A few years back I did a side job with a buddy in construction. We replaced slate tiles on a beautiful home here in St. Louis. I’ve one of the tiles on my dining table and it is a thing of beauty to be certain. Agreed, natures tile and it is awesome.
@@TheJacklwilliams I talked to a professional roofer working at a local robber baron museum house, he said slate roofing is a premium material and a good roof will last 100 years. and then it turns to clay
@@BjarneLinetsky Nice!!! I’ll have to ask my buddy. He’s certainly a Professional builder and has an extensive amount of knowledge in roofing materials including (but not limited to) slate. That said, the roof we were repairing (replacing needed tiles only not a complete tear off/rebuild) was significantly aging. Even so, the look and feel of the slate in place was certainly very old. It would be certainly interesting to see examples of this. I’m guessing they elongate, bond to one another, etc… What little I know about the subject would fit on the head of a pin however even so I find it hard to envision that happening with this material.
@@TheJacklwilliams Slate is a metamorphic rock; it is formed from shale that is subjected to extreme heat and pressure, deep underground. The extreme conditions under which it forms are locked up in its structure at the atomic level, and therefor make it somewhat unstable under the lower pressures at the surface of the earth. It will eventually turn back into shale, and then clay. Granite rock and dunite are also unstable because of this condition, and rapidly degrade when exposed to the elements on the surface of the earth.
The tube put this in my feed. I'm very happy for that. Wonderful video all around. Excellent content, no silly music or ai rubbish. Good, solid production and presentation. Honestly, I look forward to more of your offerings. Subscribed. Cheers!🙂👍
Easily got my thumbs up. Was no stupid music, not narrated by a bot/ai, gave many details, and was interesting to keep following along to see what comes next. Thank you
Thank you for the kind comments. Not sure what's next, have a few ideas for underground projects ...or it could be something industrialish/steamish on the surface. The underground videos take quite a bit of time and energy to get the footage.
Great video, thanks for sharing. As a local, a member of the CRO and North Wales Caving club, many visits were made there. None I have to say with the amazing lighting technique you have developed and as a result i saw things that I had missed and am most grateful for that. Again... Great job and thank you.
Wow - brilliant. So good to see again what I'd hoped never to see again - was 'stuck' down there around 1986 when a novice pulled down our descending/ascending rope from the 1st pitch = no way back up. With several Oldham lamps run out of battery power, taking turns to half-light the way, we ended up having to dig our way out of a collapse located at the end of an adit - and almost by luck were able to see out into 'daylight' - it was dark but there was a glint of the dusky sky, taking turns and scared witless that the whole thing would fall down on at least one of us, just after the last of our emergency lights had run out, we wriggled out one at a time. EPCC, with some great lads who I'll never forget. I recall the railway's sleepers being a lot ropier and more rotten than that as we had to negotiate them - maybe the dark or the imagination or the photo? RIP (not related to caving) Alan Rafferty, great lad - God Bless.
Oops - sounds an epic trip. I've heard it said the blockage on one of the lower adits almost breaks out, and at one point a rumour someone had opened it again for a time (in the last 20 years) - but an occasional walk around the entrances on the outside hasn't given any indications. That said, I know from elsewhere it's a lot easier to spot something coming out to daylight from the inside than it is searching for a hole behind a rock on the surface! I had a trip with a couple of novices a few years ago who were both using borrowed equipment. Once we reached the entrance we discovered one of the borrowed club SRT kits didn't include a hand jammer, and then shortly after getting underground discovered one of the borrowed lights hadn't been recharged and zonked out on us. 🙄 At least I know my equipment is reliable, so we just had to ensure we kept as a group so the one without light could see, and just in case the other person's light died before we resurfaced as well. Upon exit I went up first and then had to lower my hand jammer back down so the others were fully equipped to get out. Not exactly a brilliant 'text-book' visit, but still infinitely better than your experiences!
@@IACooper We had some close ones over the years that's for sure, might have been the company - the lot of us ;) Remember Mick from EPCC later UCET (now mostly retired from the madness, but not totally last time I saw him...)? I remember pulling him out so many times when he ferreted off down some unstable side passage in digs etc - just saying "hold my ankles mate - if you hear anything, pull like f!". He'd be in there with a fag in his mouth - looking for drafts - so I could never hear what he was saying until the rumble started... the number of times we just sat and looked at each other for ten minutes without speaking, both white as sheets as 'half a million tonnes' of rock came crashing down where he had just been. The old man... someone... certainly was looking down on us from above and looking after us ;) Yeah that adit - IIRC we had to search various levels to try to fins some way out, and we did as you - one or two with lights, one or two without - in the good old days before LEDs. Our emergence was loose heck, can't imagine it lasted long. Thanks for your reply, good to hear from you and thanks for a very well made video - great lighting as well as pics, commentary and history. I found that vid of yours quite by accident - it just popped up on feeds - looking forward to seeing your others.
Wow! So beautiful! I come from a long generational line of coal miners. My father eager to escape that life moved to a flat sea-level place before I was born. Interestingly, I feel absolutely at home in mines, caves, and caverns. A feeling of peace comes over me that is hard to describe. Even in the smallest, grungiest passageways I feel at home! Beautiful footage! Thank You!
Its very interesting to see the differences and similarities to old abandoned mines in Arizona (my home). I was just in Wales about a month ago and rode the Welsh Highland Railway. Stayed in Caernarfon (side note had the best pizza ever there at a place called Tan Pizza)
The Welsh Highland railway passes around the edge of the heart of the North Wales slate industry. There are many ruins and relics in that area, both underground and on the surface in the mountains ....all rather wetter than you'll probably find in Arizona though!
@IACooper yah, I wish we had a bit more water. The heat has been sticking around extra late into the year. In about two hours of writing this comment, it will hit 37.7 Celsius. It's supposed to cool down at the end of next week.
Beautifully done film, especially as you seem to have done it "solo". Nice to see the old Lathkill Cave Garden Path ladder is still doing it's latest duty on the entrance.
First few trips were done solo, but I found carrying all the gear on the 40 minute hike was breaking my back, so I sought assistance from a helper to carry the x3 light stands & tripod whilst I carried camera, x3 lights, batteries for everything, & rope on the last few filming visits. Having a second person to help get the lights turned on/off as fast as possible either side of the camera rolling helped save precious lighting battery power as well.
...oh, and that ladder at the bottom makes the climb out a lot nicer than it used to be. Now you can just scoot up the bottom and easily take out the rope stretch before carrying on, rather than how it was before with the awkward short free-hanging bit.
@@UndergroundExplorerUK thank you. The still pic at the start is just a frame grab from the video. At some point I'll go back with the stills camera specifically to get a photo.
