Lechuguilla Cave - 2019 Expedition

Video documentation of the 8-day expedition to the western branch of Lechuguilla Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. This expedition was co-led by Derek Bristol and Dan Austin with an emphasis on surveying leads in the recently discovered area of Zion, as well as Oasis, Keel Hall, Long Haul, Sanctuary and Oz. More than 5,700 feet of new passage was added to the surveyed length of the world’s 7th longest cave. Some of this video was captured while volunteering for the National Park Service at Carlsbad Caverns. The opinions expressed are those of the video editor, and not of the National Park Service. This trip was conducted under the conditions of a permit. The video depicts cavers traveling over flowstone and other well decorated areas of the cave. Clean gear and rigorous conservation practices were used to conduct exploration in these areas while minimizing resource impact. Caves are delicate and potentially dangerous places. For more information on wild caving, vertical caving techniqu