Took some friends into Cwmorthin a couple of weeks ago, and since we ended up in the 34 incline area, I thought I'd show them the little tucked away caban down on floor G, east of the incline. I was aware of recent instability in this area, so we trod carefully. Saw the window into the large chamber, with the nasty cracks around it, and continued to where I thought the caban might be, but a rather untidy fall blocked the level. It looked passable, maybe, if one could do it without touching anything, but I would not recommend it. Wonder if the caban is now more "tucked away" than ever behind this?

Pete,("Hamster") tried to get through, what I think is the alternative way via the new ladder up to G level from chamber 34, at my suggestion, but didn't report locating the caban.

Question - Is it still accessible or now lost behind collapses?

Also on much the same topic, I'm under the impression that a couple of chambers along from 34, going east, either chamber 31 or 32,or that general area somewhere, there is a well preserved stairway going down into water to floor H. as I have seen photos of this exposed during the short period the water level was down. Was it possible to access further along G by climbing the stairway from H during this time? as I am curious to know if it emerged on G beyond further falls, as I seem never to have seen the top of it, even when I explored around the area of the little caban about 3 or 4 years ago?

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There has been movement close to the little caban recently, I was there not so long ago to look at it. The normal way to that caban did suffer some more collapse but it wasn't impassable. The alternate way around was fine at the time and didn't look to be in any obvious danger. But I'll check again next time I'm in that area, which isn't often these days!

As for the H-G stairs, they are slightly further east that the present eastern-most point reachable on G. I think it is possible to get to the top of the stairs via a horrendous route from F, which I have never done, but Speedycaver has (with Llion I think). This was some time ago and he reported the route was terrible, and Speedycaver rarely says anything is terrible so I guess it's generally shocking and not to be repeated. I'm running low on my original 9 lives so I won't be trying it...

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Sorry, re-read your email about the stairs, you were actually asking if it led to new ground.

Yes we tried it, it does sort of end up back in familiar ground on F (by the F Dam) but the route is horrendous as I said.

I remember tracking further east along H until the rock got very bad indeed, then I backed out. Speedy Caver tried that too and got further than I did, eventually getting back up to F that way too.


The rock in that whole area was rubbish.

There was a stairway down to floor I which we only managed to descend half of before hitting water. Maybe that would have provided safer passage east.

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Hi Rampage,

Thanks for the interesting info.

Yes, remember reading about what was possible when the water levels were down. -Rather unlikely to happen again.

Some time ago, I looked down a couple of chambers off level F near the dam. One, a short crawl down a roofing shaft, lead to a smallish chamber with an awful roof. The rock was sticking out in jagged shards of differing lengths and looked as if it had been struck by a minor earthquake! There was lumps of a hard, cream coloured stone on the floor which I think may have been "chert" and which seemed very fresh. One could look down to water around floor G from there.

The other chamber, back in the direction of the dam, I looked into only briefly via a window. Was wondering if it's one of these chambers which ultimately leads to the top of that stairway?

I think the chambers and levels in this area of the quarry are duplicated either side of a fault, hence why the rock is in generally bad condition. Or alternatively it could represent 2 different veins - (old/new) but never been able to make up my mind on this one.

Don't have chamber numbers to hand, as it's all just a little too far east to be shown on the Cwmorthin plan I generally use, although I remember seeing a plan of this area in Graham Isherwood's Oakeley history.

This area, on the ragged edge of Oakeley, always has been remote and rarely visited and is not really recommended. The area around the dam is I believe now out of bounds anyway!

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Found the plan - it’s called

“Lower Quarry western new vein workings on floor G to M”

and the chambers I looked into near the dam may be 24 and 25 floors F and G

No sign of the stairs however, presumably the're in another vein, (old vein?)
It’s in Graham Isherwood’s “Oakeley Slate” fig 154 in fig section 149-164 under Oakeley on this website



Please feel free to move this post to a more appropriate section if necessary ;)

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When some of us GB trip leaders and assistants were having a free day mooch some weeks ago, a couple didn't know about the little caban so I led the way down the passage from the QM caban down to the collapse. The rock around the collapse doesn't look stable enough to dig thro with safety and the 'hole in the wall' through to the rubble filled chamber giving access to the caban's back door is really orrible looking now too. One of the lads risked going thro to see the caban as he'd never seen it but said he wouldn't go thro that hole again unless it was in an emergency...
The rock east of Ch33 & 32 is really orrible. It's under the big crack that drained the Llyn Bach all those years ago and is still on the move. Further east, the rock gets better again and there are some HUGE chambers in Oakeley that once were visitor attractions in Gloddfa Ganol.
Clive

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We had a look at this last week. Yes, the normal route to the little caban is blocked, a flake has come down and covered the hole.

You can still easily just walk around the back, the ground there is fine.

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Thanks for clarifying this "Rampage", so the way round is up the metal ladder from chamber 34?

Will probably have a look in October 🙂

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