Waterfall Passage, upstream

From Ease Gill

Waterfall Passage, uptream[edit | edit source]

The bottom of Waterfall Passage is a very large passage, interrupted by a short crawl. The water is met, and soon The Waterfall itself it reached. The Waterfall is free-climbable with care, although a rope is useful. The water can be followed up a wet chute to the left onto a ledge. [Alternatively, a rope can be rigged from the top, down the dry rift to the right, to avoid the chute.] From the ledge, an awkward 3m climb reaches the top. There are in-situ ropes (June 2016), but these are in poor shape and not recommended.

  • 10m rope; two bolts; bolt deviation at top (short sling).

Above, a couple of cascades lead into flatter walking stream passage. The passage passes a handline climb to the left, and a scaffold bar in the roof. After about eight minutes, the passage reaches a point where it is narrow for the lower two metres, and wider above. At this point, a climb up and traverse forward lead to a 2m-wide, 1.5m-high passage with stal bosses, the start of Cross Passage. [Alternatively, continuing upstream is pleasant walking until the roof lowers at a junction of two crawls, both of which soon sump.]

Cross Passage leads past stal and soon reaches a junction.