Lancaster Hole to County Pot, via the High-Level Route

From Ease Gill

Lancaster Hole Entrance Series[edit | edit source]

The entrance pitch is 30m deep.

  • 40m rope (with minimal rigging); Y-hang from drilled thread and bolt; rebelay from one or two bolts at -1.5m; Y-hang from two bolts at -5m. (The pitch has many superfluous bolts, which should be ignored.)

The pitch lands in a 5m diameter chamber. Two rifts lead off. [The left-hand rift, to the south, leads to Slug World.] The way on is to the right. A short climb reaches a ledge. The continuing passage soon crosses a ridge and descends a long boulder slope. Several routes lead off from the slope.

  • The first two passages lead to Sand Caverns;

At the bottom of the slope is Bridge Hall, a large chamber containing a rock arch.

  • [Ahead leads towards the Colonnades.]
  • The normal way on is at the bottom of the chamber, a descent through boulders, Kath's Way, leading to Bill Taylor's Passage.

Bill Taylor's Passage[edit | edit source]

Kath's Way descends through boulders, past two scaffold bars. This drops into a stooping/crawling passage with a small stream trench. The passage gradually enlarges. It passes a chamber with water entering from the roof. The main passage then turns to the left; [ahead leads to Sand Caverns]. This leads to a slightly awkward climb through a V-shaped slot between a large boulder and the left-hand wall, or a stoop underneath to the right. Beyond, the passage splits.

  • To the right is the quickest route to Fall Pot.

Bill Taylor's Passage to Fall Pot[edit | edit source]

From the junction at the end of Bill Taylor's Passage, turning right gives the choice of two ascending mud slopes. Ascending the left-hand slope leads up to a slot, and then a descending mud slope.

[Turning left at the bottom of the slope leads to a careful step across a hole. Beyond, the mud slope leads up to Montagu Passage West, while turning left soon leads back to the junction at the end of Bill Taylor's Passage.]

Turning right at the bottom of the mud slope, and following the right-hand side of the passage, passes a hole in the floor; care: the hole drops into the main streamway. The passage soon leads to a balcony overlooking Fall Pot, with the sound of inlets entering. At the start of the balcony, on the right, is the top of an 8m hand-line climb down between boulders (rope in situ, March 2016).

At the base of the climb, to the left leads after a few steps to a rift between a very large boulder and the right wall. This opens out by a stal boss with large stals above. A choice of two routes, either to the right, or descending to the left under huge jammed boulders, leads to Fall Pot.

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.

Main Line Terminus[edit | edit source]

Main Line Terminus is at the eastern end of the high-level series leading from Lancaster Hole to Easegill. Several routes lead from Main Line Terminus; in a clockwise direction:

  • To the west is the very large Monster Cavern, leading towards Lancaster Hole.
  • To the left (as seen from Monster Cavern) is an alcove, leading to a split of routes: [to the left leads to a long dug passage]; to the right leads towards Stop Pot.
  • Ahead, and slightly right (as seen from Monster Cavern), leads after 20m to a junction: to the left leads to Carrot Chamber; to the right over a mud bank is Manchester Bypass, an important flood escape route leading to County Pot.

Mainline Terminus to Stop Pot[edit | edit source]

From Mainline Terminus, the route to Stop Pot is in an alcove to the left (as seen from Monster Cavern). This soon splits; [the route to the left leads to a long dig]. To the right, stooping leads into a wider area, with straws on the roof and stal to the left. The easiest route is to follow the right-hand wall, a slightly precarious route over large boulders. The way narrows to a 2m wide passage. Just before this passage, the best route is down between boulders, before the final boulder: a 2m climb with hidden footholds to the right, followed by an easier 1.5m descent under the final boulder.

Walking passage, 1-2m wide, continues, with boulder obstacles. After two minutes, the way goes up a slope to the left, often with the stream audible; [ahead soon closes down]. A 5m diameter chamber is entered, which narrows again. 5m ahead, there is a route down between boulders, marked by a rope, which leads to the top of a fixed 6m ladder.

