Pool Sink to Wretched Rabbit, via Wretched Rabbit Traditional Route

From Ease Gill

Pool Sink Entrance Series[edit | edit source]

The cave starts as a crawl in a small tube. After the initial left-hand bend, an awkward left-then-right double bend is reached; this is best approached on the right-hand side, flipping over in the first bend; tackle is best pushed in front.

Ahead the way becomes easier, as a wide low crawl, gradually rising to hands and knees crawling and then stooping passage. The passage becomes more rift-like, before a 2.5m climb down into a small chamber where small inlets enter. Ahead a meandering stream passage, with a larger inlet entering from the right, soon reaches the first pitch (P17). The pitch descends past a ledge to land on a ledge just above the streamway.

  • 22m rope; back-up to bolt; traverse from bolt; Y-hang off two bolts; optional deviation from bolt 3m down.

[Upstream leads to Magpie Grotto]; downstream leads towards Holbeck Junction.

Pool Sink streamway[edit | edit source]

Note: sections of the lower streamway flood to the roof in wet conditions.

Downstream from the first pitch, a pleasant streamway reaches the second pitch (P8) after about two minutes.

  • 16m rope; backup to large thread on previous corner; traverse from bolt high on left wall; main hang from bolt high on left; deviation with short sling from thread 1m down. [An alternative route traverses over the pitch and descends further downstream.]

Ahead, a couple of short climbs lead to the third pitch (P8).

  • 12m rope; bolt for traverse; two-bolt Y-hang.

Two minutes caving down the streamway, with a couple of deeper pools, reaches the fourth pitch (P10). The pitch can be rigged direct, but this way is very wet and not recommended; better is to traverse up to the right, following the obvious line of bolts.

  • 21m rope; five bolts for traverse; two-bolt Y-hang.

The pitch lands on a ledge by the waterfall. The stream flows along a tall rift passage with short climbs, T-Piece Passage. A clamber over rocks leads to a step up onto a shelf where the water is lost. A short rift passage leads to a clamber over more boulders into a chamber where the water is regained. Ahead, striking horizontal flakes of rock protrude from the walls. A short section of stream leads to more boulders. These boulders mark a four-way junction, although two of the ways are unobvious.

  • The easiest way to Holbeck Junction is a dry passage starting at a shelf on the right, 2m above the stream. This soon enters a chamber. To the left is Upstream Green and Smelly Passage, with connections to Spiral Staircase Passage in Wretched Rabbit, the Borehole, Slit Sinks and New Slit Sinks. To the right is Green and Smelly Passage to Holbeck Junction, leading to Holbeck Junction.
  • [Alternatively, straight on from the four-way junction intersects Green and Smelly Passage just upstream of the chamber mentioned above.]

Green and Smelly Passage to Holbeck Junction[edit | edit source]

From the confluence of the Pool Sink and Spiral Staircase/Borehole routes, the passage continues as walking passage, with the water flowing in an oxbow to the left. After two minutes, a pool is reached at the junction of two joints: turning left then immediately right, a stoop leads into a 6m high chamber with the stream flowing from the right. A few steps downstream, a dry passage to the right provides the easiest way to Holbeck. [Continuing ahead, a wet crawl leads to where the stream disappears ahead. A dry crawl to the right leads to the main streamway, where it hits a choke.] Taking the dry passage leads to a step over boulders, followed by a gentle descent to Holbeck Junction.

Holbeck Junction[edit | edit source]

Holbeck Junction is a major junction in the upper Easegill main streamway. The junction itself is often dry, as the stream runs in an oxbow.

Several routes lead from Holbeck; in clockwise direction:

  • Downstream soon leads to a choke; a crawl to the left provides an alternative route to Green and Smelly Passage.
  • Upstream is Thackray's Passage leading towards Top Sink with a connection to Boundary Pot.
  • To the left of the stream, behind a 2m high boulder, is a dry passage leading to Green and Smelly Passage, with routes to Pool Sink, Spiral Staircase in Wretched Rabbit, Slit Sinks and New Slit Sinks.

Holbeck Junction to Stop Pot[edit | edit source]

From Holbeck Junction, the route to Stop Pot ascends the boulder slope to the right of the streamway. [The route towards Gypsum Caverns leads off to the right.] Two routes leads off to the left after 4m and 8m; the routes soon reunite, with the latter providing the easier route. An easy bouldery passage continues, with the stream audible below. Parallel routes split and then recombine in a chamber, with the right-hand route providing the easier route.

