HORROR OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
AMONG THE SMALL CHILDREN IN MOUNT SALAK

This time is a bit different than usual as I will share an interesting experience when climbing Mount Salak. You need to know that I have very often climbed Mount Salak via Cidahu (Javana Spa) because the position of my house is still fairly located around the foot of Mount Salak. 

Of the many experiences I have climbed Mount Salak, there is one memorable as well as awkward climb to date which is the climb when heading to Kawah Ratu. About a few years ago precisely the end of December, I from home intend to play to Javana Spa just to just coffee and photos. I set out alone on a motorcycle in his alakadar clothes, a shirt and pants black material.

Arriving at Javana Spa I headed to a subscription stall near the door to climb Mount Salak. At the stall I ordered ginger and bread wedang drinks for a casual snack, after about half a glass of wedang drink I saw a group of young people approaching me in full clothes ala mountaineers, about 11 people. 

When they arrived at the stall I heard from their chatter that they were going on a hike. Somehow the story suddenly there was a strong desire in me to go climbing when I had no intention of climbing before. I finally asked one of them

"You want to go to mas..?"

"Oh yes, we want to peak" he replied briefly.

In short, I had a conversation with one of them, and from that chat I learned that they were a group from one of the campuses in Depok. And their destination was to Kawah Ratu and then to the top of Mount Salak.

"My mom can join..? I want to go to Kawah Ratu, want to treat skin diseases," I asked the man in brown clothes.

"Please mas together let me race in the way," he said enthusiastically.

Long story short I also put the helmet to the aunt stall and my motorbike parked right in front of the stall, then I joined this group to Kawah Ratu. During the climb there were no obstacles whatsoever and everything looked normal, even we only took a break once during the trip. Our journey lasted about 3-4 hours. We started it at nine in the morning and arrived at the Queen's Crater at about 12 o'clock.

Upon arrival at the Queen's Crater I separated from the entourage because they I saw in the Queen's Crater were just photographs and lunch while I was intending early to the Queen's Crater to take a sulfur bath for skin medicine. Because I did not bring a change of clothes impromptu climbing effect finally I did not take a bath but I hunted sulfur to take home.

At around 2:30 I intend to go home and when I look around the crater it turns out that the group was no longer there, maybe they were already the way to the top I thought at that time. I came home alone. After 15 minutes of traveling home suddenly heavy rain and thick fog, I finally continue the journey while hoping there is a safe place to shelter.

Finally I found a kind of former saung on the edge of the climbing path whose condition had been destroyed but there was a part of the roof that was still strong to hold rain water, then I went to the saung and shaded. I saw the clock on HP showing at three in the afternoon.

The rain was getting heavier and the fog was getting thicker, this is where my anxiety started. I waited about an hour for the rain to stop but it did not stop. Why do I not dare to continue the journey when it rains, the answer is because I wear thin clothes while the distance is still far, I worry I am cold. Moreover, I am alone and do not bring any supplies other than HP and one small crackle that was for the container of sulfur but not so I use because I use a used bottle for the container of the bell.

Because it began to fidget in the middle of the forest alone with heavy rain conditions misty finally I chanted the Adhan at that time, because what I know from my teachers when in pesantren that adhan is also commonly used when there is heavy rain and stormy. I also adhan as adhan for prayer and in my heart intend that this adhan to let the rain subside and the fog disappear.

Approximately 5-10 minutes after I made the rain began to subside which only left drizzle, drizzle, but the fog was still thick mixed with the atmosphere towards the afternoon because I saw the clock was four more hours. Suddenly from the direction of the path of Kawah Ratu sounded boisterous like many people were chatting towards my path, I was very happy because finally there was a friend coming home. After they approached I saw that there were about seven children the age of 3rd grade Elementary School. Everyone was dressed neatly as a holiday and they all wore shoes and wore knee-length pants and dressed in bright colors.

"Bade back a" replied the front child. 

"Where is your mother..?" 

"That's a still behind" he replied as he pointed towards the back.

After that short conversation, finally the child I asked continued the journey and I entered in the middle of their line. So my position was in the middle of them, which were three little kids in front of me and which were four people behind me. 

In the middle of the journey I began to feel some awkwardness. First the rain before it was heavy but the clothes they were all dry when as far as I know there is no place to shelter then the shoes they use I see no traces of mud and other dirt when the terrain and the climbing route was washed out of the ground. And as I thought about the strange things in my heart, suddenly the one behind me said, "Let's take a walk to the Maghreb". 

I was shocked and could only answer "yes" and go back on my way. And strangely again during the trip they never rest even the way looks more spirited and they chat with each other like children their age. And what makes even more sense is that during the trip I did not find a path or route like I was riding. When I came home with them, the road that I passed was for me who like to go back and forth to Kawah Ratu looks foreign but the path is good because it is flat and there is no up and down that we usually find when going up the mountain. 

During the trip I just spoke in my heart about the awkwardness I met and the more awkward I was with them I noticed how their faces were getting pale, my positive thoughts back then were probably the effects of cold weather, so I didn't think too much about it.

When traveling suddenly I heard the Maghrib Adhan sayup from the village of Cidahu, then simultaneously those who are small children stopped in the middle of the road. Some stopped then rested with a crouching position, some were squatting down, some were sitting. But strangely all their bodies and faces facing toward Mount Salak or in the direction of the route that was passed. I didn't think anything strange either.

Then I overtake the three kids in front of me because I think maybe they rest all waiting for his parents who he said behind it. And thank God not far from this distance I have seen the gate of the initial climb. 

How happy I was at that time because it was not overnight on the road. When my position was close to the climbing post door I still saw them in their original position. But suddenly they walked again towards the mountain, so they turned back instead of down like me. Thought I was then maybe they picked up his parents who were left behind. Finally I went to the shop where I left the bike and helmet.

At the stall I again ordered ginger wedang drink to warm the body because I was cold at that time. After about 30 minutes, no one came down from the group of children. Because I was afraid too late at night I went home. Upon arrival at home I opened my soaked shirt and pants into the bucket. That night I slept tired.

The next morning, when I woke up and wanted to go to the bathroom I passed through the bucket where I put my clothes last night. I was surprised because my shirt was full of spider webs. It was as if I had run out through a path full of cobwebs. I picked up his shirt and pants and I held him to make sure it was a spider web.

Finally I cleaned, I took the former cobwebs clean while holding the curiosity in my heart. A few days later, I got a fever. And after I thought long after the incident it turned out that the travel time when I came home was faster than the time to leave. I went home with the group of little children from Kawah Ratu to the initial post for only two hours. It started at four o'clock when the rain began to subside from the saung where I was sheltering and reached the post of the Maghrib. Normally 3-4 hours.

That was my brief experience with Mount Salak.

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