A different kind of Easter Bunny: Rabbit Pass
Tramping the classic crossing over Rabbit Pass, from the Wilkin to the East Matukituki; a tale to ramble on about when I’m old
The infamous Rabbit Pass has one of those reputations that makes it well-known in tramping circles. Invariably the question that follows any mention of Rabbit Pass is “what about the Waterfall Face?”. For the uninitiated my 1950 edition of Moir’s Guide describes it in the following way:
A deer track well to the right of the waterfall leads upward then out to the right across ledges, then back to the left along the ledge to reach the ridge 500 feet above the waterfall. This route would be dangerous in wet weather or if snow covered.
Only a small 500 foot climb on narrow ledges then… but I get ahead of myself, this story really starts with two chance encounters in 2020 with a marauding American cyclist by the name of Katie Russ. I first met this dubious character in the Caples Valley before running in to her again quite unexpectedly at Borland Bivvy later the same year. Through these chance interactions we struck up an acquaintance and when Immigration New Zealand was getting close to booting her out of the country we decided to set off on an adventure together.
