Zipping along for Milwr Time

Paul Fairman of the BEC had arranged a weekends play in North Wales and had kindly invited Jess and I along. 

So although not officially a Dudley trip we did have a presence!

Our first days play turned in to a fun day of the blind leading the blind as our 'leader' was still nowhere to be seen at midday and so a team of ten of us headed in undeterred and adventured around the various zip lines and climbs.
We managed a full six hours play before heading back to our base at Tremadog for a good meal and a few beers.

After a day of fun and games, Paul mentioned we may be able to join him on a trip in to the Milwr Tunnel on the Sunday.
We both jumped at the chance as we'd never been before and had heard all about the trip from some of our older club members.
We met up about on time and although we were a large group of eight plus four leaders, we moved reasonably swiftly through Rhyd Alyn and down the 24 ladders to emerge at the train.
After a little tinkering the guys managed to get the engine going and we all jumped aboard. Unfortunately there were still problems and we were soon dismounted and had to take shanks pony to the Lime Stone caverns.

Here we took a couple of photos before Doug and Steven headed back to take another look at the train whilst Mike and Steve continued the tour to take in the huge shaft which was used for entering the system before being condemned and around the upper series from the limestone caverns before we plodded back upstream to see how the guys were getting on.
The consensus was that more work was needed and so we headed back out and up the ladders pausing for a photo on the way out.

A mention of thanks should go to UCET members Doug, Mike, Steven & Paul who were very knowledgeable, able, and patient leaders.....even when I kept calling Paul by the wrong name the entire trip!

'Walk the plank' Zipline in Cwmorthin

Ladder climbs in the lower levels. Cwmorthin

The guys tinkering in Milwr Tunnel

Limestone Cavern Milwr Tunnel

Huge rock bridge in the Limestone Caverns. Milwr Tunnel

Just on of the 24 ladders to enter the Milwr Tunnel.

Present: Mark Burkey, Jess Burkey & a ton of BEC members!

Cwmorthin Slate Mine..It's My Birthday & I'll Cry If I Want To.....For Chloe Mining Hell

After a good meal and a couple of of Birthday drinks Chloe returned to find her blow up mattress had sprung a leak, and so she managed very little sleep, even with the aid of a bottle of sambuca she and Mark2 had night capped with.

We tried to wake her with a good breakfast at Betws-y-Coed before heading to Go Below to pick up a key for Cwmorthin.

Mark2 would lead us today as he was the only one who knew his way around and a sterling job he did too.
Mark rigged a 50m rope in dropping us down an impressive chamber to level D. From here we went up a level to our first zip wire. This had a single plank in to nothingness and was a rather intimidating start to our fun. After this the zip wires became more fun as we begun to trust in the well installed underground playground which Go Below have created. Again we played on bridges, traverses and further zip lines for a couple of hours.

After descending a particularly awkward and slippery traverse and bold pull through we reached a via ferrata route. Mark and I headed up to find a further Zip line and awaited the girls. After a while we realised that Chloe seemed to be taking rather a long time and returned to find her damp eyed and quivering lipped clinging to a metal rung. She had found the spacing a little too reachy for her and was really struggling to get off at the head of the pitch. Mark2 gallantly came to her rescue and assisted her up the last part. Well it isn't a 'proper' birthday trip without a tear from the birthday girl!

All that was left was to head for daylight. Chloe and Jess exited via the normal entrance whilst Mark and I went to take a look at the smoke flue.

Many thanks to Mark Burgess who was an excellent leader, also our thanks to all at Go Below who were very friendly and helpful, they have spent an awful lot of time and money on their routes and they are indeed very impressive.

Hopefully next time Chloe will get more sleep before such a physical adventure as at one point she was heard to exclaim.....'This IS mining hell!


Present Mark Burgess, Chloe Burney, Jess Burkey, Mark Burkey

North Wales Weekend - Dudley goes 'Carry on Camping' , Day 2 - Cwmorthin, Zip Wires and Trampolines

Having decided we were all going to leave camp at 9am and go for breakfast, Mark and I were rudely awakened by thumping on the van at quarter past 9.
A proper caving breakfast having been consumed, the majority of the group set off to meet Carl and his girlfriend Abby, who had offered to lead a trip into Cwmorthin.
Carl led the group on a really enjoyable round trip with lots of  ladders and traverses and impressive chambers, while Amy, Daniel and I went to Llechwydd Slate Caverns to throw ourselves down the zip wires there, which was great fun!
Once the others arrived, with glowing reports of Carl's trip, it was time to Bounce Below - 3 levels of trampolines with slides and climbs, inside the mountain itself. For an hour we all became 6 years old again, and emerged hot and sweaty and ready for a nice pub meal in Betys y Coed.
This was followed by an evening looking out at the campfire and the rain, from the shelter of the mess tent, where Loz proudly displayed her leopard print legs covered in 'caving' bruises from Crib Goch, and we told each other scary caving stories till bedtime.

Chloe climbing in Cwmorthin

Chloe climbing in Cwmorthin

Matthew in Cwmorthin

Matthew jumping down in Cwmorthin

Present: Jess B., Mark. B., Chloe B., Brendan M., Matt M., Amy S., Daniel, Laura A., Richard, Carl K., Abbey.

Cwmorthin Slate Mine

A nice walk around Cwmorthin Slate Mine to see if Mike could remember the route after his recent visit with Shropshire C.C.. Lucky for us he remembered most of it but I have yet to see the canteen.

The team.

Present:  PAn, AGr & MNo