Mainline Terminus to Fall Pot via the High-Level Series

From Ease Gill

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.

Monster Cavern to Snail Cavern[edit | edit source]

From Main Line Terminus, Monster Cavern is the very large (10m wide), boulder-strewn passage, leading westwards. The passage gradually widens to 20m wide, and passes a blind alcove on the right.

After about four minutes, a junction is met with three passages on the left.

  • About 4m up the left-hand wall is a window, which is the end of Main Line Passage; reaching the passage requires pre-rigging: it is normally entered from the other end, near Main Line Terminus.
  • A few metres to the right of Main Line 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.

Continuing up the boulder slope ahead leads into Snail Cavern.

Snail Cavern to Cornes' Cavern[edit | edit source]

Snail Cavern is another very large, boulder-strewn passage. After about two minutes, some taped-off formations on the right are reached. Ahead, the passage narrows to about 3m wide. It soon widens again into Cornes' Cavern. Hidden behind a very large boulder on the left at the start of Cornes' Cavern is the start of the Mancunian Way.

Cornes' Cavern to the Minarets[edit | edit source]

Cornes' Cavern is an extremely large chamber. A gulley can be followed through the middle of the passage.

At the end of the cavern, slightly to the right, clambering over boulders leads to a crawl to the right, which steps down into the Minarets, a series of parallel minaret-shaped passages. The first passage leads for 10m to a low crawl to the left. A stooping passage leads for 10m to another low crawl to the left. This leads into another minaret-shaped passage which runs back to the right for 30m. The passage leads up a slope to the right, and then steps up into Oakes Cavern.

The Minarets to Oxbow Corner[edit | edit source]

Oakes Cavern is another very large passage. The route through the cavern passes a pile of large boulders chocked against the roof, with stal bosses. At the end of the cavern, by some formations taped-off to the right, the way narrows.

Ahead, the route soon widens again. The way on is a climb down to the left, by a stal boss on a rock. [Ahead leads to a steep descent.] A crawl leads round a couple of corners. The roof briefly rises in a chamber, but then lowers again to continuing crawl, which emerges on a ledge overlooking Oxbow Corner.

At the end of the crawl, the passage slopes down to the right to Oxbow Corner. [Descending the slope reaches the streamway; downstream, the stream can be followed through a choke towards Stake Pot.] Ahead, the right-hand wall becomes undercut. At the point where the undercut stops, and where the left-hand wall is streaked with calcite, is an easily missed junction.

  • 3m to the right 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 handline 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 the high-level route to Stake Pot.

Oxbow Corner to Stake Pot, via the High-Level Route[edit | edit source]

About two minutes ahead, the floor rises towards the roof, forcing an easy crawl. A couple of minutes beyond the crawl, the passage starts to descend towards Charybdis, a large hole dropping to the stream. The descent route starts to the right, and then crosses to the left wall. A step up leads to the start of a traverse on a ledge to the left, the latter part of which has a traverse line; take care to avoid damaging the footholds here.

Very soon ahead is Scylla, another large hole dropping to the streamway. Again it is bypassed by a ledge on the left, with a traverse line.

About three minutes ahead reaches the fine Painter's Palette formations. A 4m hand-line climb descends past the formations.

After about another five minutes, an important junction is reached.

  • To the left, behind boulders, is an irregular-shaped hole, marking the start of the E.P.C. Series, leading to Link Pot.
  • Continuing ahead for 30m leads to the top of a 3m hand-line climb, which descends 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.

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

From Stake Pot, the way into Montagu East is to the left, when looking downslope, an 8m hand-line ascent.

Montagu Passage is a fine passage, mostly about 5m wide and 5m high passage; 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 at first, then crossing to the right, and then back to the left.

After about four minutes, Fall Pot is reached, with inlets audible. Descending between boulders reaches a route forward between boulders to a 4m hand-line climb. Descending the muddy slope to the left reaches Fall Pot.