Downstream from LIMERICK
JUNCTION in the main passage takes you
along with the stream to a chamber with a 5.5m pitch through to a
series of cascades into a complex collapse area, and and impassable
bedding. At the upper level of the chamber a traverse on loose
material, THE BRIDGE of SIGHS, leads to a narrow rift which emerges
up the FAIRY STEPS dramatically at the start of NAGASAKI CAVERN. A
route here up a climb on the right past some straws leads via a rift and
squeeze back to the roof of OLD LIMERICK
PASSAGE.
Soon twin holes in the floor are encountered. These lead down to the stream again, and from here it can be followed down into FAR EAST PASSAGE and a 3m pitch to a junction with another passage on the left. This can be followed a short distance to a boulder chamber with an inlet which too tight above a waterfall, the water entering here is that last seen in the end of BOOTH-EYRE CRAWL
Upstream in FAR EAST PASSAGE a route has been forced through calcite squeezes to LIMERICK JUNCTION The MANHATTAN connection comes in here from the roof via a 5 metre climb and traverse to the base of a scaffolded shaft leading to BOUNDARY POT
Back in the boulder chamber holes up through dangerous boulders enter the well decorated tunnel leading to an upward slot into the extensively choked NEUTRON CAVERN.
Continuing on along NAGASAKI CAVERN
the route is a
series of climbs up and down over great heaps of collapsed boulders
in a very unstable area. Above in the roof of the Cavern an 30m aven
has been scaled to FUKUJAMA, 80M of rift passage to a sand
choke.
The main Cavern continues to where the route funnels down into a smaller chamber at the far end of the Cavern. A large meandering passage leads on, past two holes in the floor, to a short drop into a large unstable chamber, THE ASSEMBLY HALL.
Almost opposite the point of entry into the
ASSEMBLY HALL is a short climb up leads into the once beautiful
EASTER GROTTO from the end of
which
is a tight crawl
through to a small drop down into GYPSUM CAVERNS
whilst a hole down through
the boulder floor leads to a further climb down into the WHITE WAY
and THACKRAY'S PASSAGE, which contains the main stream. Upstream
leads to an extensive and extremely dangerous boulder choke. It has
been reported that a vocal connection with HIROSHIMA CHAMBER in
BOUNDARY POT has been
made here.
Downstream in THACKRAY'S PASSAGE is well decorated but gradually the height decreases to a hands and knees crawl. At this point up a rock slope on the left is a crawl through a stal grille is the only way on as the streamway below becomes to low. A short section of large passage leads back down to the stream, and a further section of easier going leads to HOLBECK JUNCTION.
A climb up here to the right leads into the start of the GYPSUM CAVERNS, and it is possible to make a complete loop around in them to ASSEMBLY HALL via EASTER GROTTO. A further loop runs beneath GYPSUM CAVERNS starting near the climb, a sandy bedding plane leads to a chamber and a tight tube connects with the main streamway near the climb up to EASTER GROTTO in ASSEMBLY HALL.
HOLBECK JUNCTION is also where the main route from POOL SINK enters the MAIN DRAIN and this is the way through to EUREKA JUNCTION and STOP POT.