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CANADA
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EUROPE
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Philippines |
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The Spirit of Mt. Banahaw |
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Source: Manila Bulletin |
Author: Karl C. Velhagen |
Date: 2001-02-09 |
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It rained the week prior to the climb. The possibility of
aborting the trip was in the air. However, we did not
want to let the weather get into the way, so we
agreed to pursue the trip and decide right there
whether to proceed or not.
We left Parañaque at 0530H of Dec. 8 and arrived at the
town of Kinabuhayan (elevation 576 meters ASL) by
0830H. Of course a pit stop was made at a popular
fastfood along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) for
breakfast.
At the foothill town of Kinabuhayan, Aling Gloria at her
store warmly met us. Through her we met our porters.
We turned over our 30 pound back-packs to them. On
our backs were lighter loads composed of our valuable
water canteens jackets, a few extra clothes, and trail
food (a.k.a. favorite snack food and candies). By 0930H,
we were on the trail.
The sun was out, the sheltered trail was wet with rain,
the scenery was lush. As we made our way up, we could
hear the soothing sound of a stream which ran parallel
to us. As we progressed, we got a clear view of neighboring Mt. Cristobal. Two hours later
we arrived at our first stop, “Tatlong Tangke” (Three Tanks) for lunch.
We were already at an elevation of 1,037 meters. There
was a hut by a stream that provided trekkers water and
shelter. At a distance we could see the town of Lipa, as
told to us by our porters. Soon after we had our lunch, a
fog set in, it began to rain, and it got colder. We
unpacked our rain gear and prepared for the next
stretch.
Just as we approached our first obstacle, a steep trail
fitted with rope, the rain stopped and the sun shone.
Before we took a step further, we got out of our rain
gear. Then we climbed the wall. I felt my muscles
hardening and feared that a cramp was setting in. I felt
that we had relaxed our muscles too long or at least for
me.
My first 30 minutes were very difficult and the degree of difficulty had increased as we
pushed further up. We were no longer alone on the trail. A group of five (obviously much
younger) were trailing us and sometimes overtaking us. Our next stop was Kapatagan at
an elevation of 1,589 meters and another three to four hours trek time.
The climb became more intense. As we made our way up we kept conversation to a
minimum. We stopped every 30 minutes and limited it to about two to three minutes just to
rest our fannies, drink our precious water, and chew on our trail food. Our shirts were
drenched with perspiration.
We reached Katapagan safely. Kapatagan being the last camp ground for trekkers,
provided shelter and water. For larger groups, this would be the ideal place to set up camp
as the grounds were wide enough. The summit was only another hour-and-a-half away.
We replenished our water canteens, took pictures and had a fellowship. We were very
happy with our accomplishment so far. It had not been easy for us middle-aged men. We
had remained focused all the way up providing each other with words of encouragement.
More importantly, we said private prayers asking our Lord for His gift of endurance and
blanket of safety.
Fifteen minutes later, we were ready to move on. The trail got steeper, muddier, and more
difficult for us. There were tree logs we had to climb over, crawl under, and even balance
ourselves on. The trail narrowed down with low hanging branches and exposed roots. The
trick here was to keep your head low avoiding sharp edges, keep your footing balanced,
and avoid getting your feet caught in the very thick above-ground roots.
We had agreed that as we approached the summit, team leader, Bambi Guevarra, and his
porter would take a faster pace. Their objective was to secure a portion of the campsite for
us.
By 1630H (two hours and 10 minutes since we left Kapatagan) my buddy Rey Adriano and I
arrived at the summit. It was a time for joy and relief. Bambi was there to meet us with
much jubilation.
The fog had set in and it felt colder than Baguio. Regretfully, we could not see the bottom
of the crater, as the fog was thick on the crater side.
We then moved on to a site Bambi had chosen for us. It was wide enough for our tent and
had a bed of leaves to serve as our cushion. Once done setting up our tent, we brought
out our cooking gear and foodstuff and started preparing for dinner. Our “gourmet” dinner
consisted of crackers, noodle soup and sardines. Was it delicious!
By about 1830H we were huddled in fellowship and took time to thank, honor, and praise
the Lord for having given us the strength to make this climb safely.
At 0630H the following day we were up and preparing breakfast. We cooked rice, and for
all of us this was our first time. We had the rest of our beef sausages. Not bad for
“gourmet” cooks such as ourselves.
Immediately after, we had cleaned up our mess, packed our trash, and prepared to break
camp. Before we trekked down, we posed by a cross and took some pictures, then we
prayed for our safety and good weather. We bade goodbye to our fellow campers.
The trek down was faster. Instead of two hours from Kapatagan the day before, it took us
just a little over an hour to get back. We exchanged warm greetings with day trekkers on
their way up. Continuing our climb down, we had to be more focused. Portions were
slippery and still muddy. At some points we had to slide down on our fannies. All together it
had just taken us approximately five hours to reach the town of Kinabuhayan.
By 1500H we were on the road. We were literally speechless all the way from Kinabuhayan
to Sto. Tomas. We were tired and sleepy. At 1630H we were in Sto. Tomas for an early
dinner of bulalo.
The climb was truly a memorable one. We had made class ’70 of La Salle Greenhills proud.
To the other members of the Outdoor Group of class ’70, Pat Lee, Mario Nazareno, Ferdi
Mackaibay, Deany Bocobo, thanks for all the encouragement. This one was for you!
Animo La Salle! Animo class ’70!
[ Mt. Banahaw Wiki ]
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