  We present a robust continuous optical loading scheme for a Ioffe-Pritchard
(IP) type magnetic trap. Atoms are cooled and trapped in a modified
magneto-optical trap (MOT) consisting of a conventional 2D-MOT in radial
direction and an axial molasses. The radial magnetic field gradient needed for
the operation of the 2D-MOT is provided by the IP trap. A small axial curvature
and offset field provide magnetic confinement and suppress spin-flip losses in
the center of the magnetic trap without altering the performance of the 2D-MOT.
Continuous loading of atoms into the IP trap is provided by radiative leakage
from the MOT to a metastable level which is magnetically trapped and decoupled
from the MOT light. We are able to accumulate 30 times more atoms in the
magnetic trap than in the MOT. The absolute number of $2\times 10^8$~atoms is
limited by inelastic collisions. A model based on rate equations shows good
agreement with our data. Our scheme can also be applied to other atoms with
similar level structure like alkaline earth metals.
