Travelholic: Caving - This is the real thang!

Friday, April 15, 2016

Caving - This is the real thang!

Caving is the only activity that allows you to name your own cave. Officially. Legally.

My friend once told me.

COOL! I told myself.

But the darkness and pacat stops me from experiencing it, until March 2016. I can now claim I’ve done caving. Perasan-ly. Riak-ly.

Caving check-list box – TICK.

Despite that Gua Tempurung is located a stone throw away, Gua Kundu is nothing like the earlier said. Similar to my white water rafting adventure (you can read it here and here), I am torn (yet again) on whether to attempt with this caving “expedition” or to sit it out. But then again, I agreed to this trip due to its uniqueness – covering outdoor and extreme sport activities. Hence, I proceed. Cowardly. Worried.

I listen attentively to the guide’s safety briefing, on what to expect, what we will get to see, the condition of the cave etc. I posted him the most crucial and important question that triggered most of the participants attention, (i) Will there be leaches in Gua Kundu and (ii) Are we required to wade any water. Everyone waited for the answer eagerly. You see (nak cerita sikit), I am terrified of leaches (yup! You can read it on my Gua Tempurung post here). I am well prepared on every trip that I foresee this evil slimy crawly wiggly thing might appear. I listen and took all advise, none was left out. NONE! I kid you not.

The question is not what do I need to prepare, the right and precise question is what DID I prepare.

Mosquito repellent (2 types)
Oitment (2 types as well – they say leeches hate the smell)
Socks (what socks? I brought panty hose AND high socks)
Salt water (I assume my dehydration salt works here)
Tobacco (I decided to keep 3 JPAM at bay, eye contact level, within my reach)

This (the above) is called WELL PREPARED for caving! I bet my girl guide coy will be very proud of me – ‘A girl guide is always prepared’ = ME!)

So, the ultimate questions:

What did we actually do inside/during caving?
How tough was it?
Was there a lot of climbing? Swimming? Bat?
Was it scary?
Was it hard?
Is it worthwhile?

I decide to answer this as specific as possible.

A lot of fun stuff
Easy peasy (coverline)
Climbing – yeah. Swimming – No. Bat – Batman adalah.
Nehhhhh…
Nehhhhh…. Gitew.
YESZA!!!

There was rope climbing (10 feet high the most), abseiling (I love abseiling), crawling (its sandy so its pretty dry) and you know what… there’s 3 ways to get out of the cave and all 3 ways are super cool!

Zipling out

Ziplining + via ferrata + trekking out

Ziplining + trekking out.

Trekking out

And I chose…… jeng jeng jeng…. Trekking out as I was told this is the easiest and that I manage persuade the whole JPAM to accompany me. BUT what they failed to tell me was, the trekking route is steep, and they warned me not to be a ‘biawak jatuh’. Of cause I dengar cakap, I jalan elok-elok and berhati-hati.