Saw Mindanao From Above

Isang linggo na nang makalakad na ulit ako ng normal. The week before that, the first week after the Mount Apo trip, was a painful remembrance to me. Kada hakbang, ngumingiwi ako sa sakit ng binti ko. A very minor inconvenience. See, the pain is gone now but the memories remained. So kahit medyo huli na ng dalwang linggo, bago ko makalimutan ang lahat sa pagka-ulyanin, let me share a journey to finally cross out an item on my bucket list - to climb the summit of Mount Apo.

It was an open climb organized by Pinoy Mountaineers dubbed Mount Apo Sembreak Climb 2010. Elmer sent out an invite around the second quarter of this year and it was me and Gelo who dedicatedly showed interest.

To make it short, we and 65 other souls braved Davao on October 22 to join what could easily have been one of the biggest group to traverse Mount Apo. And before I start with my usual blow-by-blow recount of my glorious journey, here's some quick facts...

Quick Facts:

Coordinates (peak): 6.9875N, 125.270833E
Location: Davao del Sur / Cotobato / Bukidnon
Jump Off Point: Barangay Kapatagan, Digos, Davao del Sur
Drop Off Point: Lake Agko Resort, Kidapawan, South Cotobato
Elevation (peak): 2,954 meters
Climb Level: 7-9 (Experienced)
Estimated climbing time: average 10-12 hrs/day at 3 days

On with the show...

handy dandy notepad is IN

Day 1, Old Domestic Airport
2:40AM - Checked in at Zesto Air, Flight Z2 390 - Seat 10C

Gelo Screw Up: Said we meet at NAIA Terminal 3.
Me and Elmer Screw Up: We believed Gelo. Argh.

(So we have to take a quick cab to the Old Domestic Airport. What a way to bode of things to come.)

(In the airport, I saw random groups of potential Mount Apo climbers flying with us. I can recall seeing Pinggoy, Estella/Princess and their group, and Julius and his group.)

4:54 - Departure from Manila (delayed by an hour!)

(One of the mountaineers told us that he already informed the climb organizers in Davao that the team coming from Manila via Zesto Air will be late.)

Day 1, Davao International Airport (Davao del Sur)
6:38AM - Arrival in Davao City
7:30 - took a cab to People's Park

(After mustering in Davao City, all climbers - two ordinary buses worth - went to Digos for some last minute preps. Head count projected us at 68, excluding the porters.)

Participants of Mount Apo Sembreak Climb 2010

http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2010/10/roster-of-mt-apo-sembreak-climb.html

9:35 - Digos City

(We took a quick breakfast in Jollibee before buying potable water for the climb. I bought two double cheeseburgers to go - which I lovingly called the quadruple cheeseburgers for the entire climb - for my next two major meals along the trek.)

11:19 - Welcome to Barangay Kapatagan
11:31 - Mount Apo Trekkers' Information Center

(We stopped here for registration, stretched a bit, and enjoyed a piece of banana... nenok from a good Samaritan in front of us.)

11:58AM - Barangay Kapatagan Proper

(We transferred into a 10-wheeler truck as the buses can only go as far. Yes, all 60+ of us plus our oversized backpacks precariously hanging on for dear lives on a ten-wheeler flatbed. Reminds me of an Ork trukk. It's so cramped most of us are standing/balancing/or whatever Yoga pose we can manage to stay alive while the truck-of-doom trudges through bumps and curves further into the jump point. The driver won't even slow down. I smell organizational fail this early in the climb.

Still, it's an early adventure for most of us!)

That's the truck... and yes, all people you see in the photo eventually fit on the flatbed

12:42 - Walk to the Dropoff Point

(After about 15 minutes of being tossed like salad greens around the flatbed, the driver came to his senses and stopped to give us a break - or at least that's what I assume. Some of us elected to finish the trip on foot instead. That includes me, Elmer, and Gelo.)

(Malapit na lang naman DAW. We never thought it's the local definition of "malapit". So ayun, instant warm-up for us. It's a good thing that 15 minutes through the walk, a passing elf truck gave us a ride all the way to the jump off.)

1:08 - Purok Mainit (Kapatagan Trail Jump Off Point)
1:36 - 25 Celcius

(Prepping up for the trek. The sky is not boding well, medyo makulimlim na. I love Gelo very much so I opted to carry the entire tent set that we'll later share instead of him carrying half of the load as originally planned. Haha!)

1:49 - Start of Trek (activated my stopwatch)

2:22PM - it started raining (early blessing for the team)
2:32 - stop to rest (on a small town along the trail)

(We bought Pepsi to share. "Heretics!" I can hear Pork say.)

3:23 - further along the trail, may signal pa din

(Nakapag text pa ako kay Kath. Nilabas ko na din ang aking mahiwagang trail food - Banana Chips! I was also able to use this Globe function to post status in Facebook via SMS. I was thinking this could be a good tool to exploit for mountaineers in need of help, rescue, or anything when in trail and has a mobile signal available. I'll ponder about its feasibility sometimes.)

Trail Food: banana chips

a couple of hours into the trek

4:00 - 21 Celcius (sobrang putek na sa trail!)
4:47 - lights out

(Sobrang dilim na ng langit dahil sa ulan. Nag-labas na kami ng mga headlamps. The trail was so damp and all these mossy branches and weeping leaves against the backdraft of our lights create an eerie feel to the surroundings. Parang scene sa horror flick.)

5:42PM - 2hrs to Barureng Campsite (so they say)

(Of course I don't delude myself that it's really just around 2 hours. From the start, time estimates given to us by the organizers are inaccurate either because it's based on the speed of local porters or due to impediments on the itinerary. Whatever means of divination they used, I find it more accurate to always add 1 or 2 more hours to what they tell.)

(We have to stop to wait for the others to determine the correct trail. Madaming parts along the way na malabo kung saan ang tamang trail. Chummy chummy chit chat with a Malaysian co-hiker while waiting. Sa kanila daw may palatandaan lahat ng trails at hindi nang-iiwan ang porter! Haha.)

