Establishing Marked Routes
through
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A sign containing a map and
the following information has been placed outside of the cave; however, this
page is available for pre-trip planning and posting the most up-to-date route
information. To raise the appreciation of
the cave resources and reduce the need for graffiti and stringing within the
maze of passages within The marked routes correspond
to the updated map of the cave. The map of |
Original display at Bloomington Cave with cave
map and trail descriptions |
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Safety Flagged routes have been set
to help navigate the labyrinth of passages within Be prepared! (1) Always wear
a helmet, either a fancy climbing helmet or at least a construction helmet to
protect your head. Most of the serious injuries are from falls. Without
helmets, these falls become fatalities! (2) Always have at least one nice
helmet-mounted light. Most all of these routes require climbing; you need
both of your hands free. (3) Always carry at least 3 reliable light sources.
Candles, matches and lighters are not considered reliable light sources. The
farther in you go, the less likely you could make it out safely without
light. (4) Wear appropriate footwear. Most people don't climb well in gym
shoes. Ankle support is strongly recommended to help protect and support your
ankles during abusive travel. (5) And in case things go wrong, like flat
tires or getting lost, inform dependable folks where you are, where you
expect to be in the cave, and your expected return times. Most cell phones
work out at If you are with an organized
group, you should seek your organization's safety requirements to be sure you
are covered under their insurance. Understand if you are leading a group, you
are responsible for the group! You must provide adequate information, training,
and equipment to ensure a safe, fun trip. If not, you could be heavily sued! For Boy Scout Troop Leaders,
Boy Scouts of America (BSA) has caving policies and caving requirements.
BSA's policy states that all scouts must be 14 years of age or older, trips
should have 2 adult leaders with one being experienced in cave exploration,
groups should be less than 10 people, must have equipment be up to today's
caver standards, and that all caving trips require an approved tour permit.
If the group doesn't have a tour permit, they are not covered by BSA's
insurance! Conservation Along with your safety,
please help protect the cave. Many hours have been spent restoring the cave
by removing graffiti and trash from the cave. All caves on federal lands
are protected under the Federal Cave Resources
Protection Act. Defacing caves through spray painting, leaving
trash, or collecting mineral or biological samples is illegal! Overnight
camping, firearms, and campfires are prohibited in this cave. If you
vandalize Please report any violations
or suspected activity by immediately calling the Law Enforcement Hotline
(800) 227-7286 To maintain the open access
to The white flagged route leads
to the bottom of the Big Room. This route is the most commonly used path
through the cave. The route starts at the South
Entrance and goes straight to the Boardwalk where the cave register is found.
After leaving the room just below the Boardwalk, the top of the Big Room
(White #6) is entered. The high-angle slope drops about 70 ft to 100 ft to
the bottom of the cave. After crossing the top of the Big Room, the route is
marked going down the safer, but tighter, Fanny Flume (White #8-10), rather
than the obvious and heavily used route leading straight down the
well-exposed Big Room. To go directly down the Big Room a 100-ft handline or
rappel is recommended. If going down the Fanny Flume, a short 50-ft handline
and good teamwork is recommended. The This route is the easiest
entrance to entrance route. One should have climbing experience and no fear
of tight spots. This green flagged route
starts by traversing the Boardwalk continuing straight past the White #3,
until the start of the green flagging (Green #20) is reached. Quickly, the
most difficult point along this route is reached. The "Slot" (White
#19-18) is a tight 10-inch vertical crack that drops about 10 ft to a crawl
below. The Slot is easier to navigate going down than up. The Slot can be easily
bypassed by taking the long flat wide crawl (Left of Green #19) then heading
down a hidden climb to pop out at the Lunch Room Junction (Green #13). Continuing along the normal
route, another downclimb (Green #17-16) is reached. This climb is a bit
exposed and slippery. The climb is easily negotiated by traversing along the
ledge in the middle and then down. Climbing straight down leads to a long
reach to a slippery point. This climb can be bypassed by continuing along the
crawl at the top of the climb (Green #19) into the Lunch Room (Green #13). After the climbdown (Green
#16), the Lunch Room can be reached following the flagging by crawling
through a small crack (Green #15-14). The flagging in the middle of the room
(Green #13) is the junction with the The route continues across
the room working its way up through the cracks. Follow the flagging carefully
for there are lots of tight cracks leading nowhere to be sucked into. After
going through a tight 12-inch crack the route leads into a room. From this
room the route continues up through a spiraling stoop way (Green #9-6).
Crawling along the flat bedrock floor, you should start feeling the cold
entrance air coming in. One can continue along this crawl (Green #6-5) all
the way to the North Entrance (Green #0); however, the flagged route winds
its way following the easiest path. Pink Route Boundary Route - Big Room to
Outer Limits This route is the longer
entrance to entrance route. The route has lots of crawling and a bit of
interesting climbing. This route uses both the White and the Green routes to
make the loop so one should be familiar with these two routes before trying
this route. This route is the most committing with the highest chance of
getting seriously lost. The pink flagging starts by
traversing the flat bottom of the Big Room (White #11) to the north. This
passage will quickly turn into a crawl and the pink flagging (Pink #1) will
begin. The route will follow a long series of small traverses and climbs. Use
caution, since the flagging can be a bit hard to follow through this
highly-mazy section of the cave. When successfully followed, you will pop out
into the long low Raceway passage (Pink #18-20). The end of this passage
continues up and up. A crack in the floor allows visitors in the Lunch Room
to be heard below. From Pink #23 a short-tight 10-inch pitch leads into Lunch
Room Junction (Green #13) and the Continuing up following the
flagging on the normal route, the Hub (Green #6) is reached and the green
route can be followed south to the North Entrance (Green #0). The Miseries - Lunch Room to
Big Room This route connects the Lunch
Room to the bottom of the Big Room. The route has slippery traverses on
high-angled slopes with respectable exposure. The odds of slipping are higher
than the Big Room, but the results would be a fast out-of-control slide,
rather than Big Room's straight-out fall. The route starting near the Lunch
Room is very mazy; use caution not to lose the flagged route. The route starts from Green
#16 where the orange flagging leads down the easiest route down into the
lower room. The route then zigzags through the room's boulder field and then
starts a steep descent into the cave. The first climb has a handline that
other explorers left behind; however, the flagging shows an easier way to
chimney down by using the ceiling and the floor to avoid the spacious short
drop. The route continues down with
some interesting high pitching passages to follow. Good shoes will show their
benefits through here. This type of traversing and climbing continues to keep
you in the easier wider passages until a real bottom is reached. At the end
of the route, you easily walk into the bottom of the Big Room (White #11.)
Follow the white route to the South Entrance (White #0). Yellow Route Northern Exposure - Lunch
Room to Crystal King Hall This route goes into the
northern section of the cave. It is fairly easy with only a few sections of
steep easily-navigated slopes. The route can be reached from the Enter the Follow the flagging or take
the direct climb down to next room (Yellow #7). After leaving this room,
traverse the large sloping passage to a stoopway. Scramble up through the
breakdown to the base of a long slope. At the top of the slope (Yellow #14),
a horizontal passageway is reached. Staying on this level, the passage is
quickly traversed back to Yellow #4. Once back at Yellow #4, the
route can be followed to the intersection of the Route Map
Bloomington
Cave Map with Routes (455 KB) Return to the Timpanogos Grotto Website Copyright © 2008 Timpanogos Grotto Maintained by Jon Jasper - last updated June 19, 2008 |
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