Caution - Loose boulders at Stake Pot, Ease Gill Caverns

[CNCC]

Hello all

We have been made aware of some boulder movement on one our our region's most popular routes.

For anyone visiting Ease Gill Caverns in the foreseeable future, planning to pass up/down the muddy slope from the high level passage on the eastern side of Stake Pot, please take a read of this warning:

Stake Pot - Ease Gill - Loose boulders

WARNING - Loose blocks at Stake Pot in Ease Gill Caverns - Extreme care needed. Please read our full story!

cncc.org.uk

This is a particularly well-travelled route and will include anyone doing a high-level traverse between Fall Pot (i.e. Lancaster Hole/Cow Pot) and the upsream entrances, or vice versa, or anyone ascending/descending between the higher level eastern passages and the Main Drain at Stake Pot.

We strongly advise anyone passing the area to visually identify the at-risk boulders (see photos) and take appropriate measures to avoid them.

Thank you to the volunteers who reported and inspected this issue.

 

[Alex]

Rather than the boulders it's the insitu rope going up the otherside (Lanc) that people need to be aware of, as it's quite trashed, two damaged areas have isolation knots on it, so not end of the world, but can do with replacing. Just bare that in mind if going up that way. Luckily, I was coming from Lancs so we did not even bother taking the risk and just rigged that side as a pull through. The boulders on the other side in question seemed to not move, but as it's rigged as handline climb rather than an SRT pitch the only way to get up there is to sit/stand on it, though you can and we did avoid standing higher up at the pivot point.

 

[andrewmcleod]

Rather than the boulders it's the insitu rope going up the otherside (Lanc) that people need to be aware of, as it's quite trashed, two damaged areas have isolation knots on it, so not end of the world, but can do with replacing. Just bare that in mind if going up that way. Luckily, I was coming from Lancs so we did not even bother taking the risk and just rigged that side as a pull through. The boulders on the other side in question seemed to not move, but as it's rigged as handline climb rather than an SRT pitch the only way to get up there is to sit/stand on it, though you can and we did avoid standing higher up at the pivot point.

Been that way for at least a year or two I think (I realise it's easier to complain than to help!)

 

[langcliffe]

I passed that way a couple of months ago, and I didn't perceive it as a problem. One doesn't actually have to stand on or pull on the boulder in question. As with many other places on the High Level route, it just requires care.