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-   -   CRTT 20th Feb 2011 trip (http://www.nwex.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8832)

tristanjay 22-02-2011 00:35

CRTT 20th Feb 2011 trip
 
It was brilliant to finally do this trip after first hearing of these two mines about 5 years ago, I even found it
difficult to sleep the night before and awoke extra early in anticipation :gay . And now that Ive done it I cant
wait to do it again, had a superb time, lots of good folk along and plenty of laughs. I think folk making this
trip now have to appreciate that its been made a lot friendlier by the installation of wires to zip across and boats
and pulley's through no small effort have tamed this unique through trip, I mean where else are you going to get to
combine bridges of death underground lakes you cross in boats/raft and huge chambers to abseil into. With that
said you still get a sense that these mines could give you a very nasty bite if they wanted to. Only bummer of the
day was my car dying 30 miles from the Cwm carpark leaving me Big jobs and AndyJ stranded at a pub whilst Mrs
tristanjay saved the day by sorting out my AA membership - it was that or spend the night in the middle of nowhere.
Luckily the AA guy was better than green flag fella and fixed the car :)


Brief bit of history from wiki
Croesor Quarry was initially worked from 1846 until 1878. From 1864 onwards, the quarry was connected to the slate
wharves at Porthmadog by an incline to the head of the Croesor Tramway. After a hiatus, it re-opened in 1895 and
continued in production until 1930.[2]
In the 1960s the quarry was operated by Cookes Explosive, a local firm who used its underground chambers to store
explosives. In the early 1970s it was purchased by the Ffestiniog Slate Company with a view to reopening it as a
working slate quarry. Planning permission for this was not granted and in the later 1970s most of the remaining
mine infrastructure was removed for use in the Oakeley Quarry, also owned by the Ffestiniog Slate Company.

The earliest workings recorded at Rhosydd date back to the 1830s when small hilltop excavations were made. By the
1850s quarrying had moved underground. By 1883 the quarry had become on of the largest underground workings in
Wales outside of Blaenau Ffestiniog, with 170 chambers and shipping 5616 tons of finished slate.
Initially slate was sent by pack horse via Moelwyn and Cwm Maesgwm to be shipped by the Ffestiniog Railway at
Penrhyndeudraeth. From 1864 connection was made to the sea at Porthmadog along the newly opened Croesor Tramway.
This was along a high tramway and a parabolic incline nearly 800 ft. long.
Slate production ceased in the early 1930s, although the site was not abandoned until shortly after World War II.
The quarry was purchased by McAlpine in the 1990s, but quarrying has not resumed


Our very own Boboil ponders on the rope
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...bbluepants.jpg

Manx has his lucky tongue and groove boards with him
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...uckyboards.jpg

The Kraken that inhabits mine water stirs from its slumber
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...krakenjoel.jpg

Copycat goads the kraken
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...gthekraken.jpg

The kraken caught on camera
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...etsthetone.jpg

The new improved raft - had to lighten this one a lot to make out the raft.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...album/Raft.jpg

This twll and quarry made us look like ants crawling over gravel
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...album/antz.jpg

Some amazing landscape in the setting sun
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q.../landscape.jpg


Being left on my own to wait for the 2nd group, only an hour behind us as it happens.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...llynomates.jpg

And the genius Mechanic who saved the day after my car died(just needed a bad connection to the fuel pump reattaching) and bad welsh mechanic who couldn't be arsed to do anything apart from take us to a pub so we could sort alternative recovery.
Sound bloke if you break down near mold.
http://i139.photobucket.com/albums/q...geniusmech.jpg

Top day despite car troubles and thanks all who went for making it so :thumbs

boboil 22-02-2011 00:56

Nicely done TJ glad you enjoyed the trip, mind you you'd be hard to please if you didn't enjoy this place :)
here's a video of the day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=219ck_toEes

Reddood 22-02-2011 01:05

So there is now a raft at the water crossing?

tristanjay 22-02-2011 01:14

That vid is class Bob, very funny :D good music to finish with :thumbs

@Reddood, indeed there is watch the vid youll see Carabeener carrying it over a BOD.

Reddood 22-02-2011 01:49

i cant at the moment, got problems with my modem and i'm getting down speeds of 4kbs, videos are a no go.

supposed to be comming out to replace it tomorrow, but i'll bet money that it isnt the modem at fault and i end up with a week of crappy connection

Twitch 22-02-2011 05:02

Great pics there! Except where's the Kraken??

Brilliant vid Chippy. Loving 'Yorkshire mon & his raft'!

The raft is called HMS Nobby - great to see a pic of it in situ! Here is a blue peter style 'here it is half made':

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/834beb20.jpg

And being tested at Ed's local dogging site:

http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/c4d7616a.jpg

I had my reservations about it, but I hope it stands the test of time!

sallybear 22-02-2011 08:08

Ha ha love that raft, looks like a great day!

54Strat 22-02-2011 13:16

Loved the vid, nice to put names to faces.

Unlucky Pierre 22-02-2011 14:13

Well in mate. Ace vid too, just watched it on Facebook : )

sneak 22-02-2011 17:01

Excellent! Well in with this one its an ace trip isnt it.

Seem to keep missing these trips me somehow! :coat

Itching to go back here but dont wan't to risk it on my own lol! Guna have to soon tho by the looks of it haha!


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