MT. MARAMI

“MARAMING PUTIK SA MT. MARAMI”
July 18-19, 2009

                              

MT. MARAMI

I.           Magallanes

II.         Muddy Trail

III.      Lost

IV.       Cows And Broken Tent

V.         Morning Exploration

VI.       Silyang Bato

VII.    Shiver

VIII.  Bruises And Cuts

IX.       Civilization

X.         800 mL Of RC

I.            MAGALLANES

Three weeks after the unforgettable Mt. Pico de Loro climb, I saw myself conquering another mountain – Mt. Marami. I specifically requested for this mountain because it has some resemblance to Mt. Pico de Loro. It is also a minor climb with a 3/9 difficulty, and is also located in Cavite. However, if Mt. Pico de Loro was unforgettable in a pure positive sense, Mt. Marami was the mountain which made me miserable in a lot of sense. They say each mountain has its own wonders; it was just not as thrilling as my previous climb. But still, the adventure was a treasure to keep.

            Julie and Simply of the unofficial Young Mountaineers of Bulacan were with me again. They brought their boyfriends Mark and Alvin. I brought my best friend Gino on the trip. We were with Sir Anthony Go and the Dahong Palay mountaineers. Just like before, my small group with the exception of Mark, stayed at Simply’s house before the climb. I was not sure that this climb will push through because the weather was very bad the whole week. It was still raining cats and dogs even if the storm had passed. Julie was also feeling the same apprehension. But despite the unstable weather condition, we still prepared and left for Baclaran the next day. As Sir Anthony said, “Rain or rain, tuloy tayo.”

The morning was promising because the sky was blue with fair white clouds. We met with Mark at Cubao and with two cabs we went to Baclaran to meet with our co-climbers. We boarded the same bus. I was still the scribe in the group. We also stopped by the market of Cavite to shop for things, mostly food, needed for the climb. Everything seemed to be replicating our last climb. But we were not turning to Ternate this time, we went left to Magallanes.

Mt. Marami is under the jurisdiction of the municipality of Maragondon but its jump off point is in Magallanes. It was everyone’s first time so we needed a guide. I learned from PinoyMountaineer website that there are lots of forks in Mt. Marami. I had one possible guide, I got from the same website, who was also being contacted by Sir Nono of DPM. We reached the municipal hall of Magallanes to register. Then, our supposed guide, Sir Mau, lead us to the jump off point. But he had some errands to run so we hired another guide, a local farmer this time with a machete on his belt. Before the trek started, we huddled in a grassy space where we took group pictures.

II.          MUDDY TRAIL

                The hike began with a fair stretch of walking until we got to the nipa hut where we ate lunch. The smell of the trail was a mixture of wet grass, wet soil and wet horse poop. We settled and ate lunch. It was nice to see everyone enjoying the earlier moments of our trek as we ate our food. Gino and I only bought ours from the market contrary to the others who prepared their food at home. Julie and Mark had a to-go Jollibee meal. The other mountaineers were huddled together. We were done with our lunch when it started to rain. It was not a good sign because it meant that the trail would be muddier and difficult. I water proofed myself and my backpack by wearing one of the unused trash bag. I also had to protect my video camera from being wet. When everyone else had their ponchos and other rain protection, we continued with our hike.

As we got further and further, the trail got very muddy. Some of us were slipping. The most worrying part was that descent before the bridge. The soil and the plants were very slippery instead of helping as a stopping agent. We reached the first bridge crossing. I wanted to document that part of the trail but because of the rain, my video camera was double sealed in a plastic most of the time. We were walking for almost two hours and there were still no signs of the summit. The next bridge crossing was a fluke. Everyone did not trust the second bridge because it constantly creaked. So we crossed the river by ourselves instead. The trail was very muddy. The difficulty of 3/9 seemed to be understated because of the wet trail. There were a lot of casualties. I slipped hard when we were descending and there were barely any plants to hold for support. It did hurt. My co-climbers were very worried and we had to stop for five minutes. My ass was still aching but we continued. Then, people started to slip more frequent. Gino and the other mountaineer got their feet stuck in the mud. It was really messy and muddy. I slipped several times because my sandals were not fit for this kind of trail. My left sandal broke when my foot got stuck in the mud two feet deep. Gino made me wear his and I just tied mine at my pack. Good thing that his sandals were less slippery. We stopped over by the clearing and everyone was exhausted and dirty! The view from the clearing was nice but I failed to pay more attention because of the miserable trek. It was one of the worst treks in my life. I hated that I did not have a mud resistant footwear.

