2nd January 2025 - Off beat Easegill

With Tony having exclusive use of a Spanish ski resort, Mike and I were left to fend for ourselves. Mike had a think and came up with a plan to head over to Cape Kennedy and the Fire hydrant in Easegill but with a little SRT loop to add interest. 

Unusually there were ropes down Lancaster Hole, Cambridge uni. on a New Year's meet by the look of the labels, but we were on our own as we headed down the pitch and towards Kath's Way. Fall pot and the beginning of the high level series were passed with Mike covering ground fast with a steady pace but always on the most efficient route, while I zipped around like a collie pup going nowhere slowly.

I'm sure back in the day I didn't blink an eye at crossing over Stake pot by hand over handing the in situ ropes, but either Easegill is slippier, I need new wellies or I've a different outlook on life and it's harness and cows' tails every time now. 

The Stake pot series of Easegill is one of the parts that I know I don't know. Even after recceing it a few times before taking on the traverse I always had the description in hand. I know it involves a fixed ladder at some point, but that's about it. Fortunately today I had a head up display and as long as I moved fast enough to keep him in my sights, I just needed to follow Mike.

Having kept my SRT gear on from Stake pot (no time to take it off following Mike), I had the indignity of coming to a standstill, or more a liestill just before Cellar pot as I just didn't fit through the low bedding. Fortunately it's removal allowed me to pass and find Mike at the top of Cellar pot where he'd cached his gear and was ready to climb up through an obscure hole leading up to the pretties in Cape Kennedy.

Sight seeing tour over we were reunited with our gear and out of the choice of a rope, a thin polypropylene line and a chain, I chose the rope and tried to began my descent. In the equivalent of trying to start a car with a dead battery I was going nowhere. The rope had become so heavily calcited that it just wouldn't run through my descender and in the end I was forced to down climb on my jammers. Mike meanwhile made a smoother descent on an Italian hitch. It's worth noting if passing this way that Stops just don't seem to like petrified rope.

I always find the Wormway an intimidating place and today was no exception. There's something about the texture of the mud that reminds you that you really are in the bowels of the Earth. Fortunately it's not far to the 88' pitch but a more sobering view then came into sight, a metre high ring of foam about 20m up the pitch. A day or two previously where I was stood would have been 20 m underwater. I seemed to be up the pitch a bit quicker than usual.

If you're looking for a bit of an off beat adventure with a little bit of everything then this is a great little trip - just make sure the water levels aren't too high.

6th January 2022 - Rediscovering a gem: Wilf Taylor's Passage

The first trip of 2022 saw us making our way along an icy path from Bull pot farm. Crossing the style by the gate the reflective posts lead, like runway lights, across the moor to Lancaster hole.  With Mike and Dick on the main hang, Tony began his descent to the first rebelay. He was just swapping over his descender as a grim hail storm hit and I wimped out, throwing myself into the concrete pipe.  Unfortunately I forgot I had a couple of tackle sacks dangling from me and the impromtu beating round the head probably didn't help Tony's change over.

Joining the others at the base of the pitch we headed off to Bridge hall and the scaffolded route through Kath's way.  Climbing over the awkward boulder towards the end of the passage I reminisced on my caving journey.  20 years ago on first aquaintance I found the step up and over this obstacle nearly impossible. How are you meant to stick to anything in wellies?  Now sometimes it's on arrival at the step across the chasm that I realise I've passed it.

As we approached Fall pot we met the owners of the rope down the entrance pitch, another set of "Thursday night" cavers! Coincidently they had just finished coming out of the Crap trap, our choice of descent for the evening. After a brief catch up we began our descent.  I don't know how many times I've walked over or passed under the Crap trap, but this was my first time down the pitch.  Don't be put off in anyway by the name, it's cracking. Unlike the rigging guide, after the first deviation and rebelay, we just used the following bolts as deviations (all had in situ tat). This gave a very satisfying and beautifully curving descent to the main drain.

Mike descending the Crap Trap.

