Fall Pot to Mainline Terminus via the High-Level Series

From Ease Gill

Fall Pot[edit | edit source]

Fall Pot is a major junction in Lancaster Hole.

In extremely wet weather, the streamway backs up from the sump, and floods the whole of this area.

The following are described from near a memorial plaque on the wall, in a clockwise direction.

  • Up-slope and to the right, just to the left of the plaque, is the start of the route towards Bill Taylor's Passage, leading to Lancaster Hole exit.
  • Down-slope, just to the right of the plaque, a route below huge jammed boulders joins the previous route.
  • Down-slope, at the bottom of the chamber, is a route down to the Main Streamway.

Montagu Passage East, from Fall Pot to Stake Pot[edit | edit source]

From Fall Pot, ascending the slope opposite the plaque leads to a 4m hand-line climb. At the top of the climb, crawling forward through boulders leads to a climb up through boulders; [alternatively, a more exposed climb above the rope reaches the same point.]

Montagu Passage starts as a fine 5m wide, 5m high passage, with an arched roof; it is mostly mud floored with some boulders. The holes in the floor should be avoided, as they drop into the main streamway: the best route is to the left part way along, then crossing to the right, and then back to the left for the final section.

After about four minutes, a rope on the left is reached, with the streamway audible below. The rope is is the top of an 8m climb down to Stake Pot.

Stake Pot[edit | edit source]

Stake Pot is a major junction on the high level route between Lancaster Hole and the caves of Easegill, with a connection down to the man streamway. The following are described in clockwise order. Each route has an in situ handline (March 2016).

  • Ascending to the left of the stream route leads to Montagu Passage East, leading to Fall Pot in Lancaster Hole.

Stake Pot to E.P.C. Series Junction[edit | edit source]

From Stake Pot, ascending the short mud slope to the east leads to a 3m hand-line climb. 30m ahead is an important junction.

  • To the right, behind some boulders, is an irregular-shaped hole, marking the start of the E.P.C. Series, leading to Link Pot.

E.P.C. Series Junction to Oxbow Corner[edit | edit source]

From the junction with the E.P.C. Series, the high level route continues as a very large passage. The route, slippery in places, passes formations. After about five minutes, a 4m hand-line climb leads up to the right. At the top of the climb is the fine Painter's Palette formations.

Three minutes ahead reaches Scylla, a large hole dropping to the streamway. This is bypassed by a ledge on the right, with a traverse line; take care to avoid damaging the footholds here.

Very soon ahead is Charybdis, another large hole dropping to the streamway. This is again bypassed by a ledge on the right, the first part with a traverse line.

A couple of minutes ahead, the floor rises towards the roof, forcing an easy crawl. The crawl opens up again.

About two minutes ahead, the passage becomes more bouldery, the left-hand wall starts to become undercut, and the right-hand wall becomes streaked with calcite. At this point is an easily missed junction.

  • 3m to the left of the trodden path is a 50cm by 70cm hole down between boulders. One metre into the hole is the start of a thin rope that acts as a guideline. Following the guideline soon leads to an awkward 3m hand-line climb down. A further 5m clamber down reaches the streamway. Downstream leads towards Stake Pot. [Upstream leads through a choke to Oxbow Corner.]
  • Continuing ahead is Oxbow Corner, and the continuing high-level route towards Easegill.

Oxbow Corner to The Minarets[edit | edit source]

Ahead, the passage soon reaches Oxbow Corner, where the passage slopes down to the left. [Descending the slope reaches the streamway; downstream, the stream can be followed through a choke towards Stake Pot.] Keeping high to the right, leads to a crawl on a mud ledge overlooking Oxbow Corner. The roof rises to allow walking in a chamber, and then lowers again into continuing crawl. Soon the roof rises again at a climb up boulders to the left into larger passage.

Clambering up boulders passes taped-off formations to the right. A short narrower section opens out at the start off the very large Oakes Cavern. The route through the cavern passes a pile of large boulders chocked against the roof, with stal bosses. The chamber soon splits near taped off formations. The way on is to the left, where a well-trodden route heads into an alcove, where a hole steps down into The Minarets.

Minarets to Cornes Cavern[edit | edit source]

The Minarets are a series of parallel minaret-shaped passages. The first passage runs for 30m to a low crawl on the right. The next passage runs back to the right for 10m to another low crawl, to the left. The final passage leads for another 10m, to a choice of climbs up to the left into Cornes Cavern.

Cornes Cavern is an extremely large chamber. A gulley can be followed through the middle of the passage. At the end of the cavern are two routes.

  • Slightly to the right, the cavern narrows into a 3m wide passage, which leads to Snail Cavern.
  • Hidden behind a very large boulder on the right at the end of Cornes Cavern, just before the route to Snail Cavern, is the start of the Mancunian Way.

Snail Cavern to Monster Cavern[edit | edit source]

From the end of Cornes Cavern, a 3m wide passage soon opens out into Snail Cavern, with formations taped-off to the left. Snail Cavern is another very large boulder-strewn passage. After about two minutes, a boulder slope leads down to the start of Monster Cavern. Three side passages are met at this point.

  • About 4m up the right-hand wall is a window, which is the end of Mainline Passage; reaching the passage requires pre-rigging: it is normally entered from the other end, near Mainline Terminus.
  • A few metres to the right of Mainline Passage, about 6m up, is another window, with a rope leading up to it (February 2016); this is Sideline Passage.
  • Below and to the right of Sideline Passage is a steep descent, which leads into Lower Snail Cavern.

Straight ahead is Monster Cavern, leading to Mainline Terminus.

Monster Cavern to Mainline Terminus[edit | edit source]

Monster Cavern is another very large (20m wide in places), boulder-strewn passage. The passage passes a blind alcove to the left. After about four minutes, Mainline Terminus is reached.