Mega drive trip
- Thread starter paulf
- Start date
danthecavingman
Member
Pretty straightforward. From Lamb and Fox chamber you climb up and follow Indiana Highway, over the bad step and pretty soon you're in the Megadrive. Getting to Lamb and Fox is easy enough.
Dan.
Dan.
Les W
Active member
If you have only been to Gilwern Passage then the route is almost directly opposite at Tea Junction. This large boulder hopping passage leads to Lamb and Fox Chamber and then Indiana Highway is at the far end of the chamber at high level (to the right as you enter the chamber).
There is a short cut to Lamb and Fox Chamber via Wonderbra and Beer challenge if you know where they are. This could knock an hour off your trip so it may be worth the explore, they can be found opposite the entry point of the main passage at the Cairn. The passages are easy crawling and chop off a major corner. Wonderbra will drop you back into the stream by the corner with the large balanced blocks but if you keep left in the crawl (Beer Challenge) you will come out just along the passage from the climb up to Lamb and Fox Chamber.
There is a short cut to Lamb and Fox Chamber via Wonderbra and Beer challenge if you know where they are. This could knock an hour off your trip so it may be worth the explore, they can be found opposite the entry point of the main passage at the Cairn. The passages are easy crawling and chop off a major corner. Wonderbra will drop you back into the stream by the corner with the large balanced blocks but if you keep left in the crawl (Beer Challenge) you will come out just along the passage from the climb up to Lamb and Fox Chamber.
Just to clarify some of Les W's comments, the short cut into White Arch Passage via Wonder Bra/Beer Challenge/Carpet Crawl, will save you about 10-15 minutes in each direction and means you miss out Tea Junction and 3 boulder climbs, one of which is a little tricky. Once in the low passage ignore the hole in the floor on the right (Wonder Bra) and continue into the lower passage ahead. Go right at a junction (Beer Challenge is straight on and to the left) and soon a dug crawl is encountered on the left (Carpet Crawl) which pops you out at the top of a short boulder slope in White Arch about 100m up from Tea Junction. Turn left and you have about 300m of fun boulder hopping before reaching Lamb and Fox Chamber!
White Arch ends at a huge boulder choke which is the bottom of L&F Chamber. The way through is in the top right-hand corner. When in L&F just climb the boulders and the tapes will lead you to the manufactured climb up to Indiana Highway.
The traverse over the pitch in Indiana Highway also has an awkward jammed boulder to climb over, perched right on the far side of the drop, so cows tails or similar are probably a good idea. A bit more traversing leads to another awkward block and the end of the passage in a small chamber. To reach Megadrive you need to climb the boulders ahead and crawl across either of the ledges in the roof of the passage. From the junction ahead Megadrive goes right (south) and Megadrive North goes left.
White Arch ends at a huge boulder choke which is the bottom of L&F Chamber. The way through is in the top right-hand corner. When in L&F just climb the boulders and the tapes will lead you to the manufactured climb up to Indiana Highway.
The traverse over the pitch in Indiana Highway also has an awkward jammed boulder to climb over, perched right on the far side of the drop, so cows tails or similar are probably a good idea. A bit more traversing leads to another awkward block and the end of the passage in a small chamber. To reach Megadrive you need to climb the boulders ahead and crawl across either of the ledges in the roof of the passage. From the junction ahead Megadrive goes right (south) and Megadrive North goes left.
Les W
Active member
Megadrive South leads to Windy Corner and on to Nunery and Perseverance II. St Davids Hall and the Round trip (and most of the cave) are this way. 
Last time I went to Megadrive North (many, many years ago (1995 ish)) it just lead to another passage that came back to the junction with Indiana Highway.
Last time I went to Megadrive North (many, many years ago (1995 ish)) it just lead to another passage that came back to the junction with Indiana Highway.
Les W said:
This passage (Canyon North) makes a pleasant round trip. It leads off left about half way along Megadrive North, near an inlet falling down an aven and connects into Canyon East, Canyon West and The Canyon as well as rejoining the 'main route' right at the end of Indiana Highway, before the climb up into Megadrive.
At the end of Megadrive North it's possible to crawl and climb down into Underworld where there is a 22m pitch into Under Underworld which must contain over a kilometre of passage. Underworld has a number of other small pitches and Megadrive North a few short side passages.