A very short stomp brought us to the down stream sump. The height of some of the foam on the walls, as ever, most humbling. At this point Dick generously offered to derig the Crap trap allowing three of us to make our way back up to the high level via Wilf Taylor's passage. Dick rattled off the directions and Mike looked confident so off we set. It's a truly superb piece of passage. Not only is it visibly attractive, it's also a joy to move through. Ascending rather than descending requires a little more faith in some of the ropes and on reaching the belay, some were definitely in worse condition than others (on the second climb, with the undercut base, the yellow rope with footloops tied in it I personally didn't trust with my weight).

It was all going so well, flash backs to old memories keeping me on track until I decided to completely ignore a passage on the left with a well worn floor and lots of tape round formations and instead opt for the next crawl along.  As the roof lowered I quickly began to think it was the wrong way.  Mike though, a little way behind was "99% sure" it was right.  A few metres later I struggled to take my SRT gear off, but Mike was still at "98%". Another metre and I started to think about taking my helmet off and Mike's confidence in my route choice plummeted from 98% to "definitely not". While Tony and I began the turning around manoevers, Mike made a quick exit from the tube and by the time I had extracated myself he was sat by the obvious way on and the asscociated trappings of a trade route.

Motoring once more we made good progress, my final route finding wobble being quickly averted by the sound of Dick's voice from the bottom of possibly the shortest fixed ladder in a cave. Back then onto the well known path to Bridge hall and onwards to the bottom of the pitch.  Mike and I expected Tony and Dick to be well on the way back to the van as we emerged, but it had turned into a pleasant evening and they were still chatting at the entrance.  

The van made it up the one slippy bit from the farm and we were soon back in Kirkby. While the Royal Barn has always done a good pint, at the moment they're serving fantastic beer.  Just wish they'd put the real fire on a bit more, the silly TV "fire" by the door just reminding you what they're missing.   

 

13th February 2020 - Beat the clock pizza

Back in the day, Mike told us, the Royal used to have a beat the clock pizza special. Arrive by 6pm, you pay £6. 6:30, £6.50 and so on.

The very generous donation by the family Rushton of a voucher entitling us to pizza for two and a bottle of prosecco gave us the opportunity to put our own spin on the theme.

The first thing we required, when we met at Devil's Bridge at 5pm, was a short trip to allow us to clean up a bit before arriving at the Royal in Kirby for our latest possible, before they stop serving at 8:45,  8:30pm reservation.

With our newly found regard for water and the amount of water that has fallen recently a few ideas for trips were quickly discarded, before a nice dry trip to Fire Hydrant chamber in Easegill was decided upon.

It's fantastic to be able to walk across the fell in the light, though oddly it actually seems harder to follow the path without the line of shining dots that are only revealed by night fall.

We don't tend to meet many folk on a Thursday night so we were also quite surprised to find a rope down the Lancaster Hole pitch, our rope looking much muckier in comparison to the shiny in situ nylon.

Once at the bottom of the pitch we were off, Bridge Hall, Kath's way, Fall pot (down and up) and Stake Pot itself passing faster than I could reel them off in my head. The week's wet weather making the Easegill mud almost frictionless. 

At Stake Pot inlets Mike set off like a London cabby fully versed in "The Knowledge". At Cannock climb we swapped beautifully shaped, clean washed passageway for sandier but beautifully decorated chambers. Passing the 88' pitch I was ever more impressed with Mike's route finding,  the actual way on never looking like the obvious choice.

One final squirm and we popped up into the stunning Cape Kennedy chamber, it's stalagmitic rockets silently waiting on a countdown that will never reach zero. A few yards on we entered Fire Hydrant chamber, again it's eponymous formation waiting for a shout that will never come.

The return journey to the bottom of the pitch seemed to pass even more quickly and soon the three of us were following the reflective dots back across the moor. These have been superbly sited and again our thanks must go to those who have put them in.

