Orientation Camp, 22-23 March 2008

Sky Adventure Club organized its first event since the recruitment of its new members on the 22nd-23rd March 2008. Called the SAC Orientation Camp, the trip was held in 2 caves in Perak, namely the 6th Mile Tunnel in The Lost World of Tambun and Gua Kandu. 33 members took part in the event with 1 TBS lecturer and 4 guides accompanying us.

The event kicked off at about 7.20 am when the bus picked us up from TBS. We stopped for breakfast at Tapah before reaching The Lost World of Tambun at about 11 am. We were given a brief talk on dos and don’ts before threading through cold water to gain entrance into the cave. This was a good opportunity to see what a 400 million year-old cave looks like. The cave was dark and filled calf-deep with water so everyone was pretty much thoroughly soaked throughout the whole day. We were also greeted with friendly bats coursing their way in the cave. After about an hour and a half, we exited the tunnel to have a quick lunch break and wash up. Little did we know that it was just the beginning to a gruelling cave experience.

We continued our way through a forest to arrive at another cave (the real deal). It took about an hour for all 38 of us to get through the tiny opening. Tiny certainly defined the cave’s interior perfectly. The trip involved a lot of crawling and squeezing as we made our way to the top of the cave, where we were told a beautiful sight awaits us. We had the chance to experience breathtaking views in the cave as well. The magnificent natural marble walls were definitely a sight to behold. It was such a shame that we were unable to carry our cameras in for fear of submerging them. We were told by the guides that not many have set foot let alone laid eyes in this cave, and this made us appreciate what we had experienced that day even more.

To get to the top of the cave, we had to brave 2 ‘waterfalls’ and icy cold water. This was a test of physical and mental strength as we had to endure cold water splashing down on us as we desperately look for footholds in the smooth cave walls. It was a fun experience but unfortunately we had to cut the trip short and make our way out of the cave before we could reach the peak. We had taken too much time to travel the cave and if we did not leave at that point, it would be sundown when we finally exited which could be dangerous.

There were a few missing torch lights and even an IC but the amazing sights in the cave will never leave our memories. After sneaking our showers in the Sunway City’s toilets, all 38 of us had dinner at a flabbergasted mamak shop nearby. We then made our way to Gua Kandu where we called it a night.

At about 9.00 am the next morning, we ventured deeper into Gua Kandu and experienced more glorious sights. This time, we were spared the freezing cold waters of the day before. The cave was huge and required a lot of climbing but again, the view was majestic. We also had a short stop in the cave where we told to turn off all our torch lights for a minute, just to experience how dark a cave really is and how important it is that we do not travel in a cave alone and unequipped.

After exiting the cave and trekking through a muddy forest to get back to the entrance of Gua Kandu, we cleaned ourselves and packed up. There was another exhilarating moment as we jumped with our backpacks illegal-immigrant-style from a flyover to a highway below where we waited for our bus to pick us up.

On the way back to KL, we shared our thoughts and experiences in the bus. Everyone agreed hands down that this trip was a fantastic one. Not only were we challenged both physically and mentally throughout the caving activity, we also had the chance to get to know our new members more. SAC will definitely head back to the cave one day to complete our unfinished course in the cave.