Climbing a mountain has always been an item in my long bucket list. I may have achieved that already if I count mt.antipolo or bulubundukin ng rizal as such but it was only last weekend that I get to climb a real mountain.
I made numerous attempts before, but they all failed. Parang ayaw kaming pagtagpuin ni inang kalikasan. There was the batulao climb and then the pulag challenge, which I all failed to join because of God-knows-what reasons. :P
Then an invite for another climb came. I immediately confirmed without seeking proper permission sa kinauukulan. :P I thought ayaw talaga kami pagtagpuin ng kabundukin when I got admitted for some effin’ allergy the week before the climb. Oh well, sabi ni Lord sige na anak, go. Kaya days before the climb I re-confirmed.
So, this is it na talaga. Nagjog pa ako days before the climb to prepare. Plus bumili pa kami ng trekking sandals. Based on reviews that we’ve read kasi sabi sandals daw since madaming encounter sa yamang tubig. (NOTE: di po porket mahal, mas matibay. You’ll know why later) We even scheduled a conference call the day before the climb with our head master to do some last minute reminders and preparations. We’re professional like that. Haha.
THIS IS IT! THIS IS REALLY IS IT!
Sabi ng aming lider na si Eugene Claravall ay magmeet daw kami ng 8am para makapag-equipment check before we meet with the rest of the team.
An hour has passed then another hour, then another and we still haven’t left Mandaluyong.
Unfortunately, the driver of the jeep that the team rented bailed out the last minute. So the organizers need to look for another jeepney to take us to Bulacan.
Finally, they got another jeep and we left Manila by noon.
The travel to bulacan wasn’t that long, that’s what I thought. Because we got there around 2pm. But no! sa kaloob looban pa pala ng bulacan ang tatahakin namin. Oo nga naman. Noon ko lang din naman nalaman na may bundok pala sa bulacan, so malamang dapat malayo yun. Nakarating kami sa destinasyon namin ng alas-4 ng hapon.
But before we start our climb, our teammates prepared tokens for the kids of Sitio Madlum. We handed out school supplies to the kids. It was really a fulfilling activity. Admittedly, i enjoyed that part of the climb. It could have been more fun if we were able to bond with the kids and spend a little time with them. :) i'm a fan of bonding. I believe that the time you spend with them is more important than the material things you give them.
After we handed out the donations, we got our bags and started the climb. This is it!!!! Mother nature, here we come.
Maulan ng araw na yun. Sabi pa ng isa kong kaibigan, papasok na daw si bagyong preding. Syempre todo ang takot factor non. It’s my first time to climb a mountain tos mababagyo pa, sa bundok pa kung saan huling namataan si Julie Vega!!! Anu be!
Nang nasa paanan na kami ng bundok, the guides told us we needed to do the longer route. We’re supposed to cross the river and go up the mountain on that side. We can either go via a balsa or via the wire cross. See that wire on the right? You cant? Well, ganun ang kailangan tawirin, ni hindi mo makita sa nipis. What is acrobat? Sirkero lang ang peg. Pak!
But since maulan na at mataas daw ang river, we need to the other route.
And so we did the other route. TADAN!!!! Putik galore! Parang fireworks na namutawi sa aming mga bibig ang mga salitang “putik naman!” “anak ng putik!” “putik ng ina naman!” “ayoko ng maputik, ayoko ng mabaho!” “POOOTTTEEEEKKK!”
At dahil sadyang maputik, suki rin kami ng best in slide award, best in dapa award, best in ngudngud sa putikan award at best in buwis buhay moves award. Swerte kung may madaanang sapa, pwedeng maghugas, sabi pa ng guide “wag kayo mag-alala, may ilog tayong dadaanan na pwede kayo maglinis” ang saya naman namin. Ayan na ang ilog, nilasap namen ang bawat sandali. Nilinis ang mga paa, hita, kamay, muka. Unang hakbang paglagpas ng ilog, hello putik ulet. “Putik naman o, naghugas pa ko.” Yan ang mga katagang nasambit ko paglatag ng unang yapak ko paglagpas ng ilog.
Ok lang ako sa putik. Mukha akong maarte pero chong, kaht ingudngud mo ko jan, wala akong pakealam. Sayang saya ako sa sandals ko kasi bagong bili at di mabigat compared sa rubber shoes nila Eugene at teejay. Pero sa bawat yabag ng aking paa, pinagdarasal ko ang kaluluwa ng butihin kong sandals, na sana wag siyang mapigtas.
Hayun, nadinig ng kaibigan nating devil ang aking dasal, pinigtas ang aking sandals. Wala pa yun sa kalahati ng aming aakyatin patuktok ng bundok. Pak! May I surrender na si mahal na sandals! Putik, yan na naman ang nasabi ko.
And with broken sandals, I climbed the mountain with my bare feet. Dedma sa damo, dedma sa bato, dedma sa lupa at dedma sa mga time bomb ng kalabaw. Para akong yagit. Naalala ko ang aking kabataan na nakapaang naglalaro sa kalye naranghita.
