Day Out Going underground, facing some of my demons

RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,580
131
Dalarna Sweden
Sounds dramatic, huh?
But no Balrogs were awakened, nor goblins encountered.

Well, those who know me, know that I am not overly fond of caves or mines (to little dwarf-genes, I suppose) and that I like tight spaces even less! No, I am not afraid of the dark and yes, I am slightly claustrophobic.
Despite this my outdoor buddy Olli gave me a call, inviting me to join a guided tour through the former iron mines of Tuna-Hästberg, near the city of Borlänge. Something I accepted gladly, although somewhat reluctantly too. But I felt the need to socially interact and to do something. Get out.
So I picked him up and we were to meet a Dutch couple on our way to the mine. Him, Niels, I had met before, last year on a hike and now he had brought along his girlfriend on a 1,5 year tour through Europe. Ah, the joys of youth and an adventurous mind... Anyway....
I can be pretty brief about the mine. It is a mine laid to rest in the late 60's and is actually pretty boring. Mostly dark grey stone, as apparently is usual for an iron ore mine. With copper, like in Falun, the geological scenery tends to be more colourful.
Very interesting fact about today's use, though, is that the mine is famous for it cavediving characteristics. In fact world famous. You can get down to 80 meters, as we did, without getting wet feet, but lower than that, and this mine goes to 220 meters, you need diving equipment. Its linked neighbour mine goes even down to below 800.
The mine itself has several horizontal levels at 20, 40 and 80 meters depth, yet all the shafts are at an 45 degree angle and there is no pattern to them really. Pop up here, there and everywhere, so we had to secure ourselves to a steel line and remain that throughout the tour. Those shafts at times did appear right next to us and our feet!

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Both Olli and I tried to find signs of life down here. In winter these mines are used by hibernating bats, but none were there now. No sign of algae or mosses either. At one point we discovered a network of mycorrhiza (rootsystem of fungi), spread out over the floor. At the center were the remains of wood, so we figure it came down with the wood, consumed it and spread out afterward.
Rockwise we did come across a more colourful wall, but that was pretty much the only interesting wall I saw and I brought some smaller pieces of rock with me.

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RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,580
131
Dalarna Sweden
At one point we were told to extinguish our headlights and we stood there for several minutes, while our guide told stories about how she and the divingteams spent the nights here and when waking not knowing if their eyes were closed or open. She also told us to think about how to get out, if the lights went out. Same as getting lost in the woods; stay put and make sure someone knows where you are before going in!
Shortly after we had a break in a heated room, since the mine is only 4-6C "warm".

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I think this is the deepest point. With water right up to our feet.
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The water is so clear, you could see the bottom..... 21 meters below the surface!
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RonW

Native
Nov 29, 2010
1,580
131
Dalarna Sweden
We found ice on our way up.
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And here's where it gets interesting.
Olli is an assisting guide in these mines and he know there was a cavern under the ice we walked over. At one point he lowered himself into a shallow trench, sat down and slid himself under the ice! There was a 50cm gap into which he disappeared. Some others followed. I however refused..... at first.
But here was a chance to really challenge myself. To show myself that I spooked myself more than necessary. The rest of the story....?
See for yourself as I am making my way up and out again....
Yes, I went down.
Yes, I looked around and yes, I got out on my own again. But I needed a minute to slow down my pounding hard, once back up top.



We then only had a short, but demanding climb back up to the surface and we exited the mine on a different location than going in. All of a sudden we stood in a wooded area, warm and damp. As if we stood in the jungle at the foot of some overgrown Inca pyramid with ferns and deciduous trees around us, lichen, mosses and ferns covering the face of the rising rocks behind us.
And among those trees I spotted a derelict zink bucket. Which followed me out and home, tied to my backpack. At first the others laughed at me until I told them that this way I removed 1 piece of junk from the woods and would reuse it as a protective cover for the base of one of my roses.
The bucket comes from the mine and was once used in a firefighting role. Now it guards a climbing rose, one that actually comes from my in-laws house in the Netherlands, which they brought with them when moving to Sweden, from the blades of the weedhacker and in winter it will be filled with hay and leaves to protect it from biting, freezing winds.

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SCOMAN

Life Member
Dec 31, 2005
2,607
458
54
Perthshire
A braver man than me. I remember meeting a cave diver and cave rescue team member at a SAR conference a few years back. Fascinating guy but some of the stories had chills going down my spine. I saw him on a programme about Yorkshire and the lakes a while back.
 
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Toddy

Mod
Mod
Jan 21, 2005
39,133
4,810
S. Lanarkshire
Braver than me too. I am also mildly claustrophobic, and the whole thought of going down a mine, let alone deep into a cave, has me with goosebumps.
I know that I couldn't do cave diving. It can take me all my time to get deep into a department store with no windows or natural light.

Interesting read though, and thank you for the photos too.

It's astonishing the sheer number of mines that humanity has riddled through the surface of the Earth. Quite amazing some of the stuff that comes up from them sometimes.

Do those caves flood when it rains ? Here we still find stuff flushing out from deep underground at times. A friend followed one of the burns not so long ago, and he knew that the overflow from one of the local pits flowed into it. He found a Victorian boot half out of the outflow and he said that he's found everything from bottles to lantern coming out. The water must be really surging down there at times.

Nice idea on the bucket and the rose :)

M
 
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Tengu

Full Member
Jan 10, 2006
13,008
1,636
51
Wiltshire
Thats a grand story; pictures too.

I would have been too awe inspired to take pictures...(or scared)

I have heard many horror stories about spelunking; I myself would see no point in going further in than Paleolithic man. (But we see some pictures pretty deep in)

I have lived in Cornwall some years now. Never had the chance to go down a mine. But...no ones ever offered.

Cornwall is like a swiss cheese. Even in areas not known for tin/copper...Round here its lead/iron. Very little ground in Cornwall undug.

And little of it plotted. So a shaft might open anywhere! Mercifully very few serious incidents but I could tell you a scary story or several!
 
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Robbi

Banned
Mar 1, 2009
10,253
1,046
northern ireland
[
Thats a grand story; pictures too.

I would have been too awe inspired to take pictures...(or scared)

I have heard many horror stories about spelunking; I myself would see no point in going further in than Paleolithic man. (But we see some pictures pretty deep in)

I have lived in Cornwall some years now. Never had the chance to go down a mine. But...no ones ever offered.

Cornwall is like a swiss cheese. Even in areas not known for tin/copper...Round here its lead/iron. Very little ground in Cornwall undug.

And little of it plotted. So a shaft might open anywhere! Mercifully very few serious incidents but I could tell you a scary story or several!

Pray tell
 

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