Appendix 5-Guidelines for Entering Lechuguilla Cave

Appendix 5

Guidelines for EnteringLechuguilla CaveAppendix E in the 1995 Cave and KarstManagement Plan for Carlsbad CavernsNational Park, New Mexico

Guidelines For Entering Lechuguilla CaveThe reason behind developing guidelines for entering Lechuguilla Cave isto allow limited access for scientific research, survey when in associationwith exploration, and NPS management related trips while impacting thecave as little as possible. Of primary importance are the (I) impacts to thecave and (2) the safety of all who enter.

BEFORE ENTERING THE CAVEEveryone must sign a permit.Expedition leaders are ultimately responsible for the personnel ontheir expedition. Expedition leaders should do their best to recruitcavers who are willing to follow the guidelines that have beenestablished. Before assigning anyone to the Far East, an Expeditionleader should be reasonably sure that individual is fully prepared forsuch a trip.Every team entering the cave will have one designated team leader.Team leaders have tremendous responsibilities. They are responsiblefor the safety of their team and for the actions of their team members.Ifa team member is acting in an unsafe manner or not being carefuland actually causing more damage to the cave. then it is the teamleader's responsibility to correct that person's actions. If problemspersist. then the team leader must abort the trip and have the teamleave the cave. A team leader should gear team activities to the leastexperienced member of the team. This pertains to speed of travel aswell as climbing leads. A team should also stay together unless anemergency requires ditTerent actions.Everyone entering the cave is responsible for their actions while in thecave. They are also responsible for reporting to the team leader acts byother team members that are unsafe or damaging to the cave. Theoverall goal is to allow limited access to the cave while minimizing allimpacts. It is.everyone's responsibility to assure that Lechuguilla Caveremains as pristine as possible and that each team member is verysafety aware while in the cave.Clothing, boots, and caving gear should be clean before entering thecave to minimize the introduction of foreign bacteria, molds, andfungus into this unique ecosystem.Boots must have n01Hnarking soles. If you are in doubt, scrape boot overwhite floor or limestone rocks. Marking boots will definitely leave marks.Using a frame pack in the cave can be a problem and a major nui-sance. It is recommended that these NOT be used.Electric lights are a must. No carbide lights or open-name lights willbe allowed in Lechuguilla. One of the reasons for this is safety,because of the flammability of the massive sulfur deposits found inthe cave.The use of gloves is recommended; however, there are numerous areas

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in the cave that are signed "Gloves Off'. Gloves get very dirty,particularly in the corrosion residue areas. This corrosion residue mustnot be smeared over clean or delicate areas.Everyone entering the cave must have experience in vertical caves andbe proficient in all aspects of single rope techniques. Rebelay anchorsmay be encountered in different sections of the cave.The entrance to Lechuguilla Cave is at an clevation of about 4,640feet. Cavers not used to this elevation should try to spend a couple ofdays at this elevation before entering the cave. The cave is warm andhumid at 68 degrees fahrenheit. Heat exhaustion and dehydration canbe a serious problem. Drink lots of water even if you are not thirstyand eat something every few hours. Those entering the cave for thefirst time are urged to talk to others concerning clothing to be worn.Everyone should be aware that Histoplasmosis has been found in theentrance chamber.Any accident of a serious nature should be reported to park servicepersonnel as soon as possible. An incident report must befilled out forany accident that may happen in the cave.Any team entering the cave is required to fill out a trip report form andreturn it to our Cave Resources Office within two weeks. The reportshould include the date, personnel, places visited, and work accom-plished including specifics such as types of information or samplescollected. If survey was the objective, list the station numbers thatwere set. Ifinventory was the objective, list the station numbers thatwere inventoried .

•' All teams entering Lechuguilla Cave must make the Cave ResourcesOffice aware of their "out" time. Any team 6 hours late or later willhave search crews initiated. In the case of multi-trip expeditions,expedition leaders should post sign-in, sign-out sheets for all trips intothe cave. DO NOT BE LATE!

