322m322m
WARNING
The open entrance (see photo above) behind a boulder and under the small scar in the southeast bank of EASE GILL some 252m upstream of COUNTY POT and nearly opposite SLIT SINKS. See original exploration notes at Easegill_Journal4.htm and borehole explration.
The entrance passage drops steadily to the top of a 2m climb into a small chamber. At the bottom a short scuffle leads to the head of a 3m pitch which drops into a stream passage of typical T section about 1m high and 1m wide.After 30m or so, knee deep pools are met and soon a junction is reached where another stream comes in on the right. More deep pools occur but the roof lifts and a very tight squeeze through a block fall leads into a dry chamber. Above and to the left is a 30 feet aven, whilst on the right a 15 feet climb leads into a spacious chamber choked at its head by black, shiny round boulders apparently just below the beck adjoining Pool Sink.
Back in the main passage, a low gravelly bedding plane, oval in section, leads out of the chamber. After 30m of crawling the roof lifts and the first formations are seen. The passage reverts to a T section and several "tusks" of flowstone hang down from the ledges.
Beyond here some pools are met, and a 7m aven. The passage is now lofty and assumes a snake-like aspect. After 40m the floor levels off and a climb can be made into an upper dry section whilst the snake passage meanders underneath. On the left a bedding crawl leads after l5 feet to twin chambers each with a 30 feet aven. The connections to SLIT SINKS and NEW SLIT SINK connections are reached via a climb in the roof Downstream can be followed over two 2m drops and a 7m pitch back to the main passage.
Returning to the main passage, a 15m pitch is reached. The head of the pitch is in loose boulders and it is best to climb into the roof belaying the ladder to a scaffold bar at the head of the pitch. It is possible to enter two small passages by traversing over the pitch head one of which contains an animal skeleton (care!).
The pitch is followed by a further 3m descent to a rift-like passage forming two right-angled bends. Here a low sandy crawl enters on the right which can be followed approximately 30m to a boulder choke behind which can be heard a vigorous stream.
Downstream continues in a narrow snaking passage which descends quickly until it emerges into a lrger passage coming in from the left. A hole in the roof gives access to a spacious chamber. To the right of the chamber above a large block leads to a very wide bedding plane which is choked after 40m.
Continuing on downstream leads to the large flat roofed MOTTERHEAD'S CHAMBER.To the left the chamber can be followed past an aven to a dug out crawl into a series of loose chambers heading towards DRY DOCK PASSAGE
To the right the way on from MOTTERHEAD'S CHAMBER to the lower passages of POOL SINK lies beneath a large slab of rock which has peeled away from the roof, to a chamber which displays a leaning tower of balanced rocks holding up many tons of blocks.
From here the route lies either above or below the fallen blocks where extensive breakdown has occured masking the stream passage below. The devious rifts all connect up at 4-WAYS JUNCTION which leads to a shattered wide passage at the foot of an 2m climb. Right from here is a larger passage with an oxbow and several avens , all leading to a large choke filled with black bboulders. To the left the passage continues over more blocks for some distance past some fine formations until it is choked by a block fall which may be be same block fall as that in Mottershead's Chamber.
Before the formations are reached however, a hole in the floor leads down through precariously poised boulders to two superimposed bedding planes. Back underneath the boulders has been followed back to the2m climb forming a circuitous route back to 4-WAYS JUNCTION
Forward, progress is made in the lower bedding plane downstream over clean washed rock. After 10m the passage shelves away to the right to a tight squeeze leading directly into LOWER T PIECE PASSAGE a little way upstream from its junction with Green & Smelly Passage.
Avoiding this and continuing along the abandoned low bedding plane on the left is ECCLES BY-PASS, Two stream inlets are passed on the left coming from beneath Mottershead's Chamber, and a rift is met at right-angles. Climbing up the rift leads directly to the floor of the low wide chamber below Spiral Staircase Passage at the head of UPPER GREEN and SMELLY PASSAGE