains a past horror, especially burdened with a bag of ladders or ropes trailing from your belt...

''the stopes soared beyond the range of our caplamps' - David Bick...... How times change .... oh, I don't know, I've still got a lamp like that.

royfellows
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#10

Not a trip but a work project, pushing the Caplecleugh high level.
OK, out of bed 05.30, drive up 186 miles to Nenthead, change into full wetsuit, heavy rucksack and cut down Acro prop through the Dowgang level to Lavatory Box Jkn, up into the SRT flats, up Archers Rise to the high level. Work all day. Touch grass again after 10.5 hours UG, get changed, eat, back down the M6 to home.
Stopped at Killington Lake Services for 20 minutes kip on way home, I wonder why.

My avatar is a poor likeness.

Phil Ford
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#11

Masson Mine through trip in the early 1970s. I think that it was the first large group to do that trip. I found the connection very hard not being small. We had made one great error we had not allowed for sunday opening when we realised there was a great rush to get out of the coffin level, that was dam hard for me with my broard shoulders.
My greatest memory of the trip was us all running along the car parks to the pub, two pints later the landlord called time. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

agricola
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#12

I've done a number of memorable trips ...

Capelcleugh - Smallcleugh in winter was a good wet trip several hours - 2nd Stage of Hypothermia as a result of the water.

Several epic trips 8+ hours in Old Millclose, Derbyshire then SRT out. Good fun.

The longest and probably hardest was 40 hours in Daren (sorry its cave) in South Wales over a new years break. Entrance to Hard Rock Cafe and camping u/g or perhaps it was Ogof Draenen - Entrance to Riflemans in flood.

If it can't be grown it has to be mined.

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#13

Haggs at the end of the throughtrip and Blakethwaite in Yorkshire are both hard work but more a case of being joyless slogs than utterly destroying. Didn't see what the fuss was about Youd's and I'm a six ft three lumbering loon. What tends to knack me most is a weekend of climbing up great mountains of loose slate waste. Oh and the walk up to Lever's Water with a full rope bag on a red hot day!

christwigg
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#14

"RJV" wrote:
Didn't see what the fuss was about Youd's and I'm a six ft three lumbering loon.

Think it helped that we had been warned and left all our bags and gear at the entrance pitch, wasn't too bad without luggage.

"RJV" wrote:
Blakethwaite in Yorkshire

Oooh forgot about that, there were a couple of points I got trapped in the mud there and serious didn't think I could get out.

simonrl
51% (Neutral)
Administration Topic Starter

14 years ago

#15

I agree the full Nent Traverse is pretty exhausting, am glad we took Chris advice to not to Haggs a few weeks back - most definitely a joyless trudge.

Masons to Youds was scary in places (I don't like stope climbing) and the coffin level was tiring.

But neither of them did to me what Brownley Hill did! I had to crawl up stairs the following day :lol:

my orders are to sit here and watch the world go by

suboffender
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#16

"Brakeman" wrote:
Somewhere I shouldn't really have been 😉 lasted a good 12 hours but well worth it!

Ditto, similar trip nearly killed me.

agricola
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#17

A small group of people managed to abseil down one of Crofty's shafts just after the mine had closed, they managed to get to 850ft below adit. It took nearly 400m of rope and over 50 bolts to rig a safeish route down. I was invited but declined as I didn't think SRTing back up 850ft was a good idea. I saw the state of them after they had come out and de-rigged. They could hardly crawl 😉

If it can't be grown it has to be mined.

Mr Mike
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#18

Full Nentead Traverse - Caplecleugh to Haggs. You have to do the whole lot, never mind cutting it short at Brownley Hill !

Mr Mike www.mineexplorer.org.uk

RJV
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#19

Done all 3, Rampill, Brownley before Haggs was reopened and Haggs and would say that leaving by Rampgill is the best variation. Gives plenty of time to go off route and drops you off just yards from where you went underground - a perfect circle.

bri hache
50.2% (Neutral)
Newbie

14 years ago

#20

Probably the shortest trip, the nearest i have been to death, the most exhausting i have ever been in a short space of time

DODD END!!!!