County Pot, Showerbath Passage inwards, Razor Passage outwards

From Ease Gill

County Pot Entrance Series[edit | edit source]

An easy 4m climb down leads into a pleasant winding passage. [An inlet on the left leads to a pitch down.] Five minutes pleasant caving in a well-sculpted passage with short climbs leads to the first pitch.

  • Ladder descent: 8m ladder rigged to two P-bolts; 20m lifeline.
  • SRT descent: 12m rope; back-up to P-bolt; Y-hang off two P-bolts.

There are two ways on from the bottom of the pitch.

  • The normal route is a 3m climb down, just round the corner from the pitch. This lands in The Broadway.
  • Ascending a boulder slope to the right reaches a crawl to The Snake.

The Broadway[edit | edit source]

The Broadway is a large passage in the County Pot entrance series. There are four routes from the Broadway.

  • Upstream, the stream can be followed for a few minutes until the roof lowers; eventually an aven is reached.
  • Downstream to the left, following the stream, is Razor Passage, leading to Molluscan Hall.
  • Downstream to the right, over a rock slope, is Showerbath Passage, leading to Trident Series, the Manchester Bypass, and Eureka Junction.
  • Part way along the largest part, on the left (looking upstream), is a 3m climb up into the County Pot Exit Series.

Showerbath Passage, from Broadway to Battle of Britain Junction[edit | edit source]

Showerbath Passage is easy walking passage. The Showerbath itself is on the first bend, bringing in a sizeable streamway.

Downstream, an inlet on the right leads to a climb, [and then becomes small.] After a few minutes, Confusion Corner is reached. [To the right is The Snake, the original route from Oxford Pot]. [On a ledge on the left is the start of a crawl, which rejoins the main route in Spout Hall; this provides a useful bypass to The Spout in bad weather.]

Shortly after, are two side passages on a ledge on the right.

Ahead leads towards Poetic Justice.

Battle of Britain Junction to Poetic Justice[edit | edit source]

The stream passage soon reaches The Spout, a short waterfall into Spout Hall; the waterfall can be passed by climbing down on the left onto a ledge. Spout Hall is about 10m by 8m, and slopes down, ahead and to the right. [The bypass to The Spout enters on the left at the start of the chamber.] At the bottom of the chamber is the choice of two routes. The normal route is a short crawl following the water. [Alternatively, a longer, dry, well-decorated route is to the left.]

The two routes join. Immediately, at the first point where it is possible to stand up, is a narrow, 3m-high calcited chimney tucked under the right-hand wall, by a stal boss. This is Poetic Justice, leading to Eureka Junction. The streamway ahead leads to Platypus Junction, passing Ignorance is Bliss.

Poetic Justice to Platypus Junction[edit | edit source]

From Poetic Justice, the passage continues as a meandering streamway with occasional dry oxbows. About 40m downstream from Poetic Justice, the stream sinks in the floor (at least, in reasonably dry conditions); a few metres ahead, by a yellow painted blob on the wall, a boulder slope to the left marks the start of Ignorance is Bliss. Continuing downstream, after about five minutes, Platypus Junction is reached.

Platypus Junction[edit | edit source]

Platypus Junction is the confluence of the Razor Passage and Showerbath Passage streamways in County Pot. It is marked by a rock that some believe looks like a platypus.

Three passages lead from the junction (described in clockwise order):

  • Downstream leads to Dismal Junction, with connections to Sylvester Pot, The Nice Way and Molluscan Hall;
  • Upstream to the left is Showerbath Passage, leading past Poetic Justice to The Broadway, with connections to Eureka Junction, Manchester Bypass, and Trident Series;
  • Upstream to the right is Razor Passage. After two minutes, a passage leads off from a shelf on the right, leading to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot. Continuing up Razor Passage leads to The Broadway.

Razor Passage, from Platypus Junction to The Broadway[edit | edit source]

From Platypus Junction, Razor Passage is a sporting streamway with various obstacles. After two minutes, a passage leads off from a shelf on the right; [this leads to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot.]

Upstream, the stream splits, and then soon reunites in a bouldery chamber; the way to the left is easier and drier. A climb up through boulders leads into another chamber, where the streamway is regained. A short crawl in the stream leads to a climb up between boulders to the left.

Ahead, the stream splits; ascending the rock slope between the two branches leads to a route between boulders into a larger chamber where the two branches reunite.

Ahead reaches Toadstool Junction; [a large inlet, Butterfield's Passage, enters on the right.] Walking stream passage with a few wet climbs continues. A small inlet on the right is Green Passage. After a few minutes, The Broadway is reached.

Broadway to County Pot Exit[edit | edit source]

From the Broadway, the route towards County Pot entrance is a 3m climb on the left-hand side of the passage (when looking upstream), part way along the largest part of the passage. Some cavers find the climb difficult: there is a foothold for the left foot near the top which makes it easier.

At the top of the climb [to the left, a boulder slope ascends to The Snake.] Round the corner to the right, is the first pitch (which needs pre-rigging; see County Pot Entrance Series).

Above the pitch is a pleasant well-sculpted passage, with a few short narrow climbs. [An inlet on the right leads to a pitch down.] After about 10 minutes caving, the entrance is reached: a 4m climb, starting on a ledge on the left.