Caves can be long, dark and deep. They may stretch for miles inside a mountain to hundreds of feet down into the earth.

It is very interesting to explore a cave and as the explorer will soon notice should this happen frequently is that each one is different leaving the individual in awe every time.

Being either a guide or a spelunker are the two ways to get inside the cave. This is because of the number of visitors who flock here or this is part of the job. One thing you need to explore its vast chambers is a map that is either given or drawn by hand.

Why is a map necessary for cave exploration? This is needed to get the explorers back to the surface. Some passageways look the same and a wrong turn could get the group lost with a slim chance of ever getting out alive.

The group can use chalk to mark the way but are not allowed to so that it can be preserved just the way it is for future explorers and tourists to also enjoy.

In order to make a map, this has to be surveyed by the spelunker using some special equipment such as a compass, inclinometer, measuring tape and a logbook, which will be compiled later.

These people usually work in pairs so one member will use the instruments while the other records the data. This will take hours before the team is able to finish surveying.

The notebooks used to record the data are made of special paper. This will keep the information intact should it get wet from water trickling from above. Sketches and numbers will be written down so the guide or whoever goes there next can use this as a guide.

Once the group gets back to the surface, all the information is fed into the computer. The machine will then make the calculations so that a print out can be made and used as the official map for cave explorers to use into the future.

There are machines that can detect metal or any other structure underneath the rocks. Unfortunately, this can only be used for a short distance and not hundreds of feet below the ground. This is the reason cave explorers still have to go in, climb, crawl and then get out given this is the only way to produce an accurate map.