A very handsome mine! Coolest one I've seen I think - much thanks to the excellent presentation no doubt. Must be one of the hardest fascinations to do justice in photography.
This footage looks incredible. I assume you went down with a light or two for that unrealistic, but wonderfully clear, almost movie-style illumination? Clearly thoroughly planned and directed. Nice.
Thank you for the kind comment. It was lit with 3 carefully positioned lights. What's realistic or unrealistic is always a slightly difficult one with underground photography/video - at this moment in time it will be in total darkness and you'd see nothing at all. At the other extreme you can tell at least some of the mine had fixed electric lighting whilst it was working. If you position three people with bright cap lamps in the three positions I put video lights, looking in the same directions as the lights then you'll see more or less what's captured in the film - but if you go there on your own with just a single cap lamp then it will tend to look nothing like it's shown here. Hopefully I've managed to give a sense of the place with the lighting available and make it look interesting and inviting 🕯🕯🕯
I’m not exactly sure, which is why I am asking you, may I know the meaning behind the Black and white Union Jack? I’ve read it may mean many different things, but you probably know as you are wearing it!
@ nothing political or anti establishment. It’s difficult to make out but it has a thin blue running through the centre horizontal bar, typically worn by those looking to honour fallen police officers. Hope that helps.
Great filming, but especially the editing an narration is superb. Every bit is interesting and the pace is so relaxing and comfortable. Thank you for the tour!
Excellent camera work, very good lighting. A far cry from so many mine exploration videos taken with shaky POV video. Thank you very much for taking us along to this quite beautiful place! 🤩🤩
Wow superb quality the lighting alone! Spent a day down there a few years back so can really appreciate the lighting and camera set up in each shot underground.
I’m from bc Canada and I absolutely love hiking to and exploring old mines and damn this was cool. So awesome to see so many unique old artifacts and intact infrastructure. Some of my favourite finds have been dynamite boxes and intact mine arts but those were dope. Great filming. If I could say one thing maybe chill with the tunes a bit and let us enjoy the sounds of the mines but great job
I'll never forget that first day at pit. Me and me father worked a 72 hour shift, then walked home 43 miles through ice and snow in is bare feet. Uddled inside our clothes made outer old sacks We trudged over ill until, eventually, we could see street lights twinkling in our village Me father smiled down at me through icicles anging off is nose Nearly home now lad, he said.
Enjoyed that. It was like those quality-produced informative shorts TV stations used to use back in the day when they had 10 minutes to fill. EDIT: except this isn't shot on 16mm film!
@@dbaider9467 Sorry about the lack of 16mm film. I still have both of my 16mm cameras, but neither have seen use for some years - think i only have one 16mm film on TH-cam now (Coleham Pumping Station). Shooting this on film would have needed a shed-ton more lighting power and more people to carry it all ... oh, and a small fortune in lab fees! I really loved my dabble with 16mm, glad i got to experience it. I also very much enjoy the older style of documentaries you found in the 70's and through the 80's. I'm glad you enjoyed this little one.
@@jonnemopola7245 Generally speaking yes. There are one or two areas of rather more modern graffiti, and some of the original light bulbs that were there about 15 years ago have since vanished, but on the whole the slightly out of the way location and the vertical element of access means more casual visitors tend to avoid. ...of course videos such as this showcasing what's there can also attract the less responsible who are interested in removing artefacts without permission.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it. I have some ideas of other mines to visit, although it might be quite a lot of work to collect the footage in some cases. In the meantime you can see the type of content I usually post - a combination of mines and old machinery.
@@strykerjones8842 i prefer it to a petzl 'go' - can adjust the friction easily from a lot to a little, can be used one handed, and when worn can machine new bars myself.
I assume that bag was full of floodlamps, and thank you for going back and forth so many times to do the 'casually walking through' into surreally well-lit chambers. It's like a painting at times.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. The green & yellow bag just carried the rope and equipment to abseil in and climb out again. A larger blue bag held the x3 lights, batteries and camera, then a third bag carried the x3 lamp stands and tripod - in theory those other two shouldn't ever be visible in the final film!
Really brilliant video. I've got a few of my own projects on the go, and i'd be interested to know what lights and camera etc you used for this? Up until this point I used GH5's with Sigma art lenses and have now transitioned to a Sony A7S's along with Sigmas with large Imalent torches for distance lighting and LED panel lights for the foreground. This does the job but not as crisp as this, especially in the large chambers, so any tips would be massively welcomed 🙂 Also, you should definitely do a series...
Thank for the comment and interest. It was all shot with a Sony A7SIII and FE4/PZ 28-135G OSS lens - there's plenty of room so I didn't need to use my wider lens options. It's all shot in S-Log3 which means for the underground I was aiming for the higher base ISO of 12,800 although for some of the larger scenes I had to push that up a little more - I'm still careful not to be too ambitious as it will degrade image quality. Lighting is achieved with three Came-TV "Boltzen" lights, x2 at 55W and x1 at 30W - although in practice the light difference between them isn't much. These aren't really "underground proof", but I just use care to ensure they aren't set up under drips. Even on the fully flooded end I find the beam angle is a bit narrow, so often have some spun diffusion pegged across the front (in a curve) to throw the light a bit wider. Having a camera that runs on a lithium battery and two carrots to see in the dark helps, but I was still working at the limit of the equipment. To try and keep a crisp clean image I don't want to under-expose, certainly don't want to try and brighten things on the computer after, and don't want to try setting the camera ISO higher than it's really comfortable working - those things all result in noise and reduced detail - it also ends up with muddy shadows that aren't truly black. In the larger chambers I didn't have enough light to fill the whole place, so instead aimed for higher contrast and more dramatic lighting to show the space. I'm happy to let areas remain dark and during the grade crushed the shadows down to ensure they're really black and hide the noise. Then using backlighting is a good way of getting lots of bright highlights and showing texture and form - lots of sharp changes between highlights and shadows will enhance the clarity and a not very powerful light can give detail to a large area in backlight. Where I appear in shot I aim to ensure there's enough light for a good exposure in that area. ...and finally - I try to never put a light near the camera position (unless it's just providing fill)! That results in flat lighting that's low in contrast and thus doesn't really show shape and doesn't appear as dramatic/crisp as when the light is off to the sides. Trying to get good looking picture quality was one of my aims, so I worked everything around trying to achieve and maintain that. I like your video online - think I recognised all but one of the locations 🙂
@@IACooper Thanks so much, well at least we’re using the same camera; the sensor is pretty epic so I’m glad I made the switch. The lens is a whopper though, so might need to hire it. The lights are great though, was it much agro weight and size wise? Well annoyingly I might have to reshoot a load of locations as I have a fair amount of noise on my shots; however I might try some AI wizardry first (begrudgingly). Moel Fferna is on my list along with a couple of others, but I need to do some SRT training first. Thanks for your kind words on my vid, it was ambitious but very enjoyable; and just in time too as some of it has now vanished!
