scylla & charybdis

Inferus

New member
Benfool said:
The Main Drain. About half way between the Stake Pot boulder choke and Oxbow Corner.
Yep. Randomly descended Charybdis to the main drain, once. Certainly not the most ideal way down, interesting though.
 

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
yes I too am considering descending Charybdis for the sh*ts and giggles. was wondering if much progress can be made along the main drain at the bottom, and if so how much?

although you could tell me that the bottom is just a garbage heap and I'd probably still descend.
 

Benfool

Member
Yeah, you can get all the way from Fall Pot to Oxbow Corner - it's one of the best streamways in the country.

Easiest way to get into it is to get to the bottom of Fall Pot, then descend through the boulder choke at the bottom of the old ladder route pitch to the streamway. Downstream quickly takes you to the Lancaster hole main downstream sump and the bottom end of Wilf Taylor's, upstream takes you to Oxbow Corner, through two boulder chokes.

Its well worth a trip!

B

 

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
Oh excellent, the only bit of the streamway I've done before is Wilf Taylor's to Fall Pot, which was good fun - not sure why I've never wondered where the continuation of the streamway goes!
Although, last time I was in Easegill a week or so ago we'd had 24 hours of torrential heavy rain and the washing machine sounded like a death trap from the top of fall pot! But when the water levels are good I shall descend charybdis and do the whole streamway route for variation

(next question is now: what happens if I go in the opposite direction from the bottom of charybdis ie. away from lancaster hole - which I think would be upstream?)
 

Benfool

Member
You'll quickly get to a really complex boulder choke. If you manage to find youre way through it (stick to the left hand side of the passage as you're heading up stream, then climb up and through a hole to the right hand side of the passage, which should see you through it) you'll get to Oxbow Corner. At this point you can either head up a slope on your left hand side, back to the high level series (near the minerets) or continue upstream where I think it gets really low and horrid. Just after oxbow Corner there is an inlet on your left that takes you to maricabo, which has some very fine Formations.

There is a pretty good description of most of this is the Black Book, under the Cow pot trip :)

B
 

Fulk

Well-known member
From distant memories of descending Scylla and Charybdis a long time ago, I'd say be very careful if you decide to try it; from memory, it gets very difficult near the botom of both descent routes (I wouldn't try without a rope).

If you continue upstream from Fall Pot or Waterfall Passage or whereever you access the main stream, you'll eventually reach a boulder choke and to continue in the upstteream direction you have to go back to the high-leel passage just downstream from Oxbow Corner, where an easy stroll takes you back up. Continuing in the upsteeam direction you can gain access to the stream again at Stop Pot.
 

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
Yes, I was planning on using a rope. I've read the maracaibo description in the black book and it includes a route through the boulder choke so I reckon I'll try that... waterfall passage also sounds great, the 'problematic duck' is especially appealing to me although once again is sounds like I'll have to wait for low water levels for that and a extra time for excavating!
 

Fulk

Well-known member
Waterfall Passage is a lovely passage, but there is no problematic duck there; it's very straightforward (except in high water levels) . . . so the 'problematic duck' must be somewhere else (Maracaibo?)
 

thehungrytroglobite

Well-known member
Fulk said:
Waterfall Passage is a lovely passage, but there is no problematic duck there; it's very straightforward (except in high water levels) . . . so the 'problematic duck' must be somewhere else (Maracaibo?)

hmm, mike cooper said 'the second duck... is considerably more problematical as it involves an awkward squeeze around a right-hand bend followed by a thrutchy, upward-sloping exit. Excavating some cobbles from the floor of the sump pool should help avoid an alarming facial immersion during the critical move in the squeeze', but perhaps he was being melodramatic
 
thehungrytroglobite said:
Oh excellent, the only bit of the streamway I've done before is Wilf Taylor's to Fall Pot, which was good fun - not sure why I've never wondered where the continuation of the streamway goes!

If you haven't done the main drain then you must. It's a fantastic bit of passage.
 

topcat

Active member
If you are thinking of doing the Aardvark Country route as per the  Black Book of Death , drop me a pm.....
 

langcliffe

Well-known member
MJenkinson said:
If you haven't done the main drain then you must. It's a fantastic bit of passage.

It's alright, I suppose... (photo:John Dale).

temp.jpg
 

Fulk

Well-known member
Or here:
Well ? it didn't work as a jpg or a jpeg or a pdf ? so what's gone wrong?
 

Attachments

  • Lancaster Hole - MSP.pdf
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paul

Moderator
Fulk said:
Or here:
Well ? it didn't work as a jpg or a jpeg or a pdf ? so what's gone wrong?

It has been attached as a PDF. (see the link at the bottom of your post)
 
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