WHEN TRAVELING THROUGH THE CAVEAll teams must have a minimum of 3 people. Survey and explorationteams can have no more than 4 members on a team unless givenspecific permission by the Cave Specialist. Science and managementrelated teams must be limited to no more than 6 members.All Solid Wastes Must Be Carried Qut of the Cave Without Exceptioll.Trips of2-day duration or less must carry out all liquid waste as well.On longer trips, everyone is encouraged to carry out all liquid wastes.Any excess liquid \vaste may be dumped in designated sites near thecamps. Liquid waste may not be deposited anywhere else in the cave.Be sure to take enough containers to hold all liquid wastes.Burrito bags may not be leji along the trail to be picked up on the wayout. Cany these items to your camp and then remove from the cave.No tobacco products are allowed in the cave and no smoking oftobacco or other products in the cave.No consumption of alcohol.Safety lines are located throughout the cave as an aid to crossingtraverses. Everyone must clip into all traverse lines. There have beenseveral accidents directly due to failure to clip into the safety lines provided.Everyone entering the cave is responsible for the care and protectionof all ropes and the subsequent rigging that is utilized. Wear spots orother problems should be brought to the attention of the trip leader,who should fix the problem immediately, ifneeessary, or notify theCave Resource Office of the concern. Ropes should not be re-riggedwithout permission from the Cave Resource Office unless an immedi-ate threat is perceived. Please notify the Cave Resource Office of anychanges or potential problems noticed. If possible, leave a note for

Appendix 5-Guidelines for Entering Lechuguilla Cave

other expedition members explaining the change in rigging and why itwas necessary.When traveling through the cave, stay on established trails. If trails arehard to see, either re-flag them immediately or notify the CaveResource Ollice so that we will know of the problem. Flagging use inthe cave in the past has been as follows: Bright Orange, for markingthe trail; White with Red Stripes, denotes sensitive areas such asgypsum crust, aragonite, etc.; Blue, utilized for survey stations; andWhite with Blue Stripes, indicates a lead. When flagging the trail, useplenty of flagging tape and flag both sides. This helps keep the trail asnarrow as possible.Of primary importance is the preservation of all the resources in thecave. Everyone is cautioned to be very careful. Carelessness anddisregard for the resources has already done damage in the cave andwill not be tolerated. Intentional damage to make it easier to movethrough certain areas will be treated as serious violations and will beprosecuted. Everyone entering must do their utmost to preserve cavefeatures. The Pearlsian Gulfin the Southwest Branch has already hadmud introduced into a number of the cave pearls, as has the pool nearthem in several places. This is a direct result of carelessness anddisregard for that resource. Persons displaying this attitude will bedenied access to the cave. Continued occurrences will render that areaofT limits to everyone.No cave material (minerals, speleothems, bones, etc.) may be removedfrom the cave without a valid, existing scientific collecting permit.Collecting for someone else who has a valid collecting pennit requireswritten authorization from the permit holder and from the CaveSpecialist.No digging, blasting, hammering, or breaking of fonnations, rocks,etc. may be performed without prior permission from the CaveSpecialist.Aqua socks or other clean, non-marking shoes must be worn whencrossing flowstonc areas. Wearing boots or walking barefoot acrossthese areas is not allowed.Do not establish a new trail in any area that has a trail. This createstwo impacted areas. The Deep Seas Camp, in particular, continues tohave problems in this regard. Stop making new trails for convenience.Use existing trails only.Please take a couple of minutes to read and record evaporimeterlevels, thermometer readings (if it hasn't been done in a day or two),and other science-related instruments. If you do not knbw or under-stand the instruments, then please leave them alone. Leave all data-loggers (enclosed in water-proof cases) and their instrumentationalone. Please do not open cases. This allows more moisture into theinstrumentation and is ultimately very costly.There will be no wading or swimming in pools to reach cave passagesor leads without prior consent of the Cave Specialist. This includes theLake Castro\'alva area.Pools in newly discovered areas must remain pristine for on-goingmicrobiological research. Any contamination may compromiseundiscovered microbes.