6:14 - re-grouped with a bunch of hikers after river crossing
7:35 - stop to rest

(Nahihilo na daw si Gelo. A medic took care of the big guy. I dunno what bargaining he did but he convinced the lad to carry his backpack for him. Seeing he's taken care of, I can't do much but to go ahead of the group and aim to find a nice spot to camp in Godi Godi, our final stop for the day.)

gloves out na... masakit na sa kamay yung mga talahib

(I passed the Barureng Campsite and Tinakaran River several minutes after. Robot-mode na ako as we push for Godi Godi. Hindi ko na nararamdaman ang bigat ng backpack ko or sakit ng katawan ko. Ang target ko na lang ay makarating sa campsite. The last leg of the trail heading to Godi Godi is a bit technical, with toppled trees blocking the path and the mud ever thickening due to rain.)

9:41 - Godi Godi Campsite

(I made it to the campsite! All soggy and tired and bruised and starving and cold. No idea where Elmer and Gelo are but at that time, with the state I'm in, I frankly couldn't care more. Andami nang tent na nakatayo at sobrang liit lang pala nung campsite. Buti nakasingit ako sa isang sulok na occupied ng mga taga Texas Instruments. Sakto lang ang tent ko.)

10:01 - pitched my 5'x5' tent by myself and in the cold rain (one proud camper!)

(Pumasok yung ulan sa loob ng tent that triggered a condensation cycle that wet the interiors even more. Argh! This is the point I regret underestimating the Mount Apo conditions and have to face the consequences of being underpacked. I packed with expectations of a dry climb kaya tiis tiis ako sa lamig.)

10:37PM - Dinner Time

(Dobol cheeseburger for dinner! Pero bago ang lahat, malupet na dasal muna kay Bro for surviving Day 1 and giving me the opportunity and strength to undertake this journey. Ayon sa stopwatch ko, I was walking for 7 hours and 51 minutes, excluding stops to rest or re-pack.)

Dinner: Jollibee double cheeseburger

(Gelo arrived about an hour after, his chummy chummy Red Cross medic in tow. Natutulog na ko with what limited dry clothes I have. It's literally dripping everywhere inside the tent. Sa sobrang lamig, nasa paa ko nakasuot yung bonette. It was an unpleasant and wet Day 1 sleep for me.)

Day 2, Godi Godi Campsite
5:20AM - wakey wakey!
(Every other hour nagigising ako sa lamig or sa tulo ng tubig.)

my tent at Godi Godi

6:20 - still no Sun, but it stopped raining at least
6:33 - breakfast time


Breakfast: quail eggs, tinapay, vitamin C

(When I planned my diet for the trek, I made sure that I won't be dependent on any preps. So lahat ng pagkain ko hindi kelangan lutuin.)

8:17 - break camp

(Reunion with Elmer. Nag emergency camp siya sa trail the previous night with nobody from the organizing group noticing it. Some organizational fail there. Being the true camper, he was self-contained and decided to set camp nung naligaw siya and waited till the next day to push through. He made it to Godi Godi just before everybody's broken camp.)

** From here, my handy dandy notepad is soaking wet and I can't write on it anymore. Nabasa ito nung pati yung loob ng bag ko nag-condense na din. Moving forward, all accounts are from what I can recall along the journey.

Day 2, Morning

Elmer went ahead of the trail. Me and Gelo joined Pinggoy and a climbing couple to start the day's trek. Next target is the Mount Apo summit itself through the infamous "Boulders" trail. First part of the trek is a 75-80 degree ascent through dense foliage.

 on to the Boulders

The spectacle came when we emerged from the forest. The sight of the Boulders of Mount Apo. It was literally otherwordly! Ahead of us is a long strip (around 1.25km) of monolithic white-gray slabs of boulders all the way up to the distant cloudscape covering the summit. It's a mixed emotion for me... I was so enthralled dahil sooobrang ganda ng trail leading to the peak that I never thought I can see something like this out of pictures in my life. At the same time though, the sheer ascend (around 85 degree angle) and the rugged terrain (plus the ever thinning air) frankly challenged my will to push through. I can only see "PAIN" written all over the rocky outcroppings.

Picture picture time!

one of our stops along the Boulders

We caught up with Elmer along the boulder trail. He was also relishing the scenery that he aptly called "Mordor". The sight was literally taken from the reels of Lord of the Rings. To add up to the mood, there's a huge geyser of sulfur on the left side of the trail, spewing gas that reeks of rotten eggs. There are also minor vents along the boulder path that exudes the poisonous pale-yellow gas, consequently discoloring the boulders.

With the Shak Expeditionary Corps reunited, we clawed and hauled our way up to the summit (still some 6 to 7 hours from where we emerged in the jungle). Upper body strength ang kelangan dahil lumala pa lalo yung angle ng pagka-tarik. May parts ng assault na halos vertical na yung angle. Dito lamang si Gelo.

assault to Mordor

We took a longer, more winding path on the right side of the trail. Iniiwasan namin yung sulfur vent. Still, pag tumama yung hangin, dinadala pa din sa amin yung usok at amoy bulok na itlog pa din!

Trail food: chocolate bar

Halfway through the boulders, umulan na naman ng malakas. As if kulang pa ang paghihirap namin sa lamig at lakad at sa amoy ng bulok na itlog. Parang walang katapusan yung bundok. Lampas na kami sa sulfur vent ng parang milya milya pero pag tumingala ka sa taas ang layo pa din tignan ng tuktok. Lekat na Apo yan. Respect! Hehe. Looking down, I can see the rest of the hikers in pinpricks of various colors. All around them is a vaaaaast swathe of green, gray and blue that are trees, land, and the sea! Para akong tumitingin sa isang Google Earth na naka zoom-view! It was soooooo humbling a view!

Day 2, Afternoon

Trail food lang ang lunch ko. Hard to have a decent lunch in that condition (it's raining cold and there's no considerably flat area to lounge for too long).

Lunch: tapang pusit, pasas

clouds + sulfuric smog

Closing in on the summit crater, the terrain changed from boulders to a slippery reddish clay and low shrubs. It's still raining and we have to walk counterflowing the stream of water coming from above. Ang mura ng buhay. One slip and you'll die. Take note that our backpacks still weigh around 25 kilos at the least dahil may dalawang araw pa kaming worth of food.

