u/Unfair_Awareness_371

When entering a tunnel that has been sealed for years, it is essential to conduct a preliminary assessment of the internal atmosphere. To do this, it is advisable to insert the gas detector through the smallest possible opening, thus minimizing exposure to potential accumulations of gases trapped for long periods, some of which can be toxic, asphyxiating, or even lethal.

It is not uncommon for the detector to start sounding alarms in sealed tunnels even before fully approaching the obstruction. In some explorations carried out in seemingly well-ventilated mines, significant concentrations of methane (CH), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and other hazardous gases

have been detected, both due to their toxicity and their explosive potential.

Safety must always take precedence over any other objective. Upon detecting hazardous gases, even if the affected area appears limited to a few meters, the most prudent course of action is to abandon the exploration and turn back.

Some images of abandoned places in Spain.

Incidentally, the third image is a strange composition that occurred to me in one of these places.

When entering a tunnel that has been sealed for years, it is essential to conduct a preliminary assessment of the internal atmosphere. To do this, it is advisable to insert the gas detector through the smallest possible opening, thus minimizing exposure to potential accumulations of gases trapped for long periods, some of which can be toxic, asphyxiating, or even lethal.

It is not uncommon for the detector to start sounding alarms in sealed tunnels even before fully approaching the obstruction. In some explorations carried out in seemingly well-ventilated mines, significant concentrations of methane (CH₄), hydrogen sulfide (H₂S), and other hazardous gases have been detected, both due to their toxicity and their explosive potential.

Safety must always take precedence over any other objective. Upon detecting hazardous gases, even if the affected area appears limited to a few meters, the most prudent course of action is to abandon the exploration and turn back.

🇪🇸 Hace unos años, comenzamos a explorar las antiguas minas de carbón de España. Hasta entonces, nadie lo había hecho; la gente decía tener un gran respeto por estos lugares. Es cierto que muchas de ellas contienen gases letales (metano, sulfuro de hidrógeno, monóxido de carbono, etc.), por lo que nuestro equipo de exploración siempre lleva un detector de gases y un dispositivo de autorrescate para cada persona. Dentro de estas minas, la ventilación puede cambiar en cuestión de segundos, por lo que es necesaria una extrema precaución.

Desde entonces, hemos explorado más de doscientos kilómetros de túneles. Aquí les presento una mina de carbón de Categoría 4 (el tipo más peligroso), que tiene más de 5000 kilómetros de longitud. En esta exploración, caminamos 27 kilómetros y pasamos la noche dentro.

Espero que les guste.

Hemos publicado algunas de nuestras exploraciones aquí:

https://www.instagram.com/forgotten\_mines?igsh=MTUwd3Q2ZWtmZ3g0ZQ==

🇬🇧 A few years ago, we began exploring Spain's old coal mines. Until then, no one had done so; people said they had great respect for these places. It's true that many of them contain lethal gases (methane, hydrogen sulfide, carbon monoxide, etc.), so our exploration team always carries a gas detector and a self-rescue device for each person. Inside these mines, the ventilation can change in a matter of seconds, so extreme caution is necessary.

Since then, we've explored over two hundred kilometers of tunnels. Here's a Category 4 coal mine (the most dangerous type), which is over 5,000 kilometers long. On this exploration, we hiked 27 kilometers and spent the night inside.

I hope you enjoy it.

We've posted some of our explorations here:

https://www.instagram.com/forgotten_mines?igsh=MTUwd3Q2ZWtmZ3g0ZQ==