Lessons from the Cave

The idea to visit the Hoota Cave in Oman came as a proposal by a friend I was accompanying in a visit to Oman to attend an engagement party, for which we made our trip three days long to accommodate activities other than engagement party.

The greatest adventure of my life was visiting the Hoota Cave, 2 hours drive from the Omani capital of Muscat. The excitement started a day earlier when we visited the cave only to realize that we should have booked for the challenging adventure the day before. On that day we could only see a tiny portion of the cave which is open for visitors of all kinds, and offers a 20-minute walk to see beautiful scenes (the tip of the iceberg only). Upon completing this short trip, we decided to book for the next day challenging trip.

Many lessons can be learned from this trip. The adventure in a cave poses changing circumstances, unpredictable risks due to the rapidly changing nature of the cave terrain, and the complete darkness we were in for the whole journey.

Plan first: having registered for the trip, we knew what precautions we have to look for, and what gear is needed for the terrain we will be in. In life situations, planning always brings fruit and minimizes failure. Being ready for a task gives higher certainty of achieving it.

Mindset: the instructions included information on the challenges we will be facing and the length of time will be on the move, climbing, swimming and walking in difficult and treacherous terrain. Knowing the conditions you will be in helps a lot in developing the correct mindset to face the challenges. Triumph happens first in the mind, then in reality.

Suitable supplies: We were informed that the journey in the cave would take 8 to 10 hours, the organizers advised the participants to take sufficient supplies of water and energy bars to keep the body glued with fluids and energy for the challenge. Any endeavour in real life, one has to look into the type of challenges and what things he would need to keep himself safe and energized to achieve the challenge.

Safety and caution: In every step, we had to know where our foot should land, and which part of the outcropping rock we should hold to ensure a safe movement from one place to another. The place was total darkness, only helmet mounted lights gave us enough visibility to see ahead and locate our colleagues. A high level of preparedness was required, mental, physical and in terms of necessary gear. Being able to respond to emergencies is important. The leader interfered and assessed an injury before deciding to proceed further in the cave.

Teamwork: During the journey, the group leader made sure that we do not separate from each other. We had to maintain close distance such that the one behind you and the one in front of you could hear you clearly. Communication is important to keep the group together. The adventure is not an individual experience, rather it is a group activity where all members start together, keep together and reach the finish line together.

When you take up a challenge in real life, do not expect that your plan will keep you safe from failures. Hiccups will happen, and you will have to be ready for a change or to handle a situation. Your safety as a team is the highest priority, but enjoying the adventure is a prime objective.

Despite all what has been said, many of us came out at the other end of the cave with many bruises and injuries after falling down many times or being stuck between rocks or slipping into water filled deep holes. The lessons above can be applied in real life situations outside the cave. Hazards and challenges surround us all the time.

Our preparedness and planning? will take us through any journey will a greater certainty of success. The mountain looked very normal from the outside, just like any mountain along the route from Muscat to the city of Nizwa. But what we witnessed inside was a totally different world, a marvelous creation, breathtaking scenes, fantastic rock formations, water eroded mountain passages and inspiring mix of water falls, ponds and calcifications.