DEPOT 1 PASSAGES

From STOP POT the passage commences as a 6 metre wide bedding plane on a shelf above a climb up blocks. The floor contains a number of slots down to a tortuous set of wet beddings. The main passage gradually lowers and narrows to a sharp right turn and the passage changes to a phreatic tube. On the left hand side through this section are several routes into an unstable area beneath Double Decker Passage. After 30 metres there is another sharp right hand turn. Turning right here is the main way on, straight on however is a wriggle up through boulders. This leads to DEPOT 0.5.

Depot 0.5
It starts as a T shaped passage with a mud and boulder choke to the left, but to the right a T junction is reached after only a few metres. To the left is a low sandy passage which has been dug and gives a vocal connection to Green and Smelly Passage. To the right the way on at roof level appears to choke but a low section in the floor leads via an awkward corner to a loose rift up through boulders to a bedding chamber. There are several ways on here. Straight on across the chamber is a low bedding, which continues for some distance!. The passage behind the way up into the chamber ends in a choke. On the right of the chamber is the top of a rift. An awkward traverse along this followed by a 4 metre climb down to the floor of the passage reaches a sharp left hand corner over-looking the roof of the main rift in Depot 1 and an easy five metre climb down leads to the floor of this passage or it an be traversed at roof level. See below.

The main way on in Depot leads through a crawl which gradually increases in height. It is necessary to crawl under or over several fallen blocks until quite suddenly the passage develops into a high rift passage.This is dead straight and some six metres high.There are several fallen blocks, which have to be climbed over. When reaching the first of these it is possible to climb into the roof of the passage and traverse its length in either direction. Traversing back leads to the connection to Depot 0.5 described above. At the end of the main rift the passage splits into two. Up to the left over a sandy slope is a short section of passage to a circular chamber and a 15m high aven. This links to the upper passages described below. Down to the right leads to an awkward 3.7m climb to an upper level. Above the climb the passage again splits. To the left past a small stal column the roof lowers to a flat out crawl, which suddenly pops out at a 3 metre climb up in a 10 metre high rift, the route at floor level to the right becomes low over cobbles. To the left just before the rift is reached a short crawl leads to an upward squeeze providing an alternative route to Trapdoor Chamber.

At the top of the 3 metre rift an awkward slope leads to a larger sandy abandoned passage leading to an awkward climb down, joining with the above route and short passage to TRAPDOOR CHAMBER. In the chamber a sandy low tunnel on the left leads to a boulder choked pit with a vocal connection to the 15 metre aven in the main Depot 1 passage. Up to the right in the chamber a narrow decorated rift becomes progressively tighter past a rocky squeeze followed by more narrow rift to a wider section with 3 metre climb into small passage which gets too tight after 10 metres.
Ahead from the top of the 3 metre rift climb leads to a flat roofed well decorated sandy chamber with an aven and a draughting sandy dug passage in the roof. This soon enlarges and descends to the top of the 15 metre aven back in Depot 1 main passage. A crawl at floor level under cemented blocks pops out in a well decorated but small stream passage. The lower section of the stream passage becomes impassable and progress is made at a higher level. A fine group of helictites decorates one wall and just beyond the passage widens out and eventually bifurcates and closes down. The draught being followed comes from an excavated crawl on the left, which leads to a choked passage containing lace-calcite formations and a calcite floor. The passage passes a choked inlet on the right and ends in mud and boulders with possible continuations through a too-tight hole to the right and in the floor where a boulder blocks access to a lower passage. Work continues!

Depot 1.5
To the right above the 3.7m climb is DEPOT 1.5, starting with the flat out FLASHBANG CRAWL for 46m, mostly over smooth calcite to a blasted squeeze, then a narrow rift to a sudden climb up into AHAA CHAMBER. First exit on right is a low triangular crawl for 30 metres to a choke. This is close to the end of DEPOT 2 Passage. Second exit is small passage through a grotto to a squeeze and calcite choke. Straight on from AHAA CHAMBER is a step into a walking size passage with a shattered rift chamber on the right. A 5m climb at the far (eastern) end of this chamber leads to a narrow inclined rift tube, ONION PASSAGE, which emerges into LOFTY CHAMBER. This is section of old dry passage blocked at both ends by sand and boulder fill. A 3m climb into old stream trench on left leads to PRETTY PASSAGE. At the first right hand bend of Pretty Passage a tight crawl on the right leads back to Lofty Chamber near its eastern end. Pretty Passage eventually splits and chokes. Just before the split a drafting tube on the left needs further investigation.

Below the shattered rift chamber a short crawl and 2m chimney up on the right leads via a squeeze onto a boulder slope down into the left hand branch of WRETCHED RABBIT PASSAGE above the waterfalls. The top of this chimney can also be reached via a flat out crawl at the top of the 5m climb into Onion Passage.