Verdon Gorge (Gorges du Verdon, Grand Canyon du Verdon), South France [HD] (videoturysta)
[EN] The Verdon Gorge in south France (Provence) is the deepest and one of most beautiful river canyons in Europe. It's length is about 25 kilometres and it is up to 700 metres deep. It is very popular area for rock climbing. The canyon is ended by the Lake of Sainte-Croix (Lac de Sainte-Croix) with a beautiful green-blue water.
*** more info:
*** see also:
[FR] Les Gorges du Verdon (sud de la France, Provence) - plus profond et l'un des plus beaux canyons d'Europe. Sa longueur est d'environ 25 km et il est jusqu'à 700 mètres de profondeur. Il est la zone très populaire pour l'escalade. Le canyon est terminée par le Lac de Sainte-Croix avec une belle eau bleu-vert.
*** plus d'informations:
*** voir aussi:
Exploring A Giant Soviet Mine Crucial To World War II
Exploring abandoned mines can lead one to some interesting places and, I believe, this area of the former Soviet Union is a prime example of that. Rich in the history of the Second World War, scenic beauty, mining history, friendly people, unspoiled wilderness, unique sights… This area ranks high on the “interesting” scale for me.
As I mentioned in the introduction, this abandoned mine and (almost) ghost town are located in southern Kazakhstan and go by the name of “Bayzhansay.” Although many Kazakh people were killed in WW2, the fighting did not reach this part of the world.
Therefore, the lead mines of Bayzhansay were running flat out to supply the war effort. I can only imagine the intensity of activity taking place during that time, but I’m sure it would have been something to see… Of course, I probably would have been shot as a spy or sent to a gulag if I’d rolled up with my camera and started taking a video like I do now though.
As the ninth largest country in the world, Kazakhstan has one of the lowest population densities on earth. And Bayzhansay is in a remote part of Kazakhstan… So, I wasn’t kidding when I said this was in the middle of nowhere. It took multiple days of driving for us to reach this mine. Also, bear in mind that even though Kazakhstan is the most developed of the ‘Stans, it is still complicated to fly here without spending a fortune. So, even though this abandoned mine and ghost town played such a role in World War II history, you won’t see it on any tourist routes.
If you’re curious to see Bayzhansay on a map or a program like Google Earth, these are the GPS coordinates: 43.163189, 69.920683. For a sense of perspective, the precise location of the coordinates is where we parked above the mill to hike up to the large open pit. I can also provide you with the precise locations of the adits and tunnels of the underground sections of this mine shown in the upcoming videos as well if there is any interest...
Based upon the research I had done on the size and significance of the town of Bayzhansay prior to visiting, I was shocked by its present state. Living in this town used to be considered a luxury and people used to come from all around for things like food and clothing.
Among the ruins, there are a few people still scratching out an existence and there’s a mosque that gets a little paint once in a while to touch things up, but that’s it… I was told that no one stays for the winter as they would be completely cut off.
*****
All of these videos are uploaded in HD, so adjust those settings to ramp up the quality! It really does make a difference.
You can see the gear that I use for mine exploring here:
You can click here for my full playlist of abandoned mines:
Thanks for watching!
*****
Growing up in California’s “Gold Rush Country” made it easy to take all of the history around us for granted. However, abandoned mine sites have a lot working against them – nature, vandals, scrappers and various government agencies… The old prospectors and miners that used to roam our lonely mountains and toil away deep underground are disappearing quickly as well.
These losses finally caught our attention and we felt compelled to make an effort to document as many of the ghost towns and abandoned mines that we could before that colorful niche of our history is gone forever. But, you know what? We enjoy doing it! This is exploring history firsthand – bushwhacking down steep canyons and over rough mountains, figuring out the techniques the miners used and the equipment they worked with, seeing the innovations they came up with, discovering lost mines that no one has been in for a century, wandering through ghost towns where the only sound is the wind... These journeys allow a feeling of connection to a time when the world was a very different place. And I’d love to think that in some small way we are paying tribute to those hardy miners that worked these mines before we were even born.
So, yes, in short, we are adit addicts… I hope you’ll join us on these adventures!
#ExploringAbandonedMines
#MineExploring
#AbandonedMines
#UndergroundMineExploring
LES PAYSANS MINEURS - Trets
Cette chaîne vous est présentée par l'Office de Tourisme Aix Pays d'Aix.
Pour en savoir plus sur notre destination et préparer votre séjour, rendez-vous sur
Histoire de la mine à Trets
Dès le XVe siècle, les habitants de Trets constatèrent que les pierres noires qu’ils grattaient (le lignite),s’enflammaient et pouvaient chauffer les chaumières, mieux et plus longtemps que le bois. Ainsi commence l’histoire des mineurs paysans de Trets, qui alla jusqu’au XXe siècle (fermeture le 31 décembre 1935).
L’exploitation di lignite va s’intensifier et faire la prospérité du village et ce, pour deux raisons : d’une part la mine recrutait sur place, et d’autre part, de nombreux mineurs ont conservé quelques lopins de terre, ainsi ces derniers pouvaient délaisser la mine pour se livrer aux travaux des champs.
Par ailleurs, les autorités impériales tenaient compte de cette réalité, le sous-préfet d’Aix indique que : « Les mineurs ont cessé le travail en promettant de revenir ensuite à la mine » et explique cette promesse : « L’administration des mines assure qu’elle est bien aise de laisser les ouvriers vaquer à leurs cultures ».
Le lignite affleurait le long des collines, au sud du village, notamment au quartier des Reynauds sous le hameau de Kirbon.