Tag: Easegill

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit – 21st December 2013

Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit: Tim K, Paul R, Dave C, Arran C, Jason

This trip is becoming traditional on the Christmas do, but I hadn’t done it, at least not for a long time. Tim claimed to be a little uncertain of the route but in fact led the way unerringly along the high-level route. Owing to the wet weather, we thought the main drain might be too sporting for the low-level route, though the noise drifting up from Stake Pot didn’t sound too alarming.

Navigation was easy (it always is if you’re following someone who knows the way) apart from a few moments’ pause for thought at Main-line Terminus (it’s the second exit of 4 which leads to Stop Pot).  We were unsure of which Cavern followed which, but a mud sculpture gave us a clue when we came to Snail Cavern (although, by the same logic, it could also have been ‘Sausage and Two Eggs Cavern’ – at least, I think that’s what the other sculpture represented…).

We emerged at 5pm after about 3 to 3½ hours underground which wasn’t bad going, especially for Dave’s son Arran, a fairly demanding trip for someone his age.

After an unpleasant stagger across the fell, lashed on by the hail, we were greeted by the welcome smell of dinner cooking at the farm (thanks to Su, who nobly volunteered not to go caving!!). I was about to venture forth to retrieve the rope, but was saved by Barney who said he would use it in the morning.  Maybe he just didn’t want a hypothermia case on his hands, but I didn’t argue.

An excellent evening of fine food, wine and entertainment (thanks to that reluctant guitar hero, Andy) followed.

Eventually we retired to the comforts of the bunks, disturbed only by the rain rattling the tiles and thunderous snoring from a certain gentleman. (No names, as long as the customary bribe is forthcoming!)

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Lancaster Hole – 21st November 2012

Lancaster Hole – Andy G, Jason

A select team gathered for a trip with few ideas about where we should go.  I wanted to visit Slug World, so we turned left at the bottom of the entrance pitch (breaking the habits of a lifetime).  The muddy climb quickly degenerates to a muddy crawl, but very soon pops out into a decent passage with some fine formations.  A bit of a squeeze leads into another chamber with some even better stal.  This is emphatically taped-off so we turned around.  The next time you’re waiting at the bottom of the pitch for 5 people to ascend, it’s well worth a ten-minute detour.

Andy expressed an interest in visiting the Graveyard, and as he’d been kind enough to bring a suitable rope for the pitch, it seemed churlish to demur.  Now where was the entrance ?  I tried a turning off Bridge Hall – a high rift, not what we were looking for, but it went on – might as well have a look…  We realised it was the Sand Caverns, a series of, well, caverns linked by some fun climbs and slides.  These went for some time until I came to a tight crawl leading to a low bedding chamber.  All I could remember from the description was that Sand Caverns had some ‘very tight’ connections elsewhere (the Crater) , which neither of us relished, so we headed back.

A few metres further down Bridge Hall was the Graveyard entrance.  A short crawl, the little pitch, then into the Graveyard.  I’d forgotten how well-decorated this is.  But the route Andy was after was down the big trench in the floor.  This looked impossible to climb down, until he pointed out the concealed rope at the right-hand end. This leads onto a narrow streamway.  Following this downstream, a crawl off to the right leads into the Stump Cavern Extensions (the earlier passage to the right, up a greasy climb does not go anywhere).  This turned out to be a series of protracted crawls, flat-out, but not uncomfortable.  However, he was not totally sure of how this linked back to the Graveyard, and time was marching on, and the call of the Black Sheep was getting more insistent, so we turned round and retraced our drag marks.

Back in the stream, we paused for a little wallow to wash the worst of the mud from the SRT kits, then were soon back in Bridge Hall, and out – just in time for a swift one at the other Hall (Whoop).  A grand evening’s entertainment – I’d been to three places in Easegill for the first time, whilst leaving some more to do on another occasion: completing the Stump Caverns Extensions circuit and (maybe) the Sand Caverns to Crater link.

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

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!

By Jason Clements In Day Trips

Aygill Caverns – 15th December 2010

Aygill Caverns            Helen, Chris H, Barney, Tim K, Sophie, Ed, Jason

Though the weather was bracing, the snow had held off, so there was a good turn-out at the farm.  It was a long time since I’d visited Aygill, so I was glad to follow Chris as he unerringly located the entrance.  Despite knowing the immediate entrance series was a bit tricky, we were still tricked for a few moments before finding the way on (as Nick Cave advises “you’ve got to get up before you get down”).   Having done so, it’s not far to the first pitch – one of those that a brave person could free-climb.  An even braver person would have used the frayed tat in situ, but fortunately Helen had brought a 9m rope which was exactly the right length.

The way on is through an uninviting slot right under the pitch leading quite soon to the second pitch, immediately before which is a deceptively awkward little constriction.

There follows the excellent Cascades streamway which all too soon leads to a labyrinth of crawls, climbs, chokes and chambers. Despite being armed with a printed copy of the Red Rose guide, we failed to find the sump, although it was fun poking around everywhere else.  On our way out, Chris found what might have been the ‘low wet crawl’ leading to the sump and we both said that we’d give it a try if the other would.  In the end, I managed to convince Chris that there was more to caving than long low crawls in very cold water – like sitting in a nice warm pub – so we left it for another day….