Pippikin Pot to Lancaster Hole

Pippikin Pot Entrance Series

The entrance pitch (P6) is just round the corner.

• 12m rope; back-up to boulder on surface (long sling); Y-hang from P bolt and spit (hanger in situ, August 2016).

The pitch drops into a large chamber. A crawl ahead leads to the top of Cellar Pot, with a scaffold bar across the top. The normal way on is to traverse across the scaffold bar (care) into a small tube. The tube ends at a small slot with a 2m drop beyond, landing just above a continuing drop. The slot can be passed head-first (with care), or it is possible to turn around to pass it feet-first. There is an alcove just before the slot, which is useful for stashing gear.

Another slot followed by a short narrow rift leads to the second pitch (P5).

• 8m rope; thread backup; bolt or in situ stemple for main hang.

A short section of narrow rift leads to the third pitch (P14).

• 16m rope (or 35m rope to include the following climb and pitch); Y-hang from bolt and scaffold bar.

Immediately beyond is a very awkward, narrow rift, Stemple Rift, leading to a climb. The rift is best done feet-first, without SRT kit, pulling tackle behind you. The rift opens out at the top of a short climb: care! There is a scaffold bar across the top of the climb, and a good foothold just below. The climb is best rigged as a pitch.

• 10m rope, or the continuation of the rope from the previous pitch; back up to boulder in chamber at foot of third pitch (long sling); main hang from scaffold bar (short sling).

Immediately below the climb is the fourth pitch (P8)

• 10m rope, or continuation of the rope from the previous pitch and climb; spike backup; spike for main hang (short sling).

Below the pitch, the streamway is met. Immediately, the fifth pitch (P3) is met.

• 6m rope; thread belay in roof.

It is necessary to swing out a bit on the rope to reach a wide-enough slot.

Ahead is narrow walking rift. After about four minutes, a traverse round a corner reaches a 3m climb down into a pool, with a handline in situ (August 2016).

The lowest section of the continuing rift is narrow. It is easiest to traverse a couple of metres above the streamway. After about five minutes, an obvious descent line leads into a small chamber. A route past stal leads to a descent through boulders. A short section of rift then leads to a traverse to the sixth pitch (P6), which descends diagonally.

• 12m rope; belay to large spike.

The pitch drops to the streamway. A clamber over boulders rejoins the stream. Ahead, another clamber over boulders leads to a T-junction, with a large inlet entering from the right.

• The normal route is downstream to the left, towards Hall of the Ten.

• Upstream is Ratbag Inlet.

Pippikin Pot Streamway to Hall of the Ten

The streamway is pleasant walking passage. After about five minutes, the passage passes below a climb, [which leads to the crossover passage to Leck Fell Lane.] 15m beyond, the route follows an oxbow. Just after the stream is regained, a climb up leads to Intercounty Passage, and ahead the stream enters a boulder choke.

Hall of the Ten

Hall of the Ten is a major junction, where the normal route down Pippikin Pot enters the Leck Fell Master Cave. It is in a very large section of passage. The following routes are described in clockwise order.

• Ascending the mud slope to the south leads to a continuing large passage. After 20m is a junction.
  • An arch to the left leads, after 20m, to a route over muddy boulders to the top of Hall of the Mountain King.
  • Continuing straight ahead leads to Cross Hall and Gour Hall.

• Ascending the mud slope to the north leads towards Dusty Junction, with routes to Mistral Hole and the caves of Easegill.

• Descending through boulders leads into the Pippikin Streamway Choke; the normal route is to follow the Pippikin Streamway; various other routes lead off from within the choke.

Hall of the Ten to Dusty Junction

From Hall of the Ten, a long mud slope ascends to the north, slippery in places. At the top, a mixture of walking, stooping and crawling passage, along a well-trodden route, leads after about five minutes to Dusty Junction.

Dusty Junction

Dusty Junction is a major junction in Pippikin Pot, with routes leading to Link Pot and Mistral Hole. Several routes lead from the junction. In clockwise order:

• To the south, the main route leads towards Hall of the Ten, Pippikin Pot, and the other caves of Leck Fell.

• To the north-west, slightly left when coming from Hall of the Ten, is the route to the Hobbit and Mistral Hole exit, slightly downwards past stal bosses.

• To the north-east, slightly right when coming from Hall of the Ten, is the route to Squid Junction in Link Pot, slightly upwards past stal bosses.

• [To the right of the route to Squid Junction is a low crawl into a blind chamber.]

• To the south-east, a passage leads to Red Wall Chamber and White Wall Chamber.

Dusty Junction to Squid Junction

From Dusty Junction, the route to Squid Junction takes about 15 minutes, and is nearly all crawling. It starts by ascending over stal bosses to enter a crawl. The crawl soon reaches a section of canal. After a few minutes, the route descends to a low section. Ahead, an inlet is met entering from the left, and the way soon pops up into a cross rift with an aven to the left.

