Eureka Junction to Holbeck Junction

Eureka Junction

Eureka Junction is in the Easegill streamway, where the route from County Pot and the Wretched Rabbit traditional route hit the streamway. Note: this area floods to the roof in wet weather.

• Downstream, a stooping passage leads after a couple of minutes to a choke.

• Upstream leads to Stop Pot.

• To the left of the streamway is an obvious muddy passage. Very soon, this reaches a junction: to the left is Wretched Rabbit; to the right leads to Poetic Justice in County Pot.

Eureka Junction to Stop Pot

From Eureka Junction, two minutes of easy walking upstream in a large stream passage leads to the Stop Pot Boulder Choke.

In reasonably dry conditions, the easiest route through the choke is to follow the streamway, near the left-hand wall. The route is in the stream for most of the way through the choke, climbing up to a traverse just above the stream part way through. After a couple of minutes, the route emerges at Stop Pot.

[Alternatively, ascending the slope-come-side-passage to the right for about 6m leads to a dry route into the choke, by a small knobbly stal boss. The crawl starts low, with an orange floor in places. After a couple of minutes, the route opens out in a more bouldery area. Shortly ahead, the route rejoins the wet route.]

Stop Pot

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:

• Upstream, following the left-hand wall, leads to Holbeck Junction.

• 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 Holbeck Junction

The route upstream from Stop Pot towards Holbeck Junction is quite complex, in a bouldery area. The general tactic is to follow the left-hand wall. In more detail, clambering over boulders to the left reaches a short mud-floored section of passage. A short climb to the right reaches a ledge with small stall bosses, ascending gently. Ahead, a boulder-strewn ledge is reached, ascending to the right of the stream, a few metres from the left-hand wall. At the top, climbing over a boulder to the left, and descending 1.5m leads to a "doorway" between boulders. The way descends gently over boulders, following the left-hand wall. The route rejoins the stream, and soon opens out into a chamber.

The chamber contains a large pool, deep in places; [an alternative route to the right, over large boulders, avoids most of the water.] Ahead, the stream is lost. Parallel routes split and then recombine in a chamber, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. An easy bouldery passage continues, with the stream audible below. The route splits again into parallel passages, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. The way soon opens out in a larger area. [The route towards Gypsum Caverns leads off ahead.] Descending the boulder slope to the right reaches Holbeck Junction after a few metres.