Spelunking offers a different kind of adventure
Text and photos by Yoko N. Sari
SUKABUMI, W. Java (JP): The air was damp inside the cave. Hundreds of bats fluttered about, creating a sound like that of a jet airliner.
Aside from the bats, there were only fish, stones and water inside and it made you feel you were on another planet, one that belonged to animals and nature.
But those are the wonders that exploring caves brings, although crawling, walking and climbing in a narrow and damp cave may not be most people's idea of a good time. Despite the huffing and puffing which goes with the exertion, you will still find excitement and the miracle of nature in it.
The smell of dampness and bat droppings filled the cave as we skirted the muddy and slippery pathway into the darkness.
All the spelunkers in our group kept moving to explore the cave, on, as one put it, a journey to the center of the earth, to seek the miracle of nature.
The bats were active because the light from dozens of flashlights was disturbing their nap time.
In this particular expedition run by Karash Indonesia adventure club, Fathoel Arifin, more popularly known as Toing, was assigned as our guide. Toing has been spelunking for 13 years. A skinny young man who shaves his head every morning and knows his job well, he guided our group of rank amateurs deep into the cavern.
The club, run by husband and wife Vicky and Chiki Gosal, regularly hosts adventure travel expeditions across the archipelago, exploring its hidden beauty and at the same time accommodating the desire of busy executives to explore nature in a friendly atmosphere.
Like many other sports, spelunking is addictive. Many participants wind up having the urge to try it again, and again.
"I never liked adventure, but after my first experience I became addicted to it," beamed Onny, who has joined three of the clubs trips.
Horizontal
This time Karash took us to Cidolog, a horizontal cave in Jampang Kulon, South Sukabumi, West Java, around six hours' drive from Jakarta. This cave is one of the most frequented on Java apart from Gajah cave in Pelabuhan Ratu, also in this regency, Angin cave in Gombong, Central Java, and Luweng Ombo cave in Pacitan, East Java.
Cidolog cave lies in the middle of a rubber plantation, and we stayed overnight at the plantation's guesthouse after the long drive from Jakarta.
According to Toing, the cave is three kilometers long and takes around two hours to explore its various pathways.
Once inside the cave, we were greeted by the smells and dampness that were so overwhelming because of the stifling air. It was also quite slippery and many times we had to hold the cave walls tightly to avoid losing our footing. Occasionally something on the walls gave us cause for fright.
"Just don't get hysterical. It was just an animal and it's not dangerous," Toing assured us as he led us deeper inside the cave.
The views inside the cave were breathtaking indeed. The walls were made up of rocks of various forms and colors. Small rocks seemed to be glued together to form a wall. There were also flow stones, rocks which were shaped by flowing water which finally formed the pathways, as well as green and brown rocks hanging from the top of the cavern.
"This is because algae and mildew mineralize in the stone," Toing explained about the colors of the stones.
He added that the rocks and walls are the result of hundreds of years of abrasion.
Toing is more than just a guide. He treats the cave as if it were his own and guards it with the care of a father. He mentioned a place known for its distinctive stalactite and cascade stones. Since it was a bit difficult to reach, we entered single file.
"Try not to touch the stones with your filthy hands. You should first wash your hands before touching them," he warned.
While we were inside this particular chamber, Toing stood near the huge light-brown stones to make sure that nobody disobeyed him.
Another time he told one of the participants to cross to the other side of the tunnel.
"The stones on the other part are still growing, and you will wreck them," he explained.
There were also small brooks inside the cave that we had to negotiate. The water was cold and we could clearly see crabs and shrimps before stepping in it.
After an hour or so, Toing called for a rest in a large chamber and instructed us to turn off our flashlights and remain silent for five minutes.
"Somebody asked me about the lasting darkness and wondered why it was not dark at all. I want you to listen and experience the feeling of living in darkness," Toing said.
Once we switched off our flashlights, everything was so dark that we could see absolutely nothing, not even our fingers. We were in complete darkness. Only the ripples of the flowing water broke the silence.
It is for this silence that many people come to the cave. Many used to meditate and sought inspiration for picking numbers in the now-defunct SDSB lottery.
Preparation
Be prepared though. The wonder and excitement of exploring a cave can only be achieved if you are well prepared. When you decide to go spelunking, be sure to bring basic equipment such as a helmet, a flashlight, drinking water, comfortable clothes and an experienced guide.
The helmet is vital because you will cross tunnels with different ceiling heights, at some points so low you are forced to crawl close to the ground to squeeze through.
Many times you accidentally bang your head against the rocks.
"This helmet has definitely saved me at least four times," remarked one of our group after she banged her head against a jagged rock.
Another important requirement is flexibility because there are many tiny tunnels that need to be crossed.
"I cannot bend my body that low," shouted one caver as she explained why she refused to follow us into the chamber with the beautiful stones.
"I won't fit in that pathway," exclaimed another when she heard about the tiny tunnel.
Toing decided to use a different route for our way out, one that required rope climbing. One by one we were all pulled up until we could finally see the sun again.