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Craig wrote a diary on his experience as a miner in Mongolia. Here is an extract detailing how he felt going down the hole for the first time…

"I felt very nervous about dropping into the hole. I knew what I would do if it was in the UK: I would seal it up.

So sitting over the edge of a 5 metre pit didn't fill me with joy, and especially as there wasn't a proper escape route for me if it all went wrong.

I felt more and more apprehensive the lower I went and the air was getting cooler and cooler. Finally when I was in the bottom and I looked up it felt like a tomb.

There was no room for me to turn, and all movement felt restricted, I have been in tight spaces before, but with a team of my own men, not on my own and it felt lonely in there.

It was as if I was waiting for the sides to collapse in on me.

I felt hyper-sensitive to everything happening around me and I wanted everyone on top to be quiet, so I could tune in to my surroundings.

Looking back up the shaft to everyone above, it wasn't a good feeling.

I was happier when I lifted myself out of the "tomb".

You can follow Craig on Twitter: @craigtheminer

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