Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Walk To Remember
“Walk in the park”. This was the phrase that we used to describe the up coming climb on Mount Pulag, mainly to entice our fellow climbers to join this hastily planned trip. A few emails here and a few text messages there and we had a plan set. We were going to Pulag via the Ambangeg route, considered by most as the easiest of the routes to take up the mountain.
It was long over due climb for out group, most of which have already “retired” from active status in the UP Mountaineers. A good number of members of the team are climbing this mountain for the first time, maybe lured by the easy trail and availability of local porters. And so before we knew it we had 17 people signing up to join the climb.
Pre-climb sa "Old" UPM Tambayan
Bunny speaks
Pointers sa mga aakyat for the first time
Let's go happy climbers
Blackboard ni Isla (anak ni Bunny)
Paa ni Timaws, veteran na ng madaming climbs :)
“New and Old faces”
Majority of the people who signed up are members of the UP Mountaineers ranging from Batch 91 where I belong up to batch 2007. The rest are friends from work and some guest climbers (Bunny’s brother in law and his 2 teenage daughters). Interesting mix of people, all have different reasons for climbing this mountain. For me it was simple, I simply miss the place. I was going back to Pulag and an added bonus – I was climbing with the “old” team (no pun intended there). It’s been a while I guess, maybe too long ago that I can’t remember the exact year when we last climbed together. My heart was racing, I knew that there were many sleepless nights ahead of me before the trip. It was a trip back in time but this time with a slightly older (heavier) cast.
“Gears Galore”
3 words that best describe the mountain is this – cold, cold, cold. Last time I was there a few years back (I think 9 or 11 years ago) the temperature dropped -7. I was literally frozen stiff as I slept using the org’s old Eureka Tent. Some tents had ice forming on top of the tent body. I was still using my sisters white jacket as base layer for the cold weather (yes, my sister’s jacket that I borrowed way back 1991!). Gloves and other stuff was from Baguio (hmmm don’t worry wala namang name na “BAGUIO” na naka sulat). It didn’t do the trick that well because I can still recall waking up in the middle of the night shaking from the cold trying my best to keep warm.
Climbing Pulag during the 90's with my old crew. Ganda ng leggings Romy Garduce hahaha!
Having that flash back I was determined to fight the cold with new gear. At last I had an excuse to buy some new climbing equipment for this trip. Actually, I’ve been stock piling slowly all these years to the point that my wife said “San mo ba gagamitin yan? Punta ka bang US?”.
New gear for the new year!
Eto naman gamit ni Randell
I did mind her, like Noah and his Ark --- I was Ninoy and his Jackets. It didn’t matter if It was available online of the latest model from Surplus Shop, I had to have it. My wife Jen gave me a new backpack for Christmas (talk about a SIGN that I should climb!), this will go along with some of the gear that I bought ages ago that I stored in some dark corner at home.
“Pack Shirt”
Pack. Re-pack. Pack again and again. I was a wreck trying to fit everything inside my bag. Somehow I miss the good old packs, the really big ones because you never really cared what you put inside, well that is before you actually carried it up the mountain. I made some attempts at sleeping but only dreamt of my backpack. Crap, it’s late. In a few minutes I will have to leave for Joel’s place and help them pack. I made a quick check on my list, everything was there. My pack was bursting, it was a bit heavy but in the end I was ready to make some sacrifices for the sake of comfort.
Daming kalat!
We were supposed to meet up at 6pm but had to beg off since I had a busy schedule during the day, I arrived 6:30pm. Joel and Mariel (Joel’s sister) was in the middle of packing stuff. Everything seemed normal, I gave them a few tips here and there but something caught my eye --- they had tons of FOOD.
Food galore. Di kami magugutom hehe
Food to perhaps feed an entire army or a small country somewhere. I thought to myself that if we die in Pulag we would not die of hypothermia but of over eating. Good thing that place is perfect for foodies since it had water, we can cook all the meals we wanted without having to scrimp on water. Midway Ryan came in, I glanced his way and was surprised. He was packed and just had a paper bag with him. Good, I thought to myself…one less person to worry about. Well this feeling did not last very long as I watched him open his pack. He did not waterproof anything. Nothing. I was baffled by this and approached him.
“Ry, naka waterproof ba mga gamit mo? Baka umulan dun”
He replied with a cool voice “Noy, ok lang waterproof yung pack”
I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry, I was speechless. I knew if he did not waterproof his gear he would end up freezing to death up there. Good thing we had some spare plastic bags that came in handy. After a few minutes he was done. We had no time to waste since we had to go over to Panay and hitch a ride going to the bus station. We loaded our bags and headed to Panay, no turning back now. We were off.
“Nasa CR lang”
I looked at my watch, it was almost 10pm, we were leaving at exactly 11pm. Randell was nowhere to be found. People who know me, know that I hate people who are late. I had a gut feeling that he would not make it on time. I was right. We boarded the bus at exactly 11pm. I called him up to ask where we was, he was in my estimate around 20 mins away from the terminal. Not enough time to make it by 11. I was fuming mad but kept my cool as I knew that he would have been sweating bullets just thinking about it.
The driver asked “Meron pa ba?”. Marica who was seated beside me replied “Boss asa CR lang yung kasama naming”.
A few tense minutes passed by and still no Randell. The driver asked again “Asan na yung kasama nyo kala ko ba nasa CR lang”. That was it, I knew that the bus will be leaving the terminal, as we made a U-turn I got a call, it was Randell 15 minutes late. I was a bit sad since I knew how excited he was, we all were. Oh well, I guess that’s one lesson you learn the hard way.
“Dagups”
If this climb were a training climb he’d be gone, kicked out of the training program for being late. Late is Late. I was always late for class in UP but was scared of being late for climbs for fear of being kicked out of the training pool.
Good for him this was just an ordinary climb among friends – I made a suggestion that he get another bus, any bus going to Baguio that can bring here by 6:30am. Any later time I advised him to go back or simply stay in Baguio until we return.
Midway our bus ride I got a text message, he caught a bus that would bring him to Baguio. He made it, but I knew riding Dagupan Bus Lines was an experience for him (imagine riding an old bus for 6 hours, you had tiny roaches and possibly a Bong Revilla movie for company hehe. Torture).
Randy, the lucky bastard..buti nalang umabot siya haha
Because of this the team coined a new name for him --- Randell “Dagups” Centeno.
“Wow bahay”
In the 4 or 5 times I’ve been to Baguio to climb Pulag this is the 2nd time we were fortunate to have stayed in a house, not just any house but a house that can accommodate all 17 of us. Jojo Gutierrez (UPM 88) was kind enough to let us use the house as a jump-off point for the trip. I was a good thing, much better than spending hours inside a bus station. Times have changed for the Timawa Family, buti naman hehe.
Thank you Jojo! Di kami namatay sa lamig sa labas hehe
Randell sent a text message saying that he was on his way to the house. Good at least umabot siya, my blood pressure went back to normal. Emman and I walked towards the main road to wait for him and our ride. After a few minutes waiting in the cold he arrived, smiling like a guilty dog hehe, well Dagupan Bus Lines was enough punishment for him so I let it go. We were at last complete.
Randell the late bastard hehe
Ang pagdating ni Dagups :)
“The Jeep”
I called up Roger our driver for the trip to inform him that we were ready for pick up. It was a bit dark and cold so I wished that he would hurry up. The past jeeps that we hired up Pulag were total wrecks, I remember them as old and beat up. Most could not manage to climb the steep terrain up Babadak (Ranger Station). I hope Roger’s ride is different, 4 hours is a long time to spend inside a jeep.
From a distance I heard the roar of a jeep, hmmm maybe it’s not a jeep I thought, maybe it’s a truck. I knew it was our ride. A monster sized jeep that will be our home for the next 4 hours up the rough and muddy trail of Mt. Pulag. It sounded like a beast as it revved towards us.
Our macho machine was at last here. But wait….I must be dreaming, our ride had colors so familiar to all us Metro Folk. It was PINK, as in MMDA Art pink! I froze in disbelief but found it amusing, I could not wait to let the group see our pimped up ride.
Pimp my jeep MMDA style
I heard some funny comments as we loaded our gear. I guess pink isn’t at all bad, the sky was dark and I had a feeling that this was going to be a wet ride.
“The Road to the Ranger Station”
After dozing off, we took a quick stopover at the view deck of Ambuklao Dam. After a few minutes of picture-taking we headed off our last stop for brunch – Pinkan Jo. I can still recall a stop where we had our lunch a few years back but it was in a different place, maybe this route was different, I really couldn’t remember and had a few pictures to review.
Mike and Amel - the comeback climbers!
Pinkan Jo Model - Marika aka "Uy Masuy"
Group shot muna tayo.
Emman and the general's daughter - Marge.
Dagups pagod sa byahe hehe
It was a nice cozy place to make a stop, at this point everybody was smiling and excited. The food was ok, I order of rice is good for 2 people. I wasn’t really that hungry and knew that we were about to go uphill, I was afraid of barfing or worse I might have to ask the jeep to make a stop along the road hehe. As we left the place my excitement doubled, this is it. I’m back, we’re all back…another story to repeat over and over again when we get the chance to get together.
