Present
Sooty, Tim, Paul, Nigel
A lovely crisp frozen morning saw sooty and Tim stood in the Bagshawe car park with no other cavers in sight.
An elderly local turned up and said he would move his car “No, please don’t” Tim
said (caver-
Well Sooty and Tim almost died laughing at Tim’s latest goof!
Then Mr Revell (the owner of Bagshawe) turned up and we spent an interesting 15 minutes chatting about Bagshawe.
Next in was Nige – shocker! No beard! (Children in need sponsored shave)
In rolls the 2 minibuses of the other party and Paul in his dented Celica. We were motoring now!
A quick change in the hut and the long (20 foot) walk to the entrance was undertaken.
Decending the entrance steps we gained the first chamber and looked around. “What’s up there?” Sooty asked. “That’s where we’ve just come from” Reply Tim…guess Sooty wouldn’t be leading then.
A stomp down the main drag saw us at the steps to “The Dungeon”. Paul and Nigel
Bagshawe Cavern – Sun 23/11/03
An effortless decent was made (this was the first ladder for Sooty since his fall in Valley Entrance some years back). Then through the lake (or so Tim remember) but it was dry…luxury!
A bit of hands and knees saw us in a nicely decorated chamber then off via various crawls to the sump (Paul was put in front for the low sections). The sump was viewed with much merriment and shouts of “mad divers” by all (due to the constricted nature of the cave). One butty stop, some caving, ooo and arrrr at pretties and some photos later saw us back at the base of the aven leading to agony crawl.
Paul (being the adventurous one) went for it with some of the other party.
Then off into the high level stuff. Meeting the other party (who sat in the way of the big stuff) we were forced, unknowingly, down the alternative crawl. Never mind at least we saw some more cave…
The final sumps looked more inviting and Paul pushed on down stream on his own for a good look at the last bit. (very low and with a cold running stream).
On the way out we found the better route and also looked up a side passage to a dig, fantastic formations and an entertaining calcite climb (check those undies!).
The trip was topped off with a look down the old mine workings. We enjoyed looking up a several tons of rocks held up by rotting stemples and Nigel got pleasure from pushing his finger through one (as we all run away!).
The final note of interest before the pub was Sooty making us spend an hour looking for his “lost” mobile which turned out as being in his coat pocket the whole time…
Quote of the day “shit, my helmet’s damaged” -
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