Bagshawe Cavern
The Eldon always have a number of active digs undergo in Bagshawe.
One that is currently receiving quite a lot of attention is the "Dead Ahead Dig" in the Full Moon Series.
[For more information regarding Bagshaw Cavern go to the dedicated page]
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- Written by: Dave Cowley
- Hits: 3750
Dave Cowley , Bog
A quick trip this evening to establish if the water has stopped flowing in Mulespinner.
Alas it hasn’t so it looked like an early trip to the pub .I had to scratch an itch on the way out and made Dave wait whilst I poked away at the small window near the pitch full of hanging miners crap above .
The drain rods worked a treat and I managed to squeeze my ever growing stomach through and stand up .This gave me a view of open passage beyond which looked a very good size .
Dave had his phone so I climbed back down to grab it for photos as I wasn’t sure if Dave would get through yet or if I would bring the lot down blocking my way back.
The excitement grew, as the view opened up to large passage heading off as I climbed over the rim of the hanging dead’s and saw another tube going off from it .
it looked just like another passage near by (bugger) There’s a good reason for that. I had climbed through the floor of sideshow above . Dave at this point wanted an update so I decided to confess by shouting I’ve found a ladder meaning the one we installed to climb up
Dave shouted back is it a miners ladder at which point I realised he hadn’t cottened on it was ours.I couldn’t resist, so I started shouting I am going to check out the new passage and could he follow underneath as he must be close and I can hear him through a connection somewhere.
with my light off and trying to make my voice sound muffled I waited for Dave to get to the bottom of the ladder (not a miners one as it turned out) before shouting a very frightening BOO .
not a very successful trip but the most fun I have had in ages , sorry Dave .
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- Written by: Rob Eavis
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With a surprisingly small post-AGM hangover I rocked up at Bagshawe for a rare Sunday trip where I met a very keen Dylan and Sam. After missing last week’s jaunt to the end I was keen to see if my memory from ~8 years ago was true. Then myself and Jon had done a lightweight evening trip to the end in our pre-Team Awesome days and I still remember it being quite a long way…
We decided on one SRT kit between us which Sam agreed to carry in, whilst I carried our new trusted pick axe, courtesy of the DCA Digging Award, donated by Derbyshire Geotechnical Ltd. Dylan carried the innocence of youth and wore it well. Easy progress through the cave and whilst they were climbing Madame Guillotine I spent 10 minutes digging a trench to lower the duck in French Connection – I was careful not to lower it too much as that may lead to us getting sumped in at the bit it was draining into! LOL, that could have been embarrassing.
Once we were all up the 15m pitch in Madame Guillotine we all agreed it really is a reyt faff and having staples here would speed up this trip enormously. From here it’s a nice bit of cave to the dig, but it is a long hard slog. It must have taken us roughly 30 minutes to reach the dig and you can walk for maybe 5% of it! However I was pleasantly surprised to see that the dig was actually pretty comfortable, very easy digging, and reasonably sociable too. We took it in turns, having about an hour each at the face, whilst the team behind had the easy job of hauling and stacking the spoil. In that time we made a full body length of progress and whilst the view ahead is not very enticing, this is certainly a stonking passage heading into blank space that needs following. I also managed to build myself a proper throne at the middle position, complete with draught excluder and head rest. Lush. Plus the trusted pick axe turned out to be the perfect digging tool!
Once we’d all had a go we were getting pretty tired and very cold so headed out. Dylan made a claim that it’d take about 45 minutes. It was actually nearly 2 hours before we had all surfaced – it’s a long way! We then headed straight to the Anchor for pints, snacks, and a full on meal for Dylan! Honestly the trip was body breaking and it has taken many days for my knees and back to fully repair. Totally top trip though and will hopefully pave the way to Derbyshire’s next big find….!
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- Written by: Chris Hibberts
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Trip Members: Sam P., Jon P., Dylan K., Chris H.,
Having been into Bagshaw the previous weekend on a family trip and explaining to my Partner and Daughter about the delights that lie past the locked gates, tonight was my opportunity to finally go and visit these spectacles of speleo-wonder.
As planned Jon, Sam, Dylan and I met in the car park at 6:15 only to find another group of cavers getting ready to do a trip into the Dungeon. We explained we were going into Madame Guillotine and beyond and were asked by their Leader if we would like any tips on where to go, which we politely declined. After polishing off Sam’s freshly cooked chips washed down with pre beers we got ready and decided to share SRT kits.
After heading down into the Coe the pleasant and familiar part of the trip to the start of the gates was over quickly and we were soon through into the stunningly decorated Taylor’s Way and on to Full Moon Passage. I could now understand the need to restrict access to these areas for preservation. Crawling passage then seemed to be the order of the evening broken up by some of the usual Bagshawe down dip bedding.
