Cave racers mating

In 2000, in Dark Cave at Batu Caves in Malaysia, I saw 3 cave racers mating.  I put some photos on my cave website -

The cave racer used to be classed as Elaphe taeniura but is now known as Orthriophis taeniurus. It inhabits limestone caves all over Asia ranging from China, down through the Asian mainland to Malaysia and Borneo. It is commonly seen in caves. There are around 10 species.

I wrote a note on the mating racers in The Malaysian Naturalist, 2002, Dec, 56(2)8 -

In 2023, on 25 Oct The Thaiger (in Thailand) published this article "Explorers ‘rattled’ with excitement as rare Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes spotted mating in Krabi". It records two Blue-tailed Cave Racer snakes mating in a cave in Ao Luek district, in Krabi province, in southern Thailand. 

The article describes these snakes as endangered and a rare protected species listed in CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species). However when I looked on CITES, Elaphe taeniura is not listed in the CITES Appendices, nor are other species of Elaphe genus. Orthriophis taeniurus is not mentioned either.

Living Caves (Nature Watch 1997)

Caving enthusiast Liz Price sheds light on
L i v i n g C a v e s
______________________________________________________________

Some of the most spectacular and 'youngest' caves in the world
are in Sarawak and they are a mere 10 to 20 million years old.
And these caves are not only `alive' but still growing!
______________________________________________________________


Caves are made of solid rock and yet some caves are still alive and still forming!

In caves the world over, and in the caves that riddle the hills and mountains of Peninsular and East Malaysia (notably Sarawak), stalagmites and stalactites and other sculptural cave wonders are continuously being formed and exquisitely shaped by a common yet wonderous life-giving substance. It is none other than water -- the
substance that, like air, gives us life.

Yes, as long as there is water present in a cave, the cave will continue to develop.

Just reflect on this. Caves are millions of years old and yet they are alive and still growing!

Think too, that while Man has landed on the moon and prepares to explore Mars, there are still many caves left on Mother Earth that have yet to be discovered and explored. And in case you think that a cave is just a space in the side of a hill, know that it is far more than that. Mother Nature has carved out some marvellously intricate cave systems and some of these meander hundreds of kilometres deep
into the mountains. What has been discovered so far has merely scratched the surface of this Planet.

The longest known cave in the world is Mammoth Cave in the USA. It is 560 km long. Clearwater Cave in Mulu, Sarawak, is the longest known cave in Asia. At 107 m, it is the 10th longest in the world.

And what marvels lie in these cave systems! Over thousands of years, Mother Nature, using that wondrous element water, has hollowed out huge chambers and passages and gouged out river-beds. She has also built up and shaped the stalactites that hang like chandeliers from the 'ceilings' and stalagmites that grow up from the cave floor. Some caves support colonies of animal life, few of which are known in the sunlit environment outside the caves.

One can trace the origins of caves to the life that began at the bottom of the sea.

Over million of years, as shells, corals and sand were deposited on the sea bed, they formed what we know as limestone. Layer by layer the limestone was built up and compacted. Then, when Earth underwent a period of orogeny or uplifting, these layers of limestone became hills and mountains which rose above the sea.

These mountain ranges, though formed of a hard substance (limestone) are easily corroded by natural acids. These acids are produced when falling rain picks up carbon dioxide from the air. Then, as the rain water percolates through the soil, it absorbs more carbon dioxide. When this acidic water comes into contact with the
limestone it begins to attack it and, finding small holes, seeps down through the rock, gradually enlarging cracks.

Over the years -- and here we mean thousands and millions of years -- the cracks became passages winding through the mountains.

Do you know, too, that while water mixed with carbon dioxide becomes corrosive, eating up the limestone, at the same time the water is taking in calcium carbonate (from the limestone), and when exposed to air this saturated water becomes a building substance?

The calcium-enriched water forms deposits which, over time, build up into beautiful stal, that is, stalactites and stalagmites. On average, a stal grows about 1 cm in 60 years and encountering stals 10 or 20 cm high (or more) is common in Malaysia's caves, so one can easily believe geologists who estimate the age of the limestone caves in Peninsular Malaysia to be between 60 to 100 million years old.

But while this makes the caves ancient, the actual limestone rock is estimated to be much older, about 345 and 440 million years old, and this estimate is based on the fossils that have been found in the Carboniferous-Silurian rock.