Ahead enters the Wet Wallow, a low wet crawl with about 15cm of airspace. The passage enlarges slightly, and follows a crawl through a long oxbow, and then a short oxbow. Beyond the oxbows, a trickle of water is followed upstream, and passes a passage to the right. Ahead, at a junction, an inlet enters from the right, and the way on is to the left. The crawl gradually enlarges to stooping, before arriving at Squid Junction.

• To the right leads to Hylton Hall and the Link Pot exit.

• To the left leads to Serendipity.

Squid Junction to Hylton Hall

From Squid Junction, walking passage gradually lowers to a crawl, and passes a side passage to the right. Beyond, the passage enlarges briefly, before arriving at Pybus Bypass, a slot down in the floor. This pops out into Hylton Hall.

Hylton Hall

Hylton Hall is a chamber at the base of the Link Pot entrance pitch. It is on the route between Lancaster Hole and the caves of Leck Fell. The chamber is a few metres wide, and quite long. Several stacks of rocks appear to be supporting the roof.

The following are described in an clockwise direction.

• The Link Pot Entrance Pitch (P15) is to the left when looking up slope. The pitch is climbable in extremis, but is best pre-rigged.

• [Upslope leads to an inlet.]

• [Opposite the entrance pitch is a side passage.]

• 8m downslope from the entrance pitch is a slit in the left-hand wall, Pybus Bypass; this is the start of the route towards Pippikin Pot and Serendipity.

• Continuing downslope is the route to Echo Aven, the start of the route to Lancaster Hole.

Hylton Hall to Echo Aven

Descending Hylton Hall, and then continuing upslope meets an inlet sinking to the left, and then entering from the right and the roof. Turning left then right leads into a small chamber. A T-shaped rift continues, best tackled at the top. Following the rift leads to a slope to the right into a small bouldery chamber. At the bottom of the chamber, a way leads down through boulders —care!— into a downwards crawl. The crawl opens out into a small chamber within the boulder choke. Continuing downwards, towards the sound of water, breaks out into larger passage at a T-junction.

To the left, after a few steps, an inlet is met, entering from the left. Downstream, a meandering passage soon meets the start of the ropes for Echo Aven (P26). The pitches are currently permanently rigged (April 2016). An initial ascending traverse and awkward climb reaches the top of a short hang. This leads to the main hang, with a deviation part way down. The pitch can be somewhat wet. The pitch lands in a very drippy chamber. Downstream leads towards the 88' Pitch.

Echo Aven to the 88' Pitch

Note: the lower streamways flood to the roof in very wet weather, in particular backing up from the sump.

A streamway, The Wormway, leads off from the base of Echo Aven. A stooping/walking passage passes two small inlets on the right. A boulder in the passage can be squeezed past or clambered over. Soon, a larger inlet is met entering from the right, The Grind.

Shortly beyond, a short muddy oxbow soon regains the stream. A mix of stooping and crawling passage continues. After about four minutes, Sausage Junction is reached, where a large inlet enters on the left; [ascending this leads to pitches, which need pre-rigging, up into Ramsden's Crawl.]

Two minutes further downstream, another stream is met, entering from ahead. [The combined waters run to the left, and sump almost immediately.] Continuing upstream leads after a few minutes to the foot of the 88' Pitch. [Cellar Passage enters from the right.] The pitch is currently permanently rigged (April 2016).

At the top of the pitch, a junction is met.

• Turning right leads towards Long Gallery, and the route to Lancaster Hole.

• Turning left leads to Maple Leaf Junction, leading to Maple Leaf Passage and Ramsden's Crawl.

88' Pitch to Long Gallery

From the top of the 88' Pitch, a short traverse leads into a chamber containing a scaffold bar. A 5m climb up to the left leads to the top of a pit, where a step right enters a parallel rift. Traversing forward leads to a route over boulders into a bouldery chamber.

A route leads ahead to the left, and up a climb. A crawl forward enters Long Gallery.

• Ahead, a route leads to Mortuary Passage.

• The route towards Canuck Climb and Stake Pot is up the mud slope to the left.

Long Gallery to Canuck Climb

From Long Gallery, a mud slope leads up to the left; a turn to the left leads up into larger passage. Directly opposite the point of entry, 2.5m up a mud slope is an irregularly arched hole, 50cm by 50cm. This leads to a climb up a mud chute, then a climb up between boulders into Brew Chamber.

[To the left in Brew Chamber leads to Equinox Hall.] To the right, walking passage leads down a slope to the bottom of a dribbly climb on the right. Above the climb, a short traverse leads into a bouldery section. At a junction, the way on is a crawl down to the right past stal; [straight on soon leads to a pit.]

