Lancaster Hole – 3rd November 2011
Lancs Tim D, Jason
The trip was billed as Lancs to Wretched Rabbit, which I was keen to repeat, but Tim had other ideas, and he was leading. No complaints though, we had a great trip, and I felt I’d added a couple of pieces to my mental jigsaw map of Easegill.
We went down Fall Pot as usual, splashed upstream (fairly wet, not too bad) to Oxbow corner. The rope that marked the climb up was still there, but you could see a fridge-sized rock which must have moved recently – pinning the rope and blocking the way on. We didn’t make a close inspection in case it decided to move again. So we went through the boulder choke. And it turned out to be easy. My mistake previously was to try to climb up through the boulders, as is only natural. If instead you keep almost entirely to the stream, and keep right where there’s a choice, then pop up to the left when the stream starts to look desperate, you’re through in about 5 minutes. Then you climb up – back on yourself over the top of the boulders.
So, instead of exiting at WR, we turned back on the high-level route, with many attractions I’d forgotten: Painter’s Palette, fine stalactites and black-and-white striped curtains (how do they form?). Scylla and Charybdis now boast traverse lines, which slightly spoil the fun, on the other hand the recent wet weather had left a thin film of condensation over the mud, making it very slippy, so it was probably a good thing.
In fact, much of our progress was marked by variations on “Whoops…” – thud! as one or the other lost traction.
Progressing onto Stake Pot we passed the route to Cape Kennedy on the left (another day, perhaps ?) then up and along to the top of Fall Pot again.
A great trip – and remarkably efficient; we were underground only a little over two hours. The early finish was just as well, as I had two significant diversions due to roadworks to contend with on the way home!