If I remember correctly, asa gitna ng 3:30 to 4PM kami nakadating sa crater ng Mount Apo. At first akala ko summit na yung inaakyat namin, hindi pa pala. It's just the crater. Sobrang lamig na sa part na ito dahil bad combo ang basa + hangin. By the way, yes... bulkan ang Mount Apo, only inactive. Ang ganda ng crater niya and frankly mas nagagandahan ako sa itsura niya kesa sa itsura ng summit. Sans the jolog names scraped along the coast of the crater, the surroundings look awesome.

the crater lip

After some 15 minute climb from the crater, we reached the summit! Sobrang lamig and I was literally chilling. Everybody's doing their summit pics and all I was able to utter when Elmer asked for a photo was "Fuck summit pics, let's go to camp!".

I agree with Elmer when he said that the Apo summit was not among the prettiest there are... it's barren and unenticing and reeks of rotten eggs. The view from up there could be solid beauty IF only it's a clear sky but I heard it's rare. Being wet and cold does not help either.

Still, my self-fullfilment can't be ignored. My appreciation came more from within than without. I am swelling with pride, as if no mountain is unconquerable anymore. I made it in one piece and, most importantly, independently. Parang kaya ko nang palitan si Survivor Man sa Discovery Channel. Truly, this is one experience I'll be bragging with over and over and over.

Mount Apo Summit

Nauna kami ni Elmer kay Gelo sa summit. So hinintay lang namin siya dumating, mag piktyur ng konti, then sumugod na din kami agad papuntang campsite. It's just about another 10 minute descent from the summit. This time, maganda ang campsite. It's expansive (great for big groups like us) and there are huge slabs of boulders you can use as shield against the wind.

Maaga kami nakapag setup ng tent and at least this time, katulong ko na si Gelo mag pitch. He was able to bargain his way with the local porters to get water (from a nearby source) for us. Walang signal sa campsite na ito ang Globe. Bummer.

Day 2, Evening

The rest of the night was spent chit chatting. It was stark cold outside, somebody from Texas Instruments announced that we are at 8.5 Celcius. It's still colder in Mount Pulag on average, but I haven't anticipated for this cold. I really regret underestimating the mountain but, again, at least I'm prepared to pay the consequences. Uh well, it's another chilling night for me.

My dinner was the second double-cheeseburger from yesterday. The best! Elmer prepared us Jampong. Siya lang ang may dalang burner sa amin. Maganda ang spot ng tent namin this time and condensation was less and wala nang masyadong drip from the tent walls. May konting basa pa din but at least I had a better sleep than Day 1 albeit still cold. It's also worth noting that I pitched the tent on a bad angle. Fail! Didn't stop me to have a passably good sleep despite it being uncomfortable and awkward.

Dinner: Jollibee double cheeseburger, diatabs

Day 3, Mount Apo Summit Campsite

Day 3, Morning

summit campsite, 8.5 Celcius

Hindi pa din ako nakatulog ng diretso. Every other hour I wake up. We have to break camp early dahil ang target ay we should be moving by around 8AM. Naghanap ng porter si Gelo para sa gamit niya pero walang available. Uh well. Ako pa din ang magdadala ng tent.

Breakfast: canned tuna paella

Nung umaga nakatikim kami ng ARAW sa wakas! Kanya kanyang bilad ng gamit para magpatuyo. By 8AM, some group started to start the descent. Our first target is Lake Venado, a pristine inlet situated on an expansive plateau some hundred meters from the summit campsite.

Elmer went ahead. I descended with Gelo. I like the trail going down better. It's all rolling hills with small shrubberies. Mga 3 hours DAW from the campsite ang Lake Venado. After emerging from a brief ascend from the campsite to the other side of the crater, nakita na namin ang Lake Venado from afar. It looks lovely.

descent to Lake Venado

Nagkahiwalay ulit kami ni Gelo somewhere along the trail. Mas napapagod kasi ako pag patigil-tigil. That's the same reason I detested doing sweeper duties for our previous climb in Mount Pulag.

May point na sinabayan ko yung mga porters bumaba. Sooobrang bilis at partida naka paa lang sila (maputik kasi in the last half of the descent to Venado). I was able to give chase for only about 15-20 minutes pero after that napagod din ako at pina-una ko na sila. I made the rest of the trek to Lake Venado alone. Maputik pa din sa trail kahit may araw kaya sobrang madulas. The last part of the walk before emerging to the lake was a swampy area.

Parang mas nagustuhan ko mag-trek in my lonesome. Parang "US time" namin ni Nanay Kalikasan hehe. May ibang sensation para sa akin being in the wilds, it's a primal thing having nothing materialistic or artificial to worry about. Ang iniisip mo lang is to survive and enjoy the "ride". Nakakatakot nga lang na baka may sumakmal na lang sa kin bigla from somewhere, hahaha. Parang Predator!

At Lake Venado, I caught up with Elmer and lounged for a while. Dito na din ako nag "tanghalian" - skyflakes at tapang pusit (quickly became my favorite camping food). Nakuha ko na din mag toothbrush sa wakas. Nag igib si Elmer ng tubig para sa amin from a watersource nearby. We are kinda hesitant if it's potable but after sampling it, I think it's safe. Well, hopefully.

Lunch: Skyflakes, tapang pusit

Me, Gelo, Elmer at Lake Venado and the Apo summit behind us

From Lake Venado, the summit of Mount Apo is stunning. The lake area is a thing of beauty as well. If only we could lounge longer or even camp here for the day but we need to move on because we have to catch daylight before the river crossing to Lake Agco, Kidapawan.

Gelo arrived after about half an hour, still looking for an available porter to no avail. And just as we set off to continue the final descent to Kidapawan, it rained hard yet again. Argh!

Day 3, Afternoon

They said it's another 7 hours to our destination. So I set my mind that this is a potentially 8-9 hour walk back to civilization instead. The first part of the trail which is considerably flat is all swamp and moss and mud.

After an hour and so of walk, the terrain changed to a steep descent through a rainforest going down to Marbel River. Me, Elmer, and Gelo decided to take it together. I had my share of a screw-up as I (leading the trail) almost led them to cross a sheer cliff with nothing but a wornout branch as a handhold. A passing group showed us an easier trail (not easy by any means, but still easier) so the rest circled back while I (too further out in the crossing to back out) continued with the help of the new-comers. A slip meaning death... yet again. But I made through the cliff and I'm one proud homey.

Apo summit from the Lake Venado grounds

Patigil tigil kami dahil iniintay namin si Gelo if he's lagging too far behind. He's quite becoming too expressive about his quandaries and it's not helping us to keep our own drives and wills in check. So ang one liner of motivation ko sa kanya, "lahat ng nararamdaman mo ay nararamdaman din ng lahat dito... mas vocal lang ikaw." Hehe.

