Wretched Rabbit to Top Sink, via Wretched Rabbit Traditional Route

Wretched Rabbit Entrance Series

A short crawl soon leads to a series of climbs, rigged with handlines (February 2016). The initial steep 3.5m climb is rigged from a scaffold bar. Below is an easy 2m step down onto a ledge. [An inlet and a bedding plane crawl enter on the right here.] A further 4.5m climb, steep for the bottom half, lands on another ledge. The final 5m climb is less steep, with good footholds.

At the bottom of the climbs is Big Rift. 30m ahead is a side passage to the right [which soon leads to a rope climb]. Just ahead is a 3m-deep hole, lined with boulders, with an inlet entering from the right. Ahead is the traditional route. Descending the hole leads into Spiral Staircase Passage.

Wretched Rabbit Traditional Route, from Spiral Staircase Junction to Depot Junction

From the junction with Spiral Staircase Passage, the Wretched Rabbit traditional route continues as an abandoned vadose passage. After about two minutes, the way is to step across a hole in the floor, and then descend to a wider passage. [The passage to the left is blind after 1m.]

Ahead, a meandering vadose passage meets the stream. After three minutes, a series of easy climbs down is reached. The stream falls down a 1m-deep pot in the floor; the way on is to step across the pot into an oxbow. Immediately, a junction is reached.

• Continuing down to the left, a step across another pot leads to a 2m climb down to the stream, and the continuation towards Eureka Junction.

• Ascending the inlet to the right leads towards Depot Passages.

Wretched Rabbit Traditional Route, from Depot Junction to Eureka Junction

An easy 4m climb leads to a meandering streamway, narrow in places; this passes a large stalactite, and includes a short crawl. After about three minutes, a junction is reached; [to the left chokes after 3m.] A dry passage continues to the right, in a roof oxbow, passing a hole connecting to the stream about 1m below. After about two minutes, the passage passes another hole down to the stream. Ahead, the easiest route is to step up to a traverse level. When the passage widens, the route is to step across another hole down to the stream, into continuing roof oxbow. Round the corner, is a descent back to stream level.

Ahead is a crawl in the stream, or a dry oxbow and crawl to the right. The crawl passes stal flow and pillars, and calcited cobbles suspended from the ceiling. After another short crawl, the passage becomes more vadose. The walls here are covered with a thin layer of mud, caused by water backing up from Eureka Junction. After about three minutes, a step up reaches a roof oxbow. A few metres ahead is the junction with County Pot. To the right soon reaches Eureka Junction; to the left leads to Poetic Justice and Trident Passage.

Eureka Junction

Eureka Junction is in the Easegill streamway, where the route from County Pot and the Wretched Rabbit traditional route hit the streamway. Note: this area floods to the roof in wet weather.

• Downstream, a stooping passage leads after a couple of minutes to a choke.

• Upstream leads to Stop Pot.

• To the left of the streamway is an obvious muddy passage. Very soon, this reaches a junction: to the left is Wretched Rabbit; to the right leads to Poetic Justice in County Pot.

Eureka Junction to Stop Pot

From Eureka Junction, two minutes of easy walking upstream in a large stream passage leads to the Stop Pot Boulder Choke.

In reasonably dry conditions, the easiest route through the choke is to follow the streamway, near the left-hand wall. The route is in the stream for most of the way through the choke, climbing up to a traverse just above the stream part way through. After a couple of minutes, the route emerges at Stop Pot.

[Alternatively, ascending the slope-come-side-passage to the right for about 6m leads to a dry route into the choke, by a small knobbly stal boss. The crawl starts low, with an orange floor in places. After a couple of minutes, the route opens out in a more bouldery area. Shortly ahead, the route rejoins the wet route.]

Stop Pot

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:

• Upstream, following the left-hand wall, leads to Holbeck Junction.

• 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 Holbeck Junction

The route upstream from Stop Pot towards Holbeck Junction is quite complex, in a bouldery area. The general tactic is to follow the left-hand wall. In more detail, clambering over boulders to the left reaches a short mud-floored section of passage. A short climb to the right reaches a ledge with small stall bosses, ascending gently. Ahead, a boulder-strewn ledge is reached, ascending to the right of the stream, a few metres from the left-hand wall. At the top, climbing over a boulder to the left, and descending 1.5m leads to a "doorway" between boulders. The way descends gently over boulders, following the left-hand wall. The route rejoins the stream, and soon opens out into a chamber.

The chamber contains a large pool, deep in places; [an alternative route to the right, over large boulders, avoids most of the water.] Ahead, the stream is lost. Parallel routes split and then recombine in a chamber, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. An easy bouldery passage continues, with the stream audible below. The route splits again into parallel passages, with the left-hand route providing the easier route. The way soon opens out in a larger area. [The route towards Gypsum Caverns leads off ahead.] Descending the boulder slope to the right reaches Holbeck Junction after a few metres.

Holbeck Junction

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.

• Ascending a boulder slope to the right of the stream provides routes towards Stop Pot and Gypsum Caverns.

• 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.

Thackray's Passage, from Holbeck Junction to The Assembly Hall

Upstream from Holbeck Junction is Thackray's Passage. The passage is normally dry at first, but soon meets the stream. Easy walking passage passes nice stal formations. Soon the stream is lost, and the passage enters an oxbow. Easy walking and stooping passes several gour pools. Soon the passage becomes smaller. A crawl through a window, past a stal "grille", regains the streamway.

