Wretched Rabbit to Lancaster Hole, via Spiral Staircase Passage and the High-Level Route

From Ease Gill

Wretched Rabbit Entrance Series[edit | edit source]

A short crawl soon leads to a series of climbs, rigged with handlines (February 2016). The initial steep 3.5m climb is rigged from a scaffold bar. Below is an easy 2m step down onto a ledge. [An inlet and a bedding plane crawl enter on the right here.] A further 4.5m climb, steep for the bottom half, lands on another ledge. The final 5m climb is less steep, with good footholds.

At the bottom of the climbs is Big Rift. 30m ahead is a side passage to the right [which soon leads to a rope climb]. Just ahead is a 3m-deep hole, lined with boulders, with an inlet entering from the right. Ahead is the traditional route. Descending the hole leads into Spiral Staircase Passage.

Spiral Staircase Passage[edit | edit source]

Spiral Staircase Passage is reached by descending the obvious large hole at the end of Big Rift in Wretched Rabbit. This descent is sometimes wet, and becomes impassible in very wet weather.

Ahead is a crawling passage, which gradually enlarges to stooping then walking. After about five minutes, a junction is reached, just after some formations. [To the left soon leads to a pitch, re-joining the normal route below.] The normal way on is to the right. Soon, a stream joins from the right. A short climb followed by a crawl soon leads to a climb down onto a pile of stacked rocks in a larger passage.

[To the left leads to the bottom of the pitch noted above.] [Turning right then right again leads into a rift with a climb down into Eccles Bypass, leading to the Borehole, Slit Sinks and New Slit Sinks.] Turning right from the stacked rocks leads to a balcony looking down into Green and Smelly Passage, which leads to the connection with Pool Sink and to Holbeck Junction.

Green and Smelly Passage[edit | edit source]

From the confluence of Spiral Staircase and Eccles Bypass, a balcony looks down onto a chamber, split by a ridge. The way on is a short traverse to the right, followed by a climb down between boulders. This drops into Green and Smelly Passage. [Doubling back leads into the split chamber noted above; an obscure crawl at floor level leads under the ridge into the other half of the chamber.]

A few metres ahead, a streamway enters from the right [which leads into Lower T-Piece Passage in Pool Sink]. Walking passage (with the water flowing in an oxbow to the left) leads to a small chamber. A crawl leads to another chamber. [To the right is a dry route into Lower T-Piece Passage.] Ahead leads towards Holbeck Junction.

Green and Smelly Passage to Holbeck Junction[edit | edit source]

From the confluence of the Pool Sink and Spiral Staircase/Borehole routes, the passage continues as walking passage, with the water flowing in an oxbow to the left. After two minutes, a pool is reached at the junction of two joints: turning left then immediately right, a stoop leads into a 6m high chamber with the stream flowing from the right. A few steps downstream, a dry passage to the right provides the easiest way to Holbeck. [Continuing ahead, a wet crawl leads to where the stream disappears ahead. A dry crawl to the right leads to the main streamway, where it hits a choke.] Taking the dry passage leads to a step over boulders, followed by a gentle descent to Holbeck Junction.

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.

Holbeck Junction to Stop Pot[edit | edit source]

From Holbeck Junction, the route to Stop Pot ascends the boulder slope to the right of the streamway. [The route towards Gypsum Caverns leads off to the right.] Two routes leads off to the left after 4m and 8m; the routes soon reunite, with the latter providing the easier route. An easy bouldery passage continues, with the stream audible below. Parallel routes split and then recombine in a chamber, with the right-hand route providing the easier route.

Ahead, the stream is met at a large pool, deep in places; [an alternative route to the left, over large boulders, avoids most of the water.] The way to Stop Pot is quite complex; the general tactic is to follow the right-hand wall. In more detail, the route follows the stream on the right-hand wall, and then continues ahead where the stream cuts left. The route continues to follow the right-hand wall, gently up over boulders, and through a "doorway" to where the way ahead drops sharply. A clamber 1.5m up over boulders to the left leads onto a boulder-strewn ledge, descending gently towards the stream. Before the stream is met, a clamber up reaches a ledge with small stal bosses. This leads down to a short mud-floored section of passage. Then a route over more boulders, still following the right-hand wall, reaches Stop Pot.

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 Mainline Terminus[edit | edit source]

From the streamway at Stop Pot, the boulder slope can be ascended for 40m (with 20m of ascent). At the top is a fixed 6m iron ladder, leading up into the high-level series.

At the top of the ladder, a passage leads through a chamber to a junction; [to the left soon closes down]. Two minutes of walking passage, 1-2m wide with boulder obstacles, leads to a climb up between boulders. This enters a chamber with straws on the roof and stal to the right. The best route is to follow the left-hand wall, a slightly precarious route over large boulders. Ahead, stooping passage passes a passage to the right [which leads to a long dig]. The passage opens out at Mainline Terminus.

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.

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 Bill Taylor's Passage[edit | edit source]

From Fall Pot, ascending to the top right of the chamber, to the left of the memorial plaque, leads to a route through into a smaller chamber. [The same chamber can be reached by a route below huge jammed boulders to the right of the plaque.]

At the top of this chamber is a large stal boss with a stal flow above it. By these is a step up into a rift between a very large boulder and the left-hand wall. This soon opens out into another small chamber, at the base of an 8m hand-line climb.

Ascending the climb leads to a balcony overlooking Fall Pot. To the left, it is possible to skirt a hole in the floor to the left; care: the hole drops into the streamway.

Beyond, a mud slope leads up to the left, from where a slot to the right leads to a mud slope down to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage, leading towards Bridge Hall and the Lancaster Hole exit. [Alternatively, continuing ahead leads to a careful step across a hole. Ascending the mud slope ahead leads to Montagu West, while turning left also leads to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage].

Bill Taylor's Passage to Bridge Hall[edit | edit source]

A awkward climb through a V-shaped slot between a large boulder and the left-hand wall, or a stoop underneath to the left, leads into Bill Taylor's Passage. Following the main passage passes a chamber with an inlet entering from the roof. Ahead, the passage lowers to stooping/crawling passage. Eventually it leads to a crawl up through boulders, Kath's Way, which pops out in Bridge Hall.

  • To the right leads towards the Colonnades and The Graveyard Series.

Bridge Hall to Lancaster Hole Exit[edit | edit source]

From Bridge Hall, a long boulder slope leads up to a ridge. From here, a short section of rift leads to a climb down into a 5m diameter chamber, at the base of the Lancaster Hole entrance pitch (P30), which needs pre-rigging.