Arriving at Bull Pot Farm, the car's clock read 8:37pm. We were going to have to be quick. A speedy change and brief chat with the Thursday night diggers and we were off, phone poised for the moment we crested the hill and regained signal. As Tony tried valiantly to guide the car safely around the myriad potholes, I asked the hotel to put in 3 pizzas., we'd be there in a few minutes. The phone call was made trickier by a sharp bang, followed by an ominous rumbling sound. Yorkshire country lanes are definitely not the natural home of low profile alloys.

Reaching a flat section of road we jumped into action and despite only needing to change one wheel rather than four, still had it done in a time that wouldn't be thought too sloppy by an F1 team.

Typically the market square car park was full so Tony dropped me off and went to find a space elsewhere.  8:57pm and I was stood at the bar, unfortunately the mirror behind it reflecting a rather mucky person, somewhat out of keeping with the rest of the well dressed clientele.

Huge thanks have to go to the Rushtons, a pizza definitely beats a packet of crisps any day. Also to the staff at The Royal for serving us in the moments before the kitchen was going to close, for swapping a bottle of prosecco for three pints and being extremely welcoming to three of the scruffier customers they're going to see this weekend.

23rd January 2020 - Classics are classics for a reason.

Magic roundabout series with Mike, Tony and Pete.

19th March 2019 - A night off

I'd been wanting to try taking pictures of pitches for a while and as it's very, very wet at the moment (have a search for pictures of the current state of Hull Pot) and our options were limited, I thought this would be a good opportunity.

When I explained to Tony what I wanted to do, there was almost relief in his voice, "a night off!", he declared.

It's not often we cave on a Tuesday and on arriving at Bull Pot farm we realised why. The place was mobbed.  Everyone else was planning a trip from Lancaster to Wretched Rabbit, so we offered the use of our ropes to make life easier for them and headed to rig the pitch.

Tony set off rigging and in almost perfect timing I set off down as the hoards poured over the hill.  Rather than seriously disrupting proceedings trying to photograph the pitch, we headed down into Bridge Hall as the others descended.

As I tried to set up the shot Tony was suffering. Trying to get my ageing flash guns to work with my poorly described instructions, all while trying to remain firmly on the bridge. From the pictures it looks quite big, but it's a bit of a chossy mess and actually quite narrow at the top and instructions to "move a bit to the right", weren't greated too enthusiastically. 

With the others past us and on their way to Wretched Rabbit, we returned to the pitch and tried to find somewhere out of the "rain" to set up the camera.  Tony then once again was in the unenviable position of trying to follow while my instructions as the rope conspired to twist him in the direction he didn't want to go.

Every day's a learning day and I definitely learnt a lot (I need to give my flash guns some TLC for starters), but I'm well aware this came at Tony's discomfort, so huge thanks are due.

The return over the moor and the drive to Barbon was made more hazardous than usual by the need to avoid the hundreds of amorous amphibians (we're not sure whether they were frogs or toads because we can only tell the difference when they either walk or hop and walking/hopping was definitely not what they were doing).

As ever, there was a fantastic fire going in the Barbon inn, the warmth of which was also present in the welcome you receive. It's a grand pub that serves a great pint.

17th November 2016 - Welcome to my world

With heavy rain falling, plans for the evening needed changing and driving up the Lune valley, the flooding reaffirmed we'd made the right decision. As we climbed up to Bull Pot Farm, the rain changed, first to sleat, then to snow. It was going to be a chilly one!

I set off rigging down the entrance tube and was quickly followed to the well watered base of the pitch by Tony, international guest star David and finally Dick.

Rigging the Lancaster Hole entrance pitch

Tony leaving the ledge and heading down the main pitch

Dick arriving at the bottom of the main pitch

Normally the words, "Welcome to my world." hold fairly negative connotations.  If however your name is Slug, I'd be a pretty chuffed person uttering them. Slug's World is a grand little place!  There are some lovely little features including some pretty big helectites.

