Lower Borehole Passages

From Ease Gill

Lower Borehole Passages[edit | edit source]

Downstream from the pitch, a stream enters from a slot on the right. Ahead, a short thigh-deep pool meets another passage entering from the right. Downstream is a crawl, taking about five minutes, the latter part having an interesting calcite band in the floor.

A larger passage is reached; [a route up through boulders enters from the right.] Downstream soon reaches Motterhead's Chamber. [A passage goes off to the left, under a roof with straws.]

To the right from Motterhead's Chamber is a choice between a slot down to the left past boulders, or a crawl ahead to a descent past boulders, the two routes uniting in a 4m-high chamber. Ahead is a climb up to a muddy traverse. This leads to a junction. The way on is to the left: a slot leads into walking passage, which, after a few steps, leads to a 1.5m climb down into a larger passage.

The passage slopes down from right to left. [To the right, soon leads to a steep drop.] The way on is to the left, down a large shattered passage to a chamber. [Ahead, to the right, is the well decorated Stal Passage.] [Ahead to the left is a blind alcove.] Doubling back to the left is a route behind boulders, rejoining the main passage further up. At the base of the first short climb down, doubling back under the climb is a hole down between boulders, which is easily missed.

A 2m descent leads into a bedding plane crawl, low and wet near the start. After a couple of minutes is a junction.

  • An alcove to the right contains a tight squeeze which leads to the four-way junction near the bottom of Pool Sink:
    • To the right leads towards the Pool Sink pitches;
    • Straight on is a dry passage starting on a shelf, 2m above the stream; this soon enters a chamber; to the right is Green and Smelly Passage, leading to Holbeck Junction;
    • To the left intersects Green and Smelly Passage just upstream of the chamber mentioned above.
  • Continuing past the alcove is Eccles Bypass, leading to Spiral Staircase Passage and Green and Smelly Passage.