So, shall we do a Euro mine visit in 2011 then 😉 :flowers:

Any thoughts?

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Oh aye, would be well up for that.
Spain? There's been talk on here in the last year or two about the mines of Murcia and to the north of Alicante just a short(ish) hop away from Murcia there are loads of both abandoned and still working limestone quarries which I've seen from the train. No idea whether there are any underground workings. Not for the height of summer though!

Oh aye, would be well up for that.
Spain? There's been talk on here in the last year or two about the mines of Murcia and to the north of Alicante just a short(ish) hop away from Murcia there are loads of both abandoned and still working limestone quarries which I've seen from the train. No idea whether there are any underground workings. Not for the height of summer though!

I also noticed loads around Murcia, it could be a lot of fun, especially with the potential of cheap flights over there. We could also nip up the coast for a night out in Benidorm? 😉

We could also nip up the coast for a night out in Benidorm? 😉

Oh Joy!
Luxembourg has pleny of iron mines though its either been too cold to go and find them or too hot to do anything but drink whenever I've been there. When I looked into them before I formed the opinion that some would be open however how I've arrived at that conclusion no longer remains clear.

Diamond Mines in South Africa anyone? I'm sure they'd let you bring out samples!!!! 😮

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We could also nip up the coast for a night out in Benidorm? 😉

Oh Joy!
Luxembourg has pleny of iron mines though its either been too cold to go and find them or too hot to do anything but drink whenever I've been there. When I looked into them before I formed the opinion that some would be open however how I've arrived at that conclusion no longer remains clear.

Looks like theres lots in Luxembourg , although this site seems to suggest he's posting photos of places that are now inaccessible, which is a shame when you look at some of the photos.

http://www.luxurbex.com/menu-underground-pictures.html 

I think a lot of the stuff we saw around Alicante was marble quarrying, theres some pics and videos here.

http://www.jagarciamoya.com/secciones/canteras/canteras.asp 

I have to admit the idea of Eastern Europe really appeals to me. Especially now I know there are slate mines there...

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We went to Luxembourg last year. In the France/Lux/Belgium triangle there are more show mines per square inch than I have ever found before in one area. Each nation has it's own iron museum mine plus loads of private/group ones. Some friendly, some not. None speak English.
I met a Luxembourg explorer who took me to a couple of sites but most are blocked or being blocked. It is a criminal offence there to trespass in mines and the police are quite hot about it and visit laybys and 'usual haunts'.
The mines are very extensive, thousands of kilometres and navigation is a big problem. After we left them, my friend was doing a through trip of 25Km on mountain bikes!
Sadly France is catching up on the sealing of mines and I believe it is illegal there too. The famous Mines de Bentailliou in the Pyrenees and several more have been bulldozed after a fatality. Other areas have been re-sealed recently too. This year we visited the iron mines around Mt. Canigou in the eastern Pyrenees and all were newly sealed.
Spain appears a bit more laid back in the Pyrenees area at least.

Les

Anywhere exept France!

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France wouldn't be too good anyway, all disused mine sites are properly off limits. I'm definitely not intending to look at some one day.

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Would the Siberian salt mines too be too far east?

Hmm, that's an awfully long way. In fact it might even be quicker to travel West :lol:

Poland and the Czech Republic are on the doorstep in comparison...

As an aside, have always wanted to visit Chernobyl, and have just realised that's closer to N Wales than it is to Siberia...

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Could do a lot worse than the Harz - Some great mining museums plus there is a local Mine exploration group (Roter Bar) at St Andreasburg who are a nice bunch of guys.

Hmm, that's an awfully long way. In fact it might even be quicker to travel West :lol:

Poland and the Czech Republic are on the doorstep in comparison...

As an aside, have always wanted to visit Chernobyl, and have just realised that's closer to N Wales than it is to Siberia...

Just been talking to Meaty about this for next year... Might be a little bit urbex for some but certainly interesting all the same.. and ive got tokens to go as long as its before May
:thumbsup:

P.S. cant find the radioactive smiley :bored: :thumbup:

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Happy with anywhere east. The Harz certainly looks promising having had the briefest of glances at Wiki.
Pre-May is fine too. Just have to make sure take a big warm hat and have a belly full of dodgy East-European spirits.

There is the V2 factory in the Hartz mountains as well.

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Could do a lot worse than the Harz - Some great mining museums plus there is a local Mine exploration group (Roter Bar) at St Andreasburg who are a nice bunch of guys.

Their website certainly looks promising

http://www.grube-roter-baer.de/ 

Shall we try to arrange something then?

Also thinking about other meets next year.

The N Wales long weekend was a good one, hopefully we can arrange that again.

I'd also really like to try to arrange weekends next year in Nent and Cornwall (having never been to Cornwall, never mind underground in Cornwall)

Probably a subject for another thread!

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I suppose when and how long for would be a start. April? Long weekend? A week? Not fussed where really so long as I don't have to travel to Gatwick or some similarly godawful place to get there.

Weekends next year in Nent and Cornwall (having never been to Cornwall, never mind underground in Cornwall)

Probably a subject for another thread!

A whole kettle of fish in itself, but if you want a Nent-fest then it can be sorted.