Lancaster Hole to Top Sink, via the Main Streamway

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.

Fall Pot to Main Streamway[edit | edit source]

The route from Fall Pot to the Main Streamway is near the bottom of the chamber, on the left. A couple of metres after a passage to the left under huge chocked boulders (which leads to Lancaster Hole), is a climb down. This leads to a further climb down between boulders. An easy descending route through boulders leads to the top of a 3m high rock. Descending this to the left leads down to a platform overlooking the streamway 4m below. Descending to the right, below the inlet, leads down to the stream.

Note: the streamway becomes impassible in very wet conditions.

Main Streamway from Fall Pot to Stake Pot[edit | edit source]

Upstream from Fall Pot is a fine streamway with occasional water chutes and boulder obstacles. Three deeper pools are passed, before, about five minutes from Fall Pot, a boulder choke is reached. An easy route ascends through the boulders. The streamway also ascends, so the route stays quite close to the stream. After a couple of minutes, the route opens out into a much larger space, below Stake Pot.

  • The route to Stake Pot is to double-back above the point of entry, and to ascend over and between boulders, following the right-hand wall. This leads to a 2m hand-line climb using staples in the wall. Above, a short mud slope leads to Stake Pot.

Main Streamway from Stake Pot to Oxbow Corner[edit | edit source]

The streamway continues upstream, mostly knee-deep, but with some deeper sections. It is a fine streamway, with good formations.

After about 10 minutes, the streamway hits a boulder choke, with boulders chocked above the stream. Almost immediately upon entering the choke, there is a way up into the high level to the left. [Alternatively, the streamway can be followed through the choke to Oxbow Corner.] Clambering up 5m onto the ledge to the left reaches the bottom of a handline. This is an awkward 3m climb. At the top of the climb, a thin rope acts as a guideline. Following the guideline between boulders soon pops out into large passage.

  • Turning slightly left on exiting the choke leads towards Oxbow Corner, the Minarets, and the continuing high-level route towards Easegill.
  • Doubling back to the right is the high-level route to Stake Pot.

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 Holbeck Junction[edit | edit source]

The route upstream from Stop Pot towards Holbeck Junction is quite complex, in a bouldery area. The general tactic is to follow the left-hand wall. In more detail, clambering over boulders to the left reaches a short mud-floored section of passage. A short climb to the right reaches a ledge with small stall bosses, ascending gently. Ahead, a boulder-strewn ledge is reached, ascending to the right of the stream, a few metres from the left-hand wall. At the top, climbing over a boulder to the left, and descending 1.5m leads to a "doorway" between boulders. The way descends gently over boulders, following the left-hand wall. The route rejoins the stream, and soon opens out into a chamber.

The chamber contains a large pool, deep in places; [an alternative route to the right, over large boulders, avoids most of the water.] Ahead, the stream is lost. Parallel routes split and then recombine in a chamber, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. An easy bouldery passage continues, with the stream audible below. The route splits again into parallel passages, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. The way soon opens out in a larger area. [The route towards Gypsum Caverns leads off ahead.] Descending the boulder slope to the right reaches Holbeck Junction after a few metres.

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.