@@liamsteeth I went with that lens because of the servo zoom, if I'm chasing steam engines then the fly-by-wire zoom ring allows me to do very slow smooth zooms. Most of this film has the camera running on its own and me in front of it, so that ability had little use. The shot of the light bulb that pans across whilst slowly zooming out takes advantage of it, but pretty much everything else in the film could have easily been done on my still lenses. For stills I have an A7S4 with FE 4/24-105 G OSS and the Zeiss FE 4/16-35 lenses (and a longer one if needed). If I was doing video in a smaller space I'd swap to the 16-35. The only disadvantage of those lenses really is trying to do a smooth in-shot zoom is challenging. The 28-135 is big and heavy, but then weight also helps with stability. The camera sits in a half cage and I have a top handle to make carrying easier which balances the lens better, but as I say for this film I could have used the others and visually you'd never know the difference - I might have just had to do a few more takes to nail the couple of zooms that were used (or probably I just wouldn't have zoomed!). Compared to the load of x3 light stands, tripod, x3 lights, batteries, camera, rope, SRT kit etc. the weight difference by swapping lens wasn't worth worrying about! (I did swap to a lighter weight tripod and seek someone to help carry some of the equip. after the first couple of solo trips - it's a long walk up the hill!). Looking back at the data, the highest I pushed the iso was 20,000 - on the shot looking across the end of the chambers with me in the far distance. For that after grading there was still some fine noise visible that wasn't too objectionable, but it stood out compared to other shots that were down at 12,800 so I used a bit of Resolve's noise reduction on those higher shots to clean it up. It won't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, but it can put a sparkle on something that's already not far from shining. Moel Fferna rather stands out amoungst slate as requiring SRT to access it, but is interesting. A deviation off the tree protects the rope from the worst, but a rope protector sat just at the edge of the grass helps prevent grinding mud and muck into it as you prussik back out again as well. Yes, there are some places in your video I first saw over 20 years ago before they were commonly known, and then over the following years saw as they became discovered and then trashed. I've not been back to some for a great many years now, others I have photos showing how things have changed with time. Good luck and have fun with your projects 🙂
It's licensed from "Epidemic Sound" and called "Nostalgia's Friend" (as a one-off license, as being more cost effective for me than their subscription model which is what they prefer to promote)
Would that you had given some time to explain how the mining was done. It was a very meaningful and thought provoking walk. Think of those lives and efforts.
Beautiful video! How did they cut the roof so smooth? I imagine a tunnel with a flat roof and then just dig down, or was part of the cavern naturally forming below anyway?
The slate forms naturally in beds. With any luck the rock adjoining the bed of slate is solid enough to be load bearing, which means the whole thickness of the slate can be excavated up to the natural smooth join with the rock above - so they didn't need to cut it smooth, that's how the join between rock types naturally forms. Once a chamber has been excavated a pillar of wall needs to be left each side to support the roof before another similar chamber is excavated alongside.
That was one of the most relaxing & beautifully shot while still remaining informative videos I've seen in some time. I might just watch it again! Also, what's the music you had going in the background?
Excellent footage there mate. I’m looking forward to seeing the place myself. What gear are you using for the lighting? It’s doing a bloody good job whatever you’re using!
Thank you for your comments. The lighting was achieved with three Came-TV video lights: Two 55W and one 30W, together with a camera that performs very well in low light. Even so, I was still pushing things to the limit in places as the mine does have some large spaces with dark walls that like absorbing light.
Thank you for the kind comment. The Landy was driven to the end of the public road, beyond that it's only a footpath unless you're prepared to identify the land owners to seek permission to drive further. There are a couple of other gates to negotiate where the track runs through some fields not shown in the film, these are very securely fastened shut to prevent people taking motor vehicles (bikes or 4x4) any further without permission.
You deserve many more subscribers than fate has given you. I'm still trying to figure out how you set up the shot on the hanging bridge, since clearly the camera is on the other side... You didn't walk on that thing, did you?!?! :D
Thank you for your comment.... No, you won't catch me going across that bridge. There's an alternative route from the one side that goes down a slope to the floor of the chamber underneath it, then across and into chambers on the far side where you can then work your way back up to the opposite side of the bridge. It takes about 10 minutes at a smart trot having set the camera up on the one side to go down and around to the far side to record the scene, then about another 10 minutes to return again! ...a search online still finds plenty of photos of people walking across it over the years in various states of collapse, despite there being a much more solid (but not so obvious) route to the far side.
I've always fancied going to this site, but always put off by the fact you need climbing gear to enter safely. I have been down the one just above Corwen and one of the two in Glyn Ceiriog.
Yes, I'm afraid it's a vertical walled shaft to get in and out, so ropework isn't really optional. The steel signal ladder visible in the film is just at the very bottom, the rest of the shaft is spent hanging from the rope.
@@IACooper aye, that's what I've seen from many people who have gone there. Now all I need is some one who can show me how to use the gear, so I can either aquire my own equipment or borrow some. The mine at Corwen ( Penarth) is still a good mine to explore though
@@pugman205 Probably the cheapest and quickest way is to look at the caving/mining club scene - there are a couple which are located near the area. Whilst I appreciate clubs aren't for everyone, they'll have equipment available for beginners to borrow whilst learning Single Rope Technique (SRT) and be able to give instruction and ensure you don't either get tied up in a knot, or find yourself 'break free' of the rope - neither of which are very good when alone. There are commercial trainers who do SRT courses, but those will be more expensive. Even if you ultimately decide the clubs aren't for you and go back to visiting places with your own group of friends, you'll have given it a try and come away with some new skills.
I have a few more ideas for places to film, but the underground videos take quite a bit of work. This film involved about 6 or 7 filming visits spread over about 15 months to get the footage. I have an idea for a smaller mine to visit which should be quicker and may be done by the end of the year.
Thanks. Yes, some of the chambers are fairly large - especially if you consider the staircase nature where the end of a chamber at one level runs into and connects to the chamber of the next level down. This can be seen effectively with the shots of the timber support cog where the first view is from the level above looking down on it, then the next shot is on the next level down looking across at it. You then have a series of these long 'slots' all sat parallel with each other, which can be seen in the shot at about 6:28 where the camera is looking across three of them - the black one in the far distance, the one in the middle of the scene, and then the black one in the foreground where the camera is located. Compared to some of the North Wales mines, this is fairly compact. These chambers would have been blasted out and I understand generally in the slate industry black powder was prefered over high explosive due to it's lower power tending to limit the amount of fracturing and damage caused to the stone - although I can't say for certain that was the case here.
