WILDERNESS TOURS AT EXIT CAVE
Filling the Gap
There is a gap between tourists who visit caves casually because some limestone caves happen to be part of a tourist itinerary and the enthusiast who becomes a member of a caving group. This gap is created by a small number of people who are not impressed on the one hand with the efforts of cave operators and administrators in modifying caves to cater for a mass tourism market, and on the other hand are disinclined to take up caving as a regular recreational or sporting pursuit. What I am trying to do at Exit Cave, near Ida Bay in Southern Tasmania, is to bridge the gap — to provide for those who would like to visit a cave in its natural condition, but have no wish to become proficient in the skills of more specialised caving techniques.
Exit Cave, by its horizontal nature and for other reasons is an ideal cave for this purpose. It is a very large cave, it has probably the largest glowworm population of any known cave, giving it a special appeal for the casual visitor, it is sufficiently remote to dissuade the faint hearted, and at the same time difficult enough to provide a challenge, and by not being highly decorated, is not highly susceptible to damage.
I discovered that there are such people during my twenty years at Hastings. There are more discriminating people who are generally sceptical and critical of efforts on the part of cave managers, who by and large have given little thought to such things as preservation of the natural character of caves when planning stairways, lighting, etc. I am not necessarily opposed to the artificial illumination of caves, nor of tourist cave development generally I have seen some very wonderful examples of what can be done. I have also seen some appalling efforts. Surely, if we are to contemplate modifying any more caves for cave tourism let's do it well. If we are going to be penny pinching about it, or purely utilitarian in our planning we ought to forget about it until such time as we are prepared to get down to it and really take into consideration all the alternatives available and all the possible future consequences of our planning and actions.
But as for the future development of Exit Cave, I very strongly question the notion of doing anything at all. It is just not that kind of cave. Probably more than most other caves I can think of, Exit is a "wilderness" type cave. For a start, I don't see how one could satisfactorily light the glowworm chambers and retain the unique effect that they have on the visitor at the present time. I think they have to be viewed in a wilderness situation. Electric lights and concrete are just not on in these areas. Neither is a regulated type of cave tour.
The tours I conduct are fairly strenuous and they usually result in people getting pretty wet and muddy. Again Exit Cave is ideal in that one can take a spell at several of the sandy areas.
It is possible for me to adjust to the capabilities and inclinations of the parties. Although I have a set circuit (see Figure 3) I find I must at times miss certain areas in order to be out of the cave in a reasonable time, and to avoid over-taxing people's capabilities.
It is most vital that all intending visitors are fully informed of what to expect and I have to be satisfied that my clients are capable.
Conducting Satisfactory Cave Tours Without Modification to the Cave Environment
When I was in Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico in 1972 the United States National Parks Service planned to conduct tours to a completely undeveloped cave known as New Cave. This is in the National Park in the Guadalupe Mountains. I made enquires about 6 weeks ago as to the success or otherwise of the venture. Unfortunately I have not yet had a reply, but the National Parks Service (for which I have a high regard) recognised that there would be some call for such a tour.
Figure 3
Exit Cave, by its horizontal nature and for other reasons, is, and perhaps people are motivated by two distinct attitudes towards this type of activity. One would be the purist who deplores any suggestion of sophistication applying to natural features. This attitude was expressed by one of a party of six American cave enthusiasts which I took through Exit, one of whom wrote to me later saying, and I quote (that the visit was) "the most exhilarating caving experience we have ever had".
The other attitude would be typified by the group of young Hobart people who, when I asked if in their opinions we should set the cave up with lights and stairs and things, answered unanimously "No, you'll take all the fun out of it". Two differing attitudes, but both dependent upon keeping the cave as natural as possible.
Because Exit Cave is not a highly decorated cave, it is necessary, if the complete character of the cave is to be appreciated, to visit at least one of the formation areas. The calcite floors in these areas are in many places delicately figured and easily damaged. To minimise the destruction of these floors, the Tasmanian Caverneering Club has placed reflectorised markers so that we can always follow the same path. In spite of these it is impossible to rigidly control a party of visitors in this way so I have jointly, with Tasmanian Caverneering Club, obtained some aluminium pegs and nylon string to define walkways in these areas. A slight departure from the principle of keeping the cave in its natural state perhaps, but I hope you will agree that it is a very necessary restriction. In other parts of the cave, the stream level sections for instance, no restriction on where people put their feet is required.
Avoidance of Detrimental Effects on the Cave Environment
All visitors are instructed to follow certain rules:
- "Take nothing but pictures"
- "Leave nothing but footprints"
- "Kill nothing but time
- "Break nothing but silence"
We leave everything but our lights outside the cave, so the usual problems of littering are automatically avoided. The encouragement of algal growth by lighting for long periods does not occur. Because my parties are necessarily small, environmental deterioration is not a problem.