Leave No Trace Principles: Always Practice Them Even in Caves

June 15, 2019 GIL MILAN

As a spelunker, going to a cave is not just about conquering your fear of the dark. Leave no trace principle entails you to be a responsible caver by thoroughly planning the activity and being mindful to sets of rules when navigating though the cave in order to minimize impact to these ecosystems.

Firstly, why do we need to be very careful in treading these underground wonders? Well, caves are home, habitat, and haven for a surprising abundance of fragile resources (National Speleological Society, accessed on 15 June 2019). The NSS Conservation Division further emphasized that resources found within compose a subterranean world of fragile life, rare habitat, and exceptional speleothems (cave formations). These special underEarth realms, both visible and microscopic, have evolved and formed over time, protected within the walls of caves (National Speleological Society, accessed on 15 June 2019) can be destroyed by an uninformed individual in a matter of seconds.

Secondly, every individual should be knowledgeable enough to minimize impact while spelunking. Like any outdoor activity, the Leave No Trace (LNT) principle can also be applied to any caving activity. The following are basedon the LNT outdoor ethics (Leave No Trace Canada, accessed on 15 June 2019) and tailored it to caving.

Plan Ahead

Be aware of the regulations, special concerns, weather condition, hazards and emergencies in the cave that you plan to visit. Take note that every cave is unique to each other.Explore the cave not during peak hours, weekends or holidays. In this way, you will have ample amount of time to see the cave and to practice all safety protocols without being hurried away.Choose equipment and clothing for comfort, safety, and Leave No Trace qualities.

A hard hat is a must for your safety as well as to contain your hair. Use of safety vest is highly suggested when exploring length of an open underground river.Your clothes should suit the type of cave that you will explore (e.g., use of wet suit in underground rivers). It should be intact and choose the type that does not easily leave threads when it rubs with a hard surface.Your source of light should be battery powered; do not use any gas lamp. Always bring extra batteries; spent batteries should not be left inside.

The skill and ability of each contingent should assessed so that extra heads will be with them. Never go ahead or be left behind alone.Explore caves that matches your skill (e.g., do not explore a cave that involves vertical climbing if you have never done such). Be prepared for emergencies

Always bring an emergency kit.Do not lose sight of the group before or behind you.

Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces

Camping is not suggested inside caves. The only time overnight stays should be done is on exploratory or scientific trips into extensive caves with remote areas too distant for a one-day trip (Leave No Trace Dude, accessed on 15 June 2019). Stay on worn trails in the cave and bedrock, but avoid formations and dried cave mud. When you are in doubt about whether a cave surface is durable or not stay off of it (Pat & TJ, 2013).Tread on existing paths. Do not create new ways just for the sake of pictures. Walk single file even in muddy paths. Use surfaces that are commonly touched for leverage.As much as possible, do not eat inside the cave. This should be partaken outside where crumbs can be easily cleaned and disposed of. If eating is allowed, bring high energy chewy foods that will not leave crumbs.

Campfire Impact

Smoke and fire cause great impact on caves, thus physical fire of any form is never allowed inside caves

Proper Disposal of Waste

Never urinate or take a dump inside a cave. This has great impact to the stone formations as well as living organisms inside.If food is allowed, bring high energy chewy foods that will not easily leave crumbs inside. Do not leave packs and containers inside.Bring out any trash or items left behind by other people. Your gesture will greatly help in protecting the cave.

Leave What You Find

Do not take any plant, stone, artefacts, and other naturally-occurring items out of the cave. Do not touch stone formations especially at the edges or lower tips. Stone formations have taken hundreds of years to grow. Touching it will disturb years of growth.Do not build any structures inside, even with material within the cave.If vandalism has been done, do not add to it nor try to erase it. With the caves I have seen, vandalism is common on the entrance of the caves and its walls.Move slowly and carefully. Take the most used paths or hand holds.

Respect Wildlife

Observe underground life from a distance. Do not follow, approach, or take them.
Never feed any animal or organism inside the cave.
Protect life forms inside the cave by not leaving any trash, food, food crumbs, altering physical arrangement inside, and walking or touching surfaces not commonly used.
Do not bring any pets inside.
Do not kill any animals inside.
Avoid scheduling your underground activity during bat hibernation and rearing times (Leave No Trace Dude, accessed on 15 June 2019).

Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Be sensitive to other visitors. Do not monopolize spaces when taking shots.
Team dynamics is very essential in caving especially during emergency. Be courteous to one another.
Do not make unnecessary noises and sounds that may distract other visitors.
Take rests when one of the member of the group needs to. Never leave a member without a companion.
Make sure that each group is within eyesight.

In conclusion, be mindful in practicing LNT to decrease the impact to the cave system.

References:

Leave No Trace Canada. Leave no trace seven principles. Accessed on 15 June 2019 from https://www.leavenotrace.ca/principles.

Leave No Trace Dude. Minimize caving impacts. Accessed on 15 June 2019 from https://www.leavenotracedude.com/lnt-caving.shtml.

National Speleological Society (NSS Conservation Division). Cave and Karst Conservation. Accessed on 15 June 2019 from https://caves.org/conservation/.

Pat & TJ. (2013). Caves: Leave no trace. Accessed on 15 June 2019 from https://lnt.org/caves/.

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