Stop muna sa Pinkan Jo!
Kids along the road.
Nice shot.
Before I knew it we were hitting the rough roads up the mountain. Our pink jeep’s engine was screaming as it navigated towards to steep terrain, not a good place to overheat I thought to myself, not good at all. The view outside was spectacular, you could see the mountains that surrounds Mt.Pulag. I wish we could stop and take pictures but I guess that would take too much effort and time. We passed by some small villages along the way, I think how little has changed for them since I last climbed some 11 years ago.
Soon we reached the DENR office were we’ll be briefed and paying our park fees. I was surprised to see that they had a brand new office complete with video presentation about the mountain. We paid our fees and watched a short clip on the mountain. It was interesting, although it was a bit anti-climactic since you could see the features of the mountain.
Look alike ni Ryan sa bulletin board ng DENR.
Watching the video primer made by the DENR staff.
I had mix feelings about this, gone are the days when you felt you were entering a wild and untamed mountain --- my feeling was we were entering Parks and Wildlife near Quezon Memorial Circle. I guess I’m just too sentimental about some things, well 11 years is 11 years. I guess times have changed and Pulag along with it.
On the other had it was an excellent way of educating the visitors on park rules and guidelines. I guess in the end if it helps preserve the place I’m all for it.
After the DENR station our last and final stop was the Ranger Station in Babadak. This part I remember, it was the same as I remembered it, complete with the had written sign on the entrance. We last checks while some found time to eat some lunch. Outside our guides and porters were waiting for us.
Unloading the bags.
Ranger Station
I was in charge of securing porters for the trip, we had 5 for 4 members of the team. It was a good choice since we had people with back problems and some have not been actively climbing these past few years. Having porters would have been unthinkable 11 years ago but I guess 11 years has a way of changing the way you look at climbing, you’re less of the “gung ho type” and more of the “I want to live to climb another day” type of a climber. We secretly called them Harry as in Harry Porters, I know it’s corny but at least we didn’t need to call them porters, Harry is good enough. From now on all porters are named Harry hehe.
“Uy Masuy”
We managed to convince some “retired” climbers to join because we told them that this was going to be a “walk in the park”. We were walking alright, but the trek up was a bit too intense for some, this included Marica aka “Uy Masuy”.
I’ve known Marica since 1991, she was my batchmate but she was inducted in another batch. She’s one of my favorite people in UPM, the best person to play “kontra-bida” to my Bunny “Haring Timawa” Soriano. The stories between these two are legendary, some I would say can be passed on from generation to generation.
I knew that she was excited to climb Pulag for the first time, excited enough to place the news on Facebook. She was alright the first few minutes of the trek until we reached the point after the first sign I saw up the mountain. Her mood began to change, her looks as cold as the freezing weather.
I knew that it would take some effort to convince her that this trip was worth it. I was a couple of feet from her and I could hear her ask after a few steps “Malayo pa ba? Ilang minutes pa ba?”.
This phrase would be her mantra as we negotiated the trail up. She was getting a headache from the climb hehe, I can just image her being the perfect model for Tylenol or Advil. Then it started to rain, the trail steeper and Marica’s temper a bit shoter. She was asking our guide how look until the first camp, I know this is a hard question since the locals could reach the place in no time, the pace varies from climber to climber.
I was avoiding to have to answer her, to be honest I can’t recall the time it took us to reach the first camp since it was just a stopover. Finally we reached Camp 1 where most were having a break, Marica can finally take a break and rest.
We’re safe from the wrath of Uy Masuy for now.
“Comeback Climb”
Mike was with me during the last few times I climbed Pulag. He’s my batchmate and is a veteran of many major climbs. How can I forget Mt. Halcon 1998. I was waiting for him, Jojo and Kerwin at the summit ridge. It was getting dark and I was worried since we had to pitch the tent and get ready for dinner. Trust me, you don’t want to pitch in the dark up the slopes of Halcon. Minutes passed, finally I saw him, he was tired but ok. I thought someone got injured or something only to find out that they saw a rat along the way and decided to give it some crackers. I’m sure Mike is some sort of a god in the rat community in Halcon.
"Comeback Climb"
This climb up Pulag is his “comeback climb”. I guess the years have taken it’s toll on his gear, most especially his shoes. When we reached Camp 1 it was in the ICU, it was falling apart. Good thing we had some duct tape and some zip ties for some quick repair. The trail was muddy due to the rains, I hope his shoes hold up until the trek up the summit.
Sira na si Salomon
“Break muna sa Camp 1”
The mood during this stop was light, almost festive despite of the rain. Food was everywhere, a big leap from past climbs wherein you just drank water and waited for someone to take out some trail food, this time there was none of that we had all the junk food we could ever want. I guess theses were lest over from Christmas, maybe even Halloween.
Happy Campers
Pagod na si Sadako
After a few minutes it was time again to put on our packs and track towards our final destination for the day --- Camp 2.
“Camp 2”
The trek up Camp 2 was a series of rolling hills. The trail was ok, save for some areas that had patches of angle deep mud. We reached the camp at around 4pm. We quickly pitched our tents and prepared to some soup to fight the cold. It was colder than I expected. I actually don’t recall Camp 2 at all, I can’t seem to remember if we ever camp there in the past or spend the first night up the peak of Pulag. Anyway, it didn’t matter. What’s important was we were all able to survive the first day.
Ang lamig sa Pulag...just look at Marica's face hahaha
“Sinigang sa fresh na sampaloc”
After making camp, the next agenda was to prepare dinner. We pitched a tarp in between tents that will serve as our kitchen/socials area. Aside from the porters another interesting thing about this climb was we had a chef with us – Eugene (UPM 96). We requested a dish that had some soup for dinner for obvious reasons, it was cold and water was not an issue. Good thing we were able to pre-cook all the ingredients beforehand and soon we were devouring the meal like a pack of wolves. Walang pansinan hehe. It was good so I had several servings until I could no longer contain myself. Next step was to find my “spot” just in case I needed to go “into the wild”. Not to worry though, I saw during the video presentation at the DENR that they had pre-designated latrines on Camp 2.
Hours past before I knew it was time, I asked Randell if he wanted to check out the latrine. I usually go alone to do the “beast” but figured that it would be better to have someone with me so he can alert me if someone is coming.
“Left 4 Dead”
The latrine looked promising from afar, it had a sign that gave out directions for the male and female areas. There were GI sheets that acted as cover from the camp above.
In all my 18 years of climbing I’m used to the “cat hole” technique, just dig a hole and forget about it. This latrine experience is new, I walked slowly and surveyed the main area. I had a headlamp on so I could see the wooden planks that made up the place, it looked solid. But what if I slipped, hit my head and passed out or maybe fell inside the whole?
My imagination ran wild as I looked inside the latrine, images of the witch (complete with the sound track) from Left 4 Dead raced across my mind, the hole was dark and murky and I’m imaging being chased by the witch across the campsite. Playing a video game about zombies before a climb is not good at least for me it isn’t.
It was freezing cold and I didn’t want to go out again in the middle of the night to go back. I had to do it now, I removed all my layers of clothing and just let it go, in a few minutes I was done. Randell on the other hand had a harder time. Namamahay daw siya. It’s actually not as hard as some people think. When you need to go, you need to go.
“Russian Vodka Vs. Ginebra Premium”
Dinner time was quick for most of the team, everybody headed back to their tents as the mercury dropped. I can’t stop thinking how cold it is, I hope all the hype given to my new tent is true, I don’t want to wake up freezing in the middle of the night. I dropped by Bunny’s tent. He was outside with his wife Joy (UPM 94) sipping a cup of tea, I joined in. Soon our tea session became an exchange of Vodka (I’m assuming Bunny got this one from his trip in Russia a few months back). I took a shot and found it interesting, medyo matapang ng konti but it was alright.
We bought along our own vino – Ginebra Premium. This is the current rage in the UPM right now, I guess because it’s cheap and it tastes good. I like gin, I remember one climb in the past that we exchanged a bottle of Johnnie Black for 2 bottles of Gin Bulag hehe. Jologs talaga ako, at least if I progress into a full blown alcoholic mura lang ang gastos.
Only a handful of us came out to drink. Marica, Mike and the rest were fast asleep. I couldn’t blame them, just standing outside was a form of torture in itself and we had to wake up at 330AM to head for the summit. You heard that right, 330AM! Despite of the obvious bad weather we were still hoping to get a chance to see the sunrise and some view.
Our drinking session soon became another eating marathon. Joel began cooking some Hungarian sausages and I made some hot chocolate. Soon it was clear that we had to call it a night, it was getting late and I didn’t want to have to go back to the latrine. Haha natakot dun sa witch.
There was a slight drizzle as I headed back to the tent, Randell was already there. I set my alarm at 330am and went to sleep.
“Gising na!”
I woke up once during the night, I was shaking from the cold. I turned around to close the door that I left open and went back to sleep. Sulit yung tent, we were dry and warm the entire time, I’ve waited for more than a year to finally use it good thing I had a chance.
