My Mt. Maculot traverse experience with K reminded me of my very first mountain climbing experience in Mt. Romelo. It was August 2010 and I was supposed to go to Taytay Falls but the friend I was supposed to go with stood me up so I decided to just go somewhere with fewer people - the mountains.
I hired a guide who perhaps had a third eye as well, the reason why he saw what he did.
We were walking towards Lansones Falls, he was like ten feet ahead, when I noticed that he kept on looking back towards me. I thought he was just checking on me as the thought of "stuff" like that in the mountains hasn't really occurred to me at that time.
Had he told me he saw something right then, I wouldn't have allowed myself to take a dip in Lansones Falls' catch basin and enjoy its very cold water. But since I was unsuspecting, I even asked the guide to take pictures of me as I posed with the waterfalls as my backdrop.
There was one part of the area, however, that was full of orbs when taken pictures of. It was called “grotto” because it was like a carved area in a wall of rocks.
Anyway, as we were eating pancit canton and rice at the small store back on top of Buruwisan Falls, he told me the story. He said he saw a man in green shirt following me, hinting that it wasn’t really a man per se because when it ran to the far side of the river to hide from the guide’s eyes, it vanished.
Now, I haven’t been back to Mt. Romelo after that. I would love to go there again, though, because I failed to go to Batya-Batya Falls during my first visit. The next time, however, I don’t wanna be with just a guide.
I climbed Mt. Maculot every week last December to lose some inches on my tummy. And because not everyone likes to climb the same mountain over and over again, and because I'm really a loner, I climbed those four times alone.
The Rockies campsite is safe to climb alone. (I can almost hear my few more experienced mountaineering friends disagreeing with me.) The trail is wide and there are no forks aside from one early in the trail, but there’s an arrow pointing to the right direction so I really don't see how anyone could get lost.
My first two weeks were bliss. I was literally alone at the campsite aside from a big tuko on the first and a monkey on the second week. I was able to pray (which I do secretly when there are mountaineers around) for the safe climb, lie down on the tables, close my eyes and savor the quiet sounds of wind on the trees and the idea of being alone 300+ meters above sea level.
It is one of those days when you're itching to go out and you don't have anyone to go out with because they're either in school or just plain busy. In my case, my climb buddy wasn't available that day when I was so in the mood for a dayhike.
It was a Friday, August 19th, and life had been so good that I wanted to shed that extra energy I had in me the whole week; more so, I wanted to celebrate by doing something that I love best.
Because the previous night proved futile in looking for someone to climb with, I woke up quite late the following morning. It was already around 9:30 AM when I logged in to Facebook and hoped to find a hiking buddy among my online friends... to no avail.
But then I have done solo trips before. My first climbing experience was only with a guide up Mt. Romelo. So after feeding Princess, I packed my small backpack and got ready to leave. It's really a good thing when you already know what to bring. It makes packing very easy.
I was in Alabang by 10:30 AM. I had Manabu Peak in mind. I had been there before and it's the safest mountain I could think of to climb alone without a guide. Also, I wanted to go visit Mang Pirying who I failed to see the first time I went there.
It was a two-hour ride from Alabang to Fiesta Mall in Lipa. It's my first time to go that route and I must tell you it's easier to use than riding a Lucena-bound bus like my first time. Tricycles near Fiesta Mall will take you to the jump-off for P100.00.
It was already 1 PM. There was no trace of mountaineers at the jump-off. I went up to the store to buy something to bring Mang Pirying. It was a good thing I mentioned his name to the store owner cuz I was advised he was not in his home in the mountains that day. According to the store owner, Mang Pirying was fetched by some mountaineers early that morning. They'd have his eyes checked in a nearby hospital.
Such luck. It was my second time to go up Manabu Peak and I still wouldn't be seeing Mang Pirying in the flesh.
I was also informed that no one climbed Manabu Peak that day nor the night before that. I had the mountain all to myself! I was ecstatic. But it was past 1 PM and I knew it gets dark earlier in the woods. After changing into climbing clothes, I immediately set off. It was 1:47 PM.
The stillness of the forest started becoming eerie halfway through the trek. I remedied that by pumping up the volume of my earphones, but leaving one ear clear so I could still be aware of what's going on around me.
I stopped at the fork for a while and looked at the two trails, both going up the peak, one passing by Mang Pirying's hut, the other passing by the grotto. When I first climbed Manabu Peak, I used the Mang Pirying trail in climbing up then the grotto trail in going down. I told myself that just for a change, I would use the grotto trail this time, then pass by Mang Pirying's hut when going down.
Unlike the first time I passed by the grotto, it was clean this time. No more liquor bottles. No more plastic bags scattered around.