We saw huge almaciga trees along the way. Elmer the Tree Hugger lovingly embraced them each. The diameter of the biggest we saw are worth four huge people circled around it hand-in-hand. The simian in me makes me feel warm and at home on these trees as well, haha. Hooooome!

There's a point where it's not recommendable anymore to wait for Gelo at his pace, so we decided to wait for him on Marbel River crossing at the foot of the mountain instead. The river crossing should be crossed with daylight or it could get dangerous because of known flashfloods around the area.

I am beginning to fail my will-check as well. My legs are wobbly and I can't carry a good balance anymore. I can see the same with Elmer. I know better than too retire along the slopes, nag-focus ako instead na mas bilisan pang makarating sa ilog although frankly sobrang affected na yung pace ko.

Trail food: pasas

Gelo after the Boulders, the sulfur vent below us

We followed a muddy trail heading to a beautiful falls that drops to the raging Marbel River below. Bangin sa magkabilang gilid ng trail na ang huhulugan ay yung ilog sa baba (mga 80 meter drop din yun siguro). Yung dulo ng trail will open up to a steep descent going down the river banks. May small pond na may hot springs sa dulo! Parang reward after the winding descent.

Pahinga lang kami ng konti sa hot springs at umalis na din agad dahil pagabi na. Elmer and I later turned back after we ended up on what looks like a dead-end through a river crossing. Naliligaw na kami. Dito namin naabutan ang mga makakasama naming hikers for the rest of the trek back to Kidapawan. Tinawag na lang namin ni Elmer na the "Survivor 9" and grupong ito.

Survivor 9: Obi, Elmer, Philip, Deng + wife, Kath, Apple, father and son tandem of John and Diego (12 yrs old and one of the youngest to traverse Mount Apo)

Day 3, Evening (Marbel River, Kidapawan, South Cotobato)

It was already dark when we figured out a way through the dead end. We emerged along the rocky riverbanks of Marbel. Headlamps out na kaming siyam. Sa sobrang dilim, hindi na namin alam kung saan dadaan. We rely on stone markers strewn along the river and even those were hard to find in the gloom.

River crossing time! Ang lakas ng curent at hindi imposibleng matangay kami habang tumatawid. Kapit kamay kaming tumatawid ng ilog and I can't imagine how we can traverse the river crossings kung kaming dalwa lang ni Elmer ang natuloy.

In all, there are more than 15 river crossings na tinawid namin. We have to go back and forth across the river dahil hindi consistently na nasa isang side lang yung riverbank (which is the trail itself heading to Lake Agco). On one of these crosses, Elmer was dragged into the water. Buti na lang mababaw yung pinagbagsakan niya and no harm occurred, aside of course soaking him wet and rendering him even colder. Crossing Marbel River while looking for stone markers didn't help speed up our trek. Anticipated namin na mga madaling araw na kami makakarating ng Kidapawan. We're walking for more than half a day already.

Along the way, nadaanan namin ang isang mother-and-son climbers with three local porters with them. Hulog sila ng langit! Hindi na namin kelangan mangapa ng trail. We just followed them through, their porters acting as guides. There's a watersource along the way. Dito na kami nagpahinga and re-conditioned ourselves. Dinner ko nun ay pasas at choco chip cookies.

Lake Venado from near the summit

Other tributaries run from atop the mountains down to Marbel River

Dinner: pasas, chocolate chip cookies

May signal na kami this time so tumawag yung mga kasama namin sa climb organizer, who sent back porters to haul the other stragglers behind us. We can only hope Gelo is all right. There are already reports of several injured climbers and we on the Survivor 9 already has an injured person as well (Kath who twisted her ankle and despite that still trudged on unabated) - what a toughy.

Pag tapos ng madaming river crossings, balik forest yung trail. A straight out ascent for about 15 minutes more before we ended up on this nipa house along the trail (sign of civilization). Malapit na kami! Another 15 minutes through the ridge and after a short descent, we're out to Kidapawan paved roads! Kalsada sa wakas!

A short hike to the nearby Lake Agco Resort and we're all good at last. 11PM kami nakarating sa resort and it's a grand total of about 15-17 hours of walk since we left the summit campsite. Astig! Elmer and I had a nice meal of sinigang na bangus + eggs. We can only ask around for Gelo's whereabouts from other climbers who started trickling in.

contemplating "why in the world am I doing this" haha (Apo Summit)

There are different accounts about Gelo and iba't iba ang kwento ng iba't ibang climbers that was able to interact with him along the trail. I heard of a guy who he offered to swap backpacks with. There's another whom he asked water from. There are some who told he was with the injured party (although we can't pinpoint what exactly the injury was).

In the end, just learning that he's safe with the sweeping team is good for us. He arrived in the Kidapawan resort by 3AM.

*****

All's well that ends well. I'm seriously considering the Mount Apo trek to be my last climb. It tested my physical and mental limits but what's important is I know I won't back out (or falter) in the face of such circumstances. It made me look at how life can be cheap in the mountains in a different way. The beauty of the land does not come without a cost.

It's a two way renewal of respect for me: respect on my abilities to survive independently and respect to what nature can bring to us mountaineers in the wild. I may eventually forget how much pain the hike did to my legs and whatever physiological effects 3 and a half days in the mountain did to my bodily systems. But I would never forget the memories of what I conquered during those days and that in the end, everything's still worth it and I can only be too proud by finishing the journey.

i strong!!!

*****

Pictures:

From My Camera
From Other Cameras

*****

Acknowledgements:

Pinoy Mountaineer (Doc Gideon and Team) for organizing the climb. It could have been organized better but I acknowledge the challenges behind such an ambitious event.

Elmer and Gelo for the company and invite and everything shared during the climb.

The 60+ participants of the 2010 Mount Apo Sembreak Climb, especially the Survivor 9. Mabuhay tayo mga mam and sir!

Kath and my family for the support and inspiration to get on with the journey. Knowing there are people back home wishing me well and worrying for my safety gives me the will to carry on when it's on the verge of breaking down. Naks!

My Man upstairs, of course... for giving me the opportunity and strength of mind, body, and spirit to undertake such unforgettable trek. I am very fortunate to be able to wonder at His most majestic creations and walk out of it alive. Haha. My utmost thanks to Him!

