Trek to the Clouds (Reaching Mount Pulag's Summit)

If I would choose a hobby, I will do mountaineering, wall and rock climbing, and other extreme sports. I always have this thirst for Adventure. But my life and what I do for living had been going to a different direction. It was not until last January 19, 2008 when I, a mountaineer wannabe, a person who used to work in front of a computer the whole day, have been given a chance to climb a mountain again. And to my surprise – It will be Mount Pulag!

Mount Pulag Quick Facts:

* 2nd highest mountain of the Philippines (2,922 meters above sea level), next to Mt. Apo of Mindanao with only a few meters difference, also more than ¼ of Mt. Everest (world’s highest)
* Highest in Luzon
* a natural habitat of endemic species of wild plants, such as dwarf bamboo and the benguet pine, and wild species of birds, long haired fruit bats, Philippine deer and giant bushy tailed cloud rats.
* At the summit is the coldest point of the country

So for that day I scheduled myself for a different activity – The Mount Pulag Trek. I with Rey (of course!), former high school classmates Robin and Amiel, and twelve other people who I just got to know that same day, we are all set and excited to reach the peak of Mount Pulag.

Our point of origin – Manila. We gathered at Nestlé reception area, Cubao. There I met new people. They’re all from Nestlé and I was almost hesitant to bring out a bottle of Absolute mineral water or of any rival brands. Hahaha. Victory Liner is just nearby. And there we found ourselves ready (ready?) for a trip to Baguio. We took the opportunity to sleep while on ride for 6 hours. Inside the bus, the air conditioning unit was such a jerk. How can I sleep while freezing? Arrggh! Rey underestimated the temperature too. We thought that is all the coldness we’re gonna take, nah! When we arrived at Baguio, almost 5 AM, hell it was really twice as cold as inside the bus! So I rushed to get and wear another jacket while Rey rushed to wear his shoe and socks (magtsinelas ba naman kasi papunta sa Baguio!).

At Baguio, another long ride awaits. We moved to a hired jeepney – a jeepney that was meant to bring us to the DENR office for briefing and also meant to bring us to as far as it could go up the mountain (a.k.a the ranger station). We were about to experience something like a rodeo ride. One thing that would have made me not to go is “byahilo”, my weakness. But I bought so much bonamine, why would let a weakness conquer you? I have a summit to reach! A rough road is a rough road, more than I imagined, the ride was really tough. I thought I wasn't gonna puke. I did just once. Two others kept on puking while some others were trying to feel and control the burst (of Lugaw!). While on ride, my ears hurt. I am beginning to feel a lot pressure. The team leaders (who already reached the summit before us and also our organizers) advised us to take off our jackets and get used to the temperature for surely, up there is an open freezer to surprise more our already chilling bodies. Weeee, sa jeep pa lang nga namamanhid na ako!

inside the jeep, everybody finds something to hold on to - it's a rough terrain

mahaba pa ang byahe, mahaba pa ang byahilo

Then we reached Ambuklao Dam. This is the biggest rock filled dam in Asia and one of the huge projects that happened in the Cordillera Area. There we should take some pictures! So we stopped for a while...

Our first shot during the trek. How sweet...

A Boy band for a Music Video

Rey, thinking of taking off that sweater to show off a tshirt

pure excitement!

Good morning Benguet!

must get back to the jeep... it's gonna be a long way up.

We had our breakfast at Jangjang Eatery. After such, we reached the DENR office where we were oriented. Again we took some shots, pwede ba namang hindi?

Jangjang Eatery

the first "Pulag" signboard we saw, worth a shot. (5 youngest on the team, L-R: Rey, me (of course the youngest), Amiel, Robin and Robin's girlfriend - Alex)

A bench, perfect to have a sit here

Briefing... makinig. makinig!

The jeepney rodeo ride wasn't over yet. Next thing was a more swerving, rough, muddy, and rocky road. Puke! All the way to the Ranger Station you see a cliff that could just be 2 steps from the jeepney's left side. That unbelievable, time-tested jeepney still didn't make it easy to reach the Ranger Station. I guess not one did. The guys were made to push and pull that jeepney so it could move on from that one challenging spot. At the station, we ate our packed lunch.

