Semuc Champey - An action-packed few days
Trip Start
Sep 09, 2008
1
15
86
Trip End
Aug 17, 2009
Semuc Champey,
Western Highlands,
Guatemala
Thursday, October 23, 2008
On our first morning we arose with excitement at the thought of the coming day. Breakfast was eaten and then we headed up the river towards the caves of Kan-Ba. These are relatively new caves that were only explored fully as recently as five years ago. Mish wasnīt too keen on going inside so it was left to us three lads to follow the guide into the pitch black entrance, up to our waist in cold mountain water and with only a small candle to light our way. We soon realized that if this cave system would have been in Europe we would never have been allowed to enter without some form of proper training. The guide, a small wisp of a man, sped ahead of us pointing out rocks that jutted up from the bottom, hidden by the murky water. As we headed deeper into the caves the ceiling encroached upon us, stalactites hung menacingly and the water became so deep we had to swim in some of the tunnels, holding our candles out in front of us so we could see where we were going. Sometimes our guide would swim out of sight and leave us swimming blindly, desperately trying to spot the light from his headlamp. There were many rocks and obstacles to overcome but by far the hardest was the waterfall we encountered deep within the cave system. We were told by the guide that there were two ways to scale the waterfall. We opted for a rope that hung from the oncoming torrent, the challenge seeming too great to turn down. Our guide shot up the rope like a whippet and left us in the pitch black beneath the gushing water. Our candles were useless at this point as we were being smashed by the oncoming water. Once at the top, he shone his headlamp down towards us and pulled the rope, signaling for the next person to attempt the climb. I went first and with all my effort made it up the first two foot holds, but on reaching the third and final stage of the climb could not manage to get a steady hold on the rock. The power of the water hitting me was something I had never experienced before and combined with the darkness proved too much. I lowered myself back down the rope and onto the slippery rocks below. All three of us stood there, despairing at the prospect of climbing this monster. We called up to the guide to come back down but he didnīt. Cameron stepped up and attempted the climb and to our amazement he finally disappeared through the water. Kristoff tried next and struggled to even make the first foot hold. He hung there for some time and I thought he was going to climb back down but with a sudden burst of confidence and energy he pulled all of his 6ft 8Ļ frame up and through the water, leaving me at the bottom on my on in total darkness. I had already failed the climb and so my confidence wasnīt high. I knew though that I had to give it another go and so I hauled myself back up and managed to reach the point I had reached on my first attempt. This time, I pushed my head through the oncoming water and through blurry eyes I could just make out some figures in the poor light. I tried so hard to find the third foot hold that would enable me to make the final ascent but the oncoming water pushed my leg back and forced me to climb back down into the lonely darkness once more. Within five seconds, the guide shot down the rope, thinking that I had fallen onto the rocks and hurt myself. I assured him I was fine and so he guided me underneath the waterfall and to the safety of a welcoming ladder. The rest of the cave system was easy compared to this. Much of it had to be swam and when we reached our final destination the guide told us that there were 3km of tunnels and we had only seen a small part. He also informed us that he had once traversed the entire system which took a total of sixteen hours. You gotta take your hat off to the man. We left the cave through the swooping bats and headed for the river below with a spring in our step. We had a few goes on the rope swing and a few belly-flops later we all jumped into a rubber tube and lazily rode the current downstream and back to the hostel. It was good fun and a welcome break from the physical caving experience. That night we ate and slept well.
The next day we were taken up the the entrance of the national park in the back of a police truck that kindly pulled up next to us and offered the four of us a lift. Semuc Champey national park is a sight for sore eyes with itīs three hundred meter natural limestone shelf. The shelf is made up of many crystal clear pools that invite you to leap in and swim with the fish that inhabit them, small ones I might add. After many hours of larking around in the water we walked a 1.2km track that lead up to a vantage point, overlooking the whole park. From here we beheld an amazing view of the pools and surrounding waterfalls, river and jungle. It was an awe-inspiring end to a fantastic day. Semuc Champey rates highly on our list of favorite places with itīs combination of adventure, natural beauty and isolation from the outside world. Itīs a true Guatemalan gem!
XXX