Saw Mindanao From Above

Isang linggo na nang makalakad na ulit ako ng normal. The week before that, the first week after the Mount Apo trip, was a painful remembrance to me. Kada hakbang, ngumingiwi ako sa sakit ng binti ko. A very minor inconvenience. See, the pain is gone now but the memories remained. So kahit medyo huli na ng dalwang linggo, bago ko makalimutan ang lahat sa pagka-ulyanin, let me share a journey to finally cross out an item on my bucket list - to climb the summit of Mount Apo.

It was an open climb organized by Pinoy Mountaineers dubbed Mount Apo Sembreak Climb 2010. Elmer sent out an invite around the second quarter of this year and it was me and Gelo who dedicatedly showed interest.

To make it short, we and 65 other souls braved Davao on October 22 to join what could easily have been one of the biggest group to traverse Mount Apo. And before I start with my usual blow-by-blow recount of my glorious journey, here's some quick facts...

Quick Facts:

Coordinates (peak): 6.9875N, 125.270833E
Location: Davao del Sur / Cotobato / Bukidnon
Jump Off Point: Barangay Kapatagan, Digos, Davao del Sur
Drop Off Point: Lake Agko Resort, Kidapawan, South Cotobato
Elevation (peak): 2,954 meters
Climb Level: 7-9 (Experienced)
Estimated climbing time: average 10-12 hrs/day at 3 days

On with the show...

handy dandy notepad is IN

Day 1, Old Domestic Airport
2:40AM - Checked in at Zesto Air, Flight Z2 390 - Seat 10C

Gelo Screw Up: Said we meet at NAIA Terminal 3.
Me and Elmer Screw Up: We believed Gelo. Argh.

(So we have to take a quick cab to the Old Domestic Airport. What a way to bode of things to come.)

(In the airport, I saw random groups of potential Mount Apo climbers flying with us. I can recall seeing Pinggoy, Estella/Princess and their group, and Julius and his group.)

4:54 - Departure from Manila (delayed by an hour!)

(One of the mountaineers told us that he already informed the climb organizers in Davao that the team coming from Manila via Zesto Air will be late.)

Day 1, Davao International Airport (Davao del Sur)
6:38AM - Arrival in Davao City
7:30 - took a cab to People's Park

(After mustering in Davao City, all climbers - two ordinary buses worth - went to Digos for some last minute preps. Head count projected us at 68, excluding the porters.)

Participants of Mount Apo Sembreak Climb 2010

http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2010/10/roster-of-mt-apo-sembreak-climb.html

9:35 - Digos City

(We took a quick breakfast in Jollibee before buying potable water for the climb. I bought two double cheeseburgers to go - which I lovingly called the quadruple cheeseburgers for the entire climb - for my next two major meals along the trek.)

11:19 - Welcome to Barangay Kapatagan
11:31 - Mount Apo Trekkers' Information Center

(We stopped here for registration, stretched a bit, and enjoyed a piece of banana... nenok from a good Samaritan in front of us.)

11:58AM - Barangay Kapatagan Proper

(We transferred into a 10-wheeler truck as the buses can only go as far. Yes, all 60+ of us plus our oversized backpacks precariously hanging on for dear lives on a ten-wheeler flatbed. Reminds me of an Ork trukk. It's so cramped most of us are standing/balancing/or whatever Yoga pose we can manage to stay alive while the truck-of-doom trudges through bumps and curves further into the jump point. The driver won't even slow down. I smell organizational fail this early in the climb.

Still, it's an early adventure for most of us!)

That's the truck... and yes, all people you see in the photo eventually fit on the flatbed

12:42 - Walk to the Dropoff Point

(After about 15 minutes of being tossed like salad greens around the flatbed, the driver came to his senses and stopped to give us a break - or at least that's what I assume. Some of us elected to finish the trip on foot instead. That includes me, Elmer, and Gelo.)

(Malapit na lang naman DAW. We never thought it's the local definition of "malapit". So ayun, instant warm-up for us. It's a good thing that 15 minutes through the walk, a passing elf truck gave us a ride all the way to the jump off.)

1:08 - Purok Mainit (Kapatagan Trail Jump Off Point)
1:36 - 25 Celcius

(Prepping up for the trek. The sky is not boding well, medyo makulimlim na. I love Gelo very much so I opted to carry the entire tent set that we'll later share instead of him carrying half of the load as originally planned. Haha!)

1:49 - Start of Trek (activated my stopwatch)

2:22PM - it started raining (early blessing for the team)
2:32 - stop to rest (on a small town along the trail)

(We bought Pepsi to share. "Heretics!" I can hear Pork say.)

3:23 - further along the trail, may signal pa din

(Nakapag text pa ako kay Kath. Nilabas ko na din ang aking mahiwagang trail food - Banana Chips! I was also able to use this Globe function to post status in Facebook via SMS. I was thinking this could be a good tool to exploit for mountaineers in need of help, rescue, or anything when in trail and has a mobile signal available. I'll ponder about its feasibility sometimes.)

Trail Food: banana chips

a couple of hours into the trek

4:00 - 21 Celcius (sobrang putek na sa trail!)
4:47 - lights out

(Sobrang dilim na ng langit dahil sa ulan. Nag-labas na kami ng mga headlamps. The trail was so damp and all these mossy branches and weeping leaves against the backdraft of our lights create an eerie feel to the surroundings. Parang scene sa horror flick.)

5:42PM - 2hrs to Barureng Campsite (so they say)

(Of course I don't delude myself that it's really just around 2 hours. From the start, time estimates given to us by the organizers are inaccurate either because it's based on the speed of local porters or due to impediments on the itinerary. Whatever means of divination they used, I find it more accurate to always add 1 or 2 more hours to what they tell.)

(We have to stop to wait for the others to determine the correct trail. Madaming parts along the way na malabo kung saan ang tamang trail. Chummy chummy chit chat with a Malaysian co-hiker while waiting. Sa kanila daw may palatandaan lahat ng trails at hindi nang-iiwan ang porter! Haha.)

