TRIDENT SERIES

The passages in the Trident Series almost defy description but recent survey work is helping to rectify this.

WARNING

In any wet weather this area becomes very 'sporting' BUT if the Gill starts to run then the area can suffer FLOOD PULSES.

POETIC JUSTICE BY-PASS

The entrance to Upper & Lower Trident and also MANCHESTER BY-PASS is via a shelf on the right about 5 metres upstream of the SPOUT HALL spout. After only 10 metres of stooping passage take a right turn that leads to an upward crawl of a few metres into Battle of Britain Chamber.

This Chamber though only 10 metres long and 4 metres wide is an important place as it is the start of Manchester Bypass (The Flood Escape Route) which is the way out to County Pot from the High Level route if Eureka Junction is flooded. The start of Manchester Bypass is over a large boulder and down the loose hole just to the right of the entrance to the Chamber and into a crawl through boulders (care!).

Exit from Battle of Britain Chamber into Trident is through a short crawl above the hole and into a cross passage (left branch chokes), then right up a crawling slope through boulders into a small chamber. A step up into another small chamber and the Trident Nightmare begins.[1] (see notes at end)

Carrying on in the same direction a short squeeze in a rift gains a larger double chamber, the first has a passage leading off on the left past a large boulder [2] whereas straight on leads to Splash Chamber. During wet conditions this is the scene of a deluge containing rocks hammering down from the roof 10 metres above (see [1]). On the left the stream leaves the Chamber through large cobbles, following the water down a short stretch of clean passage reaches a traverse rope on the right which leads round Chocolate Traverse [3] while straight ahead is the 10 metre drop into White Line Chamber. At the head of the drop a small hole in the opposite wall leads to a to a drop of about 10 metres. Also at the head of the pitch a few metres crawl on the left leads to a drop with a short chain ladder and rope to a ledge, skirting around the drop leads to a climb down a fluted scoop to the floor of the drop. Heading away from the drop two passages both end in the Lower Trident Streamway [4]. The way on is downstream that passes two passages on the right both leading to Whiteway [5]. Carrying on down the vadose streamway leads to a major junction with Pierces Passage about 40m after the Poetic Justice Pitch in County.

UPPER TRIDENT

See Original Exploration article RRCPC3 See Survey link see Cross Section link Recent Exploration/Survey

From Splash Chamber a foot-first drop through a floor level hole opposite the entry passage lands on a scaffold bar and gains a walking streamway which downstream leads to the top of Chocolate (Cadbury) Traverse. Upstream leads to a maze of passages, the Left Hand Series, which upstream all lead to boulder filled chambers that are not far beneath the gill. There are some impressive avens in the area some of which have been climbed to more passages and boulder chokes.

[1] On the right is a left loop to Splash Chamber, but after a few metres an upward slope leads to a loose bouldery aven but there is also a clean-washed 4 metre aven that leads to a low cross passage of hands and knees crawling, Splash Inlet. Upstream leads to a low, wide bedding of cobbles with evidence of drastic flooding. In dry weather this passage can be followed to connect to Swindon Hole. Downstream reaches a tight Z-bend with tight passage beyond which leads to the roof of Splash Chamber.

[2]This passage goes gently downhill from Splash Chamber with walking & crawling and boulder obstacles to end in a 8m drop down a rift (bolt hole on right wall), a continuation crawl has a rope and short ladder to the same drop. It lands on a boulder bridge and a traverse continues into a rock floored walking passage. This leads to a junction. Left goes through boulders and past an aven on the left to a fine hour glass shaped rift, LOWER TRIDENT ROOF PASSAGE, which ends as an exposed loose traverse and climb down (Three Fags Climb) to Trident/ Lower Pearces Passage Junction.

Right at the Junction leads via a squeeze past a fallen slab to a finely decorated grotto. Through the grotto is a second grotto with a pitch down to Crystal Passage. This has crystal floors and heligmites and chokes at both ends. The bottom end is very close to an inlet rift in Wretched Rabbit. Back at the first grotto is a crawling passage on the right which leads to a choke.

[3]Chocolate Traverse is best tackled on a rope as the one in situ has a dubious past. At the end of the traverse two streamways enter. To the right leads to the bottom of the scaffold climb down from Splash Chamber. To the left, Key Passage, leads into a complex area, the Right Hand Series where interlinking passages emanate from all directions one of which leads back downstream to a pitch down to join Trident Passage near Whiteway. Right at the pitch at roof level arrives at the large Boulder Chamber containing a 20m aven.

[4]Upstream leads towards White Line Chamber, Whiteway enters from a ledge on the left, a climb up on the right reaches the bottom of a high narrow rift (see [2]) but further upstream on the left another passage leads of through a short crawl to reach the bottom of an aven falling from one of the passages from the Right Hand Series.

[5]Both passages join at the start of WHITEWAY a short but well decorated and narrow passage (Care!!). The passage is an oxbow and comes back into Lower Trident Streamway from a ledge 2 metres above the stream.