Ahead, the stream is met at a large pool, deep in places; [an alternative route to the left, over large boulders, avoids most of the water.] The way to Stop Pot is quite complex; the general tactic is to follow the right-hand wall. In more detail, the route follows the stream on the right-hand wall, and then continues ahead where the stream cuts left. The route continues to follow the right-hand wall, gently up over boulders, and through a "doorway" to where the way ahead drops sharply. A clamber 1.5m up over boulders to the left leads onto a boulder-strewn ledge, descending gently towards the stream. Before the stream is met, a clamber up reaches a ledge with small stal bosses. This leads down to a short mud-floored section of passage. Then a route over more boulders, still following the right-hand wall, reaches Stop Pot.

Stop Pot[edit | edit source]

Stop Pot is a major junction in the Easegill streamway. It is in a very bouldery area, with a boulder choke downstream.

Several routes lead from Stop Pot. The following are described from a position in the streamway, surrounded by boulders, at the base of the boulder slope leading up to the fixed ladder, where the streamway splits. In a clockwise direction:

  • A few metres upstream, on the right-hand wall, a climb onto a ledge leads to Depot Passages.
  • Following the stream downstream to the left, and clambering ahead over boulders leads to a dry route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.
  • Between the two branches of the stream is a large ascending boulder slope; part way up the boulder slope, on the left, is the route to Four Ways, a flood-escape route into Wretched Rabbit.
  • At the top of the boulder slope is the Stop Pot ladder, up to Mainline Terminus at the start of the high-level route leading towards Lancaster Hole and Cow Pot, with a connection to Link Pot, Pippikin Pot, Bye George, Peterson Pot, and Mistral.
  • Following the stream downstream to the right leads to the wet route through the choke, towards Eureka Junction.

Stop Pot to Eureka Junction[edit | edit source]

In reasonably dry conditions, the easiest route from Stop Pot to Eureka Junction is to follow the streamway, near the right-hand wall. The route is in, or just above, the stream, all the way through the choke.

[Alternatively, from Stop Pot, a drier route starts by following the stream to the left, into the boulders. A slight left turn leads into a flat-roofed crawl, with some small stal on the left. The crawl becomes lower, and has an orange floor in places. The way opens out beyond the choke, and a short slope leads back down to the streamway, to rejoin the wet route.]

Beyond the choke, two minutes of easy walking in a large stream passage leads to Eureka Junction.

Wretched Rabbit Passage, from Eureka Junction to Depot Junction[edit | edit source]

A muddy passage leads off to the left of the streamway at Eureka Junction. Very soon, a junction is reached: the route to Wretched Rabbit is to the left; [straight on leads to Poetic Justice and Trident Passage in County Pot.] A short roof traverse leads to a vadose passage. The walls here are covered with a thin layer of mud, caused by water backing up from Eureka Junction.

After about three minutes, the passage lowers to a crawl. The crawl passes calcited cobbles suspended from the ceiling; it is driest to the left at this point. The crawl passes stal flow and pillars; again, keeping left is the driest route. Ahead, the stream emerges from a low passage; the easiest route is to step up into a roof oxbow. Where the passage widens, holes connect down to stream level; a step across these holes reaches a traverse. A step up over the stream reaches a continuing roof oxbow, with various holes back down to the stream.

After a couple of minutes, the stream is regained at a junction; [ahead chokes after 3m.] To the left is a meandering streamway, narrow in places; this passes a large stalactite, and includes a short crawl. After about three minutes, an easy 4m climb is reached. Above the climb, the stream emerges from a low passage. The best route is a slightly awkward 2m climb up to the left, leading to a step across a pot in the floor above the stream. Soon, a junction is reached.

Wretched Rabbit Passage, from Depot Junction to Spiral Staircase Junction[edit | edit source]

A series of easy climbs lead up into a meandering vadose passage. The stream is lost, and after about three minutes, a junction is reached; [the passage ahead is blind after 1m.] To the left leads to a climb up to the left and a step across a hole in the floor, into an abandoned vadose passage. After about two minutes, an inlet enters from the left, and a 3m-deep hole, lined with boulders, is met. Descending the hole leads into Spiral Staircase Passage. Skirting the hole and continuing ahead leads to Wretched Rabbit Exit.

Wretched Rabbit Exit[edit | edit source]

Big Rift leads past a side passage to the left [which soon leads to a rope climb]. 30m ahead is the start of a series of climbs, rigged with handlines (February 2016). The first climb is 5m, and fairly easy, with good footholds. From the ledge at the top, the next climb, of 4.5m, follows immediately; the bottom 2.5m is steep and awkward with small footholds. [An inlet and a bedding plane crawl enter on the left at the top.] An easy 2m step up leads to the next ledge. The final 3.5m climb is steep with small footholds: there is a useful toehold about 1.7m up. From the top, a short crawl leads round a corner to the exit.