Quick break at the end of Slug's World

Helectites in Slug's World

Another view of the helectites

From Slug World we retraced our steps back past the pitch before following the well trodden route to Bridge Hall and the obligatory trip up to see the Colonnades. Mention has to be made of the fantastic work done here and elsewhere in the Dales, by the likes of Ray Duffy, painstakingly cleaning formations and trying to return them to their former glory. It's massively appreciated.

Back down in Bridge Hall, we slithered into Kath's way, stomped along Bill Taylor's passage and stepped gingerly across into Montagu Cavern. Whether it's a trick of the memory, or the action of water after last year's floods, it seems that some of the holes in the floor in these parts are bigger than they ever used to be!

We followed the climbs down into the vastness of Fall Pot, before climbing back up into the high level series and Montagu East, finally making the traverse of the areas that allows passage across Stake Pot.  We had decided that our turn around point would be the Painter's Pallete, but again our collective memories seemed to be playing tricks on us as we remembered it being much closer to Bob's Boss than it actually is.  Just short as it turns out,  we began our return journey.

The foot of the pitch was fairly damp and unfortunately I was wearing my leaky suit which just seemed to collect and funnel water to places that generally prefere being warm and dry.

Time to head back up the pitch

Tony's speedy ascent and de rig allowed a collective trudge back across the slowly becoming snow covered moor and the shelter of the van.  For those that grade changes, this must have rated quite highly, the sleaty snow stinging briefly bared flesh.

Closing the lid

At first I was concerned about trying to reach the Barbon Inn, the van's wheels spinning on the freshly fallen snow as we climbed up from Bull Pot Farm. As we descended the valley though it soon turned to rain and we arrived just before the bar man shut up shop. A grand pint and a warm fire were a fitting end to the evening.

15th October 2015 - Something strange is afoot...

...given that it's before October half term and a Thursday night, the last place you'd expect to find 2 members of the TNC would be at the Devil's bridge burger van. But none the less, there they were.  Having had 2 weeks of near drought like weather, conditions seemed perfect for a trip around the Magic Roundabout Series in Easegill.

Despite delaying for a pre-cave brew (NB this makes for a very pleasant start to a trip), we were still earlier than the arranged 5pm rendezvous.  While we knew that we should wait for the other team members, we were too eager to get underground and headed off towards Bull Pot farm confident that they'd catch up while we rigged Lancaster.

Rigging in the light always seems a little unnatural

"WHEEE!", said Dick as he set off down the main pitch. "Yeah man", said Alistair as he joined him at the bottom.  "Please don't keep this up", said a poor reader.

There was still no sign of the others, but we knew that they knew the way to the Arson shaft and with us having to carry the ropes, we were confident that they'd catch us by the time we got there.

Whether it was the weather, or just the first trip of the season, I don't think I've ever sweated so much on the route past Fall pot.  I don't think I've ever slipped and slid so much either, the mud having the frictional qualities of verglas.  By the time we got to the entrance to the Arson shaft, we were both shattered.

Sweat filled our eyes by the time we got to the Arson shaft

It was even a real struggle to get the camera out of the box, I just wanted to lie down.  Oh the cruel hands of time, Dick was soon at the first rebelay and it was time for me to follow him up the rope.  Still no sign of the others, but they know the way on and the way I'm feeling they'll soon catch us up.

Dick about to swing out into the Arson shaft

Normally an ascent of the Arson shaft makes me incredibly nervous.  What state is the rope in?  What state are the hangers in?  The CNCC have done a truly superb job though and rebolted and rerigged the pitch with a shiny new rope, so for once I was able to enjoy the architectural magnificence of the shaft itself, it really is a great pitch.

At the top of the pitch the air seemed to be cooler and less humid than in the high level series, so we were soon along the Old Kent Road to the top of another nicely rerigged pitch.  While it was nice to be descending on a new rope, I think the descent was tinged with a little sadness for Dick as, up until recently, this pitch had been rigged with an old pink climbing rope that he'd put in at the end of the 1990s.

