ACTA CARSOLOGICA 52/1, 169-170, POSTOJNA 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v52i1.13435
Last year, we were in-
troduced to the first publica-
tion of the young publishing 
house Speleo-Photo Edi-
tions, which under the guid-
ance of the world-famous 
cave photographer Max 
Wisshak, publishes cave-
themed books. In the first 
book, which he co-authored 
with his wife Stefanie, he de-
votes himself in detail to the 
karst world of New Zealand, 
revealing Max's fascination 
with this wonderful and 
mysterious land through su-
perb photographic impres-
sions. The book received 
numerous awards and, with 
its quality, certainly laid a solid foundation for all subse-
quent editions.
Even from the first book, we could foretell that 
the next one would be dedicated to another great proj-
ect of Max's, the world-famous cave of Lechuguilla, and 
we were not mistaken. This time he tackled the book as 
an editor, and Hazel A. Barton, a great authority on the 
famous cave, also participated in this process. The texts 
and photos were contributed by many commendable re-
searchers and excellent photographers.
Lechuguilla Cave is one 
of the most important caves 
in the world and is right-
fully known to be a cave of 
all excesses. With a length of 
almost 245 kilometers, it oc-
cupies the ninth place among 
the longest caves in the 
world, and its deepest point 
reaches 484 meters deep. 
The entrance hall, in which 
guano was mined 100 years 
ago, hid the cave’s continua-
tion until 1986, when cavers 
managed to dig through the 
straits where a strong draft 
was detected.
Immediately after the 
discovery of the continua-
tion, a strict protection regime of cave exploration was 
established, which still today preserves the cave in its 
original form. This preserves the biggest specialty of 
the cave – its extraordinary variety of speleothems and 
minerals. The reputation of these underground beauties 
is still undisputed today, and many special features have 
been discovered only in this cave.
The cave became widely known after the publica-
tion of an article in the magazine National Geographic, 
and ever since it has been considered the most beauti-
LECHUGUILLA CAVE:  
DISCOVERIES IN A HIDDEN SPLENDOR 
Max WISSHAK and Hazel A. BARTON (Editors)
Speleo-Photo Editions, 2022, 240 pages, 258 colour photos and 7 graphs,  
Double-foldout page with 3D model of the cave, 22.5 x 30.5 cm,  
Hardcover, ISBN 978-3-9821714-2-5
ful cave in the world. In this light, the first books about 
it were undertaken by the publishing house SpeleoProj-
ects. Three renowned photographers, with the support of 
numerous assistants, created one of the most beautiful 
books with descriptor and subtitle, "Jewel of the Under-
ground". It was released in 1991 and is still considered to 
be a reference issue today. However, in the last 30 years, 
there have been many new explorations and discoveries 
in Lechuguilla, and photographic techniques have moved 
from analog to digital.
The purpose of the new book, “Lechuguilla Cave: 
Discoveries in a Hidden Splendor", is not to replace the 
first, but to describe in a new form and in every detail 
the entirety of nearly 40 years of research, which we have 
been missing in recent decades. Throughout thirteen 
chapters, in both text and photographs, the book pro-
vides answers to all the questions we can ask about this 
cave.
With a doctorate in geological sciences, Max's pro-
fessional background is an excellent basis for detailing 
the variety of topics covered in the book in a compre-
hensible way that is also accessible to a wider audience. 
In addition to the historical themes and survey of cave 
research, the narrators also present the cave to us from 
a geological, speleological and biological point of view. 
The chapters focused on caving are mainly devoted to the 
organization of demanding cave visits, staying in the cave 
for several days and dealing with the problems they may 
encounter. Among the major events was the caving acci-
dent in 1991, when a caver broke her leg in a remote part 
of the cave, and more than 170 cavers and rescuers were 
involved in the rescue. A special chapter is also dedicated 
to photographing the cave, especially to a comparison of 
photography at the time of the first book and more re-
cently in the age of digital photography. Also shown are 
lighting methods and examples of tests that illuminate 
how to make a successful shot.
One of the most important topics covered is defi-
nitely the surveying of the cave. The dimensions of the 
245-kilometer-long cave are best seen on the 3D map, 
which reveals on double-foldout pages the incredible 
branching and complexity of the cave. A special chap-
ter describes in detail the survey methods used, with a 
bunch of suggestions on making measurements during 
big cave projects. The book ends with a chapter on cave 
protection, statistical data, a bibliography, and brief in-
troductions to all of the authors.
There is a considerable probability that you will 
never visit this cave in your lifetime. Undoubtedly, this 
book will make that fact a bit easier to accept as you walk 
through the cave and make your own discoveries through 
its texts, maps and photographs. “Lechuguilla Cave: Dis-
coveries in a Hidden Splendor" reveals all the secrets of 
the cave, the answers to which we have not known until 
now.
The fastest way to get to the book is via the website 
https://www.lechuguilla-cave.info/, where, in addition 
to informative content about the cave and the book, all 
bibliographic data and their web links are available. The 
price of the book is EUR 59.90.
Peter Gedei
BOOK REVIEW
ACTA CARSOLOGICA 52/1 – 2023170