Mainline Terminus to Fall Pot via the Main Streamway

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.

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

Note: the streamway becomes impassible in very wet conditions.

Downstream from Oxbow Corner, the fine streamway has good formations. It is mostly knee-deep, but with some deeper sections.

After about 10 minutes, the route ascends boulders below Stake Pot.

  • The route to Stake Pot ascends the boulder slope, 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.
  • The streamway route to Fall Pot is to descend through the boulders, staying close to the stream.

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

From Stake Pot, the route to Fall Pot descends through boulders, and continues through the boulder choke. It is necessary to descend quite frequently, staying near the streamway, which cuts down through the choke.

After a couple of minutes, the end of the choke is reached. Downstream, three deep pools are passed. Ahead, is a fine streamway, with occasional water chutes and boulder obstacles.

After about five minutes, the boulders at Fall Pot are reached.

  • Climbing up through the boulders leads to Fall Pot.
  • Continuing downstream soon leads to the downstream sump.

From the Main Streamway to Fall Pot[edit | edit source]

Ascending boulders, under the drippy inlet, reaches a platform, looking down on the streamway 4m below. Above are two very large boulders, 2-3m high, one on top of the other. An easy climb on the right reaches the top of the higher boulder. To the right, an easy route up through boulders leads to a climb up into a larger space, at the bottom of the Fall Pot chamber.