Fall Pot to Mainline Terminus via the Main Streamway

Fall Pot

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.

• Up-slope and to the left, opposite the plaque, is a climb into Montagu Passage East.

Fall Pot to Main Streamway

The route from Fall Pot to the Main Streamway is near the bottom of the chamber, on the left. A couple of metres after a passage to the left under huge chocked boulders (which leads to Lancaster Hole), is a climb down. This leads to a further climb down between boulders. An easy descending route through boulders leads to the top of a 3m high rock. Descending this to the left leads down to a platform overlooking the streamway 4m below. Descending to the right, below the inlet, leads down to the stream.

• Downstream soon leads to the downstream sump.

• Upstream leads to Stake Pot.

Note: the streamway becomes impassible in very wet conditions.

Main Streamway from Fall Pot to Stake Pot

Upstream from Fall Pot is a fine streamway with occasional water chutes and boulder obstacles. Three deeper pools are passed, before, about five minutes from Fall Pot, a boulder choke is reached. An easy route ascends through the boulders. The streamway also ascends, so the route stays quite close to the stream. After a couple of minutes, the route opens out into a much larger space, below Stake Pot.

• The route to Stake Pot is to double-back above the point of entry, and to ascend 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.

• Ahead, the streamway leads to Oxbow Corner.

Main Streamway from Stake Pot to Oxbow Corner

The streamway continues upstream, mostly knee-deep, but with some deeper sections. It is a fine streamway, with good formations.

After about 10 minutes, the streamway hits a boulder choke, with boulders chocked above the stream. Almost immediately upon entering the choke, there is a way up into the high level to the left. [Alternatively, the streamway can be followed through the choke to Oxbow Corner.] Clambering up 5m onto the ledge to the left reaches the bottom of a handline. This is an awkward 3m climb. At the top of the climb, a thin rope acts as a guideline. Following the guideline between boulders soon pops out into large passage.

• Turning slightly left on exiting the choke leads towards Oxbow Corner, the Minarets, and the continuing high-level route towards Easegill.

• Doubling back to the right is the high-level route to Stake Pot.

Oxbow Corner to The Minarets

Ahead, the passage soon reaches Oxbow Corner, where the passage slopes down to the left. [Descending the slope reaches the streamway; downstream, the stream can be followed through a choke towards Stake Pot.] Keeping high to the right, leads to a crawl on a mud ledge overlooking Oxbow Corner. The roof rises to allow walking in a chamber, and then lowers again into continuing crawl. Soon the roof rises again at a climb up boulders to the left into larger passage.

Clambering up boulders passes taped-off formations to the right. A short narrower section opens out at the start off the very large Oakes Cavern. The route through the cavern passes a pile of large boulders chocked against the roof, with stal bosses. The chamber soon splits near taped off formations. The way on is to the left, where a well-trodden route heads into an alcove, where a hole steps down into The Minarets.

Minarets to Cornes Cavern

The Minarets are a series of parallel minaret-shaped passages. The first passage runs for 30m to a low crawl on the right. The next passage runs back to the right for 10m to another low crawl, to the left. The final passage leads for another 10m, to a choice of climbs up to the left into Cornes Cavern.

Cornes Cavern is an extremely large chamber. A gulley can be followed through the middle of the passage. At the end of the cavern are two routes.

• Slightly to the right, the cavern narrows into a 3m wide passage, which leads to Snail Cavern.

• Hidden behind a very large boulder on the right at the end of Cornes Cavern, just before the route to Snail Cavern, is the start of the Mancunian Way.

Snail Cavern to Monster Cavern

From the end of Cornes Cavern, a 3m wide passage soon opens out into Snail Cavern, with formations taped-off to the left. Snail Cavern is another very large boulder-strewn passage. After about two minutes, a boulder slope leads down to the start of Monster Cavern. Three side passages are met at this point.

• About 4m up the right-hand wall is a window, which is the end of Mainline Passage; reaching the passage requires pre-rigging: it is normally entered from the other end, near Mainline Terminus.

• A few metres to the right of Mainline 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.

Straight ahead is Monster Cavern, leading to Mainline Terminus.

Monster Cavern to Mainline Terminus

Monster Cavern is another very large (20m wide in places), boulder-strewn passage. The passage passes a blind alcove to the left. After about four minutes, Mainline Terminus is reached.