III.       LOST

                We were walking for three hours when Silyang Bato came in to sight. I felt a relief upon seeing our destination. It looked near but it was not. It still was a long way to go! Alvin continuously complained that it was still very far. The trail became less muddy and the view was beginning to be more scenic. The new obstacles though were the presence of talahibs. It was like a blade when it crossed our skin. This continued for some time. Our co-climbers were concerned that we would not reach campsite before sundown. 

After a stop over near the stream and a false limatik alarm, we reached the gate going to Mt. Marami. The mountain was a fairly new discovery and the trail was not that established. We got lost. Sir Anthony, Gino and I lead a search mission to find the trail. We were going into thick thorny bushes, surveying the trees and soil for a path. There should be a trail going up the campsite but we could not find it. After some time, Sir Nono shouted that he found the trail. It was really hard to find. The trek commenced when we reached our campsite. It was already dark. I was just happy that the agonizing hike was over for that day.

           IV.        COWS AND BROKEN TENT

            We set up our camp. Out of mixed exhaustion and frustration, I did not realize that I pulled the string of my tent so hard it broke. I became more frustrated. It was just the second time I will be using that tent and it was broken already. Great. What a nice day one at Mt. Marami. We used Alvin’s tent instead. My day was so miserable that I immediately rested after me and my friends played cards inside our tent. I felt pain in many parts of my body especially my feet. The pain during my first fall five hours ago was still there. My head was aching also and I suspected that I will have fever in no time.

                Julie, Mark, Gino and I settled inside Alvin’s tent. Simply and Alvin were in my small, blue California tent. We used my broken green tent as a floor sheet. We were lying down when we heard a commotion outside. There were cows in our campsite! Or maybe the right juxtaposition is that we were in their territory! Our co-climbers kept on shooing them away but they would not go away. They interfered with the dinner preparation. When dinner was served, they were trying to nab whatever food they can take. It was as if the grass around were not abundant enough that they also wanted to chew our rice. I went out and picked my food. After eating, I went inside the tent to continue my rest. Mark massaged my sore feet. I could feel the cow near me. The only thing separating my head from the cow’s head was the thin tent sheet.

               

I woke up and heard that the socials was about to start. All our co-climbers invited us but Julie, Gino and I opted to stay inside our tent. I knew that socials is essential to complete your mountaineering experience but I was just not feeling well that day. From out group, it was only Mark who stayed during the whole socials. When it was 4AM, he went inside our tent, slightly drunk. He hugged and kissed his girlfriend Julie and apologized for being drunk.

V.           MORNING EXPLORATION

            I woke up on day two realizing I missed the sunrise. I got up and felt better. I still had headache but my feet were feeling a little better. I got out of the tent and saw the beautiful sceneries. It was the first time I saw the majestic surroundings because we arrived late at the campsite on day one. I saw Silyang Bato from afar. What got my attention was our co-climbers shouting at Gino jokingly accusing him of taking a bowel movement. He was up the hill exploring by himself. When he walked back at the campsite he told me he wanted to survey the top of the hill. After washing my face, brushing my teeth and putting some deo on, we went up the hill.

                Going up was easier than the hike the day before. Although there was no trail, there were tall grasses to hold for balance. After several u-turns and dead ends, we reached the top. We saw a fence full of barbed wires with a sign saying keep out. Gino and I were always looking for extreme thrills so we went over the fence. There were lots of cows grazing in the area. We took pictures and looked around. It looked like we reached the summit of Mt. Marami! Certainly, Silyang Bato was not the highest point there although it was the main attraction of Mt. Marami. The keep out sign was only to ward hikers off from disturbing the peaceful lives of the cattle there. But when the bushes got thornier, we decided to end our exploration and headed back to camp. I was concerned of being left as the plan was to go to Silyang Bato first thing that morning.