It seems odd then to learn that the rock, and therefore the caves of East Malaysia (i.e. Mulu and Niah), are relatively much younger than the caves and rock of the Malaysian mainland. Niah rock is lower Miocene and is therefore about 20 million years old. Mulu, with its large cave system, is only about 10 million years old. And though the caves of Peninsular Malaysia are much older, the longest known cave there is only 3.4 km long. It is in Perlis.

Caving in this part of the world is made more exciting by the knowledge that Mulu holds the record for the world's largest underground chamber. This is the Sarawak chamber in Gua Nasib. It is roughly 600 m long and 400 m wide which makes it large enough to house eight Jumbo jets nose to tail, with room for another 32 jets at the
side. Or, put another way, the Sarawak chamber can fit in 20 international size football pitches.

Nor is Mulu merely spectacular. It holds a mystery to marvel at and mull over for, according to engineers, the Sarawak chambers should not exist because the rock, by their reckoning, is not strong enough to support such an enormous roof span!

What this means is that Man -- even with the latest state of the art technology -- cannot build the 10 million year-old Sarawak chamber. Only Mother Nature in her infinite wisdom has.

Further more, Mulu holds yet another spelacological record. It has the biggest cave passage. This is in the Deer Cave and this passage is 1.2 km long and averages over 100 m high. And in some parts it widens to over 160 m.


C A V E A R T A N D A R T I F A C T S :
K E Y S T O M A N ' S P R E H I S T O R I C P A S T


The more accessible caves in the world today are `show caves', open to the public. But prehistoric man (caveman) used caves as their homes, sturdy natural shelters from the weather, and also from wild animals. Traces of human remains in caves -- their tools, their artifacts and their art, carved or painted on rock -- give rich clues as to the lives they led in those nomadic times.

It is impossible to give irrefutable evidence of man's earliest use of caves for even so-called experts only dare venture dates that can have as much as a 30 million year variance ("the Peninsular Malaysia caves were themselves formed about 60-100 million years ago"), but what is for certain is that many tribal cultures, the world over, used caves first as shelters and later as temples for worship and meditation and even as burial sites. Then, in times of war, persecution or inter-tribal conflict, caves were used as hideouts.

Those who have never ventured into caves other than `show caves', probably have the impression that most caves are pitch-dark, damp, dank and smelly places, rife with bats, poisonous snakes, scorpions and other `creepy crawlies'.

Some of this is true but at the same time caves are beautiful and peaceful places and home to some incredible creatures. Venture beyond the entrance of a deep cave and you enter into a nocturnal world of infinite variety that is fascinatingly different from the world outside.

However, there are some distinct differences between caves in temperate climates and caves in the tropics. Tropical caves are generally bigger, above ground and therefore less vertical, warmer and with much more fauna.


C A V E I N H A B I T A N T S A R E U N I Q U E . . .
B U T A L L D E P E N D O N T H E B A T


Temperate or non-tropical, caves are well and truly dark which is why glow worm caves like those in New Zealand, are particularly enchanting. There is no sunlight in the cave and therefore no plants as plants needs sunlight to photosynthesise. These make cave inhabitants quite unique and they are divided into two types. One is
the `trogloxenes' and the other the `troglobite'.

Trogloxenes use the caves as temporary shelters (cave men being one of these), but they can also live outside. Troglobites spend their whole life in the cave and every troglobites is dependent on the cave dwelling bats for their very survival.

Bats and swiftlets are the only cave dwelling animals that go out to feed; and it is the bat's excreta or guano which supports the entire cave dwelling food chain.

The bats live suspended from the roofs of the caves and their guano falls onto the cave floor, forming rich food for insects like beetles, mites, worms, cockroaches etc. These insects are in turn fed upon by spiders, crickets, centipedes, pseudo-scorpions and the like. And these creatures are then hunted and eaten by frogs and toads.

Snakes also live in caves and the non-poisonous Cave Racer, Elaphe taeniura, is the only snake that has adapted to cave life and it feeds on bats, thereby completing the food chain. Bats are also useful to the life outside the cave. Bats pollinate the durian and petai trees, as well as other fruit trees. The bat guano is a rich fertiliser but the practice of collecting it should be discouraged as it disturbs the delicate ecosystem in the caves.

