Jomblang Cave
Extreme travel? Why not!
We have done something extreme again at Jomblang Cave which is located at Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta. Maybe this place isn’t too famous for us, but many foreigners had visited it. Even when we visited the cave, only three of us were local among the sixty guests.
Jomblang Cave was formed from the geological process of soil subsidence to the earth’s base. So, this cave is a bit different from the others, it’s a vertical cave! And, we would do caving to a depth of 60 meters by using a single rope. Yippee! However, you don’t have to worry because the operator will check the safety in advance. They will put on the equipment, while we sit down and wait in the queue to go down in pairs.
What are the preparations?
Before it comes to that, don’t get confused if you only see the dry land which is quiet like no one around. You aren’t lost, because the cave is located in the middle of it. You will also pass rocky roads which can sway your stomach, so it’s better to ride a higher car. It was really an adventure from the beginning!
We had a reservation (in here) before because we were on a personal journey. And, we would get some facilities here, such as clean caving equipment, rice boxes, welcome drinks, and a clean rest area and toilets.
We were told to come at 8 a.m. and to arrive half an hour earlier. Then, we went to the meeting point, did the registration and got a queue number. We got number twelve because, some guests had arrived before us. After that, you should choose your boots quickly because each boots’ size was limited (for example, five pairs of boots in size thirty six). At that time, I got a pair of boots with loose soles. Fortunately, I wore my socks which could cover my feet from the mud.
Ready to caving! 😀
We headed to the cave mouth around 9 a.m., and the operator started to check the caving equipment. While we were waiting in line and preparing our mental, we saw several different expressions from the other guests. Some of them enjoyed it and took pictures, however several guests screamed with fear. The more I looked at them, the more my heart was pounding, phew! Okay, finally it was my turn! We started to go down in pairs after the operator put on the equipment. My body began to swing in the air with only a single rope and I wasn’t brave enough to look down. I was very anxious, although it only took about one minute to go down *laugh*. But, it was so exciting!
For me, the dry season is the perfect time to visit this place because you will have a more considerable opportunity to see the “Heavenly Light” and the track won’t be too slippery. The “Heavenly Light” can only be seen when the sun shine brightly and isn’t covered by clouds.
After a large group of us gathered at a depth of sixty meters, we went down for another thirty meters to reach the cave tunnel.
We saw the darkness of that cave at a depth of ninety meters, so each of us started to turn on our flashlights. The deeper we entered, the darker the cave. There was no light at all in it, so that it is called eternal darkness. The ground became muddy as you went further because of the water drops from the cave ceiling. The mud also made your boots sticky and very slippery, so be careful!
And.. this is it!
After about 15 minutes of walking, we saw a shaft of sunlight ahead, and it was the “Heavenly Light”. That light penetrated the darkness through a hole in the cave ceiling. Besides it, you can hear the sound of a heavy stream below and wow, that’s amazing! Enjoying this great view made me remember how Great Our God is
We went back through the earlier route after enjoying that view. In a few moments, I thought about how to go back to the top while, there were only one or two person who dropped us off. Guess how? There were about thirty or more people above who were ready to pull us up. It was better for me when going back to the top, because it was more familiar so I was not afraid like in the beginning. Phew! Finally, we were on the top and headed to the rest area, while they already prepared our lunch boxes 😀
Amazing view, extreme, good facilities, it will be such a downside not to be visited 😉 (SEPTEMBER 2019)
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