VI.        SILYANG BATO

                The others were preparing to leave for Silyang Bato when Gino and I reached camp again. We hurriedly prepared by applying some off lotion on our arms and legs. Then I learned that Julie, Simply and Alvin were not going with us. I was disappointed. I reiterated that even though Silyang Bato was not the summit, it was one of the spectacles of Mt. Marami. But it was their choice so Gino, Mark and I left with the other mountaineers. The way to Silyang Bato was a straight one. And we learned that there was a water source near our camp. The path to Silyang Bato took about half an hour. When we were almost there, it was like level one rock climbing. One mountaineer ahead of us startled us by saying that there was a wandering snake on the trail. Because of this, we detoured to a rougher rock climb. But to sum it up, going to Silyang Bato was so much easy compared to the first day’s trek. There was another prominent rock formation which resembled the shape of a man’s private organ. We named it titing bato.

            I was surprised to see the summit of Mt. Pico de Loro from a distance. I tried to contain myself from comparing Mt. Marami with Mt. Pico de Loro because I wanted to pay respects to the mountain I was currently at. But upon reaching the top of Silyang Bato, the feeling towards Mt. Marami reached a totally different perspective. I felt chills after seeing the spectacular view. It offered a majestic angle of the Maragondon mountains and the provinces around. From the constant disappointments I had so far, it was the first time I felt great about the adventure. The 360 degree view was as stunning as that of Mt. Pico de Loro. There were lots of pictures taken. It was clean and green everywhere. Our other companions spearheaded a series of jump shot. Gino, Mark and I went to the green clearing to explore and take pictures. It was an incredible place and a nice bonding experience. Bad thing that Julie, Simply and Alvin were not there. After enjoying what Silyang Bato had to offer, we headed back to our camp.

VII.      SHIVER

                It was time for break camp. We cleaned the campsite. We washed some of our things and ourselves with the running water that we had discovered. Then I noticed something which was not good. The thing I feared most was in the offing once again. The clouds were getting thicker and darker. We transferred from our campsite to a more shaded place near the water source. Rain poured down and it became colder. The situation was becoming miserable again. Gino and I sat with our backs against each other for support. While waiting for lunch, we lie down covering our bodies with whatever that can cover it. We could not resist the sheer coldness of the weather. We were both shivering. I noticed something going on between Simply and Alvin. It was a lover’s quarrel moment. Julie and Mark’s story was different. This was their anniversary climb and it definitely brought them closer together. And I can say that my friendship with Gino was strengthened. So even if we were in the most miserable place, there were lots of good things that could still happen.

            Lunch was served. It was one of the most beautiful lunch for me. I was hungry and was really looking forward to it. Gino and I shared in his newly washed plastic ware while the other mountaineers were very accommodating in asking us what we wanted. We were still, after all, the ‘kids’ in the group. Ma’am Sam of DPM gave me a tablet for my fever. We did a final packing of things with the cows still trying to get our attention. Then, we started our long journey back to civilization.

VIII.    BRUISES AND CUTS

                Every descent was supposed to be half the total time of the ascent. But not this time. It was a very long and muddy trek back. The first phase was getting to the gate. It was still smooth with a couple of almost-slips. Simply and Alvin were still arguing. Simply was not allowing Alvin to carry her bag. Gino and I were in the lead with Sir Anthony and Sir Edrik followed by the other Young Mountaineers of Bulacan and finally followed by the other mountaineers mostly from DPM.

            

Several minutes after the gate we were inside the forest again. We stopped by the small stream. We freshened up and rehydrated. After that, Sir Anthony, Sir Edrik, Gino and I left while the last batch of mountaineers in our group were still resting. The path was straight but it became muddier. After some time, I rested my hand at a big rock. While catching my breath, I realized that the rock had several tiny black caterpillars on it. I quickly removed my hand but I got a cut on my palm. It bled profusely. During the first few hours I could still see Sir Anthony, Sir Edrik, Gino and another co-climber with a trekking pole. But when the mud turned into a despicable obstacle, I became slower. Gino was waiting for me sometimes but he also needed to assist himself for he was also slipping sometimes. My technique to avoid the mud was to walk along the plants. It worked as a stopper this time but it has its own downside. There was one moment when I was in the small bushes and I lifted my left foot, there were blood all over. The bushes had many thorns in it. I had at least five scratches on my left foot. This replicated in my arms and legs. Blood was present in my limbs. It was yet another chapter of a miserable and muddy trek. This time blood was involved. 