Probably one of the large quarries/mines at the heart of the slate producing area in North West Wales - one or two are still working today. In the day there were narrow gauge railways that would take the slate to private ports at the coast for onward shipping worldwide. Lol - proper caver has a rack of bars that are so worn the grooves align and the rope has a nearly straight path through the middle.... before then considering turning them around to get even more use out of them! 😆 I do have a couple of old worn out Stops, but I prefer the rack - much easier to control across a range of ropes and conditions. ☺
@@IACooper Nah, I was in Peoria, Illinois, USA, sorry for not being clear. I am often bemused by the enormous works which are created by man and eventually abandoned in place, as a child might leave a broken toy right where it broke. In my youth, I frequently attended a "day camp" in the summer time, sited in/on a former strip/surface coal mine which had been "reclaimed" by bulldozing then scattering a few piles of dirt and some seeds on the resulting piles of utterly sterile shale. @_@ They left behind just the right amount of danger for kids - enough to skin one's knees on and learn, without actually getting killed or maimed. There was one piece of cart rail sticking out of a tailings pile at an odd angle that we found all sorts of uses for... that place was one of a few childhood experiences that made me very curious about holes in the ground. Also: Llangollen? You can't fool me, I know Moria when I see it. ;D
Welsh slate was exported worldwide, so being in the USA doesn't preclude the possibility - although when there's already slate in the US it would make more sense for it to be locally sourced. Youngsters need some abandoned places their parents wouldn't approve of to explore ...just some people don't grow out of it as they get older! lol
It's in good condition 🙂 Having changed the output flange and oil seal, the gearbox doesn't leak into the handbrake which has all been rebuilt as well. ....besides if I'm too concerned I'll leave it in gear as well. If I'm less concerned then I'll often put the transfer box in neutral so it's braking all four wheels rather than just the rear axle.
@@TronBons yeah, if it's steep I'll sometimes do that so it'll creep towards a curb etc. What the video doesn't show is there i also turn around before parking so it's the other way around - but that doesn't fit well with the film 😉
In this instance I wouldn't necessarily say a hole was left in the wall when the mine closed! The wooden gate would be original to when the mine was operating, but the various slate blocks on the floor in this area probably originated from this hole, so I'd possibly guess it was made by cavers visiting in the period after the mine had closed and been abandoned. However you're right that the wall does have passing interest because the lower half is a lot thicker and more substantial with the upper portion thinner - as if that was possibly extended at a later date to fully 'seal' the adit on top of an earlier wall? Perhaps suggesting this level had been walled off (but not entirely) and not used some time before final closure? Who knows, as the decades roll on subtleties like this are likely to be lost to time.
Holy mother of random small channels with million dollar quality
For real what you just said give this guy a award and show on the bbc before amazon does
By the way you handle is omg way past 9000
Beautifully filmed & told - magical how the tree grows out of the old ventilation shaft. Thank you.
Great lighting job!
Beautifully shot and edited. Definitely one of the best videos from a small channel I've ever seen.
Clicked for the railway hanging on chains
Minecraft mineshaft
An actual donkey kong level
stayed for the land rover.
Indiana Jones and the slate of Doom
Ok algorithm keep this stuff coming, more videos of rustic old mineshafts. I yearn for the mines!
This is some severely underrated content, keep it up. Love your vehicle too!
Thank you, glad you enjoy the videos ☺
Let's give thanks for slate, a humble material that has waited patiently for millions of years to keep the rain off our heads. Nature's own tile.
Well said!
A few years back I did a side job with a buddy in construction. We replaced slate tiles on a beautiful home here in St. Louis. I’ve one of the tiles on my dining table and it is a thing of beauty to be certain. Agreed, natures tile and it is awesome.
@@TheJacklwilliams I talked to a professional roofer working at a local robber baron museum house, he said slate roofing is a premium material and a good roof will last 100 years. and then it turns to clay
@@BjarneLinetsky Nice!!! I’ll have to ask my buddy. He’s certainly a Professional builder and has an extensive amount of knowledge in roofing materials including (but not limited to) slate. That said, the roof we were repairing (replacing needed tiles only not a complete tear off/rebuild) was significantly aging. Even so, the look and feel of the slate in place was certainly very old. It would be certainly interesting to see examples of this. I’m guessing they elongate, bond to one another, etc… What little I know about the subject would fit on the head of a pin however even so I find it hard to envision that happening with this material.
@@TheJacklwilliams Slate is a metamorphic rock; it is formed from shale that is subjected to extreme heat and pressure, deep underground. The extreme conditions under which it forms are locked up in its structure at the atomic level, and therefor make it somewhat unstable under the lower pressures at the surface of the earth. It will eventually turn back into shale, and then clay. Granite rock and dunite are also unstable because of this condition, and rapidly degrade when exposed to the elements on the surface of the earth.
The tube put this in my feed. I'm very happy for that. Wonderful video all around. Excellent content, no silly music or ai rubbish. Good, solid production and presentation. Honestly, I look forward to more of your offerings. Subscribed. Cheers!🙂👍
Great work and a history lesson at the same time just wonderful👍👍
This must've been a lot of work!
Fantastic video. Brilliantly shot, lit and edited, wow!
Dunno why YT fed me this....but I'm glad they did. Great vid, thanks.
Easily got my thumbs up. Was no stupid music, not narrated by a bot/ai, gave many details, and was interesting to keep following along to see what comes next. Thank you
Thank you for the kind comments. Not sure what's next, have a few ideas for underground projects
...or it could be something industrialish/steamish on the surface. The underground videos take quite a bit of time and energy to get the footage.
Empty workplaces are such mournful places and you capture the atmosphere beautifully.
Great video, thanks for sharing. As a local, a member of the CRO and North Wales Caving club, many visits were made there. None I have to say with the amazing lighting technique you have developed and as a result i saw things that I had missed and am most grateful for that. Again... Great job and thank you.
This is the best lighting I've seen in a mine explore. Fantastic work❤
Thank you.
Doing the best I could with the lighting was one of my aims.
I second that
Excellent filming, narration, lighting, and editing. Many thanks.
An excellent video Ian, the quality of the shots, the lighting and the history of the mine, absolutely brilliant.
@@maverick28xx7 Thank you, glad you like it.