All set for the summit. 16 to climb up, must be 16 to come down.

That is all i have to bring?

Everybody hoped for a good weather. The weather here is so unpredictable. While it is so cold, it also rains. The air gets so thin and it was sometimes hard breathing. It is Rey's first climb and he got a very big and heavy backpack (Angas! The nerve to climb Mount Pulag!). We both got no good exercise before this. Goodluck! Here, let the pictures do the talking:

the real climb begins... jeepney no more.

releasing inhibitions at the mossy, foggy forest

mabigat na nga bag ko, papatungan pa ng kamay. grrr!

sige lakad pa.

Few minutes of rest at Camp 1. Whew!

At Camp 2, there we put on the tents, had dinner, and slept (not really!). It was freaking cold. Cool nga eh kasi pag nagsasalita ka or you exhale may smoke effect pa. This is the "coldest" experience I had in my life. Even with all the cold weather gears, earth pads, gloves, layer of socks, thick sleeping bags - believe me, tagos sa buto ang lamig. The malas thing here was I only got one pair of socks (naiwan ko ba naman sa Ranger Station yung ibang medyas! duh!) and yung nag-iisa na yun ay nabasa pa while we were trekking. So I slept with no socks at all. Even if we tightly locked each other in embrace the whole night, I and Rey were still chilling (ta-ta-ta-ta-ta) and freeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzing. Napapamura na ako ng sobra sa lintik na lamig na yan pero at times parang naninigas na rin yung dila ko! The weather was also bad. With that stituation, Rey thought of giving up the summit and just stay in Camp 2 while we wait for some brave others to get back after tomorrow's climb. Deep inside, I did not agree but I did not want him to worry. When it was again another morning, we bravely opened our tent while our hands were shaking (Brrrrr....). There were thin pieces of ice or snow just outside our tent. Wow.

think it's comfy? IT ISN'T! Next time, bring something more than that! Triple.

God answered my prayers. The weather didn't stay bad the next day, only some few fog and rain (still freezing). I really wanted to go up and reach the mountain's peak no matter what. Rey too but was only so worried of what might happen to me. Then again, while two out of sixteen decided not to pursue the summit due to body aches and slight fever, God answered my silent prayers and Rey changed mind. We will go up! Yehey!

Though we haven't slept that night at all, the sweet adventure continued.

The Lone Tree

Malayo pa ba?

It says 1.5 km to the Grassland summit

Robin maybe wants to bring that pole home

taking photos of these slow climbers

and here are the slow climbers

trying to keep up to the pace. kaya pa!

wait till we get there!

may black ninja na sumusunod...

Gatorade break

others are so many steps ahead

the sun is up na! Dugay man!

Everybody still in High Spirits!

what a wonderful world!

Finally, Whew!

The Grassland summit: iba ang hangin dito! nakakafly-away ng buhok!

oh clouds!

isn't it great? tuktok to!

for a minute, great bodies (?) tried to stand up to the coldness

more pictures please!

the survivors

conquered by the mountain

it feels like we're on top of the world!

Don't ever think about wedding ceremonies here! Hahaha!

View from the Grassland Summit

All things we saw there are incomparable, magnificent, breathtaking! These were the best things I've seen in my life, with my own eyes, real and right in front of me. True that it was so hard getting at the summit but it is all worth it. A very different sense of fulfillment - that was the feeling!

Now, who goes up must come down. Descending was a little easier and really fun even if I started to feel the pain on my muscles and knees and my shoes did not prove to be strong. It wasn't an ACG shoe after all. From the summit, we made it fast to the camping spots we went through before, same trails until we reached the Ranger Station again and back to DENR office.

Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, kill nothing but time...

Bye bye na!

going down...

anong petsa na?!

the Lone Tree again. If only it wasn't prohibited to carve our names there...

thanks to the gravity... it seems faster going down

at the back is the summit we just reached, being covered with clouds

"In the leaves of the trees and the touch of the breeze, there's a pleasin' sense of happiness for me..."

4 km away from the summit!

and we look like trash bags here

watching my steps... I slipped so many times. Hahaha!