There was a moment of solitude when Sir Anthony, Sir Edrik, a co-climber and Gino were far ahead of me and Simply, Julie and Mark were far behind.  I was alone in the trail! I could not see any of those who were ahead. At the same time, no one was coming close from those at my back. But actually, I liked this part of my hike. I was not so worried for being embarrassed to death if I fall. I also appreciated nature especially the view when the clearing came to sight. My alone time trekking was overwhelming. I became one with nature.

IX.        CIVILIZATION

                Probably the best part of the hike was when we reached the river. When it came to sight, I saw Sir Anthony, Sir Edrik and Gino taking a nice shower in the water. I was very excited. After crossing, I put my pack down and washed my body in the river. We learned the interval of each other in the hike when they started arriving at the river one by one. All of us washed there. The first to wash up, including me, were the first ones to leave the river.

 By the time we hit mainland and we pass by some locals, the notorious thorny bushes and talahibs lessened but the mud was still abundant. When we rested in a grassy area, I was so hungry that I grabbed a lunch box at my pack. It was Julie’s food! Gino and I shared but I must confess that I ate most of it. After all, it might be spoiled if it will remain sealed inside my pack. The journey seemed endless. If we hiked up for five hours, we hiked down with that time as well. And I was very certain with that. I thought that we made a wrong turn at some point during our trek down. Instead of following the shorter trail, we walked the wrong path.

            After several long hours, a familiar structure came in to sight, the first bridge! After crossing, a local told us that there was a shortcut to civilization and would cut at least thirty minutes of the hike. Gino and I were in the lead this time and we took the shortcut. It was fast but it was steeper and more difficult. I had to catch my breath after a cardiac trail going up. Then, several more minutes, I heard loud music. We were almost there! We could hear the loud radio and smell the horse’s poop which was prominent in the initial part of the trail. My knees were already hurting but it was like a race to the finish line. The faster I come to the drop off point, the longer I could rest waiting for the others. I made it. We were back at the jump off point with the bus already there waiting. Ate Bhel thought that we were tortured from the way we looked. We were harassed by the tough trail. Ate Bhel said she could not wait to see the look of our female friends. She suspected that they were dirty and will be complaining about the trek. The locals there were fascinated on our look. We were dirty, muddy and sweaty and our skin was bruised. The horrific trek was a nightmare but I was glad it was over. I was not happy about the miserable trek, broken tent, missed socials and sunrise and the painful cuts from the talahibs and thorny bushes but I was not regretting anything that happened as well.

X.           800 mL OF RC

                After dropping my pack at the bus, I immediately looked for a store. But the first few stores had no cold soda available! I walked and walked and walked. I was not in the mountain anymore but I was still walking. Finally, I found a store which offered an ice cold soda. I bought one 800 mL of RC cola and some junk food. After five minutes, I drank all of the 800 mL of RC! Imagine the thirst and exhaustion!  I went back to the bus and some of our co-climbers were already there. Ate Bhel served hot saba courtesy of the kind local there. When everyone was there, I told Gino about the soda store. We were about to go there when I volunteered to buy soda for our other fellow climbers. And a lot ordered. After walking, Gino also managed to drink 800 mL of soda. I still bought some for myself and for our companions. We went back and I firmly sat on my bus seat. At last, the journey was over and it was time to go home.

            We had the same side trip: Buenaflor beach resort. I tried to enjoy that afternoon. We swam and socialized with our fellow climbers. It was already dark when we went back to the bus. We arrived in Baclaran at almost 11 in the evening. Our co-climbers and our friends planned on sipping chicken soup at a nearby store but I was not in the mood to go with them. I would just like to go home and rest. So Gino and I waved goodbye. Simply, Julie, Alvin and Mark also decided to go home instead. We were all very tired. After a quick Jollibee midnight snack at Cubao, Julie and Mark separated ways with us. I was left with Simply, Alvin and Gino. It was 3AM when we got to Bulacan. It was already difficult to get transportation. We were all worn out and waiting for a public jeepney added an agony to it. At last we were home. Gino and I could not hide the scars and bruises from my mom who asked us where we went.