My alarm sounded off. Crap, I still wanted to sleep but I knew that we would need to move quickly to reach the summit in time. Sun or no sun. As soon as I went out, I wanted to go back in. The wind was blowing hard that it knocked down our tarp. Oh well, I’ll handle that later, I went to Bunny’s tent and woke him up.
Soon everybody was up and ready for the hike up the peak. I counted heads. Out of the 17 there were 14 people who were joining the trek. Honestly, I was surprised that Marica was one of them…kala ko katapusan na ni Uy Masuy nung gabi. Maybe some sleep did her good. Waking up is one thing, trekking another. Bahala na.
Gising na 4am na hahaha
We had a short briefing and soon headed off into the darkness. Good thing I bought along some batteries for my headlamp, the trail was a bid tricky and knew that it would be difficult for the team to move fast, I stayed behind and acted a tail along with Joel, Mike, Amel and our guide.
You had to pay attention when you walked, water was everywhere and there were some slippery areas along the way. 10 minutes off I spotted something shiny along the trail, I picked it up and examined it, it was duct tape. It must have fallen off as he made a step, I put in my pocket just in case, baka magamit pa hehe
Mike’s Salomon shoes was falling apart, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would stop and notice. He did. A few minutes I saw him pick what’s left of the soles of his shoes. The zip ties didn’t help, I should have punched holes to secure them.
Soon after, I saw Amel lying on the side of the road. Obviously in pain and unable to move. She slipped while tying to cross a muddy portion of the trail. I checked her out and was glad she didn’t break any bones. She must have sprained her ankle though and I knew this was the end of the road for Mike and Amel. We stopped and gave Amel my climbing stick along with my headlamp. I made a decision to accompany them back to Camp 2. I told Joel to continue on with the trek with the guide.
We turned around and headed back to Camp. We were moving slowly, careful not to cause any more injuries. There was one point going down when Mike fell down along the side of the trail, I kept thinking on how he’ll manage to go down later that day. We reached the camp and headed towards our tarp.
I made an effort to fix it since it got knocked down by the wind earlier that night. Mike made some Miso soup while Amel when back to their tent to attend to her sprained ankle.
We had nothing to do but wait for the team to go back. I didn’t want to sleep because there might be an emergency of some sort. I stayed out until I saw Bunny. He approached us and had some interesting news about the climb up the peak.
Malapit na, malapit na
I wasn’t there but I’m sure these pictures will tell you what happened.
Group shot sa summit.
Dagups sa summit.
Uy Masuy, frozen sa summit.
Ryan, malamig ba?
After a few minutes all the team members have been accounted for, now it’s time to have breakfast and to break camp. I still hoping to see a little view of the summit from the camp, I guess a consolation prize of some sort but I knew it was not going to happen…not this time at least. I needed to start packing so I could get a head start but unfortunately for me I needed to wait for everyone to finish eating so I could pack my Trangia Stove. I also needed to wait for Randell to finish so I could pack the tent. At this point I was beginning to be come restless, all I could do was wait and hope it doesn’t rain.
Before I knew it I was the last person packing, I was in a panic mode since I didn’t want to the cause of delay. The guides were very helpful in fixing some of the stuff but to tell you honestly, I was a bit apprehensive since I might forget something, mahirap bumalik sa Pulag mag-isa. After a few minutes of “barubal packing” I was done. I looked at the summit (or at least the general direction of the peak) and said goodbye.
I won’t be seeing this mountain for a while but I vowed to be back, hopefully with the same group of friends.
We started our trek down in a leisurely pace, this time we could take our time going back to the Ranger Station below. It’s strange how you pass by the same road and see it differently coming from another direction. I saw some interesting views as we headed down the trail, stopping at times to take some pictures.
The road is long...
The narrow trail quickly gave way to a wider road, we were getting near and at this point I made a choice to make a dash for it, well dash is an exaggeration for a 37 year old hehe…basta humataw ako as best as I could. So fast at one point I went back in time, I was 21 again! I felt like I was climbing Pulag for the first time, back in the day when climbing was all it ever cared about. I could feel the wind rushing to greet me as I navigated the trail, my heart was raising with every step. It was a rush and I enjoyed every minute of it but like ice cream you can’t enjoy it forever. Soon I was tired and went back to walking, napagod na si Daddy Pusa.
Don't try this at home
I was trekking along the trail when I saw some familiar tracks along the trail – Nike Shox. Si Amel yun, sila siguro nasa unahan namin. A few minutes passed and I saw her with Mike, it was good to know that her sprain did not hamper her walking. Mike on the other hand was also doing ok, Chef Eugene’s sandals did the trick, matibay ang Manjaru sandals! My group quickly gained ground on us and soon we were together again as we headed back to the station just a few minutes away.
“Deboto”
One thing about climbing with the Timawa Gang we always find time to goof around, to make find humor in everything. I guess this is why we click, we don’t take things seriously as much as we needed to. It’s one way of coping and over the years we have tons of stories to tell all making fun of disastrous situations.
After a quick lunch we were started to load our gear for the ride back to Baguio. Bobby Acosta was there to meet up with Bunny, they were going down a different route on foot for another 2 days via the Nueva Viscaya route. Wala ng nagawa si Joy and admitted that this was Bunny’s “calling”.
“Cool Change”
At this point, our climb was over. It was a good climb despite the nasty weather, my old climbing buddies are back and hopefully back for good. It was a good cap to a long Christmas break.
Nawala ni Ryan cell niya sa trail, here he is giving the extra battery to Emman.
Oh my Gulay, 5 floors!
The name of the taxi we rode in Baguio.
Let's eat Shref!
Strawberrrrries!
Kainan na!
Look Ma, no meat!
Monkey Man
Nice tree.
Wolverine using his claws to eat the strawberries
I'm glad to see Mike climbing again!
Baguio Market
Hehehe sarap!
Watch this...This is why we climb.
For some it wasn’t what they expected, for me I guess I’ve come to learn one thing when climbing, don’t expect things to always happen as planned, sometimes mother nature has other plans. One thing is for sure, no matter what happens we’ll be back for more. For me, It was fun to be 21 one again..even just for 21 minutes or so.
It was long over due climb for out group, most of which have already “retired” from active status in the UP Mountaineers. A good number of members of the team are climbing this mountain for the first time, maybe lured by the easy trail and availability of local porters. And so before we knew it we had 17 people signing up to join the climb.
Pre-climb sa "Old" UPM Tambayan
Bunny speaks
Pointers sa mga aakyat for the first time
Let's go happy climbers
Blackboard ni Isla (anak ni Bunny)
Paa ni Timaws, veteran na ng madaming climbs :)
“New and Old faces”
Majority of the people who signed up are members of the UP Mountaineers ranging from Batch 91 where I belong up to batch 2007. The rest are friends from work and some guest climbers (Bunny’s brother in law and his 2 teenage daughters). Interesting mix of people, all have different reasons for climbing this mountain. For me it was simple, I simply miss the place. I was going back to Pulag and an added bonus – I was climbing with the “old” team (no pun intended there). It’s been a while I guess, maybe too long ago that I can’t remember the exact year when we last climbed together. My heart was racing, I knew that there were many sleepless nights ahead of me before the trip. It was a trip back in time but this time with a slightly older (heavier) cast.
“Gears Galore”
3 words that best describe the mountain is this – cold, cold, cold. Last time I was there a few years back (I think 9 or 11 years ago) the temperature dropped -7. I was literally frozen stiff as I slept using the org’s old Eureka Tent. Some tents had ice forming on top of the tent body. I was still using my sisters white jacket as base layer for the cold weather (yes, my sister’s jacket that I borrowed way back 1991!). Gloves and other stuff was from Baguio (hmmm don’t worry wala namang name na “BAGUIO” na naka sulat). It didn’t do the trick that well because I can still recall waking up in the middle of the night shaking from the cold trying my best to keep warm.
Climbing Pulag during the 90's with my old crew. Ganda ng leggings Romy Garduce hahaha!
Having that flash back I was determined to fight the cold with new gear. At last I had an excuse to buy some new climbing equipment for this trip. Actually, I’ve been stock piling slowly all these years to the point that my wife said “San mo ba gagamitin yan? Punta ka bang US?”.
New gear for the new year!
Eto naman gamit ni Randell
I did mind her, like Noah and his Ark --- I was Ninoy and his Jackets. It didn’t matter if It was available online of the latest model from Surplus Shop, I had to have it. My wife Jen gave me a new backpack for Christmas (talk about a SIGN that I should climb!), this will go along with some of the gear that I bought ages ago that I stored in some dark corner at home.
“Pack Shirt”
Pack. Re-pack. Pack again and again. I was a wreck trying to fit everything inside my bag. Somehow I miss the good old packs, the really big ones because you never really cared what you put inside, well that is before you actually carried it up the mountain. I made some attempts at sleeping but only dreamt of my backpack. Crap, it’s late. In a few minutes I will have to leave for Joel’s place and help them pack. I made a quick check on my list, everything was there. My pack was bursting, it was a bit heavy but in the end I was ready to make some sacrifices for the sake of comfort.
