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The Spirit of Mt. Banahaw
Source: Manila Bulletin
Author: Karl C. Velhagen
Date: 2001-02-09
 
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!




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