January 22, 2011 at 3:00 AM, I left my house to join the group. I was surprise that the members of the group were familiar faces, mostly my neighbors. We left our neighborhood at around 3:30 AM, proceed to Genesis Bus Terminal in Manila, and took the bus to Mariveles. We arrived in Barangay Alas-asin, Mariveles at around 8:00 AM and registered at the Barangay Hall. After buying some supplies, we started trekking at 9:00 PM.
Initially, we passed through the gravel road that cuts through residential areas and eventually through farmlands until we reached the trail head after twenty minutes. For three hours, trail steepness is gradual to manageable as it cuts through farmlands and eventually secondary growth forest. This is from the trail head to Papaya River, the traditional ‘meal stop’ of mountaineers.
“The humorous stories of Jhay with the jolly physical rejoinder of Renz; and the unusual ‘exchange of gestures’ between Mark and Glenn; concealed the difficulties of the climb… Psychologically, our constant laughter eased the obstacles of the trek. I was actually expecting for difficult impediments as what I read about the trail of this mountain… yeah, it was physically difficult but I don’t remember any agonizing situation from the very start of the climb to the river bank where we are resting right now.”
After our lunch, others decided to further enjoy the river; others fell asleep and in my case; others simple sat down and enjoyed the cool breeze; and in my case, I simply get my journal to write some of my thoughts at that very moment. How I wish to stay more time in Papaya River but we have a target to reach, the ridge!
We left the river at around 2:00 PM. We push further to woodlands, dealt with stiff assault, large rocks and crossed a number of landslides. The trail was steep and there are very challenging assault! I was so tired but upon reaching the grassy area, there was sudden gust of adrenalin… I knew that time that the ridge was just few steps away!
At 4:00; half of our group members arrived and set their respective tents in the marked area while waiting for the other members. Others, prepared snacks and set the place where we will be preparing and sharing our dinner. At 4:35, all members of the group were able to reach the campsite… although tired, the group was still vibrant… sharing snacks and trail food was a usual gesture! After resting, we explore the highest part of the ridge (for some it was the summit)… there was a beautiful mossy forest that greeted us! The rock formations, the downhill view, the lush forest, as well as the ravine (probably part of the large caldera) was so delightful! I had few personal pictures because of drained camera battery, so, I closely stared on the good views and tried to keep a clear memory of the beautiful place. That time, I entered these phrases in my journal...
“The lush forest, the beautiful downhill views, the stunning rocks, the vibrant sound of birds, the soaring eagle, and the cheering mountaineers kept my silence. My mind was appeased, and my heart was delighted by the beauty of the place. For unexplainable reason, I whispered; I will be here, I was here, I will always be here. This is me, this place is the forgotten me.”
I was joined in the tent by Vio De Lara (now a Mechanical Engineer and a very passionate mountaineer). At first, I thought that Vio was one of my neighbors, a member of Athens Outdoor Group; but I learned that he was from other place and was just invited by Kenneth Abat (also now an Engineer now), his classmate. As far as I remember then, before we close our eyes, Vio shared that it was his first climb. Before completely resting, I wrote this in my journal...
“I was with Vio, a first timer… while on our way to the camp, he never complained; instead he kept on moving and pushing as if he had been in the trail before. His legs and knees were strong and his alertness is visibly remarkable. The enjoyment that he manifested is a sign that he will soon be a rough terrain enthusiast… strong man on trails.”
The climb was a celebration of friendship, camaraderie and cooperation in the middle of a spectacular masterpiece of nature.