Daming kalat!
We were supposed to meet up at 6pm but had to beg off since I had a busy schedule during the day, I arrived 6:30pm. Joel and Mariel (Joel’s sister) was in the middle of packing stuff. Everything seemed normal, I gave them a few tips here and there but something caught my eye --- they had tons of FOOD.
Food galore. Di kami magugutom hehe
Food to perhaps feed an entire army or a small country somewhere. I thought to myself that if we die in Pulag we would not die of hypothermia but of over eating. Good thing that place is perfect for foodies since it had water, we can cook all the meals we wanted without having to scrimp on water. Midway Ryan came in, I glanced his way and was surprised. He was packed and just had a paper bag with him. Good, I thought to myself…one less person to worry about. Well this feeling did not last very long as I watched him open his pack. He did not waterproof anything. Nothing. I was baffled by this and approached him.
“Ry, naka waterproof ba mga gamit mo? Baka umulan dun”
He replied with a cool voice “Noy, ok lang waterproof yung pack”
I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry, I was speechless. I knew if he did not waterproof his gear he would end up freezing to death up there. Good thing we had some spare plastic bags that came in handy. After a few minutes he was done. We had no time to waste since we had to go over to Panay and hitch a ride going to the bus station. We loaded our bags and headed to Panay, no turning back now. We were off.
“Nasa CR lang”
I looked at my watch, it was almost 10pm, we were leaving at exactly 11pm. Randell was nowhere to be found. People who know me, know that I hate people who are late. I had a gut feeling that he would not make it on time. I was right. We boarded the bus at exactly 11pm. I called him up to ask where we was, he was in my estimate around 20 mins away from the terminal. Not enough time to make it by 11. I was fuming mad but kept my cool as I knew that he would have been sweating bullets just thinking about it.
The driver asked “Meron pa ba?”. Marica who was seated beside me replied “Boss asa CR lang yung kasama naming”.
A few tense minutes passed by and still no Randell. The driver asked again “Asan na yung kasama nyo kala ko ba nasa CR lang”. That was it, I knew that the bus will be leaving the terminal, as we made a U-turn I got a call, it was Randell 15 minutes late. I was a bit sad since I knew how excited he was, we all were. Oh well, I guess that’s one lesson you learn the hard way.
“Dagups”
If this climb were a training climb he’d be gone, kicked out of the training program for being late. Late is Late. I was always late for class in UP but was scared of being late for climbs for fear of being kicked out of the training pool.
Good for him this was just an ordinary climb among friends – I made a suggestion that he get another bus, any bus going to Baguio that can bring here by 6:30am. Any later time I advised him to go back or simply stay in Baguio until we return.
Midway our bus ride I got a text message, he caught a bus that would bring him to Baguio. He made it, but I knew riding Dagupan Bus Lines was an experience for him (imagine riding an old bus for 6 hours, you had tiny roaches and possibly a Bong Revilla movie for company hehe. Torture).
Randy, the lucky bastard..buti nalang umabot siya haha
Because of this the team coined a new name for him --- Randell “Dagups” Centeno.
“Wow bahay”
In the 4 or 5 times I’ve been to Baguio to climb Pulag this is the 2nd time we were fortunate to have stayed in a house, not just any house but a house that can accommodate all 17 of us. Jojo Gutierrez (UPM 88) was kind enough to let us use the house as a jump-off point for the trip. I was a good thing, much better than spending hours inside a bus station. Times have changed for the Timawa Family, buti naman hehe.
Thank you Jojo! Di kami namatay sa lamig sa labas hehe
Randell sent a text message saying that he was on his way to the house. Good at least umabot siya, my blood pressure went back to normal. Emman and I walked towards the main road to wait for him and our ride. After a few minutes waiting in the cold he arrived, smiling like a guilty dog hehe, well Dagupan Bus Lines was enough punishment for him so I let it go. We were at last complete.
Randell the late bastard hehe
Ang pagdating ni Dagups :)
“The Jeep”
I called up Roger our driver for the trip to inform him that we were ready for pick up. It was a bit dark and cold so I wished that he would hurry up. The past jeeps that we hired up Pulag were total wrecks, I remember them as old and beat up. Most could not manage to climb the steep terrain up Babadak (Ranger Station). I hope Roger’s ride is different, 4 hours is a long time to spend inside a jeep.
From a distance I heard the roar of a jeep, hmmm maybe it’s not a jeep I thought, maybe it’s a truck. I knew it was our ride. A monster sized jeep that will be our home for the next 4 hours up the rough and muddy trail of Mt. Pulag. It sounded like a beast as it revved towards us.
Our macho machine was at last here. But wait….I must be dreaming, our ride had colors so familiar to all us Metro Folk. It was PINK, as in MMDA Art pink! I froze in disbelief but found it amusing, I could not wait to let the group see our pimped up ride.
Pimp my jeep MMDA style
I heard some funny comments as we loaded our gear. I guess pink isn’t at all bad, the sky was dark and I had a feeling that this was going to be a wet ride.
“The Road to the Ranger Station”
After dozing off, we took a quick stopover at the view deck of Ambuklao Dam. After a few minutes of picture-taking we headed off our last stop for brunch – Pinkan Jo. I can still recall a stop where we had our lunch a few years back but it was in a different place, maybe this route was different, I really couldn’t remember and had a few pictures to review.
Mike and Amel - the comeback climbers!
Pinkan Jo Model - Marika aka "Uy Masuy"
Group shot muna tayo.
Emman and the general's daughter - Marge.
Dagups pagod sa byahe hehe
It was a nice cozy place to make a stop, at this point everybody was smiling and excited. The food was ok, I order of rice is good for 2 people. I wasn’t really that hungry and knew that we were about to go uphill, I was afraid of barfing or worse I might have to ask the jeep to make a stop along the road hehe. As we left the place my excitement doubled, this is it. I’m back, we’re all back…another story to repeat over and over again when we get the chance to get together.
Stop muna sa Pinkan Jo!
Kids along the road.
Nice shot.
Before I knew it we were hitting the rough roads up the mountain. Our pink jeep’s engine was screaming as it navigated towards to steep terrain, not a good place to overheat I thought to myself, not good at all. The view outside was spectacular, you could see the mountains that surrounds Mt.Pulag. I wish we could stop and take pictures but I guess that would take too much effort and time. We passed by some small villages along the way, I think how little has changed for them since I last climbed some 11 years ago.
Soon we reached the DENR office were we’ll be briefed and paying our park fees. I was surprised to see that they had a brand new office complete with video presentation about the mountain. We paid our fees and watched a short clip on the mountain. It was interesting, although it was a bit anti-climactic since you could see the features of the mountain.
Look alike ni Ryan sa bulletin board ng DENR.
Watching the video primer made by the DENR staff.
I had mix feelings about this, gone are the days when you felt you were entering a wild and untamed mountain --- my feeling was we were entering Parks and Wildlife near Quezon Memorial Circle. I guess I’m just too sentimental about some things, well 11 years is 11 years. I guess times have changed and Pulag along with it.
On the other had it was an excellent way of educating the visitors on park rules and guidelines. I guess in the end if it helps preserve the place I’m all for it.
After the DENR station our last and final stop was the Ranger Station in Babadak. This part I remember, it was the same as I remembered it, complete with the had written sign on the entrance. We last checks while some found time to eat some lunch. Outside our guides and porters were waiting for us.
Unloading the bags.
Ranger Station
I was in charge of securing porters for the trip, we had 5 for 4 members of the team. It was a good choice since we had people with back problems and some have not been actively climbing these past few years. Having porters would have been unthinkable 11 years ago but I guess 11 years has a way of changing the way you look at climbing, you’re less of the “gung ho type” and more of the “I want to live to climb another day” type of a climber. We secretly called them Harry as in Harry Porters, I know it’s corny but at least we didn’t need to call them porters, Harry is good enough. From now on all porters are named Harry hehe.
“Uy Masuy”
We managed to convince some “retired” climbers to join because we told them that this was going to be a “walk in the park”. We were walking alright, but the trek up was a bit too intense for some, this included Marica aka “Uy Masuy”.
I’ve known Marica since 1991, she was my batchmate but she was inducted in another batch. She’s one of my favorite people in UPM, the best person to play “kontra-bida” to my Bunny “Haring Timawa” Soriano. The stories between these two are legendary, some I would say can be passed on from generation to generation.
I knew that she was excited to climb Pulag for the first time, excited enough to place the news on Facebook. She was alright the first few minutes of the trek until we reached the point after the first sign I saw up the mountain. Her mood began to change, her looks as cold as the freezing weather.
I knew that it would take some effort to convince her that this trip was worth it. I was a couple of feet from her and I could hear her ask after a few steps “Malayo pa ba? Ilang minutes pa ba?”.
This phrase would be her mantra as we negotiated the trail up. She was getting a headache from the climb hehe, I can just image her being the perfect model for Tylenol or Advil. Then it started to rain, the trail steeper and Marica’s temper a bit shoter. She was asking our guide how look until the first camp, I know this is a hard question since the locals could reach the place in no time, the pace varies from climber to climber.
