County Pot, Razor Passage inwards, Showerbath Passage outwards
From Ease Gill
County Pot Entrance Series[edit | edit source]
An easy 4m climb down leads into a pleasant winding passage. [An inlet on the left leads to a pitch down.] Five minutes pleasant caving in a well-sculpted passage with short climbs leads to the first pitch.
- Ladder descent: 8m ladder rigged to two P-bolts; 20m lifeline.
- SRT descent: 12m rope; back-up to P-bolt; Y-hang off two P-bolts.
There are two ways on from the bottom of the pitch.
- The normal route is a 3m climb down, just round the corner from the pitch. This lands in The Broadway.
- Ascending a boulder slope to the right reaches a crawl to The Snake.
The Broadway[edit | edit source]
The Broadway is a large passage in the County Pot entrance series. There are four routes from the Broadway.
- Upstream, the stream can be followed for a few minutes until the roof lowers; eventually an aven is reached.
- Downstream to the left, following the stream, is Razor Passage, leading to Molluscan Hall.
- Downstream to the right, over a rock slope, is Showerbath Passage, leading to Trident Series, the Manchester Bypass, and Eureka Junction.
- Part way along the largest part, on the left (looking upstream), is a 3m climb up into the County Pot Exit Series.
Razor Passage[edit | edit source]
Razor Passage starts at the bottom of the Broadway, following a sizeable streamway. It is a walking-size rift passage, with a few short wet climbs. A small inlet on the left is Green Passage. After about five minutes, Toadstool Junction is reached; [a large inlet, Butterfield's Passage, enters on the left.]
Continuing ahead reaches a large chamber where the stream splits. A route between boulders leads to a descent into a chamber where the two branches of the stream re-unite.
Ahead, a climb between boulders drops into the stream, where a short crawl leads to a further climb down between boulders. The stream splits, before re-uniting after a few metres; the route to the right is larger and drier.
Downstream, a passage leads off from a shelf on the left; [this leads to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot.] After another two minutes, Platypus Junction is reached.
Platypus Junction[edit | edit source]
Platypus Junction is the confluence of the Razor Passage and Showerbath Passage streamways in County Pot. It is marked by a rock that some believe looks like a platypus.
Three passages lead from the junction (described in clockwise order):
- Downstream leads to Dismal Junction, with connections to Sylvester Pot, The Nice Way and Molluscan Hall;
- Upstream to the left is Showerbath Passage, leading past Poetic Justice to The Broadway, with connections to Eureka Junction, Manchester Bypass, and Trident Series;
- Upstream to the right is Razor Passage. After two minutes, a passage leads off from a shelf on the right, leading to Dismal Bypass with a connection to Sylvester Pot. Continuing up Razor Passage leads to The Broadway.
Platypus Junction to Poetic Justice[edit | edit source]
From Platypus Junction, Showerbath Passage is a meandering streamway with occasional dry oxbows. After about five minutes, a boulder slope to the right, by a yellow painted blob on the wall, marks the start of Ignorance is Bliss About 40m ahead, Poetic Justice is reached: an awkward calcited chimney tucked under the left-hand wall, by a stal boss; this leads to Eureka Junction. Ahead leads towards Broadway, passing connections to The Manchester Bypass and Trident Series.
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.
- The first side passage leads to Battle Of Britain Chamber and Manchester Bypass.
- [The second side passage soon closes down.]
- Ahead leads to The Broadway.
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.