Wow - brilliant. So good to see again what I'd hoped never to see again - was 'stuck' down there around 1986 when a novice pulled down our descending/ascending rope from the 1st pitch = no way back up. With several Oldham lamps run out of battery power, taking turns to half-light the way, we ended up having to dig our way out of a collapse located at the end of an adit - and almost by luck were able to see out into 'daylight' - it was dark but there was a glint of the dusky sky, taking turns and scared witless that the whole thing would fall down on at least one of us, just after the last of our emergency lights had run out, we wriggled out one at a time. EPCC, with some great lads who I'll never forget. I recall the railway's sleepers being a lot ropier and more rotten than that as we had to negotiate them - maybe the dark or the imagination or the photo? RIP (not related to caving) Alan Rafferty, great lad - God Bless.
Oops - sounds an epic trip. I've heard it said the blockage on one of the lower adits almost breaks out, and at one point a rumour someone had opened it again for a time (in the last 20 years) - but an occasional walk around the entrances on the outside hasn't given any indications. That said, I know from elsewhere it's a lot easier to spot something coming out to daylight from the inside than it is searching for a hole behind a rock on the surface!
I had a trip with a couple of novices a few years ago who were both using borrowed equipment. Once we reached the entrance we discovered one of the borrowed club SRT kits didn't include a hand jammer, and then shortly after getting underground discovered one of the borrowed lights hadn't been recharged and zonked out on us. 🙄
At least I know my equipment is reliable, so we just had to ensure we kept as a group so the one without light could see, and just in case the other person's light died before we resurfaced as well. Upon exit I went up first and then had to lower my hand jammer back down so the others were fully equipped to get out.
Not exactly a brilliant 'text-book' visit, but still infinitely better than your experiences!
@@IACooper We had some close ones over the years that's for sure, might have been the company - the lot of us ;)
Remember Mick from EPCC later UCET (now mostly retired from the madness, but not totally last time I saw him...)? I remember pulling him out so many times when he ferreted off down some unstable side passage in digs etc - just saying "hold my ankles mate - if you hear anything, pull like f!". He'd be in there with a fag in his mouth - looking for drafts - so I could never hear what he was saying until the rumble started... the number of times we just sat and looked at each other for ten minutes without speaking, both white as sheets as 'half a million tonnes' of rock came crashing down where he had just been. The old man... someone... certainly was looking down on us from above and looking after us ;)
Yeah that adit - IIRC we had to search various levels to try to fins some way out, and we did as you - one or two with lights, one or two without - in the good old days before LEDs. Our emergence was loose heck, can't imagine it lasted long.
Thanks for your reply, good to hear from you and thanks for a very well made video - great lighting as well as pics, commentary and history. I found that vid of yours quite by accident - it just popped up on feeds - looking forward to seeing your others.
Wow! So beautiful! I come from a long generational line of coal miners. My father eager to escape that life moved to a flat sea-level place before I was born. Interestingly, I feel absolutely at home in mines, caves, and caverns. A feeling of peace comes over me that is hard to describe. Even in the smallest, grungiest passageways I feel at home! Beautiful footage! Thank You!
lol! evidently you have a genetic resistance to anxiety!
Fascinating! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. Great camera, lighting & narration.
Its very interesting to see the differences and similarities to old abandoned mines in Arizona (my home). I was just in Wales about a month ago and rode the Welsh Highland Railway. Stayed in Caernarfon (side note had the best pizza ever there at a place called Tan Pizza)
The Welsh Highland railway passes around the edge of the heart of the North Wales slate industry. There are many ruins and relics in that area, both underground and on the surface in the mountains
....all rather wetter than you'll probably find in Arizona though!
@IACooper yah, I wish we had a bit more water. The heat has been sticking around extra late into the year. In about two hours of writing this comment, it will hit 37.7 Celsius. It's supposed to cool down at the end of next week.
Love and respect from pdx!🌹 I have nothing but love for our brothers and sisters across the pond. Thank you. This is good stuff. 👍🏽💯🌹🥰👋🏽🌹
Now you've done it. You've awakened the Balrog.
it's ok, he closed the gate at the end
@@philipstevenson5166It shall not pass. :3
Beautifully done film, especially as you seem to have done it "solo". Nice to see the old Lathkill Cave Garden Path ladder is still doing it's latest duty on the entrance.
First few trips were done solo, but I found carrying all the gear on the 40 minute hike was breaking my back, so I sought assistance from a helper to carry the x3 light stands & tripod whilst I carried camera, x3 lights, batteries for everything, & rope on the last few filming visits.
Having a second person to help get the lights turned on/off as fast as possible either side of the camera rolling helped save precious lighting battery power as well.
...oh, and that ladder at the bottom makes the climb out a lot nicer than it used to be.
Now you can just scoot up the bottom and easily take out the rope stretch before carrying on, rather than how it was before with the awkward short free-hanging bit.
supperb Documentary thanks ! the still footage of the bridge its like nothing ive seen before !😱
@@UndergroundExplorerUK thank you.
The still pic at the start is just a frame grab from the video. At some point I'll go back with the stills camera specifically to get a photo.
A very handsome mine! Coolest one I've seen I think - much thanks to the excellent presentation no doubt. Must be one of the hardest fascinations to do justice in photography.
Thank you, my aim was to try and show the mine in the best light possible.
Fascinating. As has been shared: this is fabulous content!
Nice one Mr Ian amazing how much history is hidden underground that doesn't normally get seen
This footage looks incredible. I assume you went down with a light or two for that unrealistic, but wonderfully clear, almost movie-style illumination? Clearly thoroughly planned and directed. Nice.
Thank you for the kind comment.
It was lit with 3 carefully positioned lights.
What's realistic or unrealistic is always a slightly difficult one with underground photography/video - at this moment in time it will be in total darkness and you'd see nothing at all. At the other extreme you can tell at least some of the mine had fixed electric lighting whilst it was working.
If you position three people with bright cap lamps in the three positions I put video lights, looking in the same directions as the lights then you'll see more or less what's captured in the film - but if you go there on your own with just a single cap lamp then it will tend to look nothing like it's shown here.
Hopefully I've managed to give a sense of the place with the lighting available and make it look interesting and inviting 🕯🕯🕯
Outstandingly good video. Probably the best abandoned mine video I've seen. Well lit, nicely shot, good editing & VO, excellent work.
Great subject video and commentary excellent production standards well done!
Mega video. What a stunning place!
I’m not exactly sure, which is why I am asking you, may I know the meaning behind the Black and white Union Jack? I’ve read it may mean many different things, but you probably know as you are wearing it!
@ nothing political or anti establishment. It’s difficult to make out but it has a thin blue running through the centre horizontal bar, typically worn by those looking to honour fallen police officers. Hope that helps.
