Ten kms from Ratnagiri lies bhagwati temple, where you can go caving, an adventurous activity that requires you TO crawl, stoop, duck, climb and swim -- all for the fun of the game. Dhvani Solani braved her claustrophobia, and emerged with a few scratches on her knees and new-found respect for bats

To hell and back

Ten kms from Ratnagiri lies Bhagwati temple, where you can go caving, an adventurous activity that requires you to crawl, stoop, duck, climb and swimu00a0-- all for the fun of the game. Dhvani Solani braved her claustrophobia, and emerged with a few scratches on her knees and new-found respect for bats

Nothing had prepared me for a date with my dormant fears. A lucid memory of being trapped in an unventilated section at a Malaysian mall, last year, was my only tryst with claustrophobia. I revisited my nemesis once again, this time for an extensive two hours, as I lay coiled in a fetus position, five feet into the eerie bat cave with a distant sliver of sunlight as my only connection to life.

The brotherhood of the travelling pantsu00a0
Escaping a cooped-up office to find myself inside a pitch-dark cave was hardly my idea of a perfect weekend. I was accompanied by ten adventure enthusiasts from Nature Knights, a Mumbai-based group led by Asif, Nimesh and Dnyanesh, who have made it their life's motto to coax the jaded out of their workstations by introducing them to exciting sporting treks. While its founding member, Asif, quit a lucrative software-marketing job to become a full-time vagabond, his accomplices Nimesh works as a motion graphics artist and Dnyanesh tutors school kids. For their caving expeditions in Ratnagiri, the group collaborates with Outdoor Adventure, a Thane-based group headed by 53 year-old Pradeep Kelkar. This Shri Shiv Chhatrapati Award winner has climbed 120 pinnacles in Maharashtra and is a happy, dependent face to be around.

On your limbs and crawl
Unfamiliar with what was in store, I was mentally prepared for a regular hike-and-climb expedition. But my notions came crashing down as our Maruti Omni screeched to a halt outside the entrance of a cave near the Bhagwati Devi Temple, its mouth barely broad enough to accommodate an average-sized individual. Kelkar and his team, who have been in and out of the cave a dozen times, took charge helping us with ropes and the equipment. "Yeh khatarnaak activity hai. Those who have gone in, have never emerged from the other side," warned a local fisherman. Not exactly the finest opening line that photographer Atul Kamble and I were anticipating. We were soon on our limbs, crawling into a sharp path that took us closer to complete darkness. Right then my stream of consciousness went berserk, making me panic steadily as we slowly slipped inside. Intermittently, I leaned against the wall, gulping air, reminding myself that the fear is only in my mind. Next minute, I was on my stomach, slithering through an even narrower opening to get to an area where you can actually stand upright.

Playing Batwoman for the day
So far, so good. As soon as you manage to stretch your legs and stand, a ten-foot rock and a rope are waiting for you to conquer. When you make it to the top, you saddle the peak as if you are on a horse and start your descentu00a0-- the most difficult part. How I wished I had enrolled for those Mallakhamb classes, since getting a grip of the rope by circling your toes around the knots was quite a task. Kelkar's team sure knows how to maintain a safe distance while you are left to truly live the activity. There's hardly any time between setting your foot on ground and catching your breath, and you are asked to slide inside a rubber tube and go on the seemingly scariest but the most enjoyable part of the expedition. A narrow 200 feet-long stretch (with a maximum depth of 35 feet), packed on all sides by rocks and filled with freshwater in its cradle, has you cautiously swimming towards a dead-end from where you take a swift U-turn. As you hold on to the rope and slide along, bobbing torchlights secured in plastic containers are left to float on the water to guide you along. Suddenly, the air fills up with faint whooshing. We have company in dozens of bats circling around in anxiety. I have never been a fan of bats, but the wind created by their flapping allows respite from the stuffiness.

Light at the end of the tunnel
As you turn around to get head back, you realise that you haven't really travelled miles inside the cave. The process of tackling different adventures at each turn lends caving a challenging character. Straddling the now-familiar waters in your drenched clothes makes you feel a little more confident than when you set out. I climb out, covered in slush, but with a sweet victorious feeling of having conquered, not the cave, but a mindless mania. I am finally out on the recognisable terrain with blazing sun beating down on my head.

Nature Knights and Outdoor Adventure can customise a caving trip for a group of minimum 10 people and can also include activities like rappelling, tightrope walking and rock climbing. The Trip went on a two-day camp comprising caving and a thrilling 300-feet rappelling activity, costing Rs 3,900 per person. Call Nature Knights on 9821081566 / 9820169693 to know about their upcoming trips and other details.

What is caving?
Caving, also known as spelunking in the United States, is the recreational sport of exploring wild cave systems. It's an activity often undertaken for enjoyment or exploration, and usually involves free-hand rock climbing, plenty of crawling, squeezing yourself through, walking and if you are lucky, even swimming. Though there are thousands of caves in India, many even architectural masterpieces, exploring and researching them is still in its infancy.

Keep in mind
Wear fitted clothes (shorts, slacks, tights, track pants). Synthetic fabrics like nylon and polyester tend to dry faster. Make sure you are okay with them retaining the muddy imprint of the cave forever.

Do not wear any jewellery. Looking pretty for the bats isn't worth hurting yourself. Accessories can get stuck in crevices, or can end up hurting someone.

Carry basic canvas/sports shoes.

Make sure you are well-hydrated. Eat enough but don't overeat, to avoid throwing up or feeling sluggish. Carry some quick energisers like biscuits, energy bars or chocolates, just in case.

Carry a good flashlight with fresh batteries and an additional backup.

Getting there

By Road: Ratnagiri lies 356 kilometres away from Mumbai. It takes approximately 7 hours by road. Regular state-owned and private buses ply to Ratnagiri. A journey by road along the Konkan route is an exhilarating experience as the roads are in excellent condition and the panoramas are awesome.

By Rail: Daily express trains ply between Ratnagiri and Mumbai.

By Air: Ratnagiri airport is connected to Mumbai by air. The airport is nearly 12 km away from city centre. Taxi cabs charge about Rs 250 from airport to the city centre.