Scaling new heights at Parangdoc cliffs

Scaling new heights at Parangdoc cliffs

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Parangdoc's steep, stained limestone walls
rise up from a hill overlooking West Java's coast. Reaching up to
100 meters high in some places, they stretch in a more or less
unbroken line for almost a kilometer. Since the mid-1970s the
cliffs have been a major venue for Indonesian rock climbers, who
arrive from nearby Yogyakarta every weekend to test their nerves,
strength and skill.

On this particular morning the usual crowd were already
arriving. Andi and Mega from Yogyakarta on a broken-down
motorbike laden with equipment. Ester, with sleep in his eyes,
from wherever he had spent the night.

Ibu Maryati was opening up her food stall for them, as she has
been doing for as long as anyone can remember. The fried bananas
which she laid out on the counter were being taken; payment would
come at the end of the day. Tea was drunk and equipment sorted.
The climbers left early, knowing that by mid-morning the sun
would have appeared from behind the cliffs, and anyone left upon
them would regret starting late.

Rosyid and I decided to partner each other on a climb. Using a
rope in combination with a friction or belay device, small slings
and metal chocks, we were confident we could climb the cliff.

I set off first, with Rosyid paying out the rope through the
belay device. I climbed up a huge cleft in the cliff, stopping
only to wedge chocks into cracks, which I then clipped into the
rope using a carabiner. It pays to take your time doing this; in
the event of a fall, it's these chocks which will hopefully stop
a falling climber.

Running out of rope, I anchored myself to a lone tree in the
middle of the face, and hanging in my harness, began to belay for
Rosyid. It was just possible to make out the voices of other
climbers at the bottom of the cliff. The sheer drop to them below
my feet was unnerving. I was relieved when Rosyid came into view
after 10 minutes.

A quick rest and he set off to lead the second stage of the
climb, while I watched the rope for him. He made good progress up
the vertical, at times overhanging wall, his hours spent training
on the climbing wall clearly showing and before long he was out
of sight.

"I'm safe. Climb when you're ready," Rosyid called down to me,
having first secured himself at the top. I started upwards and
quickly realized he had made it look easy. Some anxious moments
followed: Could I reach that hold? If I do, am I strong enough to
grip it? I eventually found the right sequence of moves needed to
continue upward and, with failing arms, joined Rosyid sitting on
top of the cliff.

Looking down on Parangtritis beach, we began reliving every
moment of the climb, high on a shared sense of achievement. On
the way back to Ibu Maryati's stall for iced tea, walking
carefully through chili plantations and between padi fields, it
was not long before we were planning next week's climb. (Chris
Brummitt)