Minecraft wiki entry for Mining, associated text: This method is fast and secure, as you can see hazards in advance and avoid them due to the fact that you can't fall off blocks in sneak mode. It also requires very little in the way of player input, making it quasi-semiautomatic. To ascend simply pillar up using the copious amounts of stone you have no doubt amassed in the course of your tunneling. Word of warning: this method consumes about 80 percent of the durability of a stone pickaxe. Be sure to bring wood to make a crafting table and sticks to craft a replacement.