[Downstream becomes very low.] Upstream is a pleasant well-decorated streamway. The streamway is knee-deep in places in normal conditions, but is sometimes deeper, and floods to the roof in very wet conditions. After about four minutes, it is possible to step up into a calcited oxbow above the stream, the White Way. [Continuing upstream soon reaches a very dangerous boulder choke.]

The oxbow soon opens out at the bottom of a 10m diameter chamber. At the top of the chamber is a 2.5m climb up, with an in-situ handline (March 2015). At the top of the climb, crawling to the right leads to an ascent up boulders to a window at roof level [or an alternative route to the left.] The window opens into a chamber, The Assembly Hall.

• To the right, a handline marks the climb up into Easter Grotto.
• Ahead, a rift is the start of the route towards Nagasaki Cavern.

The Assembly Hall to Nagasaki Cavern

From The Assembly Hall, a rift passage appears to be blind after a few metres. However, there is a way on via a climb up to a window 3.5m above the floor: an initial straddle across the rift reaches some good footholds, 2m up, which give a decent but precarious-feeling stance; from there, a final climb through the window reaches a mini-chamber. From the mini-chamber, a constricted upwards-sloping slot opens into wider passage. [Turning right, a traverse along the top of a rift provides an alternative route into Easter Grotto.] [Turning left then left again, a crawl leads to a descent back into The Assembly Hall, which needs tackle.]

From the top of the slot, turning left leads to a step across a pot in the floor at the start of a rift. The rift continues as easy walking. After a couple of minutes, the rift passes stal bosses, and then opens out at the start of a chamber. The chamber ascends over muddy boulders, to the top of Fairy Steps: an initial easy climb leads to a muddy polished traverse to the left followed by a short awkward climb down to the floor. Ahead is Nagasaki Cavern. A large bouldery passage passes a rope up an aven and an inlet to the right, and reaches the base of the cavern.

• A hole in the bottom of the chamber descends into Far East Passage, leading towards Boundary Pot.
• Continuing ahead is the route towards Limerick Junction.

Nagasaki Cavern to Limerick Junction

From the base of Nagasaki Cavern, a sandy chute leads up behind a very large boulder to the left; this leads to a climb up through boulders. [Alternatively, the steep slippery slope to the right reaches the same point.] Another sandy chute behind a very large boulder to the left leads to the top of the chamber. Clambering ahead over boulders reaches a hole between boulders. The way on is a descent of 1.5m onto the first of two boulders jammed in the rift. Doubling back leads to a climb down 2m into a boulder choke, from where doubling back again exits the choke.

Easy muddy bouldery passage reaches the lip of a drop. This can be avoided by stepping left to a 1.5m climb down into a rift. A traverse to the left crosses the stream and leads to a 1.5m climb down into a walking oxbow. Immediately ahead, a bold step, The Bridge of Sighs, leads back across to the left side of the stream chasm. Round the corner, a step back to the right-hand side of the stream and a traverse to the right leads into an oxbow passage.

Round the next corner is a chamber with the stream about 4m below, and an inlet entering as a waterfall. A traverse on the right crosses the inlet; a step to the left then crosses the main stream as it descends a small waterfall. A 1.5m climb up onto a ledge leads to a junction in an oxbow. [To the left leads back to the chamber.] To the right from the junction leads to a slope down into a chamber. From the chamber, the climb up ahead should be avoided. Instead, the way on is a low crawl at floor level by a pointy rock, under a large chockstone. The crawl soon leads into a chamber. Ahead reaches the stream, which falls 0.6m down a pot.

Easy streamway crosses a mud bank and reaches a right-hand bend. The climb ahead here is best avoided; instead, a short section of stooping streamway leads to a left-hand bend. [A crawl in the stream leads on, but can be bypassed.] Ascending the side passage to the left leads to a junction: [to the left leads back to the climb avoided earlier;] clambering up to the right over muddy boulders leads to a muddy oxbow. The oxbow descends to the steam, and then continues on the other side. [An alternative route follows the streamway below the oxbow.] When the stream is regained, the continuing oxbow should be avoided [since it leads to a foolhardy descent.] Instead, stooping stream passage soon widens at Limerick Junction.

• To the right, the muddy bouldery slope is the start of Limerick Passage.
• Ahead, a crawl is Bradshaw's Passage leading to Top Sink exit.

Limerick Junction to Top Sink Exit

Note: the pitches are wet, and become impassible in very wet conditions.

Bradshaw's Passage is an easy crawl, which rises to an easy meander. After about four minutes, a junction is reached. [To the right is Wisdom Tooth Passage.] Ahead is Penknife Pitch (5m), which needs pre-rigging.

Above Penknife Passage is πr² Passage. The passage is a meandering streamway, which can mostly be tackled upright, with the occasional crawl. Larger cavers will have to crawl for longer, and will find the passage considerably harder. After five to ten minutes, Walrus Pot (18m) is reached, which also needs pre-rigging.

The top of Walrus Pitch is an "eagle's nest" ledge, from where a lined traverse leads into the stream passage. The passage is meandering, mostly sideways walking with one short crawl. After about four minutes, a junction is reached. [To the right is a dry passage.] The way on is to the left, where walking passage soon leads to a chamber. A short crawl and stooping passage leads into a small drippy chamber. An ascent through boulders leads to the bottom of the entrance shaft. The shaft is 4m deep, scaffolded and drippy.