This page was translated from Hebrew and has not been reviewed yet. The Hebrew page is the reference. עברית

The Chinese Pit, Ofra

Grid ref.: 151811/175260
Elevation: 811 m above sea level
Depth: 59 m

Description of the site:

The Chinese Pit is a large pit that developed in the 'doline field' east of the settlement of Ofra. The pit was discovered in the early 1980s by the Ofra Field School and has since served as a site that attracts visitors. Visiting the pit is possible thanks to an iron ladder installed along it.

The pit has a small entrance (about 1X1.5 m) opening at the bottom of a shallow karstic depression (doline). From the entrance a series of narrow spaces continues, ending after a few meters in their connection to a narrow vertical chimney descending about 6 m until it joins a wide horizontal space. In the wall of the space there is a narrow horizontal passage leading after about 2 m to the top of the central space. This space consists of a wide vertical chimney along which an iron ladder protected by a perimeter railing was installed. The ladder is divided into two sections separated by a natural step that serves as a connection point between two chimneys in the central space of the pit.

At its bottom the pit looks like a wide room with a muddy floor. At the edges of the room there are several niches, in some of which one can penetrate a few meters below the main floor level.

Site development:

The development of the site by the Ofra Field School and the Cave Research Center established it as a site attracting a diverse public of visitors: cave enthusiasts and hikers, organized groups and families.

Preparing the site requires:

Marking a trail on the surface up to the pit entrance.
Installing a stainless steel identification plaque at the pit entrance.
Repairing and maintaining the ladder that passes through the central part. Since the ladder begins in the inner part of the pit, the entrance (up to the top of the ladder) should be prepared, thus easing entry into the pit. Preparing the entrance area requires installing simple pegs (of the style existing in nature reserves) in the vertical section between the entrance and the top of the ladder.

Written by: Boaz Langford