MEET THE GANG
The present active members of the mine exploration group, seen here posing adjacent to the blown connecting tunnel between the Cwmorthin and Gloddfa Ganol slate mines at Blaenau Ffestiniog North Wales .
QUICK HISTORY
The club was founded in 1970. It initially consisted of myself , two brothers Martin and Peter and five friends.
Exploration began with hand held torches , wellingtons and no helmets . Slides and photos were taken underground using time exposure with light provided by candles and torches giving a very warm looking picture.
This soon progressed to more modern equipment, miners electric lights and helmets. Frequent trips to Matlock bath Derbyshire around 1975 to visit "The Bivouac" shop run by Jim Ballard emptied the wallet and filled the kit bags.
Many trips followed to mines and caves in the Matlock and Buxton region over the next few years, interspersed with holidays in Wales down mines.
Club activity then died down for some years as family commitments increased and other hobbies took over.
A recent flurry begining with trips to "Caving Supplies " of Buxton for more kit has consisted of trips to both Derbyshire and North wales.
We are always willing to hear from active or prospective explorers interested in underground exploration with a tendancy towards mines and quarries rather than Phreatic tubes.
HOME
