‘Escapism is down there’: The men finding solace and community in the dark of disused Cornish mines

Paul, a member of the Carbis Bay Crew, in a disused tin mine below Porthtowan, Cornwall. Photograph: Jonny Weeks/The Guardian

The surf was up off the north coast of Cornwall but a hardy band of adventurers turned their backs on the temptations of the sunny beaches and headed inland to burrow into the darkness.

Over the next few hours members of the Carbis Bay Crew explored the shafts and tunnels of an old mine, laughing, joking and making sure each other was OK as they clambered down precipitous ladders and squeezed through tight gaps.