            This was a not-so-good first time at Mt. Marami. The scars of the cuts were present in my legs for several more days. I told myself that I will not go back to Mt. Marami. But I think the thing that sabotaged us was not the mountain but the weather. So maybe I will give Mt. Marami a second chance again in the future.

MT. PICO DE LORO

 “PICK KO BASURA MO SA MT. PICO DE LORO”

June 27-28, 2009

1. Favorite Mountain
2. The Journey Begins
3. The Assault
4. Summit
5. Socials
6. Toreng Bato
7. Descent
8. Waterfalls
9. DENR And The Beach
10. Extended Socials

1. FAVORITE MOUNTAIN

The mountain responsible for my addiction to hiking and mountaineering is Mt. Pico de Loro. Although this was not my first mountain hiking escapade, it opened my enthusiasm and excitement towards Philippine mountains. I may have climbed several other beautiful mountains but Mt. Pico de Loro will always be my favorite.

My novice experience in Mt. Samat, Mt. Makiling and Mt. Maculot made me crave for more adventure. And I found one thanks to my high school friends and Sir Anthony Go of PHINOE mountaineers. The only difference this time from the abovementioned was that this next climb was more prepared and formal. Our target destination was Mt. Pico de Loro in Ternate, Cavite.

We spent the night before the climb in the house of my friend, Simply, together with our high school classmates and schoolmates Julie, Cely, Roselyn and Ronnel. I must admit that I was very excited that night and I even thought that I will not be able to sleep. But I did. As a matter of fact, I was the last one to wake up the next day. We all prepared and went to Baclaran where we met our co-climbers.

Sir Long was the first person I spoke to. I had even mistaken him as Sir Anthony because of his attire. You could tell that he is already a veteran at exploring jungles and climbing mountains. However, he was not the only one complete with genuine mountaineering gears and flashing that hardcore mountaineer look. All our co-climbers were well equipped and were dressed like real mountaineers. Most of them had warmers on their arms and legs and their backpacks were really for the outdoors. Ours were for school. I became more anxious. I could still remember the smirk on my face when I was comparing the attire of our female co-climbers with my female classmates. It was like they were ready to head to the jungle and we were ready to hit the malls instead! I just realized that I have so much more to learn and a lot more to experience. So I consider this as the start of my mountaineering career even though this was already my fifth climb.

We all boarded this old bus being operated by Ate Bhel and her husband. I was the junior team leader of my small group which they call “kids” but I liked to call the Young Mountaineers of Bulacan. With us were the Dahong Palay mountaineers and the Bacoor Teletech Outdoor climbers. The adventure started with an educational trip because we stopped over at the trial house where Andres Bonifacio was executed. We stopped by at the Maragondon market where I enjoyed roaming around with Cely, Simply and Ronnel. I was the scribe of the group because all throughout I had with me my video camera. I brought it because I wanted to document every minute of the journey.

2. THE JOURNEY BEGINS

Finally, it was time to head to Ternate. The anxiety rose when the forests and mountains appeared on the view outside the bus. It was just astounding for beginners like us. And when it was time to step out of the bus, it seemed like the excitement was on its way to climax. The trek began with a cardiac trail; a steep shortcut which gave us a harsh appetizer on what we were going to encounter inside the dense forest of Cavite. My leg muscles did its job and I was breathing like a madman lost in a jungle. I could feel my heart beating faster and faster as we hiked further. At last, our first stopover! We were perspiring and catching our breaths so we rehydrated. I realized the importance of this 4.5L which added to my agony carrying it for three to five hours. Water is life. The first part of the trek was exhausting but there were stopovers. We had our lunch at kubo where a second registration fee was imposed.

The first part was hiking up and down through the forest until we reach the base of Mt. Pico de Loro. It was like we were crossing ten mountains to get to our target mountain. The trail was muddy because of the post effects of rain. It had its first casualty when my friend Cely slipped and stumbled on the muddy floor. At first, I did not notice it was her! I thought she was one of our fellow female climbers. It was a hard fall and I swear I heard an uncomfortable sound from her head when it reached the soil. We rested as an SOP for minor (and major) injuries. Our fellow mountaineers checked for injuries and asked Cely if she was okay. Cely said she was fine. And after five minutes we went on. But what was not okay was the thought of shame if I slip because everybody will witness it. So I started to be more careful. But it didn’t work! I slipped! Twice! Good thing there were streams on the way. It meant refreshment. It helped us wash our muddy feet and clothes.