Small mammals such as rodents can also be found in caves, also porcupines and occasionally elephants will visit a cave entrance, presumably to lick the salts there. But the main cave life is made up of invertebrates.

In Dark Cave (Batu Caves, outside Kuala Lumpur), 170 species of invertebrates have been found. This includes one of the world's rarest spiders, the Trapdoor Spider, Liphistius batuensis, aptly named after the Batu Caves. It is thought that this species is unique to Dark Cave as it has not been found anywhere else in the
world. At least not yet.


C A V E S A R E F R A G I L E A N D
N E E D P R O T E C T I O N


As with everything else in the natural world, caves have provided man with shelter and refuge but despite their solid rock appearance, caves and the cave environment are fragile and man can and has destroyed the world of millions of years in mere seconds. Many caves have been destroyed through quarrying for the limestone which is used in the construction industry.

All caves need to be protected; this goes not just for the caves that are alive and still forming but even those that appear to be dry and 'dead'.

While one would like people to appreciate the special atmosphere of caves and their particular beauty, caves need to be protected from tourist hordes. The fantastic formations, underground streams and myriad animal life can be harmed, polluted and damaged by the unwary human visitor. For instance I have seen ignorant people break off a stal to take home as a sourvenir, only to find when they get outside the cave that what had appeared ethereal and beautiful turns out to be
only an "uninteresting" lump of rock. So it is important not to break off or even to touch the formations, bearing in mind how many thousands of years each has taken to grow.

The other human activities that are even more immediately threatening are the taking of guano for fertiliser and, even worse, the rapacious removal of swiflets' nests on a commercial scale for soups and medicines. This takes place mostly in Sabah and Sarawak and the harvesting of the nests hurts not only the birds but the caves.

Caves must be appreciated as an unique part of the natural environment, in any part of the world. Caves are also one of the last few places left "to go where no man has been before" as there are many caves waiting to be discovered. And who knows what rich secrets their discovery will yield?


--
Nature Watch, January-March 1997. [Singpaore]

An adventure in Dark Cave - Star 1998

THE STAR
Saturday, November 14, 1998
On The Move

An adventure in the dark
Story and pictures by Liz Price

"LIE down flat on your stomach and crawl. Never mind the mud, just slither through it. Think of it as a free facial." This was what the guide told our party of first-time cavers. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

As the people in front of me slowly disappeared one by one through the small hole between the rocks, I consoled myself thinking that a mud pack must be good, after all this was free and with no added chemicals. I closed my mind to what we had seen earlier crawling in the mud, lay face down and started sliding through the mud bath.

We were in the Dark Cave on an educational and adventure caving trip, run by volunteers from the Cave Group of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).

Dark Cave is one of many caves at Batu Caves, about 12km north of Kuala Lumpur. Up till now, the hardest part of the trip had been the climb to the cave in the blazing sun -- some 250 steep steps.

At least we didn't have to go all the way to the top, which is 272 stairs to the Temple Cave.

Temple Cave is the main tourist attraction at Batu Caves, and is usually the only cave that visitors see.

So we were lucky to go where most tourists don't. But at a price. We would get wet and muddy in the process. Fortunately, we had been warned to wear old clothes and to bring a change of clothing.

Once inside Dark Cave, we were able to recover our breath as we were given a briefing on the history of the cave, its formation, what to expect, etc.

Whilst sitting there, we were watched by a solemn troop of long-tailed macaques who were resting in the branches overhead.
A fine flowstone.
They looked as intent as us. However, unlike us, they didn't gasp in surprise when we were told that the rock forming the cave is 400 million years old, and the cave itself is 60 to 100 million years old.

They had heard it all before, and could probably also have told us that the limestone rock was originally formed from layers of shells and corals once under the sea.

After the rock formed into hills and mountains, water eroded the rock to make the caves, enlarging small cracks and fissures into the passages and chambers seen today.

We switched on our torches and entered the dark realms of the cave. The stench of guano, or bat excrement, was quite overpowering.

Our first confrontation was with the cockroaches. There were hundreds of them, crawling all around our feet and above us, clinging to the roof of the covered walkway. Somebody screamed as a cockroach fell onto her neck -- it was like something out of a horror film.

All around us, the floor consisted of dark brown "soil" which seemed harmless enough until the guide put her hand in it and we realised the soil was actually bat guano. It was alive. There were bugs, crickets, beetles, spiders, cockroaches, millipedes etc. It was an entomologist's paradise.

