County Pot to Eureka Junction

County Pot Entrance Series

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

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.

Showerbath Passage, from Broadway to Battle of Britain Junction

Showerbath Passage is easy walking passage. The Showerbath itself is on the first bend, bringing in a sizeable streamway.

Downstream, an inlet on the right leads to a climb, [and then becomes small.] After a few minutes, Confusion Corner is reached. [To the right is The Snake, the original route from Oxford Pot]. [On a ledge on the left is the start of a crawl, which rejoins the main route in Spout Hall; this provides a useful bypass to The Spout in bad weather.]

Shortly after, are two side passages on a ledge on the right.

• [The first passage soon closes down.]
• The second passage leads to Battle Of Britain Chamber, leading to Manchester Bypass and Trident Series.

Ahead leads towards Poetic Justice.

Battle of Britain Junction to Poetic Justice

The stream passage soon reaches The Spout, a short waterfall into Spout Hall; the waterfall can be passed by climbing down on the left onto a ledge. Spout Hall is about 10m by 8m, and slopes down, ahead and to the right. [The bypass to The Spout enters on the left at the start of the chamber.] At the bottom of the chamber is the choice of two routes. The normal route is a short crawl following the water. [Alternatively, a longer, dry, well-decorated route is to the left.]

The two routes join. Immediately, at the first point where it is possible to stand up, is a narrow, 3m-high calcited chimney tucked under the right-hand wall, by a stal boss. This is Poetic Justice, leading to Eureka Junction. The streamway ahead leads to Platypus Junction, passing Ignorance is Bliss.

Poetic Justice to Pierce's Passage

The climb up Poetic Justice is awkward, the site of many a struggle. It can be climbed by jamming a foot into the left-hand crack, and pushing up from the obvious nobble. A sling or handline rigged from the top can help.

At the top is a bedding plane with stal bosses. Crawling forward leads to a short drop into a stream rift passage. [Upstream is a route to Battle of Britain Chamber.] Downstream leads immediately to a 6m pitch.

• 15m rope; backup to drilled thread; Y-hang off two P-bolts.

The pitch drops into Pierce's Passage. Two minutes of easy walking leads to the junction with Trident Passage, where a sizeable streamway enters.

• Following the water downstream leads towards Eureka Junction.

• Following the water upstream leads into Trident Series.

Pierce's Passage, from Trident Junction to Eureka Junction

The route descends through boulders, and follows the stream along a tall sculpted passage. Soon, just after a left-then-right meander, two prominent calcite bands mark the climb up to Ignorance is Bliss. Continuing downstream, after a few minutes, the water disappears; a step up enters a roof oxbow. Very soon, the Wretched Rabbit passage is passed on the right. Ahead, the passage soon meets the main streamway at Eureka Junction.