2026/8/30
dangerous (snakes, traps, collapse)
In addition to the large open mining areas and the more than 600 km of interconnected mine shafts, there were numerous smaller mines. Some may extend only a few metres into the hillside, while others can run for several hundred metres. They were often quite small and, in some cases, uncomfortably cramped. We have been inside shafts like these, but we had little desire to crawl through the dampness on our hands and knees.
Judging from the footprints, it seems that someone has recently been trying to get in. Here the passage splits. This tunnel leads downward, and you could only get through it by crawling.
Unknown mining company
This is a larger mining operation that was closed a long time ago. Even on Google Maps, there is hardly anything left to see. It forms part of the extensive Shaft No. 4 system.
(Probably the truck unloading station next to the entrance; an old video from Google Maps.)
The regular entrance is no longer accessible, however. Everything is overgrown and has collapsed. There are even animal traps set around the area. It took us ages to find another entrance. Along the way, you can still see the remains of terraces. The old path, however, has disappeared and is now crossed by animal trails, so it took us two hours of searching.
The first thing we saw was this corrugated-metal hut. It reminded me of a post I had seen a long time before. The heavy steel beams and the deep concrete foundation suggested that heavy machinery had once stood here. We were therefore fairly sure that we were on the right track.
There appeared to be the remains of a collapsed road and a power pole.
Bingo! The entrance was very easy to miss. It was barred, but someone had already broken through the bars, which had been built into the wall and welded together. The concrete entrance passage is perhaps 10 metres long, suggesting that it led to a deep shaft. Thin rails for mine carts are still lying in the water.
Everyone has that one friend who goes inside even though there is absolutely no reason for him to be there. I have one too. He climbed through the opening.
At the end of the concrete section, he found several branches leading off in different directions. There are also more recent ventilation installations, apparently assembled from off-the-shelf DIY equipment. This suggests that private explorers with some technical knowledge entered the mine at a later date. The equipment is no longer operating, however. The video gives a good impression of just how humid the air is inside. In any case, we will need highly effective gas detectors.