@ Thanks!
Amazing video. Very well filmed. Thank you so much for making and sharing it! :)
Wonderful lighting, especially considering location. Masterful camera work and editing.
Thank you.
I tried hard to light the mine to show off the space and make it look interesting.
Good Camera, Lightings work. Best quality history and story, Thanks.
Great shots in this video, the lighting is perfect for the surroundings.
Wow what a different world down there 😮
Incredible work, Thankyou for sharing with is all to enjoy!
Slate,argueably the best roofing material ever!
Yes, especially where there's a danger from fire. 🌹👍🏽
Interesting and beautifully filmed and lit. Thanks
This is the kind of mine you see in the movies, and/or the kind you make in 7 Days to Die. I love it. Checks all my boxes.
Great filming, but especially the editing an narration is superb. Every bit is interesting and the pace is so relaxing and comfortable. Thank you for the tour!
New sub here greetings from Australia nice work indeed . What amazing buildings and workings indeed along with you narration as 2 the history.
luckily there was enough electric light in the abandoned cave, nice video en good info also. Thank you !
Excellent camera work, very good lighting. A far cry from so many mine exploration videos taken with shaky POV video.
Thank you very much for taking us along to this quite beautiful place! 🤩🤩
really lovely trip of this mine, thanks for sharing that with us
Absolutely incredible interesting video. I am so glad I got recommended this!
Wow superb quality the lighting alone! Spent a day down there a few years back so can really appreciate the lighting and camera set up in each shot underground.
I’m from bc Canada and I absolutely love hiking to and exploring old mines and damn this was cool. So awesome to see so many unique old artifacts and intact infrastructure. Some of my favourite finds have been dynamite boxes and intact mine arts but those were dope. Great filming. If I could say one thing maybe chill with the tunes a bit and let us enjoy the sounds of the mines but great job
Yeah, the music is distracting, and annoying. 😒
I'll never forget that first day at pit.
Me and me father worked a 72 hour shift, then walked home 43 miles through ice and snow in is bare feet.
Uddled inside our clothes made outer old sacks
We trudged over ill until, eventually, we could see street lights twinkling in our village
Me father smiled down at me through icicles anging off is nose
Nearly home now lad, he said.
Nowt like a 72 hour workday t'make a man outta ya, by 'eck. #BringBackTheOldDaysThatLasted'AlfAWeek
used to dream of having a home
Thank you, for sharing this precious memory. Today men don't follow in their father's footsteps. And it's a shame.
Enjoyed that. It was like those quality-produced informative shorts TV stations used to use back in the day when they had 10 minutes to fill. EDIT: except this isn't shot on 16mm film!
@@dbaider9467 Sorry about the lack of 16mm film. I still have both of my 16mm cameras, but neither have seen use for some years - think i only have one 16mm film on TH-cam now (Coleham Pumping Station).
Shooting this on film would have needed a shed-ton more lighting power and more people to carry it all ... oh, and a small fortune in lab fees! I really loved my dabble with 16mm, glad i got to experience it.
I also very much enjoy the older style of documentaries you found in the 70's and through the 80's. I'm glad you enjoyed this little one.
What an eerie place!
Really interesting video it’s wonderful to see so many artefacts
@@buffplums yes, good that despite being a fairly popular destination, visitors have left things where they are.
@@IACooper Thankfully people have respected this place!
@@jonnemopola7245 Generally speaking yes. There are one or two areas of rather more modern graffiti, and some of the original light bulbs that were there about 15 years ago have since vanished, but on the whole the slightly out of the way location and the vertical element of access means more casual visitors tend to avoid.
...of course videos such as this showcasing what's there can also attract the less responsible who are interested in removing artefacts without permission.
@ Yeah!
Beautiful work, sir. The bright music is a good choice because, even though you are underground, you have once again filled it with light.
Just subscribed! Thank you for sharing this. Cheers from the other side of the big pond.
Nice tour, thanks
WoW!!! What a beautiful mine!
Slate roofs are still common in the North. They last forever, never have to be renewed.
They don't burn up in a fire either!
Serious Moria vibes.
Great video, narration and sound.
Earned a sub.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it.
I have some ideas of other mines to visit, although it might be quite a lot of work to collect the footage in some cases. In the meantime you can see the type of content I usually post - a combination of mines and old machinery.
Wow still running a brake rack! I was trained on one of those 20 years ago.
@@strykerjones8842 i prefer it to a petzl 'go' - can adjust the friction easily from a lot to a little, can be used one handed, and when worn can machine new bars myself.
Thanks if is very interesting and I liked your choice in music
Thank you 🙂
Fantastic video!
Very good video Ian
Thank you 😊
Beautiful video
I assume that bag was full of floodlamps, and thank you for going back and forth so many times to do the 'casually walking through' into surreally well-lit chambers. It's like a painting at times.
Thank you, I'm glad you liked it.
The green & yellow bag just carried the rope and equipment to abseil in and climb out again. A larger blue bag held the x3 lights, batteries and camera, then a third bag carried the x3 lamp stands and tripod - in theory those other two shouldn't ever be visible in the final film!
Awesome video!
Stunning!
I thought for sure that was a clickbait thumbnail.
Bravo for the masterful use of lighting to make this video. I know that was a lot of work.
Thank you, and yes the bridge is fairly impressive in its decay these days.
Really brilliant video. I've got a few of my own projects on the go, and i'd be interested to know what lights and camera etc you used for this? Up until this point I used GH5's with Sigma art lenses and have now transitioned to a Sony A7S's along with Sigmas with large Imalent torches for distance lighting and LED panel lights for the foreground. This does the job but not as crisp as this, especially in the large chambers, so any tips would be massively welcomed 🙂 Also, you should definitely do a series...
Thank for the comment and interest. It was all shot with a Sony A7SIII and FE4/PZ 28-135G OSS lens - there's plenty of room so I didn't need to use my wider lens options. It's all shot in S-Log3 which means for the underground I was aiming for the higher base ISO of 12,800 although for some of the larger scenes I had to push that up a little more - I'm still careful not to be too ambitious as it will degrade image quality.
Lighting is achieved with three Came-TV "Boltzen" lights, x2 at 55W and x1 at 30W - although in practice the light difference between them isn't much. These aren't really "underground proof", but I just use care to ensure they aren't set up under drips. Even on the fully flooded end I find the beam angle is a bit narrow, so often have some spun diffusion pegged across the front (in a curve) to throw the light a bit wider.
Having a camera that runs on a lithium battery and two carrots to see in the dark helps, but I was still working at the limit of the equipment. To try and keep a crisp clean image I don't want to under-expose, certainly don't want to try and brighten things on the computer after, and don't want to try setting the camera ISO higher than it's really comfortable working - those things all result in noise and reduced detail - it also ends up with muddy shadows that aren't truly black.
