Minecraft wiki entry for Things_not_to_do, associated text: One way the player can stay oriented in caves is to place torches on the walls on only a specific relative side (right or left). This makes it so the player can follow the torches back by keeping them on the opposite side of the cave that they originally place them (caves are known to split so the player knows which path leads to the surface). Another way to stay oriented is to place blocks as markers in intersecting cave areas. Players can easily get lost in a mineshaft as they have complicated, but repetitive structures. If a player gets lost underground they should mine back up to the surface in a safe manner.