Back to DENR office, now with bragging rights!

While at the Ranger Station (again), we washed ourselves and ate the day's lunch. There the same jeepeney waited for us. Gonna be another rodeo ride and pukes back to DENR office. And at DENR, we bought some Pulag shirts and took some survey about the experience. Then we're on our way to Baguio again.

At Baguio, we had few hours of roaming around and also had the dinner there. I missed this city so much, it's been long since my last visit here. Matapos ba namang ma-acclimate sa tuktok ng Pulag eh di pwede ko na ipagyabang na kaya ko na magsleeveless sa Baguio City. Piece of cake na ang lamig. At about 9 PM, we were already on bus going back to Manila. Everybody has work on Monday.

When we reached Pasig, I and Rey were so tired yet so happy having experienced all these. We were also so thankful to have arrived at home safe and sound. This became one of the best weekends we had!

Never lose an opportunity to see anything that is beautiful. It is God's handwriting - a wayside sacrament. Welcome it in every fair face, every fair sky, every fair flower.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Acknowledgments

(At talagang may acknowledgments pa ha! Hehe.)

To God, the Creator. For keeping us safe during our trek, for His guidance and of course for the very wonderful creation we all experienced to see and absorb within.

To Robin and the Nestlé group. We owe this experience to the friendly people of Nestlé, especially to Robin who first invited us. It was so fun trekking with these guys. Two team leaders really assisted us and taught us more about trekking. Thanks also for all the laughs and food shared, and for the extra raincoats. Hehe. By the way, this experience unbelievably made me eat chocolates! I hate chocolates so much but I've got no choice because they are energy boosters and I badly needed energy so much. They were not Snickers (the official energy bar of mountaineers), Hersheys, or Kisses. They are Nestlé chocolate products. Cool! But I still hate chocolates. :p

To Amiel too. Because somehow he reminded me of some things we learned about mountaineering before, during our Rover and Roverettes Leadership Training Course in High School. Hehehe. He reminded me how I forgot those things.

To Mommy and Daddy for having some important things from Sorsogon (e.g sleeping bags, tumblers, Rey’s new windbreaker, and etc.) get here in Manila delivered through JRS Express 24-hour delivery service. Kahit pa sige "ngurob ngurob" ni Mommy dahil may meeting daw sya tapos minamadali ko bigla. Hehehe! Kasi nga we finally decided to join (as in yung wala nang hesitations) the activity 3 days before the scheduled day.

To Harley and Irene for lending us extra sleeping bag, an earth pad, and a backpack na wala pang laman ay mabigat na tapos pinangakuan kong papalitan ng North Face pag nasira (good thing buo pa).

To Clea for reminding me of other important things to bring like gloves, gelatin, and energy bars. She was also the one who cautioned me not to bring and drink the Extra Joss there. Pupunta daw ako doon para umakyat hindi para magpuyat at makilamay. Dapat daw Gatorade. Hehehe.

To Tita Christie for reminding us to take care, who was happy knowing that we will enjoy the trek and who all of a sudden ay nagpabili ng Strawberry Jam sa Baguio.

To Tito Narding who I made pilit to lend us his “cheap” tent good for two. He who told me why not just buy a new one sa SM Megamall kasi Php. 900.00 lang naman daw. Kuripot daw ako.

To Ate Shirley, our kapitbahay na nagpahiram ng product brochures at nagbenta sa amin ng jackets and shoes we could use.

To the DENR people and the guides for briefing and guiding us.

And personally I want to thank Rey. I thank him for the constant “I Love Yous”, for staying strong during the trek kahit first time to climb (ang galing talaga ng honey ko!), for caring so much, for the tight hugs, and sa mga hilot the following days (after the trek). He just had no idea how happy I was when I reached the summit with him. This experience will remind me how it means so much when we achieve our bigger dreams together, for the near bright future (naks! nakahanap pa ng kadaramahan!).

To the clouds, together we made it!

That’s all folks. Next time, we won't miss the sunrise and the sunset and maybe we'll take the Akiki killer trail. :)

Links to Photos (on Photobucket)