In the larger chambers I didn't have enough light to fill the whole place, so instead aimed for higher contrast and more dramatic lighting to show the space. I'm happy to let areas remain dark and during the grade crushed the shadows down to ensure they're really black and hide the noise. Then using backlighting is a good way of getting lots of bright highlights and showing texture and form - lots of sharp changes between highlights and shadows will enhance the clarity and a not very powerful light can give detail to a large area in backlight. Where I appear in shot I aim to ensure there's enough light for a good exposure in that area. ...and finally - I try to never put a light near the camera position (unless it's just providing fill)! That results in flat lighting that's low in contrast and thus doesn't really show shape and doesn't appear as dramatic/crisp as when the light is off to the sides.
Trying to get good looking picture quality was one of my aims, so I worked everything around trying to achieve and maintain that.
I like your video online - think I recognised all but one of the locations 🙂
@@IACooper Thanks so much, well at least we’re using the same camera; the sensor is pretty epic so I’m glad I made the switch. The lens is a whopper though, so might need to hire it. The lights are great though, was it much agro weight and size wise? Well annoyingly I might have to reshoot a load of locations as I have a fair amount of noise on my shots; however I might try some AI wizardry first (begrudgingly). Moel Fferna is on my list along with a couple of others, but I need to do some SRT training first. Thanks for your kind words on my vid, it was ambitious but very enjoyable; and just in time too as some of it has now vanished!
@@liamsteeth I went with that lens because of the servo zoom, if I'm chasing steam engines then the fly-by-wire zoom ring allows me to do very slow smooth zooms.
Most of this film has the camera running on its own and me in front of it, so that ability had little use. The shot of the light bulb that pans across whilst slowly zooming out takes advantage of it, but pretty much everything else in the film could have easily been done on my still lenses.
For stills I have an A7S4 with FE 4/24-105 G OSS and the Zeiss FE 4/16-35 lenses (and a longer one if needed). If I was doing video in a smaller space I'd swap to the 16-35. The only disadvantage of those lenses really is trying to do a smooth in-shot zoom is challenging.
The 28-135 is big and heavy, but then weight also helps with stability. The camera sits in a half cage and I have a top handle to make carrying easier which balances the lens better, but as I say for this film I could have used the others and visually you'd never know the difference - I might have just had to do a few more takes to nail the couple of zooms that were used (or probably I just wouldn't have zoomed!). Compared to the load of x3 light stands, tripod, x3 lights, batteries, camera, rope, SRT kit etc. the weight difference by swapping lens wasn't worth worrying about! (I did swap to a lighter weight tripod and seek someone to help carry some of the equip. after the first couple of solo trips - it's a long walk up the hill!).
Looking back at the data, the highest I pushed the iso was 20,000 - on the shot looking across the end of the chambers with me in the far distance. For that after grading there was still some fine noise visible that wasn't too objectionable, but it stood out compared to other shots that were down at 12,800 so I used a bit of Resolve's noise reduction on those higher shots to clean it up. It won't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, but it can put a sparkle on something that's already not far from shining.
Moel Fferna rather stands out amoungst slate as requiring SRT to access it, but is interesting. A deviation off the tree protects the rope from the worst, but a rope protector sat just at the edge of the grass helps prevent grinding mud and muck into it as you prussik back out again as well.
Yes, there are some places in your video I first saw over 20 years ago before they were commonly known, and then over the following years saw as they became discovered and then trashed. I've not been back to some for a great many years now, others I have photos showing how things have changed with time.
Good luck and have fun with your projects 🙂
Excellent !😊
I’m reminded strongly of Tolkien’s the “Mines of Moria.”
That vintage Land Rover brought back memories
Beautiful content! Could you point me to the music you used?
It's licensed from "Epidemic Sound" and called "Nostalgia's Friend"
(as a one-off license, as being more cost effective for me than their subscription model which is what they prefer to promote)
The number of man hours it’s taken to mine all that slate, which created all of those caverns is unfathomable. 🤯
It kept a lot of men employed and supported a lot of families for a good many years before the industry largely died out.
That bridge is amazing! It looks like something from Lord of the Rings!
Fascinating!
Nicely done. Have you tried researching some of the service numbers?
Thank you, and no I haven't. I assume they're WWII era, but I suppose they may be earlier.
Man that bridge looks like something gnarly from a WoW dungeon. Like Slag Mines.
Yes - it has seen better days!
Most of the deck boards are really ripe now, 20 years ago it was a bit better (although still not great)
Interesting, the mine competing for workforce with forestry after WW1 correlates with the founding of the Forestry Commission.
The original Minecraft ⛏💎
Very enjoyable video, thanks. - how deep is the access shaft?
@@kevlandy umm, not sure. I use a 40m rope, but not all of that length is used, and a certain amount gets used for the rigging at the start as well.
Would that you had given some time to explain how the mining was done. It was a very meaningful and thought provoking walk. Think of those lives and efforts.
Thank you for your comment and thoughts
Beautiful video! How did they cut the roof so smooth? I imagine a tunnel with a flat roof and then just dig down, or was part of the cavern naturally forming below anyway?
The slate forms naturally in beds. With any luck the rock adjoining the bed of slate is solid enough to be load bearing, which means the whole thickness of the slate can be excavated up to the natural smooth join with the rock above - so they didn't need to cut it smooth, that's how the join between rock types naturally forms.
Once a chamber has been excavated a pillar of wall needs to be left each side to support the roof before another similar chamber is excavated alongside.
@IACooper that's awesome. Thanks!
That was one of the most relaxing & beautifully shot while still remaining informative videos I've seen in some time. I might just watch it again! Also, what's the music you had going in the background?
Thank you for your kind comment.
The background music is called "Nostalgia's Friend" from Epidemic Sound.
@@IACooper Thanks!
Excellent footage there mate. I’m looking forward to seeing the place myself. What gear are you using for the lighting? It’s doing a bloody good job whatever you’re using!
Thank you for your comments.
The lighting was achieved with three Came-TV video lights: Two 55W and one 30W, together with a camera that performs very well in low light. Even so, I was still pushing things to the limit in places as the mine does have some large spaces with dark walls that like absorbing light.
Very cool.. I subscribe d.. :)😊
Very interesting and informative. Brilliant camera work and lighting (I’m no expert) and just wondering why you didn’t take the Landy nearer?
Thank you for the kind comment.
The Landy was driven to the end of the public road, beyond that it's only a footpath unless you're prepared to identify the land owners to seek permission to drive further.
