Down in a Hole
June 10, 2016 1:42 PM   Subscribe

I'm stuck in a hole in Minecraft. Is there a way out of this mess?

I'm playing Minecraft PE, normal difficulty in Survival Mode. I've only been playing for a few weeks, but I'm already a 100+ hours in. I'm down in a mine. I stepped into a hole that I thought was a single block deep; turns out it was two blocks deep. It's a single block wide in every direction. I'd normally just dig out one of the upper blocks and hop out, but unfortunately it appears that all eight of the blocks adjacent to me as well as the floor are made out of a substance that seems impervious to my pick (it's gray and black; I'm assuming that it's obsidian, and I only have stone and iron picks).

Is there any way out of this situation? I'm willing to die to respawn elsewhere, but my mine is lit well enough that nothing is ever going to come get me, and since I'm on normal difficulty I can't even look forward to starving to death.
posted by Parasite Unseen to Computers & Internet (10 answers total) 5 users marked this as a favorite
 
Best answer: Jump up and place a block under your feet?
posted by EndsOfInvention at 1:45 PM on June 10, 2016 [4 favorites]


EndsofInvention has it--you can jump up and place a block underneath you. You can do that repeatedly to get out of holes of any depth (or to ascend to a high point you need to reach.) Hopefully you have some dirt or stone or something like it in your inventory. It's a good idea to carry some with you for just this kind of situation.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 1:53 PM on June 10, 2016


Best answer:
it's gray and black
Just FYI, this is probably bedrock which is indestructible. You'll definitely need to do the "jump-place-block" maneuver. It's a bit tricky in the PE version of Minecraft (at least it was for me - YMMV). Once you get the technique down though you should be good to go.
posted by moxiequz at 2:01 PM on June 10, 2016


So there's another technique that will work (just tested it in creative mode) but you'll need two buckets of water (which is also a good thing to keep in your inventory anyways especially when exploring). Dump both buckets of water on the block you're standing on and you'll be able to swim up and out.
posted by moxiequz at 2:09 PM on June 10, 2016


Response by poster: Jump up and place a block under your feet?

I guess I'll need to practice that. Thanks!

Just FYI, this is probably bedrock which is indestructible.

You are correct. I had assumed that it wasn't bedrock, because I saw that there were non-bedrock rocks at lower levels than it was, but the picture in your link is absolutely it.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 2:22 PM on June 10, 2016


I guess I'll need to practice that
FYI, I find it that you need to place the block earlier in your jump than you would think (while still on your way up, as it were)
posted by misterbrandt at 2:35 PM on June 10, 2016 [1 favorite]


Two things: You can do as suggested (derp pillar up), but you should always place a torch at your feet while digging over your head. This will break any falling gravel or sand and prevent suffocation.

The other option is to dig a staircase out. It takes more pick, however.
posted by xyzzy at 2:53 AM on June 11, 2016


The other option is to dig a staircase out. It takes more pick, however.

Which is why I always carry a crafting bench, some sticks, and some cobble with me at all times.
posted by bowmaniac at 11:51 AM on June 11, 2016


(Also, it's interesting that you called it a derp pillar as we've always referred to it as a nerd pole. Wonder how many different variations there are out there.)
posted by bowmaniac at 12:02 PM on June 11, 2016


Always carry a stack of cobblestone and sand. You can make a sand elevator if you encounter large drops when exploring by dropping the sand down the hole until it is nearly at your level, then digging it down, or dropping more sand to make steps down. Then reverse to get out (though you will loose your sand, but you can use cobblestone instead).

Also a good idea to always carry a couple buckets of water as moxiequz suggests if you have gathered enough iron,
posted by Barry B. Palindromer at 2:11 PM on June 13, 2016


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