3. THE ASSAULT

The second part of the trail was the dreaded assault. This time we had to be extra careful because for the most part, we were only heading one direction: up. If we slip, it may mean a long and painful way down. The trail was still muddy but good thing we were inside the forest. There were trees and plants to cling to if we lose our balance. The trail seemed to be an endless one. Every stopover, our co-climbers would tell us “five minutes na lang.” But this five minutes became ten. It became fifteen. It became thirty and so on. I learned that it was a rite of passage to motivate the virgins or newbies in a group. I did not stumble during this part of the climb. However, it looked like the trail was not going to stop. But it did. Campsite at last! At that time, I just wanted to lie down.

The campsite was a space with trees and bamboos around it. Then I began asking myself, looking for the famous Parrot’s Beak and the beautiful view. But I thought we needed to trek for another century to get to it so I focused on helping set up camp. When everything was almost set, Sir Anthony ordered us to follow him. Just less than a minute away from the campsite was the magnificent scenic view of the Maragondon mountains! It was an incredible feeling and I felt an unexplainable awe upon seeing what we had accomplished climbing. Sir Nono Fines, the team leader of DPM told me “this is the reason (pointing to the view) why we climb mountains.” Then I looked up and I saw the infamous Toreng Bato. I learned that we still were not at the summit but the view was already rewarding. The trek continued with the major goal of reaching the summit, one that I failed to accomplish in Mt. Makiling and Mt. Maculot. If there is one collective goal and major reason why real mountaineers climb mountains, it is to reach the summit.

4. SUMMIT

I have heard a lot about the breathtaking 360 degree view from the summit of Mt. Pico de Loro and I could not believe I was about to see it as well. The assault to the summit was steeper and not for the faint of heart, but the view was magnificent. We reached the summit and the 360 degree view was really breathtaking! We saw the other peripheral mountains of Cavite and other provinces like Batangas, Laguna and Mindoro. I also saw Toreng Bato at the other side facing the summit. Sir Long Henson climbed it and we were all impressed! We could see him waving from the tower-shaped rock formation. The people who have climbed it claimed that it was a near death experience holding on to a rope at the edge of a cliff. Neither did Sir Anthony climb Toreng Bato, saying he already scaled it before and would not dare climb it again, at least not for that day. I told myself I want to experience it and face my fears. But I did not, that day. Instead, it was a perfect photo opportunity for everyone taking shot after shot of them standing tall and proud at the highest point in Cavite. Being on top of Mt. Pico de Loro made me feel that I am part of the universe and that the earth is alive. It definitely inspired me to take care and be thankful of the beauty of nature.

5. SOCIALS

When we were back at campsite, we cleaned ourselves and arranged our things inside our tent. I brought my two California tents with me; a blue one which is smaller and a larger green tent which I recently bought. I was overwhelmed with the experience and at the same time tired so I decided to take a nap while the others were preparing dinner. Simply woke me up when dinner was ready. After eating, it rained. It appeared like rain will spoil the evening and I did not realize I fell asleep again.

When I woke up, I was alone in the tent. Rain had stopped and all of them were huddled outside. I heard my classmates sharing why they joined the clean up climb. They said I influenced them in doing so and that they were also curious so they wanted to experience it. I prepared for the first socials in my life! I got out of the tent to join them and it was so damn cold! I joined them and was also asked about my thoughts on the activity. I had the most mountaineering activity but I was still definitely just a novice. The other mountaineers inspired us to conquer more mountains and they shared tips and told us their own mountaineering tales. Sir Erwin and Ma’am Fiona were arguing constructively on a matter that we did not understand. It was like “which experience is better – mine or yours” type of discussion. The other mountaineers were teasing them as a good couple. My classmates hit the hay but I was left at the huddle area because I was not sleepy yet. Mountaineering stories turned into ghost stories and I was very eager to listen. They pointed out that there were elementals present in our campsite and that they were observing us. It was frightening a bit but it did not bother me that much. As a matter of fact, I slept alone in the small blue tent that night. All in all, the night’s socials was a very cool experience as I learned a lot from our co-climbers.