Our revulsion slowly turned to wonder as we were told how this wriggling mass of life is a vital part of the food chain: the bats are the only animals which go out to feed so every other creature ultimately depends on the bats.

Their guano drops to the floor and all the creepy crawlies feed upon it.

Then in turn, the larger animals such as long-legged centipedes, frogs and rodents feed upon the smaller ones. High above our heads, we could see countless bats flying round like a scene out of a Dracula film. These are the fruit-eating bats, further in we would see the insect-eating bats.

The guide said if we were lucky , we would see a snake: apparently the cave racer is well adapted to a life in the dark, and dines exclusively off bats, thereby completing the food chain.

The cave formations were wonderful: long stalactites hanging down from the ceiling with the often stumpy stalagmites rising up to meet them. If they join, they become columns. They were all of various shapes and sizes and colours, some glistening as the calcite crystals caught our torchlights. Many were still alive and growing, all were formed by water.

The water becomes saturated with calcium carbonate as it seeps down through the rocks, and this is slowly deposited over the years and builds up into the cave formations. We saw a beautiful flowstone cascading down the wall, straws, gour pools, curtains. Each formation was fantastic.

We had been warned not to touch anything. The growth rate is very slow, about one centimetre in 70 years. So you can imagine how long it has taken for a 10m-high column to form.

Some of the stalactites were pure white, others were creamy-coloured, a few were grey and one or two had an orange-red tinge. These differences in colour are caused by the minerals in the rocks, for example manganese and iron.

The most unusual formations were the helictites. Thin and small, they can grow sideways and even upwards. Mother Nature certainly had a good imagination when she created this cave.

Further on, we came to the longest passage in the cave, where most of the cave fauna live.

At first we thought we were approaching a waterfall but then realised the sound was actually caused by bats flying high overhead.

There must have been hundreds if not thousands of these insect bats. Meanwhile, at ground level and on the walls, we saw more crickets, spiders, and centipedes.

We were in luck for in the next section we saw the cave racer. This snake was about two metres long and was creamy white in colour. We were assured it was non poisonous so we gathered closer to have a good look. The snake seemed unconcerned about our presence, probably thinking "here's another tourist group disturbing my peace and quiet."
Muddy, but jubilant after the adventure.
After all our oohing and aahing during the educational part of the trip, it was time for the fun bit -- the crawl in the mud. I found myself lying face down in the mud following the shoes of the person in front, through a tiny aperture that only looked big enough for a mouse. Or a small dog.

(We had been accompanied throughout the trip by a white dog named Calcite. Apparently, she joins every caving trip and knows the cave as well if not better than the guides.)

Somehow I contorted my body and got through the small hole, only to be confronted by an even smaller one. I had to turn my head sideways and put one arm in front and the other arm behind in order to reduce my shoulder width, then breathe out and slowly inch my way forwards through the opening.

Phew! It was a relief to breathe again in the slightly larger passage. After those few moments of apprehension on whether I'd fit through or just get stuck, we then had a fun slide down a slope into a muddy pool, with each person trying to make a big splash.

We were so muddy by then that a bit more dirt didn't matter. Having slid down, we then had to climb to get out -- this time a vertical wall, but with the guides pointing out convenient footholds, it was easier than it looked.

We were shown a deep hole in the floor, this was part of the pothole series which experienced cavers used ropes -- not suitable for us beginners.

And finally, we were out.

Wet, muddy and exhausted, but exhilarated. And we could only laugh when we realised it was the first time since childhood we had crawled and played in the mud.

If only our mothers could see us now. It had been a wonderful adventure in the dark.

These tours are run by the Cave Group of the Malaysian Nature Society at weekends. For more information contact Mr Wong on 010-241 7907.

Seeking the Dark side of Batu Caves - WildAsia

Seeking the Dark Side of Batu Caves

LIZ PRICE explores the Dark Cave, one of the many caves at Batu Caves, a limestone hill just a few kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. Find out how to join the Malaysian Nature Society on a tour of the Dark Cave system.

