Pool Sink

Team: Will, Chris A

Last minute plans saw us heading back up to Bull Pot Farm just over 12 hours after leaving from yesterday’s trip. This time, we were headed to do Pool Sink as neither of us had done it before. No pull through trip for us, we thought it wise to check the route out first, but in hindsight we probably could have gone for it.

After a sweaty romp across the fell we scrambled up a dry Ease Gill until we came to the entrance. Chris lead the way through the snug entrance and into the first crawls. Here we were questioning if we’d perhaps under estimated this trip, expecting a nice easy day out and here we are navigating hairpin bends in tight passageways some 10-15m from the entrance! Lucky for us it wasn’t too long until we were through this and things started to look a lot more vertical. I started the days rigging on the first pitch before handing over to Chris to rig the second and third pitches, then back to me to end the rope-work for now. We took a few minutes to catch our breath and strip SRT kits whilst deciding what to do next, by the time we made it to Holbeck Junction we had a plan. Chris was keen to see Easter Grotto, having seen pictures and read about it, so we decided to work our way through the higher level passages (Gypsum Cavern and The Palace) before attempting the flat out crawl connecting to Easter Grotto. We certainly didn’t expect it to be as tight as it was, but luckily it was over before too long and we welcomed the relieving presence of mud coated boulders where we could sit up and process what just happened! Immediately, we decided not to return this way and instead drop down into the main stream way and return via White Way and Thackray’s Passage. We took a slow crawl through Easter Grotto, admiring and photographing as we went. We scrambled down the in situ ropes to through the Assembly Hall to reach the main stream way and enjoyed the somewhat leisurely stroll back downstream in comparison to our journey up!

Back at Holbeck Junction in no time, we quickly had a recce about before heading back through the connecting passages to the 4th pitch of Pool Sink. We agreed our de-rigging order and quickly got to work. After a sweaty half hour or so we were making our way back through the entrance crawls with an encouraging breeze to comfort us somewhat, and finally daylight breaking through the entrance. Glorious conditions on the surface saw us halt for a few at the entrance and soak up a few rays before hiking back across the fell to the farm. A fantastic days caving, I’m sure Chris and I will be back soon to attempt a pull through trip.

Write up by Will, photos by Will and Chris