I was so glad I had knee pads at this point after what seemed like an eternity of crawling, we reached a short duck which led to the bottom of a scaff supported boulder choke. Jon went through first giving me guidance on what to avoid on the way through this bought us out into the bottom of Madame guillotine. Jon then proceeded to explain how this was previously found and that the route we took now offered a much drier passage. Sam also took the time to explain we would possibly see some CCC’s and their significance.
After the very educational pit stop Dylan and Sam made their way up Madame Guillotine followed by Jon and Myself. Jon, Dylan, Rob and Sam on a previous trip turned left and the top of the pitch through to Batham Gate and back to Hollywood Bowl, however this evening we were going right towards Frogs Legs and Cognac and on to the Bitter End. A short distance on we stopped to admire a small pile of CCC’s, and Dylan decided he was a little peckish and, finding a Daren drum full of goodies, opted for some Cola Bottles, not sure they were at their best.
More crawling then ensued through more great passage Dylan and Sam and Jon were up a head and I stopped for, what I would like to say was to admire my surroundings but was in fact to have a rest. I could see their lights in the distance in what looked like a bigger chamber much more appealing than where I was lay down. I crawled through and found the three of them in Ben’s Dig, one of the most well decorated chambers I’ve seen. The walls were stunning, and the roof had Hundreds if not thousands of Stall adorning it.
After discussions on the possibilities of making the Anchor, Dylan and Sam decided to continue along Ben’s Redoubt to assess the dig at the end and Jon and I decided to get some photos. First of which was a wall of carefully stacked Flowstone that had been removed in previous years to make a way on which Dylan and Sam had disappeared down.
Stacked Calcite Wall in Ben's dig, By Jon P
Chris Hibberts in Ben's Dig, By Jon P
Jon and I decided to head out with a stop for one more photo at which point Dylan and Sam caught us up. They explained at the face of the dig they could see on for some 5-6m which was dry, easy digging and worth pushing.
Chris Hibberts towards the end of Bagshawe, By Jon P
The trip out was as good as on the way in and a few more stops to catch my breath allowed time to admire the views. Dylan and Sam overtook us and were soon gone in a race to make the Anchor. We exited the gates and made our way back through the muddy puddles and were surprised to see lights in the distance. These turned out to be that of the group who had been into the dungeon a quick hello before the ascent of the steps and about 10 minutes later we were back at the surface.
I can say this has by far been one of my favourite trips of the year, only let down by the absence of stories and witty banter of recent trips from one J. Thompson. I’m really looking forward to future trips to hopefully extend what is a great section of a cave I’ve visited many times but never knew existed.
Ben's Dig Bagshawe Cavern, By Jon P
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- Written by: Dylan Kocher
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Trip report 23/02/23 Bagshaw cavern
Jon Pemberton Sam Pemberton Rob Eavis Dylan Kocher
With the completion of two days of pushing for the uppers at Ashbourne during Shrovetide, I was a little sore coming to Bagshaw and lacked much-needed food although I remedied this later in the night. This would be my first trip to Bagshaw and was interested to see first-hand what so many have told me. That it was long, a lot of crawling and pretty all of which were spot on. The goal for tonight was to reach some possible dig sights in the upper series above Madam’s Guillotine. After some usual light banter, we kit up and head to the Eldon Caving Hut. Inside the shed, I thought that I might be able to hang up a hammock Mabey two and put my keys in an old boot. Off down the steps, we went where we turn left and pass the dungeon, into the aven series and then crawl into the Full Moon Chamber. Rob and Sam get a head start to Madams Guillotine while Jon and I hang back and take some photos. Once finished up we set off to catch up with Sam and Rob into Moose’s Revenge and a wonderful crawl filled with some beautiful straws and crystal pools. Other adventure features come after some lengthy crawling into a duck. With a wet ear, we ascend through some Scaff into Madam Guillotine. Very impressive room and a much-appreciated change from the hard crawling. A 10-15m pitch up into the roof. Sharing two kits meant Sam and Rob lowered theirs upon completion. With Rob's kit on I was eager to see how the Pro does it. First, I attach my Croll this does not bite the rope then the hand jammer… also does not grab. Well great after a few more tries it starts working and I ascend the rope on Rob's new Petzl Free Flowing ascender gear.
