WRETCHED RABBIT ENTRANCE

SD 6762 8067 Alt: 319m

Link to CaveMaps surveys

WARNING

The entrance is located in Ease Gill Beck immediately upstream of NEW CAVE and 30m downstream from SLIT SINKS.

An account of the opening of this entrance and its exploration is at This Link The survey so far is at this link

The main passage provides a fairly easy way into the Ease Gill system without the use of tackle but the climbs up the Big Rift are strenuous on the return. The whole Wretched Rabbit Series is far more complex than would first appear from just a casual visit, as can be seen from the account below.

Once inside a short hands and knees crawl leads to the first of a series of short but awkward drops into the Big Rift (15m hand line useful). This first drop is presently rigged with a scaffold bar and fixed hand line.At the bottom of this first climb are three ways on. Two passages on the right, one an Inlet and the other a tight bedding plane crawl, lead to the UPPER ENTRANCE SERIES and the connection with NEW CAVE.

The Big Rift

Upper Wretched Rabbit Back at the downstream end of the Big Rift there are two ways on. An excavated hole in the floor leads to top end of Spiral Staircase Passage The usual way on from the Big Rift is straight on in a hands and knees crawl leading on downstream and it quickly enlarges to a meandering canyon passage which, after several short climbs down, leads after about 100m to holes in the floor above two waterfalls. By traversing over the holes to the right a parallel streamway is met. A few metres upstream this passage turns sharp right . Here a 4m climb up into the roof leads to a traverse an awkward crawl to a small decorated chamber. which is choked with fill at both ends. A narrow 5m deep slot in the floor leads down into MARBLE CHAMBER. A few yards further upstream the passage bears left up through boulders and the stream is lost in the floor. On the right is a 2m step up followed by a step over a holes in the floor over the stream to a Ulreka Chamber, where a complex of passages continues above and parallel to the main Wretched Rabbit Streamway. Straight on goes to a well decorated chamber with a voice connection in the roof to the upper level. A little further is a junction. Straight on again leads out over a traverse to a 8 metre pitch down into MARBLE CHAMBER. To the left via a squeeze goes to a small well decorated chamber with all ways on choked. Two alternative 3m climbs in the roof lead to an upper passage. One direction leads via a crawl and a chamber with unstable boulders to Mystery & Imagination Passage.This involves a tight squeeze and crawling to a larger passage that connects to DREAMWEAVER. The other is an awkward traverse to a choked crawl and a 6m slot back down to the lower passage

On the left at the top of the boulder slope, is the connecting squeeze and chimney with DEPOT 1.5 through DEPOT 1 to STOP POT.

At the base of the boulder slope is a slot or crawl at floor level through to the continuation of the Middle Parallel Streamway. A short distance along here is a rift passage on the right, which leads back to the main Wretched Rabbit streamway a short distance before the waterfalls. The Middle Parallel Streamway can be followed upstream for some distance as a narrow winding streamway until it becomes too low and blocked by boulders. The end is close to the floor in the bottom end of the Big Rift.

Lower Wretched Rabbit

After traversing over the holes over the waterfalls the main way on descends a 3m wet cascade to a continuing stream passage, which is followed past a fine long stalactite. Above the stal is a 5 metre climb into a narrow passage leading to the small elliptical MARBLE CHAMBER. To the left as you enter the chamber descends over calcite to become too low, while above is a climb up a 4 metre aven to a tight rift. On the right is a 5 metre climb up to another narrow passage followed by another decorated chamber choked at both ends described above.

After 30m of twisting and turning passage with some narrow sections at thigh level the stream passes under some boulders. A climb up to the roof here leads to a bedding plane and another hading climb up to a boulder choke. Up and straight on through the boulders leads to a larger chamber and two ways on. To the right through a squeeze is a 10 metre aven with a fixed rope in place. To the left is a sandy dig up an awkward chute to another choked aven - work continues in this area.

Shortly after this the stream sinks away to the left through black boulders. At a sharp right hand bend just before this is a 2 metre climb up to a sandy wriggle through to a chamber with a false floor in the roof. Another 3 metre climb past the false floor leads to a fixed rope up a 4 metre aven. This is followed by a couple of squeezes and a blind 6m pot in the floor leading to another awkward 5 metre climb into a tortuous well decorated crawl DREAMWEAVER. Care needed! After 30 metres this breaks out into a larger passage which rapidly chokes to the right just past a large stalagmite and lowers to a sandy crawl to the left. Straight on in the roof is another passage via a squeeze under a hanging boulder. This connects to Mystery and Imagination Passage and the complex of passages above the two waterfalls.

DREAMWEAVER, explored 2003

Back in Wretched Rabbit Passage long dry high oxbow forms the route on beyond the stream sink to a boulder strewn section where the stream is rejoined.

Several routes up boulders into the roof lead to FOUR WAYS CHAMBER and a connection to STOP POT. (see below) Downstream is another 100m of mixed going including a traverse and a crawl to the junction with Lower Pierce's Passage in COUNTY POT. Turning right here leads in about 10m to EUREKA JUNCTION.

The first major cross-rift upstream from the drop down into WR from Four Ways Chamber On first inspection the narrow rift seems to abruptly close down, but a low crawl turns to the right at ninety degrees. A few more metres of crawling and one can stand up in a large, abandoned stream passage which shortly chokes with a good draught. The end is very close to the end of Crystal Passage in Trident Series.

Four Ways Chamber to Stop Pot

Climb the boulders out of Wretched Rabbit Passage with care and through a constriction leads to Four Ways Chamber. There are several ways on from here but the main route goes right over a slab following the draught along a hands and knees crawl for 30m and up a boulder slope This pops out on the boulders in STOP POT close to the base of the fixed ladder up into the route through to Lancaster Hole.