6. TORENG BATO

Day two started with the beautiful sunrise. Me and my classmates went out to take pictures again. I initiated a conversation on who wanted to climb Toreng Bato. Simply, Julie, Roselyn and Ronnel declined the invitation. Cely said she wanted to experience it. I was having second thoughts but the next thing I knew was me and Cely were doing an assault to the summit again. We reached the summit and waved at our friends who were sitting on the bench-like rock near the campsite. I stared at Toreng Bato and asked Cely if she was scared. She said she was not scared. So we journeyed on to reach the base of Toreng Bato. If the assault to the summit was scary, the trip to the base of Toreng Bato was even scarier! We had to hold on tight to the rock formation to avoid a painful stumble.

Fear started to set in when we reached the base of Toreng Bato. My heart started to pound faster. But I was not showing it to Cely. She still claimed to be not afraid. What’s wrong with this girl?! So together we walked carefully towards the back of the structure. There, we saw horror. The tower-shaped structure was practically leaning towards a cliff edge! We still pushed through. We encountered the dreaded ropes! I went first. Using the rope, I pulled myself up. When my feet were partially suspended in the air, my right hand was holding the rope while my left hand was looking for some rooms in the rocks. I was very concerned of losing my grip on the rock and lose my balance. I was not a fan of the rope because it seemed old and not reliable. When I was halfway through, I almost gave up. My knees were trembling. This time, what I saw was worse than horror…death! It was like the side of Toreng Bato was pushing me towards the cliff! I was also concerned that there were snakes on the spaces on the rocks where I was clinging to. But a snake bite was definitely a lesser evil than falling down more than 500 meters above the ground! I stopped for a moment and breathed hard. I thought about death and the things that might happen if I were to die. But I remembered those people who reached the top of Toreng Bato and what an accomplishment if I would be one of them. I thought of the amazing feeling on top and little by little, I managed to reach the end of the rope of death. Apparently, aside from being an old rope, it was only tied to this thick bush and that made it more terrifying. But I made it.

It was Cely’s turn. If the rope was hard for me, it was even more difficult for Cely. The only thing I could do was to motivate and instruct her on where to hold. I was coaching her of the proper body position to advance up. I could see her struggling and behind her – the cliff of death! But she made it on the ropes and it was just a few more scary steps and at last! The top of Toreng Bato!

It was an exceptional feeling to be on top! Even if it was not the summit, it felt like we were on top of the world. We could see the clouds parallel to us. We could feel the wind passing through our face. We took pictures and enjoyed the moment. We stared at the beautiful sceneries around us. It disappointed us to see that our classmates were no longer in the rock near our campsite. Nobody saw us on top of the structure. We started shouting out our friends’ names at the top of our lungs. Shouting on top of Toreng Bato felt like we were in control of the world. Amazing! Good thing I brought my video camera and Cely brought Simply’s digital camera. We still can show them what we accomplished. We scaled down Toreng Bato when there were too many clouds brushing our faces already. We were afraid that fog might block our way down or that it might rain. Going down was as hard as going up. We saw death again face to face. But thanks to Him, we were safe. Climbing Toreng Bato was the climax of my adventure in Mt. Pico de Loro.

7. DESCENT

It was time to go down the mountain. But before we did, we put in our gloves and surveyed the place. It was a clean up climb after all. Our goal was to clean the beautiful Mt. Pico de Loro. I really hope that all of the people who will climb this mountain will be doing the same thing. Or if not, at least avoid leaving trash behind. We surveyed the campsite and the kawayanan area for our trash and other trash that might have been there for some time.

The descent was easier. It was less slippery and fast. Cely and Simply were humming some tunes to entertain themselves. The only concern was sweat constantly falling from my eyeglass which bothered me. I looked at Julie who was at my back and the same was happening to her and to my other friends as well. I commend her for being such a trooper. We were all soaking wet with sweat and every step seemed like our knees were going to break. But I was dead set on reaching the base of Mt. Pico de Loro. There were less rests and stops. We reached the base in not more than an hour. We rested in the clearing area.

