Holbeck Junction to Top Sink

From Ease Gill

Holbeck Junction[edit | edit source]

Holbeck Junction is a major junction in the upper Easegill main streamway. The junction itself is often dry, as the stream runs in an oxbow.

Several routes lead from Holbeck; in clockwise direction:

  • Downstream soon leads to a choke; a crawl to the left provides an alternative route to Green and Smelly Passage.
  • Upstream is Thackray's Passage leading towards Top Sink with a connection to Boundary Pot.
  • To the left of the stream, behind a 2m high boulder, is a dry passage leading to Green and Smelly Passage, with routes to Pool Sink, Spiral Staircase in Wretched Rabbit, Slit Sinks and New Slit Sinks.

Thackray's Passage, from Holbeck Junction to The Assembly Hall[edit | edit source]

Upstream from Holbeck Junction is Thackray's Passage. The passage is normally dry at first, but soon meets the stream. Easy walking passage passes nice stal formations. Soon the stream is lost, and the passage enters an oxbow. Easy walking and stooping passes several gour pools. Soon the passage becomes smaller. A crawl through a window, past a stal "grille", regains the streamway.

[Downstream becomes very low.] Upstream is a pleasant well-decorated streamway. The streamway is knee-deep in places in normal conditions, but is sometimes deeper, and floods to the roof in very wet conditions. After about four minutes, it is possible to step up into a calcited oxbow above the stream, the White Way. [Continuing upstream soon reaches a very dangerous boulder choke.]

The oxbow soon opens out at the bottom of a 10m diameter chamber. At the top of the chamber is a 2.5m climb up, with an in-situ handline (March 2015). At the top of the climb, crawling to the right leads to an ascent up boulders to a window at roof level [or an alternative route to the left.] The window opens into a chamber, The Assembly Hall.

The Assembly Hall to Nagasaki Cavern[edit | edit source]

From The Assembly Hall, a rift passage appears to be blind after a few metres. However, there is a way on via a climb up to a window 3.5m above the floor: an initial straddle across the rift reaches some good footholds, 2m up, which give a decent but precarious-feeling stance; from there, a final climb through the window reaches a mini-chamber. From the mini-chamber, a constricted upwards-sloping slot opens into wider passage. [Turning right, a traverse along the top of a rift provides an alternative route into Easter Grotto.] [Turning left then left again, a crawl leads to a descent back into The Assembly Hall, which needs tackle.]

From the top of the slot, turning left leads to a step across a pot in the floor at the start of a rift. The rift continues as easy walking. After a couple of minutes, the rift passes stal bosses, and then opens out at the start of a chamber. The chamber ascends over muddy boulders, to the top of Fairy Steps: an initial easy climb leads to a muddy polished traverse to the left followed by a short awkward climb down to the floor. Ahead is Nagasaki Cavern. A large bouldery passage passes a rope up an aven and an inlet to the right, and reaches the base of the cavern.

Nagasaki Cavern to Limerick Junction[edit | edit source]

From the base of Nagasaki Cavern, a sandy chute leads up behind a very large boulder to the left; this leads to a climb up through boulders. [Alternatively, the steep slippery slope to the right reaches the same point.] Another sandy chute behind a very large boulder to the left leads to the top of the chamber. Clambering ahead over boulders reaches a hole between boulders. The way on is a descent of 1.5m onto the first of two boulders jammed in the rift. Doubling back leads to a climb down 2m into a boulder choke, from where doubling back again exits the choke.

Easy muddy bouldery passage reaches the lip of a drop. This can be avoided by stepping left to a 1.5m climb down into a rift. A traverse to the left crosses the stream and leads to a 1.5m climb down into a walking oxbow. Immediately ahead, a bold step, The Bridge of Sighs, leads back across to the left side of the stream chasm. Round the corner, a step back to the right-hand side of the stream and a traverse to the right leads into an oxbow passage.

Round the next corner is a chamber with the stream about 4m below, and an inlet entering as a waterfall. A traverse on the right crosses the inlet; a step to the left then crosses the main stream as it descends a small waterfall. A 1.5m climb up onto a ledge leads to a junction in an oxbow. [To the left leads back to the chamber.] To the right from the junction leads to a slope down into a chamber. From the chamber, the climb up ahead should be avoided. Instead, the way on is a low crawl at floor level by a pointy rock, under a large chockstone. The crawl soon leads into a chamber. Ahead reaches the stream, which falls 0.6m down a pot.

Easy streamway crosses a mud bank and reaches a right-hand bend. The climb ahead here is best avoided; instead, a short section of stooping streamway leads to a left-hand bend. [A crawl in the stream leads on, but can be bypassed.] Ascending the side passage to the left leads to a junction: [to the left leads back to the climb avoided earlier;] clambering up to the right over muddy boulders leads to a muddy oxbow. The oxbow descends to the steam, and then continues on the other side. [An alternative route follows the streamway below the oxbow.] When the stream is regained, the continuing oxbow should be avoided [since it leads to a foolhardy descent.] Instead, stooping stream passage soon widens at Limerick Junction.

Limerick Junction to Top Sink Exit[edit | edit source]

Note: the pitches are wet, and become impassible in very wet conditions.

Bradshaw's Passage is an easy crawl, which rises to an easy meander. After about four minutes, a junction is reached. [To the right is Wisdom Tooth Passage.] Ahead is Penknife Pitch (5m), which needs pre-rigging.

Above Penknife Passage is πr2 Passage. The passage is a meandering streamway, which can mostly be tackled upright, with the occasional crawl. Larger cavers will have to crawl for longer, and will find the passage considerably harder. After five to ten minutes, Walrus Pot (18m) is reached, which also needs pre-rigging.

The top of Walrus Pitch is an "eagle's nest" ledge, from where a lined traverse leads into the stream passage. The passage is meandering, mostly sideways walking with one short crawl. After about four minutes, a junction is reached. [To the right is a dry passage.] The way on is to the left, where walking passage soon leads to a chamber. A short crawl and stooping passage leads into a small drippy chamber. An ascent through boulders leads to the bottom of the entrance shaft. The shaft is 4m deep, scaffolded and drippy.