At the top of the 35' pitch

Next up was Aquarius.  I'd looked over this pitch once before in higher water conditions and I think it's definitely worth waiting till the water levels are very low, the only wetting coming when I slipped into a pool just below the bottom of the main pitch.  It was now decision time.  Pulling the ropes here would leave the others unable to complete the round trip.  Dick was convinced though that they'd be waiting, concealed in the main drain, to surprise us and so we pulled the ropes. 

Much to Dick's delight he found his old pink rope still protecting the couple of small cascades below, taking us down into Brass Monkey Passage and the final drop into the meandering passageway that leads back down to the main drain.  Only a few metres down this I remembered why I hate tackle bags, but before we knew it we popped out into huge passageway, just upstream of Stake Pot.  The others were doing a superb job of hiding as we didn't see them at all.

Absolutely knackered now, we made our way up the stemples and ropes back to the high level series and once again commenced an ice skating routine that would have gained us very few points.  It was  with real relief that I pulled over the concrete lip at the top of Lancaster once more.

Having lost so much liquid in sweat our Black Sheep bitter served solely as a chaser to the pint of water that was so desperately needed when we got to the Barbon Inn.

The pain from bruised knees and elbows, mingling with the aching of my muscles somehow added to feeling of contentment in having completed a trip that I'd been wanting to do for years and that had almost taken on a mythical status for me.  

Huge thanks to those that have worked really hard in replacing ropes and anchors in Fall Pot and the Magic Roundabout Series, making this a classic Easegill trip.

Time for bed.

9th January 2015 - Return of the TNC

No conservation tape was crossed during the taking of this photo

An impassioned e-mail from Dick saw the largest turnout of the TNC for many a year and sharing a lift from Lancaster and meeting up at Devil's bridge did indeed give a flash back to the good old times.

The road up to Bull Pot Farm was a little wetter than usual and our plan of reacquainting ourselves with the bottom of the Aquarius series put on a back burner.

The path from the farm too was more like a stream than a path and the breeze blowing over the more made the light rain more wetting than usual.

Huge thanks to those that have put in the effort in creating the new Lancaster entrance, very nicely done.

The nice thing about a leisurely trip is that you have time to look round a corner and over an edge.  Fall pot really is worth a few minutes to take in properly and we discovered what, from the trench on the floor must be a real trade route, along the right hand wall of the pot with it's associated bolts, but somewhere we'd never been before.

With only a loose plan now of going to have a look at the Colonnades, we once again took our time getting back to Kath's way and so had a bit of a ratch around the Crater too.  

Up in the Colonnades we admired the work that has been put in cleaning up this area and had a bit of a look down the dig at the end, where a very talented mud sculptor had been at work.

The return up the pitch was really quite damp at the bottom and we huddled on the ledge waiting for everyone to be up the main pitch before once again making our way onto the moor.  Fortunately the breeze was blowing from behind us for most of the way back.

The fog had become thicker and the puddles deeper as we made our way to the Barbon Inn where a very warm welcome awaited us.  Unfortunately we felt it wasn't the done thing to squeeze three of us onto a single chair next to a couple of couples enjoying the fire, so we had to establish ourselves in the dining room.  The beer matched the atmosphere and was top quality.

28th January 2011 - Wilf Taylors Passage.

With the visit of a French member of TNC with very specific caving requirements the planned trip this week was a round trip down Lancaster Hole taking in Montague's West, Wilf Taylor's Passage the main drain and Fall Pot.

Another frosty night saw us walking across the moor to the entrance with an unusually large team.  Phil, Sharon and David were along as well as the usual suspects, but Ali was off in Scotland celebrating Lee's birthday.  The entrance pitch already had a rope down it so once our rope was rigged we made double quick time entering the cave.  The water level was low due to the freezing temperatures outside and the fact that it hasn't really rained for two weeks.

Kath's way was quickly dispatched followed by Bill Taylor's passage where the shower bath was absent due to low water levels.  At  Fall Pot the mud slope was ascended to the start of Montague's West passage.