CLIMBINGThere are numerous climbs in the cave. Many have been done andsome have not. Those wishing to do climbs should clear suggestedclimbs with the Cave Specialist before attempting any climb.The use of bolts, while not strictly prohibited, should be used sparingly.Any bolt that will not be used after an initial climb must be removed

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and the hole covered. Any bolt or hanger that is to be left in placemust be made from austenitic stainless steel.All climbs must be surveyed.When a climb is completed. all ropes should be derigged and a note onnagging tape should be left stating that the climb has been completedand does not go.Ice crampons and other technological implements must be approvedby the Cave Specialist before attempting their use in the cave.

RESOURCE PROTECTION ZONES• The following areas, due to their sensitive nature or on-going scientificresearch, arc off-limits to all entering Lechuguilla Cave unless you have avalid rcason to visit this area and you have prior permission from the CaveSpecialist.• Ongoing microbe research areas have been flagged ofT.You are cau-tioned not to go bcyond that point. These areas are found throughout thecave. Please do not visit or disturb these areas:

Entrance To EF Junction1'001 in Sugarlands - This pool is well-marked.

Western BranchI'ink Dot Pool - Bio-hazard pool. Do not drink the water from here.Part of the Blanca Navidad Room. The off-limits area is well-marked. Also,all pools in the room should be left alone. Drinking water may not beobtained from any of these pools. This pristine room may hold microbessuitable for cancer research.

Pcllucidar/Barsoom Areas - Very fragile area, very unique subaqueoushelectites found here. Anyone climbing into the Barsoom area abovePellucidar threatens the helectites.

Hudson Bay - Very fragile area, also one where unique microorganismshave been found. Recommended as a "Microbial Preserve."

Red Lakes Passage - Very fragile with soda straws dipping down to lakclevel. No attempt should be made to obtain water from this pool.

Oasis Pool - This area is being studied for its microbe population and maybe removed from this list once the study is complete.

Chocolate Lake in the Chocolate Factory - Another microbe study pool.

Little Lake of the Clouds - Microbe study in progress. Anyone enteringshould wear aqua-socks and clean clothes.

Southweslern BranchDilithium Crystal Pool - Unique, very fragile pool with selenite crystalsgrowing underwater. This is a very rare occurrence. Cave of the Swords inChihuahua, Mexico has thousands of selenite crystals that evidently grewin an underwater environment.

YO Acres - Located beyond the Pearlsian Gulf and contains largc amountsof corrosion residues. Special care must be taken to avoid contamination ofthe Pearlsian Gulf area.

Temple of Dagon - Located above the Pearls ian Gulf and has the potential

Appendix 5-Guidelines for Entering Lechuguilla Cave

for knocking debris into the pearl areas.

Lake Castrovalva - Very fragile, unique area. No one may swim in orentcr the inner pool, not even for photographs.

Void Sulfur Area - Unique, very fragile geological and microbiologicalresource.

Darktown - Very long, very fragile gypsum hairs hang in this room. Theyare hard to see and easy to destroy.

Ultra Primo - This is a very heavily decorated, sensitive area.

Lcchy's Lair - This is a very heavily decorated, fragile area.

Vesuvius - This is also a very heavily decorated, sensitive area.

Sulfur Shores - Rare and fragile folia are found in this area.

Tower Place (Pool ncar Dark Star) - Microbial research continues in thispool. It is well marked. No one should venture near it.

Western Side of the Sewing Room - Extremely fragile gypsum needlesfound here.

Eastern BranchGhust Town - (I) Sulfur area in small passage off the NE portion of theroom is fragile as well as scientifically interesting. (2) Balcony overlookingthe room is very fragile. Damage will occur by anyone going there.

Ghoslhusters flail - Contains large sulfur deposits.

Bryce Canyon - Contains fragile and delicate rillenkarren. Also a spectacu-lar aragonite bush is in danger each time someone enters the area.

Boundary Waters - This is the upstream source for the Lost Pecos Riverdrinking water. Also very delicate and fragile area.

H Survey - Very delicate, very fragile. Damage occurs anytime anyonegoes through this area.

Happy Huntin~ Grounds - Requires a wade through water and is fragile.

Lake of the White Roses - Rare and fragile folia in a one-hundred footvertical area.

Burning Lakes - A pristine area with pools discovered in 1993 andawaiting microbial studies. Once this study is completed this area may betaken off this lis!.