The ladder lands at the top of a boulder slope. Following the slope for 40m (with 20m of descent) meets the streamway at Stop Pot. Most of the way down the slope, on the right, is the route to Four Ways, a flood-escape route into Wretched Rabbit.

Stop Pot[edit | edit source]

Stop Pot is a major junction in the Easegill streamway. It is in a very bouldery area, with a boulder choke downstream.

Several routes lead from Stop Pot. The following are described from a position in the streamway, surrounded by boulders, at the base of the boulder slope leading up to the fixed ladder, where the streamway splits. In a clockwise direction:

  • A few metres upstream, on the right-hand wall, a climb onto a ledge leads to Depot Passages.
  • Following the stream downstream to the left, and clambering ahead over boulders leads to a dry route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.
  • Between the two branches of the stream is a large ascending boulder slope; part way up the boulder slope, on the left, is the route to Four Ways, a flood-escape route into Wretched Rabbit.
  • At the top of the boulder slope is the Stop Pot ladder, up to Mainline Terminus at the start of the high-level route leading towards Lancaster Hole and Cow Pot, with a connection to Link Pot, Pippikin Pot, Bye George, Peterson Pot, and Mistral.
  • Following the stream downstream to the right leads to the wet route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.

Stop Pot to Eureka Junction[edit | edit source]

In reasonably dry conditions, the easiest route from Stop Pot to Eureka Junction is to follow the streamway, near the right-hand wall. The route is in, or just above, the stream, all the way through the choke.

[Alternatively, from Stop Pot, a drier route starts by following the stream to the left, into the boulders. A slight left turn leads into a flat-roofed crawl, with some small stal on the left. The crawl becomes lower, and has an orange floor in places. The way opens out beyond the choke, and a short slope leads back down to the streamway, to rejoin the wet route.]

Beyond the choke, two minutes of easy walking in a large stream passage leads to Eureka Junction.

Eureka Junction[edit | edit source]

Eureka Junction is in the Easegill streamway, where the route from County Pot and the Wretched Rabbit traditional route hit the streamway. Note: this area floods to the roof in wet weather.

  • Downstream, a stooping passage leads after a couple of minutes to a choke.

Eureka Junction to Pierce's Passage[edit | edit source]

A muddy passage leads off to the left of the streamway at Eureka Junction. This very soon reaches a junction: [to the left is Wretched Rabbit.] Ahead, the passage continues as a roof oxbow, which soon steps down into a tall stream passage, Pierce's Passage. A few minutes upstream, the floor changes from boulders to bed rock, and two prominent calcite bands mark the climb up to Ignorance is Bliss. Continuing upstream, soon a climb up through boulders reaches another junction, with the streamway entering from the left.

  • Following the dry passage, slightly right, leads towards Poetic Justice.

Pierce's Passage to Poetic Justice[edit | edit source]

Ahead, two minutes of easy walking leads to the Poetic Junction pitch (P6), which needs pre-rigging. Ascending this leads to a streamway rift passage (often dry). [Ahead, upstream, is a route to Battle of Britain Chamber.] The normal route is a step up to the right into a bedding plane with stal bosses. A few metres ahead reaches a window looking out over the County Pot streamway. In front of the window is a narrow, 3m calcited chimney, Poetic Justice. Sliding down this drops into the stream.

  • Upstream to the left leads towards The Broadway, giving the quickest route to the County Pot Exit.

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

From Poetic Justice, the normal route to Broadway is a short crawl in the streamway. [Alternatively, a longer, dry, well-decorated route is to the right.] The two routes unite in Spout Hall, a large chamber, about 10m by 8m, sloping up ahead and to the right.

The normal route is to ascend The Spout, by stepping up from a ledge on the right. [Alternatively, ascending to the right leads to a bypass.] Ahead soon reaches a junction, at two side passages from a ledge on the left.

Battle of Britain Junction to The Broadway[edit | edit source]

From Battle of Britain Junction, the streamway soon splits at Confusion Corner. [To the left is The Snake.] [The Spout bypass enters on a ledge on the right.] After a few minutes, the Showerbath is reached. Round the corner to the right leads to a slope down into The Broadway.

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.