A mix of crawling, stooping and walking passage leads to a 1.5m climb up to a crawl. The floor soon drops again, and a chamber is entered. [A rift drops down to the right, and there is a blind alcove to the left.]

Ahead, a few steps lead into the next chamber. [A small crawl leads left, and a side passage leads straight ahead.] The way on is to the right, where a crawl leads into a chamber with tall stal bosses [or an alternative crawl to the left]. Turning left past the stal bosses, a crawl leads forward into a chamber. A continuing crawl between and over boulders leads to the top of Canuck Climb, a 5m descent with a fixed iron ladder. [Beyond the ladder, the passage soon chokes.]

Below the ladder, a short crawl leads to a junction.

• To the left leads towards Stake Pot

• To the right leads into The Subway.

Canuck Climb to E.P.C. Series Junction

Turning left below Canuck Climb leads round a couple of bends to Thirsty Junction, where a small stream is met. [To the right, upstream, leads to Razor Aven.] To the left, downstream, is a long, straight, narrow rift. Walking passage leads to a crawl under a boulder, followed by a mix of walking and crawl traverse just above the stream.

About three minutes from Thirsty Junction, an obvious traverse level is reached. This soon leads to a crawl over a polished boulder to a junction in a bouldery area, with a side passage to the left. Continuing ahead for a few metres leads to a step up into a higher passage [with another passage below.] A few metres ahead reaches another junction; [a narrow passage runs to the left;] the way on is to the right. This leads to a crawl down into a small but complex chamber. [A muddy route descends a hole in the floor, towards the sound of the streamway.] The way on is to turn sharply right at the point of entry, at the top of the chamber, and crawl upwards. This soon leads to a slope down into larger passage. [To the right closes down immediately.] To the left, a well-trodden twisting route can be followed, slightly upwards, ignoring various holes in the floor. Eventually this opens out into very large passage.

• To the left leads, after 30m, to the top of a 3m hand-line climb, which descends to Stake Pot.

• To the right leads towards Oxbow Corner.

Stake Pot

Stake Pot is a major junction on the high level route between Lancaster Hole and the caves of Easegill, with a connection down to the man streamway. The following are described in clockwise order. Each route has an in situ handline (March 2016).

• Downslope leads to the Streamway.

• Ascending to the right of the stream route leads to the continuing high-level route towards Oxbow Corner and the E.P.C. Series.

• Ascending to the left of the stream route leads to Montagu Passage East, leading to Fall Pot in Lancaster Hole.

Montagu Passage East, from Stake Pot to Fall Pot

From Stake Pot, the way into Montagu East is to the left, when looking downslope, an 8m hand-line ascent.

Montagu Passage is a fine passage, mostly about 5m wide and 5m high passage; it is mostly mud floored with some boulders. The holes in the floor should be avoided, as they drop into the main streamway: the best route is to the left at first, then crossing to the right, and then back to the left.

After about four minutes, Fall Pot is reached, with inlets audible. Descending between boulders reaches a route forward between boulders to a 4m hand-line climb. Descending the muddy slope to the left reaches Fall Pot.

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 Bill Taylor's Passage

From Fall Pot, ascending to the top right of the chamber, to the left of the memorial plaque, leads to a route through into a smaller chamber. [The same chamber can be reached by a route below huge jammed boulders to the right of the plaque.]

At the top of this chamber is a large stal boss with a stal flow above it. By these is a step up into a rift between a very large boulder and the left-hand wall. This soon opens out into another small chamber, at the base of an 8m hand-line climb.

Ascending the climb leads to a balcony overlooking Fall Pot. To the left, it is possible to skirt a hole in the floor to the left; care: the hole drops into the streamway.

Beyond, a mud slope leads up to the left, from where a slot to the right leads to a mud slope down to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage, leading towards Bridge Hall and the Lancaster Hole exit. [Alternatively, continuing ahead leads to a careful step across a hole. Ascending the mud slope ahead leads to Montagu West, while turning left also leads to the end of Bill Taylor's Passage].

Bill Taylor's Passage to Bridge Hall

A awkward climb through a V-shaped slot between a large boulder and the left-hand wall, or a stoop underneath to the left, leads into Bill Taylor's Passage. Following the main passage passes a chamber with an inlet entering from the roof. Ahead, the passage lowers to stooping/crawling passage. Eventually it leads to a crawl up through boulders, Kath's Way, which pops out in Bridge Hall.

• The route to Lancaster Hole Exit ascends the boulder slope to the left.

• To the right leads towards the Colonnades and The Graveyard Series.

Bridge Hall to Lancaster Hole Exit

From Bridge Hall, a long boulder slope leads up to a ridge. From here, a short section of rift leads to a climb down into a 5m diameter chamber, at the base of the Lancaster Hole entrance pitch (P30), which needs pre-rigging.