A leisurely traverse of this passage took place with frequent stops for photographs.  When the T junction where the water from Bull Pot of the Witches was met the silence was deafening as there was no water at all flowing out from the upstream sump. Evidence was everywhere in the roof and walls of the huge volume of flood water  that had flowed through the passage two weeks earlier but today the flow had ceased and silence rained.

Following the stream bed downstream led us into the superb water washed tube of Wilf Taylor's passage.  Some photos later we moved on and soon arrived at the roped downclimb of double decker pot, which has been re-equipped with nice new ropes to aid the climb down.

Wilf Taylors Passage.  'I will not reveal the secret under any circumstance.'

Once at the bottom of this the passage soon arrives at the master cave of Easegill Caverns and the downstream sump, which was quiet but the froth of recent floods was high on the walls.

A stroll up the streamway past Fall Pot led to the beautiful cascades where more photos were taken and then the climb out began.

Easegill Downstream Sump

Lancaster Hole Main Streamway

 Back at the entrance to Lancaster Hole the two ropes were still in place so we were double quick exiting the cave and Sharon was relieved that there was no water falling down the pitch as the last time she had climbed the pitch there had been a lot of water falling down it and she thought she was drowning!

The surface temperature was once again well below freezing so the first people out returned to the cars while the last ones out de-rigged the pitch.

A swift drive down off the fell saw us all in the Snooty Fox where John joined us.  We haven't seen him since before Christmas as he has been in South America so we were entertained to his stories of summer and sunshine.

The post script of this trip was, however, an awful dawning awareness that one of our members might be changing his club allegiance.  Where as once it was 'all for one and one for all' no secrets and share everything, it transpired that this one longstanding and at one time trustworthy member of the TNC yearns to enter another clubs competitions and shares a secret with them that he refuses to divulge to those that he once called 'friends'.    This is not Ali who the TNC may yet sell (for a transfer fee yet to be negotiated) to another club who wish to have him for his youthful enthusiasm for all things dark, technical, tight and wet, but an original member.  This may be the start of the end for TNC as internal politics rip us apart.  Keep watching this space.

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December 30th 2010 - Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit

The Collonades Chamber in Lancaster Hole

A team of five assembled early at Bull Pot Farm for this classic through trip. Just a few icy patches where left on the paths, and most of the recent snow had now thawed. Lancaster Hole had several ropes down it already, but with everyone abseiling stright down from the top with no re-belays we were all down in about 30 minutes.

After a quick detour to see the Collonades we headed to Fall Pot (seeing some other cavers leaving up the far slopes as we arrived). With two young cavers in our team (Andrew and Matty) we protected the slippery fixed rope descent with a top rope.

Heading into Montague East we briefy stopped to enjoy the spectacular formations at Bob's Boss and Painters Palette before carrying on to Stake Pot.

The Painters Palette in the Hight Level Series

Once again we top roped the youngsters across the exposed descent and re-ascent at Stake Pot, and then continued past the minarets before stopping for a bite to eat. Ian was overheating and briefly stripped down to his undies much to everyone elses amusement! I won't put the photo of this on here, but you can see it on the slideshow!

The Minarets

Exiting the Minarets

Passing through the silent Cornes Cavern and Monster Cavern soon we were at the fixed ladder leading us down into Stop Pot and everyone had a drink of water from the river. A cold section in quite deep water in the Stop Pot boulder choke took us downstream to Eureka Junction.

Mark tackling the boulder choke in the main streamway at Stop Pot

All that remained was the long twisting passages of Wretched Rabbit, always good entertainment, everyone seemed to have plenty of energy left to tackle the awkward climbs and crawls of this classic bit of passage.

In the Wretched Rabbit Meanders

After roping the lads up the last climbs we arrived on the surface at twilight, 6 hours after starting. A very good effort for a team of 5 including two novices annd two 13 year olds! All that remained was to walk back across the moor in the fading daylight and then return to Lancaster Hole to get out ropes.

