This was designed as a joint meet with Shropshire Caving and Mining Club (SCMC). We met up on Saturday at Bagshawe on a foggy and cold day but with the nice idea of a trip down a warm cave/mine. From SCMC there were, Mike C, Alan R, Margaret R, Julian B and Stuart (?) and from DCC there were Nigel D and Rob S.

Rob picked up the keys for the New Series and we were soon down all the steps and into the cave - impressed by the distance the show cavers used to go. Rob (Garmin) S showed his skills leading the party through the tighter wet way to the Hippodrome. Then it was down to the stream passage through a ducky sort of pool that got us really wet for the first time. From there, it was a short trip to the main stream which was running quite fast from one sump to the other. Afer taking a few photos, it was back to the Hippodrome.

From there, Nigel and Rob climbed down into the passage to the Glory Hole but we stopped where the passage is flooded - a duck in normal weather. Then back to the others. Next stop was the gated New Series where some but not all the party crawled and squeezed up to the point where it was getting a bit boring and muddy. Turn round, out!

We all went back to the Dungeon where a ladder was rigged but at the bottom it was found that the passage was flooded up so it would have been a duck to go on to the end. We left that for another day and started out stopping to look at the mined stope and Calypso's Cave (?). Then it was out and get changed before stopping for a debrief in front of the fire in the Shoulder of Mutton.

With light failing and fog descending we all managed to find Magpie Mine where we stayed the night. Evening meal was at the Cock and Pullet where Steve H joined us. Tom and Chralotte also met us at Magpie because Tom was off to Maskhill in the morning. Magpie was cold that night!

On Sunday, the fog lifted and we got a few good pictures of Magpie in the frost before cleaning up and heading for Jugholes. This time, We had Steve in place of Rob and Alan and Margaret went elsewhere for the day.

After checking the bottom exit from Jugholes (don't forget to bring a Derbyshire Key that opens wide enough), we had a mooch in the Mined Series before heading into the Upper Cave. After a bit of route-finding difficulty in the boulders, we reached the stream and then got up onto the Beehive Formation. This was enough so we turned back and after even more route-finding difficulty, we made our way back to day. Next, a ladder (and rope for Steve) were dropped down into the start of the Lower Series. I had forgotten just how tight and awkward one or two bits of this were! Nevertheless, after a bit of thrutching and grunting, we got down to the Fifth Water Chamber and the pleasant but steep walk back up the hill.

After recovering the tackle we set off back to the cars in sunshine - very nice despite the cold.

It was a good weekend of pottering and good to meet up with the SCMC members, some of whom I knew and some of whom I met for the frst time.

Margaret in the low section leading to the stream in Bagshawe	In the streamway	Rob emerging from Gloryhole passage	Magpie Mine in early morning mist
And after an hour and a half on Sunday morning	Jugholes in 1972 - the rails are still in place	Upper Series formations	The tub on the rails in the Lower Series

Type of entry: Caving

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