I was avoiding to have to answer her, to be honest I can’t recall the time it took us to reach the first camp since it was just a stopover. Finally we reached Camp 1 where most were having a break, Marica can finally take a break and rest.
We’re safe from the wrath of Uy Masuy for now.
“Comeback Climb”
Mike was with me during the last few times I climbed Pulag. He’s my batchmate and is a veteran of many major climbs. How can I forget Mt. Halcon 1998. I was waiting for him, Jojo and Kerwin at the summit ridge. It was getting dark and I was worried since we had to pitch the tent and get ready for dinner. Trust me, you don’t want to pitch in the dark up the slopes of Halcon. Minutes passed, finally I saw him, he was tired but ok. I thought someone got injured or something only to find out that they saw a rat along the way and decided to give it some crackers. I’m sure Mike is some sort of a god in the rat community in Halcon.
"Comeback Climb"
This climb up Pulag is his “comeback climb”. I guess the years have taken it’s toll on his gear, most especially his shoes. When we reached Camp 1 it was in the ICU, it was falling apart. Good thing we had some duct tape and some zip ties for some quick repair. The trail was muddy due to the rains, I hope his shoes hold up until the trek up the summit.
Sira na si Salomon
“Break muna sa Camp 1”
The mood during this stop was light, almost festive despite of the rain. Food was everywhere, a big leap from past climbs wherein you just drank water and waited for someone to take out some trail food, this time there was none of that we had all the junk food we could ever want. I guess theses were lest over from Christmas, maybe even Halloween.
Happy Campers
Pagod na si Sadako
After a few minutes it was time again to put on our packs and track towards our final destination for the day --- Camp 2.
“Camp 2”
The trek up Camp 2 was a series of rolling hills. The trail was ok, save for some areas that had patches of angle deep mud. We reached the camp at around 4pm. We quickly pitched our tents and prepared to some soup to fight the cold. It was colder than I expected. I actually don’t recall Camp 2 at all, I can’t seem to remember if we ever camp there in the past or spend the first night up the peak of Pulag. Anyway, it didn’t matter. What’s important was we were all able to survive the first day.
Ang lamig sa Pulag...just look at Marica's face hahaha
“Sinigang sa fresh na sampaloc”
After making camp, the next agenda was to prepare dinner. We pitched a tarp in between tents that will serve as our kitchen/socials area. Aside from the porters another interesting thing about this climb was we had a chef with us – Eugene (UPM 96). We requested a dish that had some soup for dinner for obvious reasons, it was cold and water was not an issue. Good thing we were able to pre-cook all the ingredients beforehand and soon we were devouring the meal like a pack of wolves. Walang pansinan hehe. It was good so I had several servings until I could no longer contain myself. Next step was to find my “spot” just in case I needed to go “into the wild”. Not to worry though, I saw during the video presentation at the DENR that they had pre-designated latrines on Camp 2.
Hours past before I knew it was time, I asked Randell if he wanted to check out the latrine. I usually go alone to do the “beast” but figured that it would be better to have someone with me so he can alert me if someone is coming.
“Left 4 Dead”
The latrine looked promising from afar, it had a sign that gave out directions for the male and female areas. There were GI sheets that acted as cover from the camp above.
In all my 18 years of climbing I’m used to the “cat hole” technique, just dig a hole and forget about it. This latrine experience is new, I walked slowly and surveyed the main area. I had a headlamp on so I could see the wooden planks that made up the place, it looked solid. But what if I slipped, hit my head and passed out or maybe fell inside the whole?
My imagination ran wild as I looked inside the latrine, images of the witch (complete with the sound track) from Left 4 Dead raced across my mind, the hole was dark and murky and I’m imaging being chased by the witch across the campsite. Playing a video game about zombies before a climb is not good at least for me it isn’t.
It was freezing cold and I didn’t want to go out again in the middle of the night to go back. I had to do it now, I removed all my layers of clothing and just let it go, in a few minutes I was done. Randell on the other hand had a harder time. Namamahay daw siya. It’s actually not as hard as some people think. When you need to go, you need to go.
“Russian Vodka Vs. Ginebra Premium”
Dinner time was quick for most of the team, everybody headed back to their tents as the mercury dropped. I can’t stop thinking how cold it is, I hope all the hype given to my new tent is true, I don’t want to wake up freezing in the middle of the night. I dropped by Bunny’s tent. He was outside with his wife Joy (UPM 94) sipping a cup of tea, I joined in. Soon our tea session became an exchange of Vodka (I’m assuming Bunny got this one from his trip in Russia a few months back). I took a shot and found it interesting, medyo matapang ng konti but it was alright.
We bought along our own vino – Ginebra Premium. This is the current rage in the UPM right now, I guess because it’s cheap and it tastes good. I like gin, I remember one climb in the past that we exchanged a bottle of Johnnie Black for 2 bottles of Gin Bulag hehe. Jologs talaga ako, at least if I progress into a full blown alcoholic mura lang ang gastos.
Only a handful of us came out to drink. Marica, Mike and the rest were fast asleep. I couldn’t blame them, just standing outside was a form of torture in itself and we had to wake up at 330AM to head for the summit. You heard that right, 330AM! Despite of the obvious bad weather we were still hoping to get a chance to see the sunrise and some view.
Our drinking session soon became another eating marathon. Joel began cooking some Hungarian sausages and I made some hot chocolate. Soon it was clear that we had to call it a night, it was getting late and I didn’t want to have to go back to the latrine. Haha natakot dun sa witch.
There was a slight drizzle as I headed back to the tent, Randell was already there. I set my alarm at 330am and went to sleep.
“Gising na!”
I woke up once during the night, I was shaking from the cold. I turned around to close the door that I left open and went back to sleep. Sulit yung tent, we were dry and warm the entire time, I’ve waited for more than a year to finally use it good thing I had a chance.
My alarm sounded off. Crap, I still wanted to sleep but I knew that we would need to move quickly to reach the summit in time. Sun or no sun. As soon as I went out, I wanted to go back in. The wind was blowing hard that it knocked down our tarp. Oh well, I’ll handle that later, I went to Bunny’s tent and woke him up.
Soon everybody was up and ready for the hike up the peak. I counted heads. Out of the 17 there were 14 people who were joining the trek. Honestly, I was surprised that Marica was one of them…kala ko katapusan na ni Uy Masuy nung gabi. Maybe some sleep did her good. Waking up is one thing, trekking another. Bahala na.
Gising na 4am na hahaha
We had a short briefing and soon headed off into the darkness. Good thing I bought along some batteries for my headlamp, the trail was a bid tricky and knew that it would be difficult for the team to move fast, I stayed behind and acted a tail along with Joel, Mike, Amel and our guide.
You had to pay attention when you walked, water was everywhere and there were some slippery areas along the way. 10 minutes off I spotted something shiny along the trail, I picked it up and examined it, it was duct tape. It must have fallen off as he made a step, I put in my pocket just in case, baka magamit pa hehe
Mike’s Salomon shoes was falling apart, I knew that it was only a matter of time before he would stop and notice. He did. A few minutes I saw him pick what’s left of the soles of his shoes. The zip ties didn’t help, I should have punched holes to secure them.
Soon after, I saw Amel lying on the side of the road. Obviously in pain and unable to move. She slipped while tying to cross a muddy portion of the trail. I checked her out and was glad she didn’t break any bones. She must have sprained her ankle though and I knew this was the end of the road for Mike and Amel. We stopped and gave Amel my climbing stick along with my headlamp. I made a decision to accompany them back to Camp 2. I told Joel to continue on with the trek with the guide.
We turned around and headed back to Camp. We were moving slowly, careful not to cause any more injuries. There was one point going down when Mike fell down along the side of the trail, I kept thinking on how he’ll manage to go down later that day. We reached the camp and headed towards our tarp.
I made an effort to fix it since it got knocked down by the wind earlier that night. Mike made some Miso soup while Amel when back to their tent to attend to her sprained ankle.
We had nothing to do but wait for the team to go back. I didn’t want to sleep because there might be an emergency of some sort. I stayed out until I saw Bunny. He approached us and had some interesting news about the climb up the peak.
Malapit na, malapit na
I wasn’t there but I’m sure these pictures will tell you what happened.
Group shot sa summit.
Dagups sa summit.
Uy Masuy, frozen sa summit.
Ryan, malamig ba?
After a few minutes all the team members have been accounted for, now it’s time to have breakfast and to break camp. I still hoping to see a little view of the summit from the camp, I guess a consolation prize of some sort but I knew it was not going to happen…not this time at least. I needed to start packing so I could get a head start but unfortunately for me I needed to wait for everyone to finish eating so I could pack my Trangia Stove. I also needed to wait for Randell to finish so I could pack the tent. At this point I was beginning to be come restless, all I could do was wait and hope it doesn’t rain.
Before I knew it I was the last person packing, I was in a panic mode since I didn’t want to the cause of delay. The guides were very helpful in fixing some of the stuff but to tell you honestly, I was a bit apprehensive since I might forget something, mahirap bumalik sa Pulag mag-isa. After a few minutes of “barubal packing” I was done. I looked at the summit (or at least the general direction of the peak) and said goodbye.