8. WATERFALLS

The thing that I was anticipating during the climb aside from Toreng Bato was a trip to the falls. After that leg breaking and sweat drenching descent, a shower at the falls would be a sweet one. After the stopover at the clearing we headed towards the falls. I could hear the falls as we got nearer. We were excited to brush off dirt and sweat from our bodies. After a short descent, we reached the waterfalls area.

The sight of the falls was engaging. Sir Anthony reminded us that we were not there to swim because it would mess up our itinerary. But many of us wanted to. Two of our co-climbers swam at the falls area. And the itinerary was forgotten. Most of us took a splash, got wet and enjoyed the falls. The water was very cold. As I was swimming in the middle of the water, I felt something brushing my feet. There were plants on the floor! The thought of some unknown creatures scared the hell out of me. Earlier, our co-climbers who surveyed the area said they saw a snake in the cave. But we were many in the water so I just enjoyed this time. Putting your body right under the falls was a therapeutic experience. I could feel the rush of the water punching my back like a blade. It was like acupuncture.

9. DENR AND THE BEACH

It was time to continue our still long journey back to magnetic hill. I decided not to change my shorts because I might need to change it again if anything happens during the trek. We reached the kubo area where we registered. Some of our fellow climbers opted to take a shower. Me and my friends did not. After all, Sir Anthony told us that we were heading to the beach to clean ourselves up! After one to two more hours, we reached magnetic hill! We got off to the easier straight path to the jump off and not through the cardiac trail. It was awesome to see the road again. We started walking towards the DENR station. Luckily, a jeepney passed by and picked us up. We hitched a free two minute ride to DENR. There, we waited for Ate Bhel and her bus. It was nice to sip a cold soda after being more than 24 hours inside the jungle.

The bus arrived and it was time to get to the beach! After some time, we reached Buenaflor beach resort. The entrance was cheap and we did not pay the cottage fee. Apparently, Ate Bhel negotiated it with the resort manager. They knew her already because that is where they always take their contracted mountaineers after an arduous climb. The resort offered two attractions: pools and beach. We warmed up at the pool, took some pictures, and then headed to the beach. Julie did not swim. She already cleaned up and was ready to go home. The sand in the beach was not good but the view was nice. The cloud formation that day was spectacular. It was like an erupting volcano. We could also see some mountains around us, although I could not point out which is Mt. Maculot, Mt. Makiling or Mt. Pico de Loro. Some of our fellow climbers pointed out that the far away island was Mindoro and the towering mountain in it was the dreaded Mt. Halcon. Simply amazing.

10. EXTENDED SOCIALS

After having dinner at the resort, and after seeing a snake there, we boarded the bus to finally go home. The main attraction in the bus was a drinking session lead by Sir Anthony. He was serving a shot of Gran Matador here and there while the bus was moving! Incredible! Because of the drinking session, there were lots of stopovers at gasoline station for a peeing session. When we were near Manila and many of us were slightly drunk, there were discussions on a possible house party. Some of our fellow climbers left already including Sir Long and some Teletech mountaineers. Julie also had an appointment that night and so she could not come. But Sir Erwin and Sir Gerald of Bacoor Teletech were very eager to continue the socials. Simply volunteered their house. It was like a discussion over the influence of alcohol and I really thought it will not push through. But the next thing I knew was our co-climbers were with us on a trip to our hometown! Ronnel and I went to our house to get an electric fan. I also brought one El Hombre tequila which was sitting on our refrigerator for two months already. It came from my previous Mt. Samat trip with my 2008 JFINEX family. Then, we entertained our guests at Simply’s house. We played the video I recorded during our trip and Cely was the star! She was a natural comedienne in the mountain. The drinking and the extended socials continued from Ternate, Cavite all the way to Norzagaray, Bulacan!

This was a very memorable first formal climb. It opened my mind and my heart towards Philippine mountains. I already learned the basics of mountaineering and I was willing to put it to practice by conquering other mountains. I will be climbing several other mountains but I will see to it to visit Mt. Pico de Loro again for it was the reason my passion for this was triggered. It is my favorite mountain and this most probably is the best climb of my life!