There are a couple of other gates to negotiate where the track runs through some fields not shown in the film, these are very securely fastened shut to prevent people taking motor vehicles (bikes or 4x4) any further without permission.
You deserve many more subscribers than fate has given you. I'm still trying to figure out how you set up the shot on the hanging bridge, since clearly the camera is on the other side... You didn't walk on that thing, did you?!?! :D
Thank you for your comment....
No, you won't catch me going across that bridge. There's an alternative route from the one side that goes down a slope to the floor of the chamber underneath it, then across and into chambers on the far side where you can then work your way back up to the opposite side of the bridge. It takes about 10 minutes at a smart trot having set the camera up on the one side to go down and around to the far side to record the scene, then about another 10 minutes to return again!
...a search online still finds plenty of photos of people walking across it over the years in various states of collapse, despite there being a much more solid (but not so obvious) route to the far side.
I've always fancied going to this site, but always put off by the fact you need climbing gear to enter safely. I have been down the one just above Corwen and one of the two in Glyn Ceiriog.
Yes, I'm afraid it's a vertical walled shaft to get in and out, so ropework isn't really optional. The steel signal ladder visible in the film is just at the very bottom, the rest of the shaft is spent hanging from the rope.
@@IACooper aye, that's what I've seen from many people who have gone there. Now all I need is some one who can show me how to use the gear, so I can either aquire my own equipment or borrow some. The mine at Corwen ( Penarth) is still a good mine to explore though
@@pugman205 Probably the cheapest and quickest way is to look at the caving/mining club scene - there are a couple which are located near the area.
Whilst I appreciate clubs aren't for everyone, they'll have equipment available for beginners to borrow whilst learning Single Rope Technique (SRT) and be able to give instruction and ensure you don't either get tied up in a knot, or find yourself 'break free' of the rope - neither of which are very good when alone.
There are commercial trainers who do SRT courses, but those will be more expensive.
Even if you ultimately decide the clubs aren't for you and go back to visiting places with your own group of friends, you'll have given it a try and come away with some new skills.
Thats a nice bit of slate, that is.
Lol. Such an English comment.
more mine videos would be awesome
I have a few more ideas for places to film, but the underground videos take quite a bit of work. This film involved about 6 or 7 filming visits spread over about 15 months to get the footage.
I have an idea for a smaller mine to visit which should be quicker and may be done by the end of the year.
@@IACooper i could tell it was a very intense project with all that lighting we will be waiting patiently for what’s to come
Great video Ian! Some of those galleries are huge, were they blasted out or machined?
Thanks.
Yes, some of the chambers are fairly large - especially if you consider the staircase nature where the end of a chamber at one level runs into and connects to the chamber of the next level down. This can be seen effectively with the shots of the timber support cog where the first view is from the level above looking down on it, then the next shot is on the next level down looking across at it.
You then have a series of these long 'slots' all sat parallel with each other, which can be seen in the shot at about 6:28 where the camera is looking across three of them - the black one in the far distance, the one in the middle of the scene, and then the black one in the foreground where the camera is located.
Compared to some of the North Wales mines, this is fairly compact. These chambers would have been blasted out and I understand generally in the slate industry black powder was prefered over high explosive due to it's lower power tending to limit the amount of fracturing and damage caused to the stone - although I can't say for certain that was the case here.
Clicked for the chains came out with handsome wellies
The house i grew up in had a slate roof. Now I wonder where the slate came from.
Proper rack of brake bars = proper caver.
Probably one of the large quarries/mines at the heart of the slate producing area in North West Wales - one or two are still working today.
In the day there were narrow gauge railways that would take the slate to private ports at the coast for onward shipping worldwide.
Lol - proper caver has a rack of bars that are so worn the grooves align and the rope has a nearly straight path through the middle.... before then considering turning them around to get even more use out of them! 😆
I do have a couple of old worn out Stops, but I prefer the rack - much easier to control across a range of ropes and conditions. ☺
@@IACooper Nah, I was in Peoria, Illinois, USA, sorry for not being clear. I am often bemused by the enormous works which are created by man and eventually abandoned in place, as a child might leave a broken toy right where it broke. In my youth, I frequently attended a "day camp" in the summer time, sited in/on a former strip/surface coal mine which had been "reclaimed" by bulldozing then scattering a few piles of dirt and some seeds on the resulting piles of utterly sterile shale. @_@ They left behind just the right amount of danger for kids - enough to skin one's knees on and learn, without actually getting killed or maimed. There was one piece of cart rail sticking out of a tailings pile at an odd angle that we found all sorts of uses for... that place was one of a few childhood experiences that made me very curious about holes in the ground.
Also: Llangollen? You can't fool me, I know Moria when I see it. ;D
Welsh slate was exported worldwide, so being in the USA doesn't preclude the possibility - although when there's already slate in the US it would make more sense for it to be locally sourced.
Youngsters need some abandoned places their parents wouldn't approve of to explore ...just some people don't grow out of it as they get older! lol
dude really trusting that parking brake..
It's in good condition 🙂
Having changed the output flange and oil seal, the gearbox doesn't leak into the handbrake which has all been rebuilt as well.
....besides if I'm too concerned I'll leave it in gear as well. If I'm less concerned then I'll often put the transfer box in neutral so it's braking all four wheels rather than just the rear axle.
@@IACooper I'm sure its fine, was just having fun. Normally I turn the wheel in one direction so if anything did happen it would just turn itself.
@@TronBons yeah, if it's steep I'll sometimes do that so it'll creep towards a curb etc.
What the video doesn't show is there i also turn around before parking so it's the other way around - but that doesn't fit well with the film 😉
It's good that it's in colour; was it filmed in the 50s?
Filming took place in December 2021, December 2022 and January 2023.
It was finally finished September 2024
why would they block off a tunnel almost all the way,
but then leave a square to pass through anyway
same with the gate
In this instance I wouldn't necessarily say a hole was left in the wall when the mine closed!
The wooden gate would be original to when the mine was operating, but the various slate blocks on the floor in this area probably originated from this hole, so I'd possibly guess it was made by cavers visiting in the period after the mine had closed and been abandoned.
However you're right that the wall does have passing interest because the lower half is a lot thicker and more substantial with the upper portion thinner - as if that was possibly extended at a later date to fully 'seal' the adit on top of an earlier wall? Perhaps suggesting this level had been walled off (but not entirely) and not used some time before final closure? Who knows, as the decades roll on subtleties like this are likely to be lost to time.
6:35 is bloody cool
Where's the light coming from?
The filming lights i had to carry and set up to be able to film there - otherwise it's total darkness, so unable to see or film anything.