Barry Burn
Tristan Burn
Tom Williams
Vicky Blüemel
Andrew “Zeb” Zerbino

After leaving the delightful Will’s Hole behind us, we decided to go back to the cars via the Upper Silica Mine that can be reached by following the river upstream until an obvious mine entrance is found up a banking and behind a low fence.

We entered via the lower entrance and had a quick look around the lower levels where you can walk to the far end of the mine with steep inclines to your left that lead to higher parallel galleries and lower flooded levels to your right.

Looking back to the lower entrance

And we explored some of the lower levels of the mine.

Tris decided to have a look at one of the flooded levels.

And we threatened Zeb with what might happen the next time he’s late.

Late again and we remove the chocks…

A detour to the crane and then back out by climbing the slope up to an upper entrance at the top of the hill.

It is quite amazing when you pop out the top of the hill to realise that the whole interior of the hill has been hollowed out by mining activity.

A walk back down off the rock back to the cars followed completed an enjoyable double-trip day.

Back Down The Rock