6:14 - re-grouped with a bunch of hikers after river crossing
7:35 - stop to rest

(Nahihilo na daw si Gelo. A medic took care of the big guy. I dunno what bargaining he did but he convinced the lad to carry his backpack for him. Seeing he's taken care of, I can't do much but to go ahead of the group and aim to find a nice spot to camp in Godi Godi, our final stop for the day.)

gloves out na... masakit na sa kamay yung mga talahib

(I passed the Barureng Campsite and Tinakaran River several minutes after. Robot-mode na ako as we push for Godi Godi. Hindi ko na nararamdaman ang bigat ng backpack ko or sakit ng katawan ko. Ang target ko na lang ay makarating sa campsite. The last leg of the trail heading to Godi Godi is a bit technical, with toppled trees blocking the path and the mud ever thickening due to rain.)

9:41 - Godi Godi Campsite

(I made it to the campsite! All soggy and tired and bruised and starving and cold. No idea where Elmer and Gelo are but at that time, with the state I'm in, I frankly couldn't care more. Andami nang tent na nakatayo at sobrang liit lang pala nung campsite. Buti nakasingit ako sa isang sulok na occupied ng mga taga Texas Instruments. Sakto lang ang tent ko.)

10:01 - pitched my 5'x5' tent by myself and in the cold rain (one proud camper!)

(Pumasok yung ulan sa loob ng tent that triggered a condensation cycle that wet the interiors even more. Argh! This is the point I regret underestimating the Mount Apo conditions and have to face the consequences of being underpacked. I packed with expectations of a dry climb kaya tiis tiis ako sa lamig.)

10:37PM - Dinner Time

(Dobol cheeseburger for dinner! Pero bago ang lahat, malupet na dasal muna kay Bro for surviving Day 1 and giving me the opportunity and strength to undertake this journey. Ayon sa stopwatch ko, I was walking for 7 hours and 51 minutes, excluding stops to rest or re-pack.)

Dinner: Jollibee double cheeseburger

(Gelo arrived about an hour after, his chummy chummy Red Cross medic in tow. Natutulog na ko with what limited dry clothes I have. It's literally dripping everywhere inside the tent. Sa sobrang lamig, nasa paa ko nakasuot yung bonette. It was an unpleasant and wet Day 1 sleep for me.)

Day 2, Godi Godi Campsite
5:20AM - wakey wakey!
(Every other hour nagigising ako sa lamig or sa tulo ng tubig.)

my tent at Godi Godi

6:20 - still no Sun, but it stopped raining at least
6:33 - breakfast time


Breakfast: quail eggs, tinapay, vitamin C

(When I planned my diet for the trek, I made sure that I won't be dependent on any preps. So lahat ng pagkain ko hindi kelangan lutuin.)

8:17 - break camp

(Reunion with Elmer. Nag emergency camp siya sa trail the previous night with nobody from the organizing group noticing it. Some organizational fail there. Being the true camper, he was self-contained and decided to set camp nung naligaw siya and waited till the next day to push through. He made it to Godi Godi just before everybody's broken camp.)

** From here, my handy dandy notepad is soaking wet and I can't write on it anymore. Nabasa ito nung pati yung loob ng bag ko nag-condense na din. Moving forward, all accounts are from what I can recall along the journey.

Day 2, Morning

Elmer went ahead of the trail. Me and Gelo joined Pinggoy and a climbing couple to start the day's trek. Next target is the Mount Apo summit itself through the infamous "Boulders" trail. First part of the trek is a 75-80 degree ascent through dense foliage.

 on to the Boulders

The spectacle came when we emerged from the forest. The sight of the Boulders of Mount Apo. It was literally otherwordly! Ahead of us is a long strip (around 1.25km) of monolithic white-gray slabs of boulders all the way up to the distant cloudscape covering the summit. It's a mixed emotion for me... I was so enthralled dahil sooobrang ganda ng trail leading to the peak that I never thought I can see something like this out of pictures in my life. At the same time though, the sheer ascend (around 85 degree angle) and the rugged terrain (plus the ever thinning air) frankly challenged my will to push through. I can only see "PAIN" written all over the rocky outcroppings.

Picture picture time!

one of our stops along the Boulders

We caught up with Elmer along the boulder trail. He was also relishing the scenery that he aptly called "Mordor". The sight was literally taken from the reels of Lord of the Rings. To add up to the mood, there's a huge geyser of sulfur on the left side of the trail, spewing gas that reeks of rotten eggs. There are also minor vents along the boulder path that exudes the poisonous pale-yellow gas, consequently discoloring the boulders.

With the Shak Expeditionary Corps reunited, we clawed and hauled our way up to the summit (still some 6 to 7 hours from where we emerged in the jungle). Upper body strength ang kelangan dahil lumala pa lalo yung angle ng pagka-tarik. May parts ng assault na halos vertical na yung angle. Dito lamang si Gelo.

assault to Mordor

We took a longer, more winding path on the right side of the trail. Iniiwasan namin yung sulfur vent. Still, pag tumama yung hangin, dinadala pa din sa amin yung usok at amoy bulok na itlog pa din!

Trail food: chocolate bar

Halfway through the boulders, umulan na naman ng malakas. As if kulang pa ang paghihirap namin sa lamig at lakad at sa amoy ng bulok na itlog. Parang walang katapusan yung bundok. Lampas na kami sa sulfur vent ng parang milya milya pero pag tumingala ka sa taas ang layo pa din tignan ng tuktok. Lekat na Apo yan. Respect! Hehe. Looking down, I can see the rest of the hikers in pinpricks of various colors. All around them is a vaaaaast swathe of green, gray and blue that are trees, land, and the sea! Para akong tumitingin sa isang Google Earth na naka zoom-view! It was soooooo humbling a view!

Day 2, Afternoon

Trail food lang ang lunch ko. Hard to have a decent lunch in that condition (it's raining cold and there's no considerably flat area to lounge for too long).

Lunch: tapang pusit, pasas

clouds + sulfuric smog

Closing in on the summit crater, the terrain changed from boulders to a slippery reddish clay and low shrubs. It's still raining and we have to walk counterflowing the stream of water coming from above. Ang mura ng buhay. One slip and you'll die. Take note that our backpacks still weigh around 25 kilos at the least dahil may dalawang araw pa kaming worth of food.