[published on WildAsia 29 Apr 2002]


I was crawling on hands and knees through gooey mud, with my face just inches from the muddy floor, and the boots of the person in front were dangerously close to rearranging my nose. And I was doing this for fun. "Don't worry about the mud, think of it as a free facial". This was what the guide told our party of first time cavers. Oh well, in for a penny, in for a pound, I thought. As the people in front of me slowly disappeared one by one through the small hole between the rocks, I consoled myself thinking that a mud pack must be good, after all this was free and with no added chemicals, whereas in the beauty salon I could pay a lot of money for such a treatment. I closed my mind to the thoughts of what we had seen earlier crawling in the mud, lay face down and started sliding through the mud bath.

We were in Dark Cave on an educational and adventure caving trip, run by volunteers from the Cave Group of the Malaysian Nature Society. Dark Cave is one of many caves at Batu Caves, about 12 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. Until now the hardest part of the trip had been the climb up to the cave in the blazing sun - some 250 steep steps. At least we didn't have to go all the way to the top, which is 272 stairs to the Temple Cave. Temple Cave is the main tourist attraction at Batu Caves, and is usually the only cave that the visitors see. So we were lucky to be able to go where most tourists don't. But at a price. We would get wet and muddy in the process. Fortunately we had been warned to wear old clothes and also to bring a change of clothing.

Once inside Dark Cave we were able to recover our breath as we were given a briefing on the history of the cave, its formation, what to expect, etc. Whilst sitting there taking it all in we were watched by a solemn troop of long tailed macaques who were resting in the branches overhead. They looked as intent as us. However, unlike us, they didn't gasp in surprise when we were told that the rock forming the cave is 400 million years old, and the cave itself is 60 - 100 million years old. They had heard it all before, and could probably also have told us that the limestone rock was originally formed from layers of shells and corals once under the sea, and that after the rock was uplifted into hills and mountains, the cave was formed by water, which gradually eroded the rock over the years, enlarging small cracks and fissures into the passages and chambers seen today.

We switched on our torches and entered the dark realms of the cave. The stench of guano, or bat excreta,, was quite overpowering. Our first confrontation was with the cockroaches. There were hundreds of them, crawling all around our feet and also above us, clinging to the roof of the covered walkway. Somebody screamed as a cockroach fell onto her neck. Where was Steven Speilberg - it was like something out of a horror film. All around us the floor consisted of dark brown "soil" which seemed harmless enough until the guide put her hand in it and we realised the soil was actually the bat guano, and was literally crawling and heaving with insects. It was alive. There were bugs, crickets, beetles, spiders, cockroaches, millipedes etc. It was an entomologists paradise.

Our revulsion slowly turned to wonder as we were told how this wriggling mass of life is a vital part of the food chain: the bats are the only animals which go out to feed and so every other creature ultimately depends on the bats. Their guano drops to the floor and all the creepy crawlies feed upon it. Then in turn, the larger animals such as long legged centipedes, frogs and rodents feed upon the smaller ones. High above our heads we could see countless bats flying round like a scene out of a Dracula film. These are the fruit eating bats, and further in we would see the insect eating bats. One person jumped when the guide said we would be lucky to see a snake: apparently the cave racer is well adapted to a life in the dark, and dines exclusively off bats, thereby completing the food chain.

The cave formations were wonderful: long stalactites hanging down from the ceiling with the often stumpy stalagmites rising up from the floor to meet them. If they join they become columns. They were all of various shapes and sizes and colours, some glistening as the calcite crystals caught our torch lights. Many were still alive and growing, all were formed by water. The water becomes saturated with calcium carbonate as it seeps down through the rocks, and this is slowly deposited over the years and builds up into the cave formations. We saw a beautiful flowstone cascading down the wall, we saw straws, gour pools, curtains. Each formation was fantastic. We had been warned not to touch anything. The growth rate is very slow, about 1cm in 70 years. So you can imagine how long it has taken for a 10m high column to form. Some of the stals were pure white, others were creamy coloured, a few were grey and one or two had an orange-red tinge. These differences in colour are caused by the minerals in the rocks, e.g. manganese, iron etc. The most unusual formations were the helictites, these are really thin and small, but defy gravity and can grow sideways and even upwards. Mother Nature certainly had a good imagination when she created this cave.

