Cae Coch: ladies edition

Sharon, Lydia and me were keen to visit Cae Coch Sulphur mine. And Lydia was keen to do something during the Easter break. And we decided to combine the two! So on a Sunday morning we met in Trefriw. We decided to approach to mine from below, and that we would bring a handline. From the previous (and only) time I'd been there, I knew there was a passage down to a lower level that looks very slippery, and that I would love to explore. So my big bag came out again.

We walked up the forestry road, until we got to the transformer house. From there we walked up the incline. I remembered that! It is rather steep. I was a bit confused at the first drumhouse we encountered, but then recognised the situation again when we reached the second. I knew from there we had to walk along the isolines. Which isn't easy! It looked like every single tree in the forest had fallen over what must have been a tram line. But we got there.

When we walked in, Lydia and Sharon were positively impressed by how weird the place is, but potentially a bit negatively impressed by the sulphur stench. I had forgot all about that! And we just walk deeper into the mine, just having a look. I had forgot about where the various sites in the mine were. We just followed our noses! And there was enough to see. Mainly features of a chemical nature. I suppose some of the nice artefacts or structures you see in other mines would not have survived in the strange chemistry of this place! But in a sulphur mine, you get puddles and crusts and what not in the strangest colours.

Pretty puddle

Sliminess inside the mine (pic by Sharon)

Good colours inside the mine (pic by Sharon)

Strange ceiling: stalactites, snottites, and blood red water drops

At some point I realised I was a lot more out of breath than I should be. I worried a bit about bad air! I didn't remember that, but that doesn't mean very much. We didn't linger in the area where I felt uncomfortable. Later, Lydia would abandon a particular corner of the mine for similar reasons. She was also feeling the sulphur! It was giving her a headache. This would not be an unusually long trip. And I was already resigned to not finding that passage down.

After lunch within view of the entrance, we wanted to have one more explore. We headed to a spot where Sharon had been staring down into the depths. Quite a lot of depths in this mine are flooded, but this one wasn't! So we went in. And lo and behold; we found the famous river of snot. It has really impressed me the previous time I was there! It basically is a stream with so many snottites living in it that it genuinely looks like a river of snot. And that is the stream that vanishes into the inclined passage. Which we found by just following the stream. And there was a fixed handline! So I needn't have brought the rope. Oh well.

The river of snot! Pic by Sharon.

Me by some rare woodwork. Pic by Sharon.

I descended first. I noticed how fresh the air was! Lydia would be pleased. I descended, saw you end up in a horizontal passage, and shouted at the others that it was well worth coming down. Which they duly did.

In one direction there was deep red water. We ignored that. On the other side there was a more accessible passage. It went a fair way! Until it split into a horizontal level, and another level that went down. I decided to explore down. It lead into another horizontal passage filled with red water. This is where the stream goes! Somehow it must drain to the outside. We knew there were several drainage levels. But it looked deep. We went back up! And then explored the other passage that went horizontally on. I volunteered to see what it did when the water became too deep to keep your feet dry. The passage had collapsed! Hence the water levels. 

The passage down

The red water at the end of the handline. Pic by Sharon.

We then went out. Enough seen for one day! And we took the barely discernible public footpath down that went diagonally back to the transformer house.

Near the transformer house was another stream; we washed our kit there. And then we went back to the car to change. A successful mission! And this time I came out of the mine as healthy as I had gone in! That is important too.

A good wash. Pic by Lydia.

Now we will first have Easter, and then three hectic weeks with a lot of student presentations and field work. I don't think I'll be underground for a while. But it is nice to have a little community to do great trips with!