>>776257Pic related.
Riser tunnels are vertical tunnels connecting levels of a mine together and were used to traverse the mine from inside. Not once have I tried to use them, the riser tunnels in the two mines I've explored are 30 - 100 years old, the ladders are soaked and rotten.
"Stopes" can also be used to travel from level to level inside of a mine but could be even more dangerous. These are much wider tunnels and are slanted, no ladders, just loose rocks. It would be very easy to accidentally caused a small rock slide inside of a stope by attempting to climb or descend one. No fucking bueno, I would spend an hour walking back out the front entrance and hiking up the mountain to the next portal before I'd try climbing or descending any risers or stopes.