Lahat sila ay nag-aalala kung kaya ko raw kasi nakapaa na lang ako. Pang-asar pa nila hardcore daw ako. Tinahak ko ang 2 oras na pagakyat sa bundok ng nakapaa. Pero sabihin na nating dedma ako sa ganap sa paa ko, sa dalawang oras na yun ay wala rin akong naramdamang pagod. Ni pagkahapo wala.
Siguro bukod sa naeenjoy ko talaga aking pinaggagawa ay mayroon din akong gustong patunayan, di lang sa mga taong akala ay mahina ako, kundi gusto kong patunayan sa sarili ko na kaya ko.
Not many people know na takot ako sa dilim. I can’t sleep with the lights off. Pitch dark places are my worst enemy. So heto si Lord, kakuchaba si mother nature, iniharap ako sa pinakakinatatakutan ko. Idagdag mo pa ang malabong mata, inisip ko talaga, patay na. Pero hindi, laban lang. after an hour of walking along a muddy and dark trail, I realized I’m no longer afraid and im just enjoying every minute of that experience.
When I saw the light that marks the campsite, lalo akong ginanahan. Eto na yun oh! Sabi ko. Kaya nagmadali talaga ko. Dedma na sa mga talahib go lang ng go. “Energy energy!” sabi ko sa team, ang sagot nila “magisa ka!”
Past 8pm, we reached the camp site. That moment deserved an umaatikabong “nice game, team, nice game!” we made it. We set the tent and freshened up. I used my filthy clothes to clean my mud-filled body. Viola, I’m clean! I went out of the tent and told them I’ve freshened up na and then cams blurted out this really interesting comment, “langya. Magmamall ka te?” that was the best line of the night. Nagpalit lang naman ako ng damit a. Hehe.
We had canned tuna, corned beef and sausage for dinner. That was the most delicious dinner ever!!!!!!
After eating, we had euge’s mixed drink to end the night. We had company when our campmates joined us. It was a fun night. But when we finished our mixed drink, our campmates set the stronger drinks. Sabi namin, ayawan na. But we were too shy to tell them. Then God found a way, it rained. But after a few minutes, it stopped. So we all went out and continued the “camp socials”. We excused ourselves after we finished the mixed drink to go to sleep.
We went to sleep around 1am. Daldalan galore lang kami ni cams. Ang saya lang. Pero di niya alam, di talaga ako makatulog kasi sobrang dilim. Na scared kitty cat ako ng mga panahon na yun. Pero dahil ayoko na siya bagabagin sabi ko tulog na kami.
Then nadilat ako dahil maingay. Sa unti-unting pagmulat ng mata, nakakita ako ng liwanag. Umaga na. Rise and shine sabi ko. Kasi I really wanted to see the sunrise sa tuktok ng bundok. I wanted to go out and look at it by myself kaso again, I was scared. So I waited for them to wake up. Not long enough, bumangon na kami at umakyat sa summit.
At eto ang bumati sa amin nang bonggang bonggang
“good morning sa inyoooooo!!!!!”
WOW! Breathtaking. Ang ganda. We can even see the fog embracing the mountain. Plus the river na parang patungo sa kalangitan.
Ang saya namen, iba talaga yung feeling. Napasabi na lang ako sa sarili ko na, “ganto kataas ang inakyat ko? Tangina, ang galing ko!” Sobrang saya ko sa sarili ko at proud na proud sa accomplishment niya. Para akong nagmomonologue nang sabihin kong, “che. Ang galing mo. You did it. I’m so proud of you.” Na parang nanay na nagccheer sa anak.
After naming lasapin ang summit ng Mt. Manalmon, we started de-camping.
We took the “easy route” pababa ng bundok. It was fast, yes. But man, it wasn’t easy.
The descent stands 45° and the road to the foot of the mountain is a mixture of crossing vast land and bodies of water.
We crossed a long stretch of grassland soaked in mud and everything that comes with it.
To rivers and the raging rapids that were very much ready to sweep us.
After 4 hours down the mountain, we reached our final pit stop. Hurray! We did it! And to cap the whole mountain adventure, we did the “ultimate mountain climbing activity” – VIDEOKE.
And since it was the last stop, di ko pinalagpas na maexperience ang wire-cross. I’m not scared of heights but the wire cross was really scary.
Sabi ko sa sarili ko, kailangan ko to gawin. Para ma-let go ko na lahat. Eto ang perfect spot to give everything up to God. To surrender everything to him. NOTE: di po ito suicide.
Pagdating sa gitna ng wire, huminto ako. Tumitig sa kawalan at nagdasal. Iniwan sa Manalmon ang lahat ng sakit, lahat ng sugat at umasang pagbalik ng Maynila, Ok na lahat.
It was one hell of a ride for me. It was one experience I will never forget – EVER!!! And I’m sure sila din ay di to malilimutan:
NOTE: Thanks to my Ipanema slipper for saving my Life. It survived Mt. Manalmon! What is grassroots?