I won’t be seeing this mountain for a while but I vowed to be back, hopefully with the same group of friends.
We started our trek down in a leisurely pace, this time we could take our time going back to the Ranger Station below. It’s strange how you pass by the same road and see it differently coming from another direction. I saw some interesting views as we headed down the trail, stopping at times to take some pictures.
The road is long...
The narrow trail quickly gave way to a wider road, we were getting near and at this point I made a choice to make a dash for it, well dash is an exaggeration for a 37 year old hehe…basta humataw ako as best as I could. So fast at one point I went back in time, I was 21 again! I felt like I was climbing Pulag for the first time, back in the day when climbing was all it ever cared about. I could feel the wind rushing to greet me as I navigated the trail, my heart was raising with every step. It was a rush and I enjoyed every minute of it but like ice cream you can’t enjoy it forever. Soon I was tired and went back to walking, napagod na si Daddy Pusa.
Don't try this at home
I was trekking along the trail when I saw some familiar tracks along the trail – Nike Shox. Si Amel yun, sila siguro nasa unahan namin. A few minutes passed and I saw her with Mike, it was good to know that her sprain did not hamper her walking. Mike on the other hand was also doing ok, Chef Eugene’s sandals did the trick, matibay ang Manjaru sandals! My group quickly gained ground on us and soon we were together again as we headed back to the station just a few minutes away.
“Deboto”
One thing about climbing with the Timawa Gang we always find time to goof around, to make find humor in everything. I guess this is why we click, we don’t take things seriously as much as we needed to. It’s one way of coping and over the years we have tons of stories to tell all making fun of disastrous situations.
After a quick lunch we were started to load our gear for the ride back to Baguio. Bobby Acosta was there to meet up with Bunny, they were going down a different route on foot for another 2 days via the Nueva Viscaya route. Wala ng nagawa si Joy and admitted that this was Bunny’s “calling”.
“Cool Change”
At this point, our climb was over. It was a good climb despite the nasty weather, my old climbing buddies are back and hopefully back for good. It was a good cap to a long Christmas break.
Nawala ni Ryan cell niya sa trail, here he is giving the extra battery to Emman.
Oh my Gulay, 5 floors!
The name of the taxi we rode in Baguio.
Let's eat Shref!
Strawberrrrries!
Kainan na!
Look Ma, no meat!
Monkey Man
Nice tree.
Wolverine using his claws to eat the strawberries
I'm glad to see Mike climbing again!
Baguio Market
Hehehe sarap!
Watch this...This is why we climb.
For some it wasn’t what they expected, for me I guess I’ve come to learn one thing when climbing, don’t expect things to always happen as planned, sometimes mother nature has other plans. One thing is for sure, no matter what happens we’ll be back for more. For me, It was fun to be 21 one again..even just for 21 minutes or so.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Positive Vibes
Found this online, a short film on validation and how it plays an important role in our daily lives.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
What's New?
I've been very busy these days so I don't have that much time to post. 2 Weddings to attend and a few Christmas parties here and there, not to mention a deadline coming hehe.
On the homefront, It's a girl! Jen arrived this afternoon with a certificate from the doctor. Kuya na si Jacob. Speaking of Jacob, he has become very affectionate these past few days, lagi akong niyayakap and he would always make it a point to go to where I am, I guess he knows that a new baby is coming :)
Come January, I'll be climbing Pulag with some of my friends. Looking forward to this activity. 2009 will be a big year with the birth of my daughter and my parents 50th anniversary.
On the homefront, It's a girl! Jen arrived this afternoon with a certificate from the doctor. Kuya na si Jacob. Speaking of Jacob, he has become very affectionate these past few days, lagi akong niyayakap and he would always make it a point to go to where I am, I guess he knows that a new baby is coming :)
Come January, I'll be climbing Pulag with some of my friends. Looking forward to this activity. 2009 will be a big year with the birth of my daughter and my parents 50th anniversary.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Life Lessons
Just came back from Binan, we took time out to visit my mother-in-law who has been sick these past few days. There was no traffic on the way so we were there by lunch. Jacob was in a good mood today, he only cried for 2 minutes hehe. All day he was running and playing with the people around him, this made him happy and made the people craving his attention even happier. He watched in awe as I made bubbles with his P50 bubble machine and played with his slinky toy. Life for my son was good.
This made me to think how life is for me. As we were having lunch one of Jenny's aunt made a bold prediction for 2009. In a nutshell 2009 will be very hard for most people due to the crisis at hand. She's quite a firebrand in the finance world so this assessment should not be taken lightly, if there was a bitter pill this was it. I began to think of how miserable things will be and how it will affect us as a family. These things bother me now I must admit, more so now that I have a family of my own to raise. My finger is looking for the panic button and making up dozens of strategies to tide us over this financial mess. Mind you this happened in just a few minutes, in my mind everything is in overdrive.
I took a pause and glanced at Jacob, he was eating ice cream like crazy, his mouth was covered with food and his smile was big. His eyes were firmly fixed as each scoop would glide towards him. I wish I could eat like him, happy and thankful for each serving. He was running around and exploring every cabinet in the kitchen. He would fall down once in a while but would quickly get up as if nothing happened. Falling down has become part of his life now since he likes to run around a lot.
Looking back, once he hit his head on the wall and fell flat on his back, he started crying but as he did that he was getting back on his feet, still clutching his toys (some plastic kitchen utensils) in is hands. After a few minutes he stopped crying and started playing again as if nothing happened. It was a funny and scary situation for a father to see but I'm proud to see that my son was man enough to get up on his feet after a fall.
Back at the lunch table, I took a step back and realized that the experiences we have with one another is more valuable that anything material on this planet. Having my family around makes me realize that money has no real value, it is true that it's buys us things and makes life more comfortable but in the end It's an empty promise of true happiness.
Learn the meaning of the word hope from Nick Vujicic
I began to look at the situation in a more positive light, my Dad would always say to me "Without crisis there is no growth". I guess what he meant by that was all of these things will test our character, make us more aware of what's important and has value both for work and family life.
I guess with this crisis I must find a way to restore my faith in that statement and continue with life crisis or no crisis, to take life one day at a time and to find joy in ice cream and making bubbles.
This made me to think how life is for me. As we were having lunch one of Jenny's aunt made a bold prediction for 2009. In a nutshell 2009 will be very hard for most people due to the crisis at hand. She's quite a firebrand in the finance world so this assessment should not be taken lightly, if there was a bitter pill this was it. I began to think of how miserable things will be and how it will affect us as a family. These things bother me now I must admit, more so now that I have a family of my own to raise. My finger is looking for the panic button and making up dozens of strategies to tide us over this financial mess. Mind you this happened in just a few minutes, in my mind everything is in overdrive.
I took a pause and glanced at Jacob, he was eating ice cream like crazy, his mouth was covered with food and his smile was big. His eyes were firmly fixed as each scoop would glide towards him. I wish I could eat like him, happy and thankful for each serving. He was running around and exploring every cabinet in the kitchen. He would fall down once in a while but would quickly get up as if nothing happened. Falling down has become part of his life now since he likes to run around a lot.
Looking back, once he hit his head on the wall and fell flat on his back, he started crying but as he did that he was getting back on his feet, still clutching his toys (some plastic kitchen utensils) in is hands. After a few minutes he stopped crying and started playing again as if nothing happened. It was a funny and scary situation for a father to see but I'm proud to see that my son was man enough to get up on his feet after a fall.
Back at the lunch table, I took a step back and realized that the experiences we have with one another is more valuable that anything material on this planet. Having my family around makes me realize that money has no real value, it is true that it's buys us things and makes life more comfortable but in the end It's an empty promise of true happiness.
Learn the meaning of the word hope from Nick Vujicic
I began to look at the situation in a more positive light, my Dad would always say to me "Without crisis there is no growth". I guess what he meant by that was all of these things will test our character, make us more aware of what's important and has value both for work and family life.
I guess with this crisis I must find a way to restore my faith in that statement and continue with life crisis or no crisis, to take life one day at a time and to find joy in ice cream and making bubbles.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, October 24, 2008
Classic Pinoy Movies
Watched this movie during lazy afternoons in the 70-80s kasabay ng Anak ng Bulkan and a whole lot of movies from PPP, if you don't remember kung ano yung PPP* wala kayong TV nun haha...
*PPP - Piliping Piling Pelikula sa Channel 13.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Back in Banahaw
Banahaw Sunset
Time has a way of changing things and this is perhaps evident during my recent climb in Mt. Banahaw. Days before the climb, I could not think straight it was consuming me in a way, part excitement and maybe a little bit of fear. The excitement was for obvious reasons, the fear I guess stems from the unknown. While it is true that I have climbed this mountain before, this is the first time I will do it without my usual gang, the mountain being closed for so long might pose new challenges to my already challenged 36 year old body. Here is my story.