My stomach started making funny noises when I sat down for a while. I realized I haven't had lunch. The only food I had with me was a can of San Marino Tuna Paella. I wanted to take it out and eat but the summit was still far. I was so pressed with time that I disregarded my stomach and carried on with the trek.
It rained a little harder than a drizzle when I reached the grassland. It was the loneliest part of my climb. Moreso when I entered the trail between the grassland and the peak. It was the most masukal part of the climb and I was drenched in a mixture of sweat and rain.
I love going out alone at times but I've always had things pre-planned. This was the first time I climbed a mountain alone without even a guide and I was so pressed with time. I really had to get back to the jump off before it gets dark. I had my headlamp with me but even two headlamps wouldn't do for me considering I'd be alone in the middle of the mountains in the dark.
The cloudy skies were not helping. It was making the surroundings darker than what that afternoon could have normally been if there was no rain.
After what seemed like an endless walking, I finally saw a glimpse of the top of the white cross through the leaves. It was such a relief. The white cross was like a light at the end of the tunnel, or in my case, the goal after walking alone in the forest for the longest two hours of my life.
I took pictures at the summit, of course, using my cheap CDR King tripod. I went down to the campsite and brought out my tuna paella. I alternately ate and took jump shots. LoL! After finishing the can, I immediately headed down using the trek that would pass by Mang Pirying.
I was kinda hoping the old man would already be there. But the hut was so quiet when I reached it.
Reaching the fork made breathing a little easier. It had stopped drizzling that time, but the sounds of the forest was telling me it would soon get dark.
I was back at the jump off at exactly 5:27 PM. Exactly three hours and forty minutes after I left. It might have been so lonely being alone up there, but I found myself humming a little while I took a bath. I made it. My mountaineering friends might not be happy with my solo climb even if it was just Manabu Peak, but it was somehow a milestone for me.
Mt. Maculot's campsite, as I mentioned in my recent post titled Mt. Maculot: A Not-So-Pleasant-Surprise, has a big problem on waste management. It wouldn't have reached that point if all of us "mountaineers" are disciplined enough to "Leave No Trace" and if we really care about the environment.
Judging by the pile of liquor bottles, I think that some (if not most) of the hikers go up Mt. Maculot just to drink and party. Have the mountains become the new venue of Friday/Saturday/long weekend night-outs?
Perhaps some would argue, "What are the registration fees for?"
Do you think P10.00 is enough to let the locals chase our garbage in the mountains? To leave behind our water bottles and butanes so our backpacks wouldn't be as bulky when we go down?
These mountains were in peace before men learned the sport/hobby of climbing. These mountains didn't invite us to go up and spend our nights in its wilderness for a thrill. But we climb these mountains, nonetheless – as environmentalists, as thrill-seekers, as tourists. For what we don't know, these mountains perhaps consider us as unwanted visitors.
But whatever purpose we have for climbing, let's just do the mountains a favor. Please do not leave anything, especially your trash, behind.
I took a couple of videos just to show how not-so-pleasant Mt. Maculot's Rockies campsite has become.
Last week of July, I learned that my young friends in MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club (MSOC) were planning to do a Mt. Maculot hike on the first weekend of August. I get invited to MSOC climbs most of the time so it was kinda automatic (especially with these young members) that I would be joining them on this one.
No one among those climbing that time had been to Mt. Maculot before, while I already did a traverse of the mountain September last year with my friend Danilo. So I was immediately appointed as the guide.
It was my first time to ever guide a group of climbers in the mountains, but as they say, there's always a first time for everything. My knowledge of the route, though, was Brgy. Pinagkaisahan – Grotto – Summit – Rockies – Brgy. Tiko. They were planning on a night trek to Rockies but I remember the trail as very easy so I agreed.
K (who is a member of MSOC himself) and I met the other members of the team around 9 PM at the Buendia bus terminal. We took a Lipa-bound bus cuz a road restoration was going on in Cuenca and no bus would go directly to the town.
The kids lingered for a while at McDonalds Lipa so we got to Cuenca a little past midnight. I had to ask someone from a Karinderia on how to get to the registration area cuz there were no tricycle that time of the night.
It drizzled on and off since we got to Lipa up to the time we got to the Rockies campsite. The trail was easy enough especially that we walked in a very easy pace. The kids wanted to enjoy it. It was, after all, their first climb since they graduated from the MSOC training.
I was surprised to see the camp site so different from what I saw last year. The lone small hut last year was now three big huts, and the small pile of garbage multiplied a hundred times. And that's not exaggerating because in one hut alone, we found two sacks full of garbage, not to mention those that were strewn around and plastic bags left hanging on roof of the huts. One simple word to describe the campsite of Mt. Maculot these days: kadiri.