Quasimoto's Lair - This is a very fragile, decorated area.

Stud Lake - Closed for microbe studies.

SPECIAL ATTENTION AREASThe following areas, though not strictly ofl' limits, require specialprecautions when entering them. If these precautions are not followedand unacceptable damage occurs, then they will be moved into a Re-

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source Protection Zone.Anyone entering the following areas should wear very clean aqua socksor equivalent shoes and clean clothes. Anything carried into these areasshould be clean also. General clothes that have been used for cavingSHOULD NOT be worn into these areas. Dust, corrosion residues, mud,and other items of debris collected on caving clothes tend to drop off andspoil these pristine areas. Anyone entering these areas should make everyelTort to keep them pristine. The Pearlsian Gulfhas already seen theunacceptable consequences of mud introduced into the cave pearl areas.This must not happen again.

Entrance To EF Junction - Slow Down! Especially in the Rim City area.

Southwest Branch - Pearlsian Gulf, Tower Place (except for area men-tioned in the Resource Protection Zone), Underground Atlanta

Eastern Branch - Firefall Hall

All areas of the cave should be traveled through carefully. However,EXTREME CAUTION should be exercised when moving through theLand of the Lost. Move at a very slow, careful pace, being aware of thegypsum hairs, threads, and beards in the area. Also, when movingthrough the China Shop, camp packs should be removed and passedcarefully through the aragonite bushes.

CAMPING AND RESTINGCamping is allowed only in designated camps. No bivouacking isallowed without pennission of the Cave Specialist. Teams entering thecave should inform the Cave Resource Office where they plan oncamping. Designated camps and maximum numbers allowed at thosecamps are as follows:

Eastern BranchGrand Guadalupe Junction - 12Rusticles - 6Ghosllown - 6

South\\'cstern BranchChandelier Camp - 8High Hopes Camp - 6Big Sky - 6

Western BranchDccp Seas - 12

Every team is required to leave a note in a prominent place in camp withthe following information on it: what day it is, who is on the team, andwhere in the cave you expect to be.Water should bc collected from designated pools utilizing the pitchersthat have been placed there. Under no circumstances should anyone placetheir canteen, hands, or any other object into the pool itself.Water should not be withdrawn from any pool containing subaqueoushelictites or from the Dilithium Crystal Pool in the Southwestern ilranchof the cave. It should also not be withdrawn from the Red Lakes Roompool due to the sensitive nature of the soda straws that touch the water1ssurface. Water should also not be taken from thc Pink Dot Pool in theWestern Branch of the cave.

Appendix 5-Guidelines for Entering Lechuguilla Cave

Small stoves may be used in camp areas only. Propane is the preferredfuel. Stoves may be used in other areas with the permission of the CaveSpecialist.No caches of food, waler or other items are allowed in the cave.When eating (either traveling through the cave or at camp) or preparingfood, great care should be taken to not drop any crumbs or food particlesin the cave. Eating should take place over a plastic sheet or othercatchment type material.Toothpaste and other materials should not be drained into the cave.Rinsing ofTand allowing contaminated water to drain into the cave is notacceptable. Moist towelettes that can be removed from the cave is theonly option for bathing.

UNEXPLORED AREAS AND SURVEYINGExploration in Lechuguilla Cave may not occur without surveying whatyou see. Survey as you go. Exploration Without Surveying Is StrictlyProhibited. Violators will be denied future access to the LechuguillaCave. Standards listed in the NPS flyer titled "Cave Survey Standards forCarlsbad Caverns National Park" must be adhered to when surveying.Discovery teams may name new areas, but names deemed inappropriateor distasteful. or named after living people will not be accepted.When moving into unexplored areas, trails should be established thatminimize the damage to the cave. Persons running lead tape positionshould carefully evaluate the passage and choose the path that will do theleast damage to the cave. Trails should be flagged immediately, so thatthose who will follow will not have a choice as to where to walk and willhave to stay on the established trail.

"IN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE AREAS, such as where aragonitebushes block the path (like the China Shop), or other noteworthyspeleothems deter progress, stop and do not proceed. Notify the CaveResource Oftlce. The National Park Service will make a decision of thismagnitude.

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