At the top of the passage, a ledge allows access to two passages both ending in digs. Journeying down the left side we come to a camp with food and a mysterious maple bottle. Could it be pee or fermented juice of course I take the cap off for a smell and the must was ripe. Journeying on the floor contains CCC’s every 10 meters or so. Coarse crystalline cryogenic cave carbonate forms from the precipitation of water in temperatures well below freezing in polar to sub-polar climates. Although not the most exciting feature the limited AWE value does pack a punch in information for insight into past environmental conditions. After lengthy crawling, to the end, we head back. Stopping at the camp the boys open the food jar for a look inside. I grab a granola bar and with communication with my appetite I decided to brave a bight. “That was a BIG first bite,” Rob says in what may be a concern. This emotion was then justified when I find that the bar was a whopping 19 years expired. So, I eat the rest. On the way back I did not give birth to Ridley Scott's alien and have not since. What could this mean that all expiration dates on granola bars are just company insurance to have their customers throw away older bars to only buy more? Probably not and I got lucky. I digress. The journey out was moderately strenuous and lengthy. Fast forward to the Anchor in which we warm ourselves and organize another trip back. Bagshaw is a great system with no shortage of potential ways to spend your time for what is a great trip and sure I will be back to dig. (I was)
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- Written by: Jim Thompson
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Diver: Rob M
Support: Dave C, Jim T
Too idle to carry 7l cylinders so carrying out essential stabilisation works: Bog
Episode Recap: The outcome was that after a slightly muddy rift opening at the entry to the sump, a roughly 1m high x 1m wide phreatic tube (wider at the bottom as it’s formed on a bed) clean passage with good vis was followed for the aforementioned c. 49m of a 50m line reel, accounting for belays (all of which made to conveniently sited breakdown) trending 240 degrees at a depth of 3m via a series of s-bends, with the current limit at such a bend but appearing to continue unimpeded beyond.
Eager to continue the push to reveal the further secrets of Glorious Hole, but slightly later than desirable as Bog and Jim had both been suffering the hardship of taking holidays in the sun, the team reassembled at Bagshawe tonight with additional equipment. In Rob’s case this meant a freshly loaded line reel and a pair of 7s; Bog and Jim with the equipment required when quantities of heavy and awkward dive kit needs to be shifted quickly underground – Dave…
In a cunning predetermined plan, Bog turned up late with a hacksaw – allegedly for cutting scaffold tubes to length in order to stabilise the increasingly dodgy looking and now slightly mobile squeeze – but we all knew that he just didn’t like the sound of carrying 7 litre cylinders. He would later deliberately forget his Croll, and, it turned out, had deliberately hidden his chest harness in the cave 3 weeks prior.
Rob, Jim and Dave therefore set off to the sump to prepare for exploration. Kitting up tonight was a far easier affair by virtue of taking place in the large chamber immediately before the Glorious pitch head. Regs attached to cylinders, rebagged and ready to go with no air leaks, and the diver in position perched on a boulder in the pool, I climbed the ladder to roughly the depth at which I’d previously concluded an abseil at water level. Rob was a good 10 feet below me at this point, and I acted as a davit arm, guiding the heavy cylinders out of a constriction and over to Rob as Dave lowered them from above. We took note of the relative height of the line belay to water level for survey alignment purposes, time-checked, and agreed a 1 hour dive / 2 hour SHTF time. With that, Rob submerged and was soon out of sight. I watched his exhaust break surface a few times and returned to Dave for the wait…
Having plenty to catch up on, and with a bit of photography thrown in, the time passed quickly but the onset of having all the heat sucked out of us by limestone prompted a time check. Over an hour elapsed with no sign of Rob, however with the prior line to survey a longer dive was anticipated so we resumed our position.
Around 20 mins later a shout announced the diver’s return, so I headed back down the ladder and we soon had the cylinders back with Dave who, by the time I reached the top, had taken both of them back to the kit/dekit chamber.
Rob returned with a brief tale of dry passage, which meant a public house based debrief was essential. Spurred into action by the spectre of last orders, Dave grabbed all the bags and went like a machine towards the main passage. We all reached the pitch to find Bog waiting for us, no doubt disappointed to find that he’d now be obliged to lug a 7l cylinder up the steps. My cylinder definitely felt heavy on the awkward prusik out so I was glad when I was relieved of it at the pitch head!
Passing through the squeeze on the way out, it was noticeably cleaner and free of perched boulders, and a lovely shiny bit of scaff was solidly in place holding the big rock (and probably the rest of the cave) in place. Providence in the choice of tubes had even rendered the hacksaw surplus to requirements.
Back at the Bowling Green we had a guided tour of the sump and dry crawl beyond by way of Gopro video. The stage is set for Rob plus another diver to make a return at the next opportunity to survey the new passage, which yet again trends at 240 degrees for a further 40m underwater, before surfacing into a low, dry crawl that drills ahead for a long way to the present limit of exploration denoted by a rift crossing the low crawl, which then continues onward in tantalising fashion.
Work continues….