Further on we came to the longest passage in the cave, and this is where most of the cave fauna live. At first we thought we were approaching a waterfall but then realised the sound we could hear was actually caused by bats flying high overhead. These are the insect bats and there must have been hundreds if not thousands of them. Meanwhile at ground level and on the walls we saw more crickets, spiders, and long legged centipedes. And we were in luck for in the next section we saw the cave racer. This snake was about 2m long and was a creamy white in colour. We were assured it was non poisonous so gathered closer to have a good look, and the snake seemed unconcerned about our presence, probably thinking "here goes another tourist group disturbing my peace and quiet". After all our oohing and aahing during the educational part of the trip, it was time for the fun bit - the crawl in the mud. This is where I found myself lying face down in the mud following the shoes of the person in front, through a tiny aperture that only looked big enough for a mouse. Or a small dog. Incidentally we had been accompanied throughout the trip by a white dog named Calcite. Apparently she joins every caving trip and knows the cave as well if not better than the guides.

Somehow I contorted my body and got through the small hole, only to be confronted by an even smaller one. I had to turn my head sideways and put one arm in front and the other arm behind in order to reduce my shoulder width, then breath out and slowly inch my way forwards through the constriction. Phew! It was a relief to breath again having come back into a slightly larger passage. After those few moments of apprehension of whether I'd fit through or just get stuck, we then had a fun slide down a slope into a muddy pool, with each person trying to make a big splash. We were so muddy by then that a bit more dirt didn't matter. Having slid down we then had to climb up to get out - this time a vertical wall, but with the guides pointing out convenient footholds it was easier than it looked. We were shown a deep hole in the floor, this is part of the pothole series which the experienced cavers descend using ropes - not suitable for us beginners.

And finally we were out. Wet, muddy and exhausted, but exhilarated. And we could only laugh when we realised that for most of us it was the first time since childhood that we had crawled and played in the mud. If only our mothers could see us now. It had been a wonderful adventure in the dark.

Tours to the Dark Cave

There are 2 tours available:

1. The educational tour, run daily on a basis, cost is RM15. Takes about 1-1.5 hours, walking along concrete paths.

2. The adventure tour (as described in the article), cost RM25 per person, and should be booked in advance.

No special equipment is required, just wear old clothes and lace up shoes, and bring a good torch with spare batteries. And for the adventure tour, don't forget to bring a change of clothing to go home in!

Climbing up Batu Caves Hill - Star

No pain, no gain

By Liz Price

THE STAR Lifestyle
Saturday June 12, 2004

Everything I didn’t like was attracted to me that afternoon. The mosquitoes were pestering me. The sweat bees were buzzing around me, and ants and seemed to occupy every branch I grabbed hold of. The sharp rattan endeavoured to entangle me while jagged limestone rocks stood waiting to cut me should I fall against them. Thankfully, we didn’t see any leeches.

No, we were not in some remote jungle. We were at Batu Caves, just a mere 12km from Kuala Lumpur.

Every now and again, a few like-minded souls give up the comforts of their home to spend a day exploring this sometimes inhospitable terrain. Our goal – new caves. And surprisingly, there are new caves waiting to be found, even as close as KL. Batu Caves hill is an ideal place to look.


The climb was tough, but the group persevered and found the 'prize' -- the cave entrance.

Despite the heavy development that has taken place around the hill, and the Temple Cave at Batu Caves being such a popular tourist site, the hill itself is seldom visited. The lower cliffs are well-known to rock climbers who often scale those limestone faces. But very few people go up the hill.

The terrain is not a place for the unprepared or inexperienced. We started our adventure by packing tons of gear into rucksacks. Did we really need to take so much stuff? Luckily for me the younger guys were true gentlemen and carried most of the heavy communal equipment such as ropes and climbing hardware. We had to take it, because if we did find a cave, we would need to use that equipment.

We set off, and within five minutes reached a large swamp.

“This wasn’t here last time,” remarked someone in our group.

A couple of guys battled their way through the undergrowth in an attempt to make a large detour around the swamp, but I decided that was a waste of energy, so ploughed straight through the water. I wasn’t happy about getting my feet wet right at the start of the trek, but it was a much simpler route.

We then started climbing up the hill, my feet squelching with each step. The trail rose steeply and soon we hit an area of scree, so we had to take great care that we didn’t knock any stones down onto the person below.


Abseiling down the dark cave.

At one point, we came very close to the cliff edge and had a good view of down below. We plodded on, upwards, the trees sheltering us from the hot sun. But before long we were all pouring with sweat. It seemed to take ages to reach level ground where we normally stop and rest.