I “woke-up” early Friday morning, well actually I didn’t even get the chance to sleep. I would try several times but would get up to double check my gear, making a list in my mind and reminding myself to get the last items on my checklist. I loaded everything up and carried my pack. It was heavier than what I expected. Since we were not sure if there were available water sources along the way, we had to bring our own supply, 8 liters total (6 for group and 2 personal), I also brought along with me a bottle of Ginebra Premium (ang pumalit sa good old Gin Bulag of the 90’s)
There’s no turning back now, I quickly hurried down the condo to get a taxi. I got one quickly and realized that it was the oldest taxi in the planet, practically falling apart. Just my luck I thought to myself, I hope it doesn’t breakdown. The driver was another story, he beat all the red lights along the way. Anyway, I had no choice but to sit it out and just hope I get there quickly.
Our IT said the meet up place was Tritran Cubao. Taking about time wala na palang Tritran Cubao, It’s now being operated by Jam Transit. I scanned the area to look for some familiar faces. I saw all of the inductees present. Good sign, walang late.
Wala ng Tritran sa Cubao, wala!
Soon to be members having breakfast inside the bus.
Lonely is the night when I'm not with you....
After a few minutes the rest of the group came in, soon we were loading up and went on our way. I was wasted, I slept the entire way and woke up a few minutes from our stop in San Pablo. I hardly recognized the place, daming bagong buildings.
San Pablo
Anyway, we had to transfer to 2 jeeps to get to the Dolores jump off point. Syempre just my luck again I ended up riding the brand new jeep as in 1982 brand new hehe, everything inside was busted hehe. It had character though, I felt na I was riding an old horse, maybe this was the same jeep I rode when I first climbed this mountain in 1991.
Old Jeep
The trip was ahort, just 30 minutes or so along the highway and another 30-45 uphill to Dolores. We made a left turn from the highway and after a few minutes like a switch I was back in time. I saw the old buildings put of by the Rizalistas and some other familiar landmarks around the area. It was cool both figuratively and literally. The group made a quick stop to meet up with local group who will serve us as guides up the mountain. This again is another new thing for me since I never climbed this mountain with a guide, but hey times change and I figured that it was good livelihood for the community and also builds positive rapport with the locals.
Mistica De Dios
Perry Guide
The guides where seasoned veterans, except for 1 or 2 maybe but in general I knew that they were old guards since all spoke vividly about the trail/climbing in general. Well it was a mix of local beliefs and facts of the mountain. We handed over the permit to the local DENR rep and started to do last minute checks.
DENR Permit
Road to jump off
I was all set, I think I checked my pack at least 20 times in the past 24 hours hehe. I was set to go. The whistle went off and we started walking down the road towards the foot of the mountain. I quickly noticed that there were less trash than a few years ago, saw the old water pipes and I knew that soon we would slowly start our accent.
"Cartoon" hehe
Jump-off point
Dark skies above
30 minutes has passed and I’m feeling tired already, my mouth was bone dry and I had this urge to sleep. Yes, sleep. I was beginning to feel the effect of staying up late. I felt like crap. I didn’t stop but my pace was beginning to slow down. I drank water to keep myself hydrated. At this point I was starting to look back and reminisce how it felt like being an applicant all over again. I was imaging my old black and khaki Bomika pack and my green World Balance boots. I wanted to remember how hard it was back then and also the feeling of adventure climbing my first big mountain. At 115 lbs, I felt pretty macho in a sort of Montgomery Burns kind of way hehe.
Henry "2 poles" Nakpil
Pahinga muna anak...
These thoughts raced through my mind while climbing up and enjoying the view, trying hard to remember if I saw this tree or rock. Some looked familiar but some were definitely new. We had a few rests in between the climb, this gave me a chance to recover and chat with some of the members. Dennis (UPM President) who’s climbing this mountain asked me If I remember climbing this mountain, my reply was “Akyat di masyado, yung pababa naalala ko”. He looked puzzled and quickly brushed off my reply.
At the back of my mind, I knew going up was the easy part. It the way down that will test if you’ve got the knees.
Perry talking
After a few relaxing moments along the trail we continued our traverse through the forest towards the place called “Tatlong Tangke” loosely translated it’s “3 Tanks”, maybe referring to the 3 levels of pools found along the route of the falls. After 2 hours or so of trekking we reached the place to have lunch. Finally a chance to eat some breakfast and get some rest. After eating I looked around to investigate.
Tapa, rice and ponkan
Naalala na namin kung bakit...
Funny, I only saw this place actually had running water, there was a signal 2 up I think that was way back 1994, this time the water was still, the falls was smaller as I imagined it to be. I can recall back in 1991 I had “InstaMeal” and rice using my ever reliable army mess kit. Ubos lahat sa gutom and pagod, this time around it was beef tapa / chicken longanisa and a pot of rice. I was hungry but could only eat so much, more rest will do me good.
Tambay muna tayo
Nilo Ocampo
An hour has passed and we gathered around to resume the climb, this time this will be a 2-3 hour to a campsite called “Kapatagan” or as I know it, Puroy.
Puroy Gubat
As I recall, the Puroy during the 90’s was a huge campsite, I’m quite sure of this since we bought along an 8 man tent. Obviously this tent belonged more on somebody’s backyard that up in the mountain but was applicants that was the only tent we had (actually I borrowed this tent from a friend, a few years past Mike’s dad bought him another one hehe, talk about super sized gear).
Camp site - Puroy
You didn’t have a campsite problem since it was big, we were at the tail of the group so I figured we can camp anywhere we wanted. I was dead wrong, the forest reclaimed much of the campsite and we were left to pitch along side the other tents.
Henry nababaliw na papuntang Puroy
My yellow tarp, laking tulong sa ulan
We set up camp and moved quickly to prepared dinner, Papa Dick’s meal was the ever classic adobo and itlog na maalat. Good thing since It required little preparation and in no time dinner was served. Other groups had sinigang na isda sa miso. After dinner it started to rain, it rained so hard that the entire front area of our tent was muddy, good thing we had a tarps set up. We used these tarps and venues for our evening socials, socials meant talking and drinking gin while holding an umbrella to keep dry.
Putek hehe
This is clearly where the age gap is evident, remember that these inductees weren’t even born when I was in college (we have a pair of 16 year olds), I would play my 80-90’s classic rock to glam rock collection and I could hear them say “iba naman, wala bang iba or Kuya, ano bay an…”. Crap, anyway, I was god since I owned the Ipod. We met halfway sa The Best of OPM. Hehe funny how Sharon Cuneta can unite us all, maybe a good choice come 2010.
Sisig, pampabata.
Dennis shot naman dyan
Bernie, Casper and Dennis
Sisig was on the menu, the kids didn’t like it. Hmmm the kids these days will live forever. We killed time exchanging stories and passing the gin around, the topics ranged from WHEN YOU BECOME A MEMBER A FEW HOURS FROM NOW to Yamaha Vino and Vespa. Konting lecture again on why the UPM needs more students like you etc etc. One was grilled about her relations with another member.
Papa Dick and Al
This was the first time the inductees were allowed to bring alcohol during climbs so you can say that they were all excited to have a drink or two. The gin was running low since not all members/inductees were able to bring some.
Shot muna
Dilim
Socials sa ulan
Bagets
Henry galing sa ulan
We called it a night after the last bottle of gin, but before that we sent a special text message to our contacts below. Bring 1 gallon of Lambanog. That’s the power of communication for you, we paid a local to hike up and send us a gallon of Lambanog (fermented coco wine).
TNF tent.
Sleep was ok except that our tent floor was wet and the fly was leaking, good thing I was able to but an inflatable mattress and packed my emergency blanket. I woke up at the sound of people moving around, I checked my watch. 6:30 am. I can smell the people making fried rice and eggs. I woke up and slowly crept outside for a peak, most of the other groups were awake. Al was assigned for breakfast, actually most of the adobo was still intact so it was just a matter of adding some more comfort food.
Umaga na sa Puroy
As I waited for the food I went inside the tent again to pack my things, Henry was still fast asleep. Walang pang balak gumising to I thought to myself. I was done packing my stuff and made a bee line for breakfast, I didn’t each much since I knew that in a few minutes we would be on our way up the summit. I was in charge of dinner so my pack was still a bit heavy.
After eating breakfast we started to break camp, some of my gear got wet from the rain and it was a bit harder to pack. In a few minutes we were off, the air was crisp, you could smell the vegetation around you. I looked around Puroy and surveyed the place for the last time, it was alive, save for a patch of trash that was probably remnants of the past years the place was perfect. I vowed to myself to bring as much trash with me on the way down, as a way of thanking the mountain.
The trek up was difficult because of the lush terrain, we had to hurdle rocks, roots and more rocks. The roots were a bit slippery because of the moss. There were some familiar spots along the way up, rest stops that we have used in the past climbs. We would use these stops for a bit of rest and syempre “chismis”, I think this has always been a part of UPM culture.
The trail going up
I could see some cogon grass along the tree line, I figured at this point we were nearing the summit. My pace quickened and my stride a bit wider, I was excited to see the mountain were my “career” as a mountaineer was born some 17 years ago. I wanted to see how much it has changed and if I could still recognize it’s features. Large treess on the sides were growing diagonally and cogon grass was becoming more common along the trail. “Malapit na” I thought to myself. In a few minutes I saw the first camp of Sir Nilo’s group. Then Niko and then the rest of the team.