A happy team back on the surface

CLICK HERE FOR FULL SCREEN SLIDE SHOW

 

 

Map showing Location of Lancaster Hole

Lancaster Hole / Easegill Survey showing Route - click for large image

 

11th December 2009 - Caroling in Easegill and up the Arson shaft

Proximity to Christmas allows people to engage in behaviour which at other times of year would at least seem strange and at worst have you comitted. Behaviours range from wearing novelty ties/jumpers/hats to the buying of the latest X factor winner's single. Somewhere between these two extremes lies caroling at various points in the Easegill system, carefully chosen for their acoustic magnificance.

Watching Progress down Lancaster Hole

High Level Series

Given that the varying reverberence times of different spaces can affect an ensemble's timbre, we chose the style just after Bull Pot of the Witches as the site for our first few lines, before moving on to Lancaster hole.
Phil showed that men can multitask by rigging the pitch while still continuing the carol, amply lit by the "aven blaster" from above.

Our next site was the Collonade chamber, Tom, Dick and Sharon each demonstrating their individual vocal talents with coreographed solos.

Dropping into the depths of Fall pot it's worth noting that it's quicker to use the climbs than the thick in situ ropes. It should also be taken into account that a key shift of a third of an octave is required to overcome the inherent tininess of Fall pot.

Continuing along the high level series, Phil, Dick and Sharon made their way to Bob's boss and the Painter's pallet, while Tom and I went to have a look at the top of the Arson shaft. A short recce made us determined to return but we had to head back and joined the others back at the foot of Lancaster.

The roads to Barbon were icy, but the fire inside the pub was nice and warm.

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19th December 2008 Lancaster Hole

While the end of the Autumn term is always worth marking, today also marked Dick's retirement so it was off to Lancaster hole to celebrate. Dick's a popular man but I don't think even he could believe the number of cars already parked at Bull Pot farm and the number of teams already chalked up on the board. This on one of the wettest days we've had.

Bull pot Farm Changing rooms - now being revamped

Sheltering under the eaves of the farm house we debated our options, standing waiting at the top of Lancaster on an evening such as this, as lots of people make their way out isn't a very pleasant experience. Our indecision paid off however as one by one groups came and rubbed their names off the board and we decided to change and head across the fell. Timing it to perfection we arrived just as the final member of a party was coming out of the entrance on their "last caving trip" (if you reconsider and go again and would like the items you left at the top of the pitch back, please leave a comment).

Wet day in Lancaster Hole

The normally dry pitch was in full flow and it was with relief we headed into Bridge Hall and down into Kath's Way.

Kath's Way

With the amount of water about we had decided on more modest objectives and after a trip to the edge of Fall Pot, made our way into Wilf Taylor's passage.

Wilf Taylors Passage

After visiting the water coming through from Bull Pot of the Witches we made our way back to the ropes with a short Champagne stop on route. Heading up the ropes when we arrived were a party who'd made their way from Top sink, an impressive achievement given the amount of water about. The climb up allowed sufficient opportunity to clean all our gear, as the spray exploding off the ledges fired water at you from every direction. From the top of the pot we set off to enjoy the rest of the Christmas holidays and for Dick the start of a new chapter in life- here's to you.

27th Dec 2007 - Wilf Taylors Passage

A wet dismal evening saw us tramping over the moors to Lancaster hole, our original plan for a Lancaster Hole to Wretched Rabbit Passage changed due to possible flood waters. We decided to go and look at Wilf Taylors Passage, and the Montague West area. However reaching Lancaster hole we were held up for a long time by a slow ascending group - 3 cavers of which two were young novices. After about 40 minutes we heard the leader shout down to the the slowly ascending last member who was having problems of some kind: "Take your time" - that was the last thing we wanted to hear! Almost hypothermic we eventually made it in. Were the photos worth the wait? Let us know!

7th Dec 2007 - Lancaster Hole

Some more pretty pictures taken down Lancaster hole on this trip, some experimentation with flashes worked out very well as you can see by the slideshow below. You can click on any picture to go to larger sized versions. Or click here for a full screen slideshow!