Hello, travel mate!
Do you like outdoor sports? You know, a sport that is said to be extreme but very exciting. Extreme sports are not only mountain climbing, but there is also rock climbing, caving, paragliding, and others. I also don't know much about outdoor sports. I only know a few, because I only tried it when I entered the Student Association for Environmental and Adventure Activity.
It was my experience in 2016. I want to tell you about my first experience going through a cave. Well, it's like a primitive person just entering the cave. But, wait guys, make no mistake. It turns out that this cave is amazing and fun. It's really beyond my expectations.
So in the series of further education in the Student Association for Environmental and Adventure Activity, we participated in two caving activities. First, we did go down the cave and the second we had to do SRT (Single Rope Technique) or clearly we went up/down the cave using one rope. Well, this experience was the first I had at that time.
For the caving itself, we explored and mapped the path of Goa Kemit by measuring it and seeing what ornaments were in the cave. Ah, it turns out as fun as this is called a cave. And it was amazing when I was in the cave. It turned out really good. There are ornaments that form curtains, stalactites, stalagmites. Ah, so I want to go to the cave again. But one thing, guys, if you go to a cave, you have to be ready for a headlamp battery or a spare flashlight, because it will be very dark if there is no lighting.
After exploring and mapping in Kemit Cave, the next day we went SRT in Petruk Cave. Petruk Cave itself has become a tourist spot that people usually visit. However, we will go up to the "second floor" and then go down with the SRT. Whoa, crazy! The height is 30 meters, guys! I got goosebumps when my friend, Kollin, said we should go downstairs.
Our team's biggest obstacle is... no one wants to rigging! So, rigging is installing a safety rope/line for later passing. And of course, this first-person had to go to great lengths to install it for his other friends. Finally, my junior classmate, Laras became the savior of us all and was willing to be the first to put the rope on. Phew!
Shadows of joy and fear mingled into one. My fear is actually the same as most people, what if the tool I use is not strong enough to withstand the load and something unexpected happens? Ah, I threw that thought away. Then I descended down from a height of 30 meters using only one rope and various other safety devices. It took me a long time to go down and maybe the longest because again my hands were tired of pressing the autostop (a tool to go down by extending a rope). Oh, God!
Arriving downstairs I immediately ordered iced tea. Hahaha. After a thirty-minute break, I had to go back upstairs with the technique I had learned earlier. Oh my God, it was so hard. Looks like I have a lot to learn and... lose weight. Oops! Especially when I was about to go up there was a tragedy that the rope got stuck and I couldn't go down. Even though the height is not yet 5 meters. Then Kollin and Micar went hand in hand like an areca climbing competition to help me. Geez!
Finally, I can climb in peace. But it didn't last long. I almost cried when I felt I was so tired and I just wanted to be stuck there. But how else. I have to keep going up. Until Kollin asked me who was halfway through, "Tiw, do you want to continue or not??"
I'm confused. If I go up, I feel tired. But if it goes down, it's hard to move the tool again. "It's hard to get down, Lin." I gave a hanging answer to Kollin. I finally got on with it and... for whatever reason it took too long! It seems that my efforts have not paid off. Many times I looked up but it was still far away, there was still a long rope that I was climbing.
Until about 5 meters to the stop, I was confused about what to do. My feet get stuck in the footloop back and forth. I was repeatedly shouted at, "Tiw where have you been?", "Tiw, cheer up! Just a little bit more!" And I just replied, "Bloody hell! My foot is stuck!" While crying and wanting to cry. I swear my struggle to get to the top is really tiring.
A little more to the top, Eci, Denden, Lusi, Cici, Micar, and Laras also cheered. Ouch, I feel like fainting! But relieved to have reached the top. When on the way, he said, "I don't want to be like this anymore." Eh, when I got to the top, I said, "I want to do this any more next time." Hahaha. It turned out to be really cool!
So, that's my caving and SRT experience. Hopefully next time I can share other experiences. I still want to try caving in a cave with water, but I'm so scared to do cave diving. Hahaha. I hope there is time.
I hope you will do this someday. I enjoyed this and want to do it anymore.
See you on the next trip!
All photos are mine.