I just wish all of us who love to admire the beauty of nature are all sensitive enough not to do the things that we know would harm what we enjoy seeing.
And then again that differentiates someone who loves to climb mountains, from someone who loves the mountains and nature in itself; a mountaineer from an environmentalist.
“This is not to suggest, however, that the mountain areas are free of environmental problems, notably deforestation. The more pragmatic view is that while there are inevitably conflicts between man’s activities in the mountains and the natural ecological balance, it is the extent of the resulting problems that has been overstated.” - Tourism Development and Environmental Management in Nepal
Back to the climb, the weather had not been so friendly even after sunrise. K and I attempted to climb the Rockies while the others were still resting but K wouldn't even attempt to go up with the thick fog and howling winds.
A few hours after, though, the fog had lessened and the wind became bearable. We attempted to go up the Rockies even if we couldn't even see a trace of the Taal Volcano through the fog. But then I thought it's better than to not bring them to the Rockies at all.
It was a great climb with the kids. I was also kinda pleased that they were careful not to leave any of our garbage behind. After all, that's what MSOC had taught them to do – to "Leave No Trace."
I was at the e-Games Domination V last April 2. I arrived at SMX around 4:00 PM while the Shure Band was performing. The band was the 2nd place winner of the battle of the bands during the R2D5 NCR leg.
The event was hosted by Eri Neeman and two other girls I didn't get the names of.
SMX was packed but I think there were more attendees last year. Well, correct me if I'm wrong but I could barely roam around last year. Or was it just the floor plan this year that made it seem more maluwang?
There were computers for free play but the line was oh-so-long. I just busied myself with watching Ran Online's "Flip Top" challenge in the game's booth. The last two standing battled it out on the main stage.
The judge was no less than Gloc9, who confessed that he doesn't freestyle himself. He just chose the one with better construction and rhyming. The one in black, named Gabby(?), won the battle, while the one in red, I guess, will be dubbed "Yo!" after that.
Audition Dance Battle also had a dancing event. Just like in Ran Online's, teams of three dancers were screened at the Audition booth and the last two remaining groups battled it out on the main stage. And one group was so obviously better than the other.
Of course Team 1 (the all-male team) won.
Highlight of the event was the cosplay competition. I had two favorites:
Unfortunately, none of these two won.
Open category was won by Rolando Logronio, a familiar name in cosplay, as Hades and Eli Chan(?) as a nymph from some anime.
E-Games category, on the other hand, had Christian Umali in the second place and Zyka Managad (?) in the first place. Zyka cosplayed a character from Granado Espada.
I love traveling alone, even climbing mountains with just a guide, but I know there are some places I cannot go to alone for two reasons – it's so remote it's not safe to go alone; and it would cost me a fortune if I don't go with a group.
Mt. Pulag in Benguet, Luzon's highest peak, is one of those places. That's why I felt so lucky when the MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club invited me to join them for their Mt. Pulag climb.
It was originally planned for December 2010, but because of the cold weather, it was moved numerous times until it became February 18-20, 2011.
I don't really have the gears, much more for a high-altitude climb. I have a tent, a backpack, some dri-fits, a pair of trekking pants... but nothing to keep me from the extreme cold.
Good thing my sister has a lot of jackets and cold weather stuff that fit me. I borrowed two pairs of pants and two windbreakers to add to my fleece jacket.
I also bought a Trekker sleeping bag (which was useless in the 12°C temperature) and a camping stove from Rebel Grafix Printshop at the Atrium Mall in Gil Puyat.
I thought the sleeping bag would do but I was wrong. It doesn't have synthetic fill the reason why it packs so small. And I always prefer smaller stuff when traveling, but then I should've known better. This sleeping bag just won't do on extreme weather. it's just like having kumot wrapped over you.
The team met at the MLQU grounds 10 PM of February 18, 2011. K and I were a little late cuz we failed to catch the last trip of the LRT. We took a cab but the traffic in Taft Avenue was so heavy that time. It was Friday night.
The Victory Liner ride to Baguio was pleasant. I was mindful to hand carry my jacket this time. I learned my lesson during my Anawangin trip last November (also with the MSOC) when I forgot to take my jacket from my rucksack which was put underneath the bus. It was so cold that I had a cold when we were dropped off.
We arrived at the Victory Liner terminal in Baguio around 4 AM. A jeepney that would take us all the way to the Ranger Station was already waiting. A short stop at the public market to buy supplements also allowed us to roam around the area in semi-darkness. We even saw some PMAers jogging around near Chowking.