I was thankful I wasn’t carrying all that heavy gear. I put my hand on a branch to steady myself whilst I took a breather and after a few seconds realised I had a swarm of red ants running up my arm. In an effort to shake them off, which was virtually impossible, I lost my balance and grabbed hold of the nearest tree. But this was no ordinary tree, it had thorns all up its trunk. I don’t know which hurt more, the ant bites or the thorns.

I nursed my bites and wounds whilst the rest of the group puffed and panted their way up the hill. Once we had a rest, we tackled the next section.

We had a brief respite on the downhill stretch, but I knew this would be short-lived as our general direction was upwards. We came into a valley of pandan. The pandanus or screwpine is familiar to most Malaysians, but probably seen from the safety of a few metres away. We were surrounded by them.

The leaves are long and very stiff with spines along the edges. They are like swords, waiting to scratch the unwary limb. We went carefully through this section, careful not to come into contact with the leaves.

We climbed up and up. We lost the trail for a while so our group split up in various directions looking for the right route.

The guy in front of me then got entangled in some rattan. It took hold of his rucksack in its thorny embrace and securely ensnared him. He asked me to disentangle him. I couldn’t. I didn’t have gloves and the thorns were so closely placed, I couldn’t grasp the stem without getting pierced. Rattan has vicious thorns, used to claw their way up the forest towards the sun. We had to wait for the next person to arrive with a parang, and cut the offending creepers off.

Our next rest was in a scenic area, but rather uncomfortable as there was nowhere flat to sit. We had emerged half way up the side of a hidden valley which was full of large limestone rocks nestled amidst a riot of green vegetation. We tried to enjoy the scene, but the mosquitoes were a real pain, with their irritating attempts to bite. I was using repellent, but it didn’t last long on sweaty limbs. The sweat bees also came to feed, I don’t mind these insects as they don’t actually bite, but they do tickle.

We had to go very carefully on the next section as there were numerous razor sharp limestone rocks, many of which were loose. These are always tricky to negotiate as you have to be careful. The slightest slip and the rocks could easily slice open your leg.

I was just starting an awkward climb of about 5m when I was startled by a familiar sound – my handphone started ringing. Needless to say I didn’t answer it, as my hands were busy hanging onto the rock face. But it was good to know that we could still use the phone, in case of emergency.

We were all rather quiet and subdued. I think the effort of climbing this hill was taking its toll and sapping our energy. At the back of my mind was the fact that if we didn’t find the cave entrance we were searching for, we might have to retrace our steps and walk all the way back down the hill. We were hoping to avoid this by finding a particular entrance, which should lead into Dark Cave, a place we were all familiar with.

Another small hidden valley appeared in front of us, and the leader sensed that we were near our goal. I was relieved and sat down to take some photos whilst a couple of men went off to scout around.

It was music to my ears when I heard that the entrance had been found. I quickly summoned the energy to navigate the last section, and began to slip and slide my way down a steep slope to join the others.

Ahead of us was a satisfying sight – a hole in the ground. We emptied our packs and sorted out the gear, then carefully belayed the rope and threw one end down the hole. We were not sure this was the right hole, but there was only one way to find out. We strapped on our climbing equipment, then the leader clipped onto the rope and abseiled down into the bowels of the earth.

He disappeared from sight, and it was some time before we heard his muffled shouts from the depths below. It was difficult to make out what he was saying, but we eventually deciphered his echoing mumbles. It was the right hole. I was so relieved. This abseil through the cave would take a few minutes, compared to a few hours if we had trekked back down the hill.

We were told that the next man could go down, so he attached himself to the rope and disappeared. Then it was my turn. I wasn’t sure how long the abseil would be. So I took a breath, stepped over the edge, and found myself dangling in mid air. Far below me I could see the light of the second man.

I’ve always enjoyed abseiling, although sometimes it’s a bit disconcerting in total darkness. As I approached the light of the guy below, I realised there was only one person, and the other light was far below. I landed on a steep slope, and learnt I was only half way down. We had to rebelay the rope at this point.

All in all it, was an abseil of about 85m. Quite an impressive drop, and the longest I had done for a few years. A fun way to end the day. It had been a long, hot, tiring afternoon, but a satisfying trip. As far as we know, we were the first people to have done this abseil so it was worth all the discomforts from those ants, thorns and sharp rocks.