Cogon area towards Durungawan
Gapang Dennis, Gapanggg!
At last we reached the camp near the summit, I dropped my pack and raced towards the ridge to look at the view. It was still imposing and as huge as I imagined. You could see the rock formations along the rim of the mountain and the clouds rushing upwards as if to greet you on your arrival. I was great to be back, the peak was covered with trees, it has eaten away the patches of camps below where we would usually camp. Hmmm nice place to visit after a heavy meal hehe.
The view from the top
I prepared lunch, beef and vegetable Teppan cooked in clarified butter. Hehe secret to long life. We had left over rice so I didn’t have to cook. In a few minutes of preparation I cooked the meal and lunch was ready. Dami pala ng dala ko hehe, I bought 4 liters worth of beef and some veggies. After a few minutes of rest we came back up summit.
There was a huge metal cross left by the locals on the ground, the wind must have blown this thing off it’s hinges or something. There was also another cross at the center or at least remnants of it, it looks like it was vandalized by some people who came before us.
Some members of the team – Dennis and Casper decided to lift the cross and move it in a different location, at least move it from the ground. They carried the cross and placed It upright, using some plants for support. It was a bit unstable and we were sure that it was going to fall again.
Attempting to move the cross
Attempt ulit
The at this point most of the members were beginning to gather around the place, curious on what was happening. In an effort to prevent the cross from falling again, Dennis carried the cross by himself to attach it to the remnants of the other cross. We couldn’t help but laugh since we could see him grimace in pain because of the weight of the cross, it reminded me of scenes from the Holy Week TV specials.
Pasan ko ang UPM
We raised the cross and tied it to the pole, at last it was in a place were it should be, lording above all the trees and facing the sun as it set.
The Cross
The sunset was spectacular, since the horizon was full of clouds. The trees also gave the scene a more dramatic effect due to the contours of the braches. I took several pictures and then some more to remind me just how beautiful this mountain is. Something to look at during the sunset years. Naks, how profound.
Sunset View
Relax and enjoy the view
Trees covering the old camp sites
After an hour or so we heard that the inductees were already near, we quickly assembled to greet them. At this point I could see just how things have changed in the past years. The line was shorter this time, gone are the days when the lines would extend to for form a semi-circle. “Ganun kadami ang mga umaakyat nun I thought to myself”, at this point I missed my friends, my usual climbing group. On the other hand the numbers didn’t matter to these inductees. They had every right to be here having passed the rigid training of the UP Mountaineers.
Picture muna
Strike a pose
One by one each of them passed by, I shook their hands and looked at their faces. They were all smiling, happy I guess that that this is all over, at last they were part of the group. We had 9 inductees, lucky 9. Yung ibang ka batch nila nag-chicken out sa December na daw mag papa-induct, sayang since it's not often you get to climb this mountain.
Mabuhay UP Mountaineers!
Soon they found themselves going through the induction rites of the group. Needless to say, it was a memorable event for some. I will not expound on this subject, you need to join. Just remember, I was 115lbs then and thought that I was sporty because I played billiards hehehe. Kung kaya ko I guess anybody can join (naks plugging pa for 2009)
Dinner was chicken and mushroom resoto and grilled pork chop and tons of left overs. Henry was the main cook at this point. Niko and Bernie made some cheese sticks. In between we drank coffee and hot chocolate to keep us warm as the moon rose over the horizon.
Cheese sticks bagay sa tagay
Luto muna tayo
Ang lamig, I was wearing 3 layers of clothing to stay warm. Some of the new members stayed over to recover from the cold, obviously some were hungry. Lahat ng ibato mo kinakain nila haha. Dinner time was wild, everyone was busy feasting on the wide array of food available…from yesterday’s adobo to beef teppan and resoto, may pahabol pang tiring chicken langonisa haha. I was stuffed and as my batchmate Bunny used to say “Next Step, Hilata”. I went inside the tent for a quick nap, sarap malamig and it was not raining. After a few minutes I got up to join the group having their socials near the summit.
Lambanog was the available at the open bar. Honestly, I liked the gin better. I’ve always liked gin, better than Johnnie Walker or Tequila. But hey, no more gin so Lambanog Country here we come. The shots just kept coming,
I wasn’t getting tipsy since I ate so much food hehe. In between we just ate and listed to music. There was not much interaction this time since it was cold haha, some of the members were just too cold to even move around.
The moon was out so it was bright, you could see the entire mountain around you and all the city lights below. Music was a bit retro and to my surprise the newer members knew these songs from the 70s. Some started dancing, I don’t know if it because of the alcohol or they just wanted to move to keep warm. Hours passed and it was time to sleep. I was sober, this different from past induction climbs where I was usually crawling out of the tent looking for water at the middle of the night. Tanda na talaga ko hehe, sleepy na.
Woke up, Tope was busy cooking outside our tent, I could hear him prime the stoves to boil water for coffee. I was still half asleep, I could sleep all day hehe, the weather was perfect. The tent was dry and we had the entire camp to ourselves. Soon I started hearing some more people outside, I went out and saw that the breakfast was being prepared, Boneless Bangus. Looks good.
Tope in action
I went up to the ridge to find a number of people taking pictures, they must have been there since sunrise. It was nice, sarap magpaaraw kasi malamig. I took some pictures and headed back to camp. Breakfast was quick and we broke camp soon after.
Good Morning Banahaw
We were last on the team, I don’t mind being the tail since you can go down at your own pace. I was with Henry and Niko as we walked away from the summit. It was a great climb and I was happy to have climbed again.
The trail down was a bit tricky, it was hard to negotiate the roots and rocks along the way. I was careful not to injure myself. I already have a knee injury and would not want to get myself hurt going down. “Chika Pace” lang, we juts took our time going down the mountain, exchanging stories from the past hehe. We didn’t rush at all, I guess there was no use since we knew that it was a long way down to Dolores.
Birds singing
We reached Puroy in a few hours and took a quick rest. We all picked up trash from open pit near the campsite. There were assorted items you can choose from, I made my choice to pick up the old plastic sacks and bottles of mineral water and gin. Soon my blue plastic bag was full, I got some strings and tied it around the pack.
Time to pick up some trash
Basura Boys Club (BBC)
Henry sorting the trash
Niko getting ready to load the trash
I put on my pack and felt that it was quite heavy, bigat nung mga bote hehe. I hope we could bring some more down but I guess we juts need to do this some other time, I think several clean up climbs will do the trick. After this we headed down Tatlong Tangke. This time with heavier packs, now the party is just getting started.
Pack ni Pong Pagong
The way down to Tatlong Tangke was full of slips and slides. I fell down a couple of times and was just lucky I didn’t break an arm or twisted a ankle. The rocks were especially dangerous since there was moss and it was wet and very slippery.Slippery When Rock ang tawag ko sa place na to hehe.
Around 10 minutes away from Tatlong Tangke it happened. As I drove my climbing stick to the ground I git the rock and it slipped. I fell sideways and hit the rock hard, good thing the trash bag absorbed some of the shock. I almost broke my wrist as I tired to break my fall, good thing…well there’s no good thing at this point. I was happy It didn’t break anything.
As I reached Tatlong Tangke I was thirsty as hell, I took a quick sip from my hydration pack and walk towards the pool of water, it was still and there was no movement. I wanted to take a quick dip to cool myself but it looked a stagnant. Sarap siguro maligo if this had running water I said to myself.
Trail
This is the last stretch of the climb and I know that this would be the most difficult since we would be zigzagging down the mountain without forest cover, the roots will give way to muddy and slippery trails leading to the jump off area. I was beginning to feel hungry, we did not eat lunch to make up for lost time. I took a sip from my hydration pack and took some more….then it was gone, I ran out of water already. Most of the water was used for cooking, I was supposed to get from Henry when we broke camp but decided not to last minute since I had some left. Anyway, I figured we were 30-45 minutes from the jump off since I could already see signs that we were close. There were some farmers along the way and I could see houses in the vicinity. Just a few more minutes and we’re there.
Our pace quickened at the last stretch, I could sense that everyone wanted to go down quickly, hehe para matapos na. My knees started to hurt from the awkward position going down. At last we reached the road, I could see the new members fixing up in the distance. At last, may malamig ng Sprite hehe. The local Kapitan was kind enough to let us use his shower, we got ready to leave. Our jeeps were waiting to take us back to Manila, back to reality.
My boots after the climb
As I left the place I took a last look at the mountain again. It was like saying goodbye and thank you to an old friend. Climbing up was this mountain gave me a chance to look back at the past and realize that the world in changing. The UPM is evolving, the numbers of applicants may have gone down over the years but I could still see in them the fire within, this is their time. As for myself, I’m just happy to have been given the chance to see it all over again.
Lastly, on the way down the slopes we would pass by signs that say “DON’T CHANGE THE MOUNTAIN, LET THE MOUNTAIN CHANGE YOU”.
I now realize that it has, and I guess it always will.
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