Subterranean Adventure: Exploring the Hidden Wonders of Cango Caves
Let me just put this out there: when someone suggests “adventure caving,” your brain probably conjures images of casual spelunking – you know, wide chambers, easy paths, maybe a flashlight for dramatic effect.
Cango Caves laughs at your naive optimism.
I had convinced myself this would be a straightforward underground tour – “Look at the pretty stalactites!” – take some photos, maybe learn about limestone formation, and be home in time for sundowners. But the moment our guide mentioned the Devil’s Chimney with a twinkle in his eye that can only be described as mischievous, I knew I had catastrophically miscalculated.
The Geological Marvel That Is Cango
Nestled near Oudtshoorn in South Africa’s Western Cape, these ancient limestone caverns aren’t just old – they’re prehistoric divas that have been perfecting their look for over 20 million years. The main chambers are a relatively gentle introduction – cathedral-like spaces adorned with formations bearing names like “Cleopatra’s Needle” and “The Bridal Chamber.”
Tourists flock to see these accessible wonders, snapping photos and marveling at nature’s patience. It’s all very civilized.
But then there’s the Adventure Tour. And honey, it’s not for the faint-hearted or the recently-fed.
When Tight Spaces Become Your New Reality
“You’ll need to leave everything behind,” our guide Themba announced, smiling like someone about to witness your ego death. “Cameras, bags, dignity – you won’t need them where we’re going.”
The standard tour participants eyed us with a mixture of relief and pity as we signed waivers that essentially read: “If the cave decides to keep you, that’s between you and the limestone.”
Our group consisted of:
- Myself – questioning every life choice
- My friend Bianca – unreasonably excited
- A couple on their honeymoon (seriously?)
- Three teenage boys who kept using the word “epic”
Themba led us through a small gate that separated the tourist route from what I can only describe as nature’s obstacle course. The first challenge was innocent enough – a slightly narrower passage requiring a bit of a duck. “This is fine,” I thought, still blissfully ignorant.
The Point of No Return
The route progressively intensifies, like a geological hazing ritual:
- The Tunnel of Love – a passage requiring you to army-crawl while questioning your attachment to personal space
- Jacob’s Ladder – a near-vertical climb through what feels like a rock esophagus
- The Letterbox – a horizontal slit that had me genuinely wondering if I’d recently gained weight
And then came the Devil’s Chimney. Picture the most uncomfortably narrow vertical shaft you can imagine, then make it narrower, longer, and add an awkward bend.
“Just push your arms up first,” Themba demonstrated with the ease of someone who hasn’t indulged in carbs since birth, “then wriggle your body through like a snake.”
One of the teenage boys went first, slithering up with annoying ease. “Epic!” he shouted from above, his voice echoing. I sincerely considered whether I could just live in the caves forever rather than attempt this geological birth canal in reverse.
When Art Meets Adventure
What makes the indignity worth it? Beyond the stunning formations, Cango Caves holds ancient rock art believed to be created by San people thousands of years ago. Somehow, knowing people braved these passages with nothing but primitive torches makes your own struggle seem slightly less dramatic.
Between gasping for breath and wondering if claustrophobia is contagious, you’re treated to glimpses of these ochre drawings – abstract patterns and animal forms that have survived millennia.
“They would come down here for spiritual ceremonies,” Themba explained as we paused in a slightly more forgiving chamber. “The caves were considered a connection to the spirit world.”
“Because they literally thought they were dying too?” I wheezed, still recovering from my Devil’s Chimney experience.
The Limestone Legacy
The true stars of this subterranean show remain the formations themselves. Stalactites and stalagmites grow at the agonizing rate of approximately 1cm per 100 years – nature’s most patient artists.
Some formations resemble:
- Dripping candle wax frozen in time
- Elaborate pipe organs
- Abstract sculptures that would make Gaudí jealous
- What I imagine my spine looked like after the Devil’s Chimney
The colors vary from cream to rich amber, with occasional splashes of red or black where minerals have stained the limestone. When the guide turns off all lights momentarily, the darkness is absolute – a void so complete it feels like a physical presence.
Emerging Changed
Three hours after entering the adventure section, we emerged – filthy, sweaty, and wearing expressions that can only be described as “shell-shocked wonder.” Clothes that will never be truly clean again. Hair that contained at least three different types of cave dust. Knees and elbows decorated with what would become interesting bruises.
The honeymoon couple looked at each other with an expression that either meant “I love you more now” or “I’m rethinking everything.” The teenage boys were already planning their next adventure, naturally.
As for me and Bianca? We stood blinking in the sunlight like cave creatures, unable to properly articulate what we’d just experienced.
“So,” she finally said, “sundowners?”
I nodded, knowing we’d just shared something that would bond us forever – the kind of adventure that sounds terrible in the middle but somehow transforms into a treasured memory the moment it’s over.
Cango Caves doesn’t do casual. It doesn’t do gentle. It does epic – even in its narrowest passages.
And I’m still not over it.