Adventure in the Mountains of Croatia, Part 3
by Kelli Hedding, Copyright May 15, 2008, all rights reserved. 658 views
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| From Misc Images |
Wanderings in the Night
Noodles slid off the spoon and into my bed.
“Judit!!” I exclaimed. “Stop being such a pig. After all you ate earlier this evening you should be the least hungry of the three of us!”
The three of us girls had made up our beds and were eating noodles we had cooked over Hansi’s little gas stove. We had no bowls for the noodles; all we had was the pot we had cooked them in. My bedroll was in the middle so naturally the pot was in my lap; not a good place when three hungry girls are attacking a pot of slippery noodles. After finishing our meal we all snuggled into our sleeping bags – I with the run-away noodles - and fell asleep.
If some small animal had peered down on us in the night from the cliff above he would have discovered three girls side-by-side tucked away at the foot of the rocky face away from the cliff’s edge. He might have run away to tell his friends as raindrops started to patter on his little head.
I pulled my sleeping bag over my head as raindrops started hitting my face.
“Go away,” I said, “You’re just pretending; you’re not really going to rain.”
I would have rolled over and gone back to sleep but Judit was too much of a realist. She insisted that we try and find a covered place in case it started to pour. Glancing at my watch I noticed that it was 2 am.
I did not want to get up but Judit insisted. We packed up our gear within 5 minutes and climbed up a crack in the cliff face behind us. I did not want to open my eyes and I stumbled along behind Judit and Maggie trying to act like a responsible adult.
After exploring for only a few minutes we found a most remarkable picnic area on the far side of the mountain. It had concrete picnic tables set in concrete wells choked with trees and underbrush. There was just enough room under one of the picnic tables for the three of us to sleep. We had an all-purpose German army canvas borrowed from Hansi. Using sticks and rocks we were able to make a little tent over one side of the picnic table to keep our heads dry.
After we had set up our make shift tent we looked up at the sky. Most of the clouds had rolled away and we could see the stars.
“Let’s go back!” I said, “I told you it was only pretending!”
After a little discussion we decided to go back to our precipice; if it started pouring down rain we knew were we could go.
Back on our little precipice Judit and Maggie wanted to bed down closer to the cliff edge and argued over who would get to sleep near the edge - I was perfectly content to cuddle up between them and promptly fell asleep while they were still talking.
Four hours later we were awakened by another pitter-patter on our faces - this time a little more insistent. None of us said a word; we simply packed up our stuff and moved again. We were soon fast asleep again under the concrete picnic table hoping that the spiders would find somewhere else to sleep for the rest of the night.
Comments
1 • Ralph • September 10, 2008 • 10:02 AM
Let’s go!
2 • Mandy M. • September 21, 2008 • 7:50 PM
Kelli, I’m assuming you wrote this? Just wanted you to know, at this point in my life, this is very encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing. It’s amazing how God can worth through a simple blog post.
3 • Johannah Stanford • September 24, 2008 • 3:00 PM
The quality of this video looked good to me, and it didn’t take hardly any time to download on our computer. Did you get more climbing equipment? 
4 • Kristen • October 04, 2008 • 3:39 PM
Sounds like tons of fun. 
Ryan took me rock climbing indoors for the first time a couple weeks ago and I loved it! (I’m his sister.)
Colorado looks and sounds like a very fun place.
5 • Mandy M. • October 04, 2008 • 5:49 PM
Great post Heidi! You sure are brave. I’m glad you had such a great time!
6 • Nate • October 13, 2008 • 5:23 PM
Thats awesome….
Sounds like something I would do. :p
7 • Heidi Reiman • October 20, 2008 • 4:47 PM
Hans, You poor thing. I’m sorry you couldn’t get a wi-fi connection. By the way what is a wi-fi?
Is it like wiffer cookies with fine milk?
8 • Kelli • October 29, 2008 • 8:03 AM
Oh sheesh, Nathaniel, you’re hilerious! That was really roughing it.
9 • Nathan Nasby • November 04, 2008 • 11:28 AM
If you want a really creepy expirience stay at the Imperial Hotel in London! Wow, we had blood on the walls and in the sheets in our room. The Window was broken, and I’m not even going to mention the shared bathrooms!!!!
10 • Anna • November 05, 2008 • 8:01 PM
Haha! Nathan, this is just the beginning… Soon you’ll be cool with using towels unwashed from the last occupant, sleeping on bedbug-ridden mattresses, and, well, haha!
11 • Heidi R. • November 17, 2008 • 10:00 AM
Great story.
12 • A • November 17, 2008 • 7:01 PM
I just watched this a few days ago (was looking up vids of Marrakesh and then followed the rabbit trail) and thought about you guys… Odd, but fitting, to see it here as well!
13 • Kristin C. • November 17, 2008 • 10:13 PM
Haha!!! That is hilarious!!! :-D
14 • Debbie • November 25, 2008 • 10:27 PM
I have a problem with getting cave crickets in my basement and hate them. I don’t think I want to be their friend. But neat story on your adventure. God Bless!
Debbie
15 • Laura • November 29, 2008 • 12:49 AM
Wow! :D
16 • Estin • November 30, 2008 • 8:58 PM
That’s crazy.
17 • Trish • December 04, 2008 • 12:11 PM
Um…Ew. That is SOOO disgusting.
18 • Kristen B. • December 07, 2008 • 6:52 PM
You are a great writer, Kelli.
19 • Heidi R. • December 09, 2008 • 11:45 PM
Thanks, so are you.
20 • Heidi R. • December 09, 2008 • 11:46 PM
Oh, and I love your pics.
21 • Quentin Cooper • December 18, 2008 • 7:58 AM
This seems to have been written by people who have caved only once in their life or read about it in an armchair. What about the main thing warm clothes (be it a wetsuit or neo-fleece). Gloves completely unimportant as I have caved without them for 20 years and never wished I’d brought them. What about a survey of the cave? Going with someone experienced? Leaving a CALL OUT? that not feature in your essentials? Incase people ahave an accident in a cave then nobody knows about it….come on guys….
22 • Blue (Royal) • May 06, 2009 • 11:07 PM
Nice film guys. The water side looked like fun. I love a good natural water slide. Good job with not making it look to rigged.
23 • Royal Magnell • May 06, 2009 • 11:57 PM
That was fun… now we run so the cops don’t catch us!
24 • Rachel • May 19, 2009 • 9:36 PM
Hey! Hoping you get this soon. Just wondered what kind of camera, flash, etc. was used for these pictures. Also how the cameras were kept dry and clay free. Thanks so much!
25 • Beau • August 04, 2009 • 12:16 AM
Enjoyed it. I am curious if this is the Wilder cave in Pelham, AL?
26 • Dannity Kane • February 27, 2010 • 2:06 AM
Give me a little of that and I’d feel like a king.
27 • Stephen Nasby • May 28, 2010 • 9:09 AM
Good job.
28 • Stephen Nasby • September 02, 2010 • 9:58 AM
That looked like quite an adventure, exciting. Swim looked very refreshing. Cool camera, you can even go underwater with it.
29 • Katie Carter • September 18, 2010 • 10:11 PM
It is in Grady County Georgia, between Pelham, and Cairo. It is owned my my aunt. It is very pretty, it is not open to the public because people can’t seem appreciate it without breaking pieces off, and spray painting.