LANCASTER HOLE HIGH LEVEL ROUTE

From the Bottom of the pitch at FALL POT a steep mud covered boulder slope leads up into the continuation of MONTAGUE PASSAGE, This fine wide mud floored passage can be followed in an upstream direction, avoiding the deep holes in the floor, to the gaping hole of STAKE POT.

A split 5m pitch down to a boulder bridge (P anchors in place), from where climbs down and a steep slope leads into the MASTER CAVE below. A climb up mud steps on the opposite side leads into the continuation of the High Level Route. After about 30m at a right hand bend is the way into the STAKE POT SERIES.

Back on the High Level Route again the way on is large with many formations passing BOB'S BOSS. The floor gives way to boulders and the passage narrows into the PAINTER'S PALETTE, beyond which the twin holes of SCYLLA and CHARYBDIS are soon reached. The traverse around these should be treated with care as they drop into the MASTER CAVE over 20 metres below.

Ahead the boulder floor causes confusion until the top of a steep boulder slope on the left is encountered. This leads down to the MASTER CAVE at OXBOW CORNER. The way on in the HIGH LEVEL ROUTE is a crawl over mudbanks along a bedding in the right hand wall. A sharp turn to the left after a small chamber leads to a larger chamber and here on the right is DIAMOND HALL a large passage which splits after about 100m. The left hand branch is a dug out crawl to boulders heading towards Maple Leaf Passage in the Earby Series. The right hand branch can be followed to a tight crawl and small choked chamber.

The Halberdeers near Oake's Cavern The Main way on enlarges dramatically into OAKE'S CAVERN, a 40 metre long chamber which seems to stop abruptly but a step down on the left wall is the start of THE MINARETS a series of parallel phreatic fissures linked by short crawls. These may be bypassed by a short hands and knees crawl over blocks at the start of the first minaret. If Oak's Cavern is followed round to the right, Long's Passage is reached. This rises to an excavated section through sand to 15 m of passage to a tight awkward descending tube filled with clay and calcited sand, The Pleasure Dome.

Beyond the Minarets a climb round a tremendous fallen block reveals the huge CORNES' CAVERN stretching away into the distance. A central gully can be followed through this with banks of mud and boulders sloping up to the walls. Tucked away behind a large block against the right hand (South) wall is the start of the MANCUNIAN WAY leading into COUNTY POT via MOLLUSCAN HALL

CORNES' CAVERN narrows at its far end and then enlarges again when SNAIL CAVERN is entered. At the top of a mud slope is the way down to LOWER SNAIL CAVERN and a way though at stream level via a very wet route to EUREKA JUNCTION

Back in UPPER SNAIL CAVERN on the right wall here is a 8m fixed rope up to SIDELINE PASSAGE. This provides a link with MANCUNIAN WAY at the SURPRIZE. A few meters further on up a 8m climb on the right wall is the entry to MAINLINE PASSAGE which provide an alternative route to MAIN LINE TERMINUS normally reached by following the large open passage to where it splits into four separate passages.

Continuing on through Snail Cavern the biggest of the High Level Caverns is reached, MONSTER CAVERN (See photo)

At the end of this is MAIN LINE TERMINUS. This is a complex three way junction. The first on the right is the other end of MAINLINE PASSAGE, next to this also on the right is the start of MANCHESTER BYPASS the flood escape route out of EASE GILL via COUNTY POT, whilst straight ahead leads through a crawl to enlarge again and end in CARROT CHAMBER, a passage in the right wall just before the end of CARROT CHAMBER leads off to OLD ENGLISH CHAMBER and another connection to the MANCHESTER BYPASS.

The large passage on the left leads over fallen blocks for a short distance before you arrive at the top of STOP POT where a new fixed ladder drops to the steep boulder slope down to the MAIN DRAIN and the vast ramifications of the EASE GILL CAVERNS.

R.R.C.P.C. 2003