If I remember correctly, asa gitna ng 3:30 to 4PM kami nakadating sa crater ng Mount Apo. At first akala ko summit na yung inaakyat namin, hindi pa pala. It's just the crater. Sobrang lamig na sa part na ito dahil bad combo ang basa + hangin. By the way, yes... bulkan ang Mount Apo, only inactive. Ang ganda ng crater niya and frankly mas nagagandahan ako sa itsura niya kesa sa itsura ng summit. Sans the jolog names scraped along the coast of the crater, the surroundings look awesome.

the crater lip

After some 15 minute climb from the crater, we reached the summit! Sobrang lamig and I was literally chilling. Everybody's doing their summit pics and all I was able to utter when Elmer asked for a photo was "Fuck summit pics, let's go to camp!".

I agree with Elmer when he said that the Apo summit was not among the prettiest there are... it's barren and unenticing and reeks of rotten eggs. The view from up there could be solid beauty IF only it's a clear sky but I heard it's rare. Being wet and cold does not help either.

Still, my self-fullfilment can't be ignored. My appreciation came more from within than without. I am swelling with pride, as if no mountain is unconquerable anymore. I made it in one piece and, most importantly, independently. Parang kaya ko nang palitan si Survivor Man sa Discovery Channel. Truly, this is one experience I'll be bragging with over and over and over.

Mount Apo Summit

Nauna kami ni Elmer kay Gelo sa summit. So hinintay lang namin siya dumating, mag piktyur ng konti, then sumugod na din kami agad papuntang campsite. It's just about another 10 minute descent from the summit. This time, maganda ang campsite. It's expansive (great for big groups like us) and there are huge slabs of boulders you can use as shield against the wind.

Maaga kami nakapag setup ng tent and at least this time, katulong ko na si Gelo mag pitch. He was able to bargain his way with the local porters to get water (from a nearby source) for us. Walang signal sa campsite na ito ang Globe. Bummer.

Day 2, Evening

The rest of the night was spent chit chatting. It was stark cold outside, somebody from Texas Instruments announced that we are at 8.5 Celcius. It's still colder in Mount Pulag on average, but I haven't anticipated for this cold. I really regret underestimating the mountain but, again, at least I'm prepared to pay the consequences. Uh well, it's another chilling night for me.

My dinner was the second double-cheeseburger from yesterday. The best! Elmer prepared us Jampong. Siya lang ang may dalang burner sa amin. Maganda ang spot ng tent namin this time and condensation was less and wala nang masyadong drip from the tent walls. May konting basa pa din but at least I had a better sleep than Day 1 albeit still cold. It's also worth noting that I pitched the tent on a bad angle. Fail! Didn't stop me to have a passably good sleep despite it being uncomfortable and awkward.

Dinner: Jollibee double cheeseburger, diatabs

Day 3, Mount Apo Summit Campsite

Day 3, Morning

summit campsite, 8.5 Celcius

Hindi pa din ako nakatulog ng diretso. Every other hour I wake up. We have to break camp early dahil ang target ay we should be moving by around 8AM. Naghanap ng porter si Gelo para sa gamit niya pero walang available. Uh well. Ako pa din ang magdadala ng tent.

Breakfast: canned tuna paella

Nung umaga nakatikim kami ng ARAW sa wakas! Kanya kanyang bilad ng gamit para magpatuyo. By 8AM, some group started to start the descent. Our first target is Lake Venado, a pristine inlet situated on an expansive plateau some hundred meters from the summit campsite.

Elmer went ahead. I descended with Gelo. I like the trail going down better. It's all rolling hills with small shrubberies. Mga 3 hours DAW from the campsite ang Lake Venado. After emerging from a brief ascend from the campsite to the other side of the crater, nakita na namin ang Lake Venado from afar. It looks lovely.

descent to Lake Venado

Nagkahiwalay ulit kami ni Gelo somewhere along the trail. Mas napapagod kasi ako pag patigil-tigil. That's the same reason I detested doing sweeper duties for our previous climb in Mount Pulag.

May point na sinabayan ko yung mga porters bumaba. Sooobrang bilis at partida naka paa lang sila (maputik kasi in the last half of the descent to Venado). I was able to give chase for only about 15-20 minutes pero after that napagod din ako at pina-una ko na sila. I made the rest of the trek to Lake Venado alone. Maputik pa din sa trail kahit may araw kaya sobrang madulas. The last part of the walk before emerging to the lake was a swampy area.

Parang mas nagustuhan ko mag-trek in my lonesome. Parang "US time" namin ni Nanay Kalikasan hehe. May ibang sensation para sa akin being in the wilds, it's a primal thing having nothing materialistic or artificial to worry about. Ang iniisip mo lang is to survive and enjoy the "ride". Nakakatakot nga lang na baka may sumakmal na lang sa kin bigla from somewhere, hahaha. Parang Predator!

At Lake Venado, I caught up with Elmer and lounged for a while. Dito na din ako nag "tanghalian" - skyflakes at tapang pusit (quickly became my favorite camping food). Nakuha ko na din mag toothbrush sa wakas. Nag igib si Elmer ng tubig para sa amin from a watersource nearby. We are kinda hesitant if it's potable but after sampling it, I think it's safe. Well, hopefully.

Lunch: Skyflakes, tapang pusit

Me, Gelo, Elmer at Lake Venado and the Apo summit behind us

From Lake Venado, the summit of Mount Apo is stunning. The lake area is a thing of beauty as well. If only we could lounge longer or even camp here for the day but we need to move on because we have to catch daylight before the river crossing to Lake Agco, Kidapawan.

Gelo arrived after about half an hour, still looking for an available porter to no avail. And just as we set off to continue the final descent to Kidapawan, it rained hard yet again. Argh!

Day 3, Afternoon

They said it's another 7 hours to our destination. So I set my mind that this is a potentially 8-9 hour walk back to civilization instead. The first part of the trail which is considerably flat is all swamp and moss and mud.

After an hour and so of walk, the terrain changed to a steep descent through a rainforest going down to Marbel River. Me, Elmer, and Gelo decided to take it together. I had my share of a screw-up as I (leading the trail) almost led them to cross a sheer cliff with nothing but a wornout branch as a handhold. A passing group showed us an easier trail (not easy by any means, but still easier) so the rest circled back while I (too further out in the crossing to back out) continued with the help of the new-comers. A slip meaning death... yet again. But I made through the cliff and I'm one proud homey.

Apo summit from the Lake Venado grounds

Patigil tigil kami dahil iniintay namin si Gelo if he's lagging too far behind. He's quite becoming too expressive about his quandaries and it's not helping us to keep our own drives and wills in check. So ang one liner of motivation ko sa kanya, "lahat ng nararamdaman mo ay nararamdaman din ng lahat dito... mas vocal lang ikaw." Hehe.

