Yeah this was written by Ian Gray - one of the classic coders of the early 80's
He did the Wheelin' Wallie games as well.
Thsi game was so difficult it took us a week to get past the first screen - to our defense was the fact that this was one of the first platformers ever written before Manic Miner etc.
Ok it's China Miner - that first screen is a bugger...
You'll notice the spider is on the right hand side of the player (bottom right) on the screenshot - this is because when the level starts the spider is immediately coming towards you. You have to do a well timed vertical jump between the lethal ledges above you just to survive the first few seconds of this game.
The next tricky bit is the purple ledge with the pickaxe on it. Just just make the jump and then you better move as the whole ledge crumbles away.
To make all this trickier you can't move your man while in the air - thus when you jump it's all or nothing. Worst was no save points ... This game was so difficult that if all games where like this we'd have a lot less gamers around.
A game that cost the most upon release, it was regarded as the most graphically advanced upon release and regarded as lightyears ahead of its time upon release