Challenging the cliffs of Mount Gajah: A tale of grit and teamwork

That afternoon, two members of the Unpad climbing team moved to open the route. The cliff they were about to climb looked mighty from a distance, as if saying, “I am Mount Gajah, can you crawl up me?”

Amid the rustling wind, a loud voice suddenly rang out from a height of 20 metres. “Urang (I) am going to fall.”

It was the voice of Neil, a member of the expedition team from the Padjadjaran University Nature Lovers Student Association (PMPA) PALAWA Unpad, 2–18 August 2026.

His colleague, Neiza, who was belaying, swiftly pulled the kernmantel rope. Neil still fell, and blood was seen soaking his forehead.

Panic inevitably ensued. Neiza informed the team below to prepare to evacuate Neil to the nearest community health centre. Fortunately, he only suffered a minor injury, so the climb up the Mount Gajah cliff could continue.

The 500-metre-high cliff is located in Gongseng Village, Randudongkal District, Pemalang Regency, Central Java.

The first challenge faced was finding the way to the cliff. The information the team received regarding coordinates and access varied. Some parts of the route had been covered by vegetation, so the team had to open access and read the terrain conditions directly. The search for the route to the foot of the cliff took approximately two hours.

The climb begins

Slowly, the altitude increased. One by one, runners were successfully placed. In the initial climb, progress was in the range of 10–15 metres.

However, the scorching Pemalang sun was increasingly baking their heads. The shrinking shadow of the cliff forced the climbers to descend for a while, gathering strength before trying again in the afternoon.