We saw huge almaciga trees along the way. Elmer the Tree Hugger lovingly embraced them each. The diameter of the biggest we saw are worth four huge people circled around it hand-in-hand. The simian in me makes me feel warm and at home on these trees as well, haha. Hooooome!

There's a point where it's not recommendable anymore to wait for Gelo at his pace, so we decided to wait for him on Marbel River crossing at the foot of the mountain instead. The river crossing should be crossed with daylight or it could get dangerous because of known flashfloods around the area.

I am beginning to fail my will-check as well. My legs are wobbly and I can't carry a good balance anymore. I can see the same with Elmer. I know better than too retire along the slopes, nag-focus ako instead na mas bilisan pang makarating sa ilog although frankly sobrang affected na yung pace ko.

Trail food: pasas

Gelo after the Boulders, the sulfur vent below us

We followed a muddy trail heading to a beautiful falls that drops to the raging Marbel River below. Bangin sa magkabilang gilid ng trail na ang huhulugan ay yung ilog sa baba (mga 80 meter drop din yun siguro). Yung dulo ng trail will open up to a steep descent going down the river banks. May small pond na may hot springs sa dulo! Parang reward after the winding descent.

Pahinga lang kami ng konti sa hot springs at umalis na din agad dahil pagabi na. Elmer and I later turned back after we ended up on what looks like a dead-end through a river crossing. Naliligaw na kami. Dito namin naabutan ang mga makakasama naming hikers for the rest of the trek back to Kidapawan. Tinawag na lang namin ni Elmer na the "Survivor 9" and grupong ito.

Survivor 9: Obi, Elmer, Philip, Deng + wife, Kath, Apple, father and son tandem of John and Diego (12 yrs old and one of the youngest to traverse Mount Apo)

Day 3, Evening (Marbel River, Kidapawan, South Cotobato)

It was already dark when we figured out a way through the dead end. We emerged along the rocky riverbanks of Marbel. Headlamps out na kaming siyam. Sa sobrang dilim, hindi na namin alam kung saan dadaan. We rely on stone markers strewn along the river and even those were hard to find in the gloom.

River crossing time! Ang lakas ng curent at hindi imposibleng matangay kami habang tumatawid. Kapit kamay kaming tumatawid ng ilog and I can't imagine how we can traverse the river crossings kung kaming dalwa lang ni Elmer ang natuloy.

In all, there are more than 15 river crossings na tinawid namin. We have to go back and forth across the river dahil hindi consistently na nasa isang side lang yung riverbank (which is the trail itself heading to Lake Agco). On one of these crosses, Elmer was dragged into the water. Buti na lang mababaw yung pinagbagsakan niya and no harm occurred, aside of course soaking him wet and rendering him even colder. Crossing Marbel River while looking for stone markers didn't help speed up our trek. Anticipated namin na mga madaling araw na kami makakarating ng Kidapawan. We're walking for more than half a day already.

Along the way, nadaanan namin ang isang mother-and-son climbers with three local porters with them. Hulog sila ng langit! Hindi na namin kelangan mangapa ng trail. We just followed them through, their porters acting as guides. There's a watersource along the way. Dito na kami nagpahinga and re-conditioned ourselves. Dinner ko nun ay pasas at choco chip cookies.

Lake Venado from near the summit

Other tributaries run from atop the mountains down to Marbel River

Dinner: pasas, chocolate chip cookies

May signal na kami this time so tumawag yung mga kasama namin sa climb organizer, who sent back porters to haul the other stragglers behind us. We can only hope Gelo is all right. There are already reports of several injured climbers and we on the Survivor 9 already has an injured person as well (Kath who twisted her ankle and despite that still trudged on unabated) - what a toughy.

Pag tapos ng madaming river crossings, balik forest yung trail. A straight out ascent for about 15 minutes more before we ended up on this nipa house along the trail (sign of civilization). Malapit na kami! Another 15 minutes through the ridge and after a short descent, we're out to Kidapawan paved roads! Kalsada sa wakas!

A short hike to the nearby Lake Agco Resort and we're all good at last. 11PM kami nakarating sa resort and it's a grand total of about 15-17 hours of walk since we left the summit campsite. Astig! Elmer and I had a nice meal of sinigang na bangus + eggs. We can only ask around for Gelo's whereabouts from other climbers who started trickling in.

contemplating "why in the world am I doing this" haha (Apo Summit)

There are different accounts about Gelo and iba't iba ang kwento ng iba't ibang climbers that was able to interact with him along the trail. I heard of a guy who he offered to swap backpacks with. There's another whom he asked water from. There are some who told he was with the injured party (although we can't pinpoint what exactly the injury was).

In the end, just learning that he's safe with the sweeping team is good for us. He arrived in the Kidapawan resort by 3AM.

*****

All's well that ends well. I'm seriously considering the Mount Apo trek to be my last climb. It tested my physical and mental limits but what's important is I know I won't back out (or falter) in the face of such circumstances. It made me look at how life can be cheap in the mountains in a different way. The beauty of the land does not come without a cost.

It's a two way renewal of respect for me: respect on my abilities to survive independently and respect to what nature can bring to us mountaineers in the wild. I may eventually forget how much pain the hike did to my legs and whatever physiological effects 3 and a half days in the mountain did to my bodily systems. But I would never forget the memories of what I conquered during those days and that in the end, everything's still worth it and I can only be too proud by finishing the journey.

i strong!!!

*****

Pictures:

From My Camera
From Other Cameras

*****

Acknowledgements:

Pinoy Mountaineer (Doc Gideon and Team) for organizing the climb. It could have been organized better but I acknowledge the challenges behind such an ambitious event.

Elmer and Gelo for the company and invite and everything shared during the climb.

The 60+ participants of the 2010 Mount Apo Sembreak Climb, especially the Survivor 9. Mabuhay tayo mga mam and sir!

Kath and my family for the support and inspiration to get on with the journey. Knowing there are people back home wishing me well and worrying for my safety gives me the will to carry on when it's on the verge of breaking down. Naks!

My Man upstairs, of course... for giving me the opportunity and strength of mind, body, and spirit to undertake such unforgettable trek. I am very fortunate to be able to wonder at His most majestic creations and walk out of it alive. Haha. My utmost thanks to Him!