It day went on slowly after that. It was an endless jeepney ride before we reached this bunch of karinderia along the road that caters to hikers wanting to dine, use the bathroom, or sing karaoke. A lot of the same big jeepneys were already parked when we arrived.
Me and the kids (read: MSOC's Oscar Batch) just had free coffee cuz we're still full from the pandesal and freshly-cooked peanut butter we had in the jeep.
After that stop, it's already safe to topload. Not safe because the road is smoother, but safe because we're already out of "civilization" and no police would mind a bunch of kids(?) riding on top of the jeep. It was so fun it was actually my idea because I read it somewhere that you should topload to better experience the sceneries of Benguet.
The orientation at the DENR Mt. Pulag Park Office with the park superintendent was so much fun. She was so intellectually funny everyone couldn't stop laughing. She was brisk, straight to the point, and speaks with such a manly firmness in her voice. I was just shy to camcord the whole thing because I didn't wanna get noticed and give her the chance to draw everyone's attention to me. Haha! But here's a shorty from the orientation (just so you'd see how she looks).
After the orientation, we toploaded the jeep again to go to the Ranger Station. The road was so rough and dust were all over the place. I was glad I was on the roof. Dust is more manageable in open air than inside a vehicle.
We reached the Ranger Station by noon and stayed there until about 3:30 PM. Others were able to sleep, while I could only fall asleep in my own house. I should really learn the art of sleeping on public vehicles while traveling, and while sitting on chairs and the likes. I honestly envy those who could.
It was almost dark when we arrived at camp site 2. And once I stopped walking, I immediately felt the cold seeping inside my jacket. K and Ramel, who's using a four-person tent, invited me to just join them instead of pitching my own four-person just for me. But my own tent was still put to good use for there were some who didn't have a tent to use (hello Sir Julius and Sir Aldwyn).
Anyway, it was a tiring day. We couldn't wait for dinner to get ready so we just cooked noodles using my stove. The rest of the kids followed.
As night got deeper, the cold became more unbearable. I had on with me five items of clothing – a Nike dri-fit, a long-sleeved Tommy Hilfiger cotton shirt, a Bench fleece jacket, plus the Lionsdale and Fila jackets I borrowed from my sister. Well, to add to that, I also had on a pair of leggings, the Lionsdale and Fila terno pants, and my Lagalag trekking pants. Syempre there's also the pair of socks, two scarves, and a bonnet. Whew!
But despite those layers of clothing, and curling inside the Trekker sleeping bag, the cold of Mt. Pulag was still making itself felt. It was hard to breathe as you really feel the freezing air going down to your lungs. And since I really couldn't sleep outside the confines of my own home, I just closed my eyes and counted sheep. No really, I just listened to the quiet of the Mt. Pulag night, and the ramblings of one drunk camper not far from our tent. But no, the drunk man wasn't part of our team. Hey, we didn't even bring a single bottle of wine. It could have kept us a little warmer, no?
They woke the Oscar batch up around midnight. It was their graduation climb. And the members did some more deliberation before the kids could finally be a member.
What the kids went through was beyond my knowledge, by the way. They didn't allow me to watch the deliberation in Anawangin last November, and I didn't try my luck that night in Mt. Pulag. I just knew I wouldn't be allowed to watch even if I begged on my knees.
K and Ramel returned to our tent an hour or so after, hungry. We again cooked noodles and Milo and Ramel got the left-over food from the kusina. LoL!
Everyone was called for assembly around 4 AM. It was time for the assault to the summit. Mt. Pulag first timers, myself included, were all excited to witness the famous sea of clouds – a sight described as the most breathtaking in Philippine mountaineering.
It was a little more than an hour of walking before reaching the summit. But once there, one is rewarded with the most beautiful sunrise. It was just hard to take sunrise pictures using a point-and-shoot camera. And it was one of those times I wish I had even the cheapest DSLR.
We were back at the campsite around 8 AM, and it was getting hot. It was time to pack-up after having breakfast. I could imagine how hot it could be at the grassland in the middle of the day.
We were back at the Ranger station by lunch time and back on the road to Baguio City by mid-afternoon. It was already dark when we reached the Victory Liner bus station. Too bad we weren't able to roam around the landmarks of the city. K and I were able to have a Jollibee dinner at SM Baguio, though. We were lucky that the locals we asked directions from said the mall was just near the Victory Liner station. The other kids weren't able to see SM Baguio because they were told it's too far. They ended up having dinner at a karinderia near the station. But I was told the food was cheap, which could have been a good thing sana.
2/02/2013 08:18:00 PM
noel
