(Dear mountaineers, I wrote down this blog based from my own experiences and feelings as an ordinary lady, with no athletic background or skills whatsoever. What you may feel or think after reading this is yours to keep, and I respect it. As much as I know that you will also spare me some of that. 
)
The Big Decision
One night I opened my email and I received this invitation poster from our association’s chairman, Mr. Monty Repuyan, an invitation to climb the highest peak of Luzon, Mt. Pulag in Benguet. I read it for a minute, looked at the photos of the ad, which looks amazing, one of the photos showing a man standing on the mountain’s summit, hands spread-eagled, and in his background, seas and seas of white clouds. He seemed to be flying. The picture was bewitching, and I have to admit that it somewhat stirred something in me. I love heights, and if I could fly like the man in the photo, that would be great. But then I thought, the man isn’t flying. He’s standing on Mt. Pulag’s peak. And after realizing that I don’t have any interest in mountaineering, I tossed it aside and disregarded the invitation completely.
A day later, my friend Rona texted me asking if I will join the climb. My answer was fast, with no doubts or second thoughts, "The hell I will! Climbing mountains is exhausting, and it’s not my thing." But that girl is determined to join with or without me, so she started her preparations, kept talking to me about the climb every time we’re together. I can tell she’s very excited. And that excitement was infectious, and unfortunately (that’s what I thought then), I was victimized by it. I envied all the amazing things she’s going to see and experience while climbing Mt. Pulag. While she talks, I kept seeing in my head the picture of the man in the invitation ad, his hands spread sideways into the heavens, with those glorious clouds at his back. I started to think, what if I join? There’s nothing wrong in trying to experience something you haven’t tried in your life. There’s nothing wrong in trying to get my blood running after living my life lazily, sitting and just gawking at my computer. There’s nothing wrong in trying to get some adventure! Just that, and I made up my mind… I WILL JOIN THE MT. PULAG CLIMB. It sounds a bit suicidal, but I was overwhelmed by good possibilities. Little did I know about the events that are soon to be laid out before me. Is it Heaven? Or is it Hell?
The Big Day
After deciding to join the Mt. Pulag climb, I started to look for the mountaineering equipment I will be needing. I promised myself that I won’t be spending a single buck for the sleeping bag, the shoes, and all, so I borrowed from my siblings whatever equipment is available. As I wait for the ‘climb’, I went about my days doing the ordinary stuff I do. Translate imported shows, do scripts, gawk, talk, laugh, cry and giggle in front of the television and computer. I kept the climb out of my head because I don’t want to be excited. I have this "little dread" about the climb. I’m not prepared at all, my deadlines kept me from doing any work out that a first timer in mountaineering needed badly. Besides, my talent fees were all delayed and I’m broke. I hated the idea of going somewhere far from home with not enough bucks to feed me. God, I hate being BROKE! 
But then there’s no stopping the big day. Or should I say, the big night ’cause we left Manila to Baguio CIty at around 11:20 pm via Victory Liner in Cubao. The trip was ordinary except for the polar-like blowing of the bus’ air conditioners. When we reached Baguio, my teeth were chattering from the cold and I was forced to wear my gloves. It’s a good thing Rona volunteered to buy me a pair of gloves because I wasn’t actually planning to bring one. I told her that I’ll just put my hands under my armpits or in my crotch to keep them warm. Wahaha! Upon reaching Baguio at 5:30 am, we rode a jeep that will take us to the Mt. Pulag DENR Office. The trip lasted for at least 4 hours. After a little film showing about loving the environment and stuff (which I found very boring and made me want to sleep, sorry environmentalists), and a short mountain climbing orientation (I liked the woman who did the briefing, her punch lines were naturally funny), we rode again for another 3 hours, this time for the Ranger Station. Now I have to mention this but that 3-hour ride was wild! The road was really rough and we rode along the edge of cliffs and ravines. Our hands ached from holding the jeep’s metal rails because if you didn’t, you’ll get a good bump in the head or whatever part of your body is available. Now who would risk that?
We arrived at the Ranger Station a little past lunch time. We gathered our packs, brought out the lunches we bought from one of the local eateries that we passed by during the ‘wild ride,’ and ate our hearts out, making sure we have enough fuel to last us for the 4 hours of trekking. I ate my heart out. But the food didn’t serve as a good energizer for the next events that will unfold before me. Because after lunch we started for Camp 1, the first stop before the real camp site. And that was 4 hours of walking through rocks, trees and high slopes.
Trudging Through Hell
The trek to the camp site was a complete hell for me. Just a few steps from the Ranger Station, my back and shoulders are already screaming from pain because of my heavy pack. I decided to take out the tent from my load and let one of the guides carry it for me. That was first embarrassment. After a few minutes of walking along the trail, I can hardly breathe anymore. I had a need to close my eyes after every few minutes, and while doing so, I felt this overwhelming urge to pass out. But I fought it. The passing out, that is. But I can’t continue any further with that damn pack so Direk Monty asked Kuya Marvil to carry the heavy load for me. The fact that Kuya Marvil paid a porter to carry his own pack and now he was forced to carry mine, that really made me want to disappear from the face of the earth. I wished the mountain would just open and eat me up. But that was just embarrassment number two. Along the way, I stopped every after a few meters to rest and catch my breath. I envied Rona, she was fast and she still had the strength and pleasure to talk about what she sees around her while she walks. As for me, I didn’t even have the ability to respond to their questions because I was so tired! Direk Monty and the others tried to keep my spirits up. They kept saying that if I appreciate the beauty of nature around us, I will forget all about the exhaustion I was experiencing. But it didn’t help. I was really, really tired. There were moments when I stopped by a few minutes, I looked at the mountains or the flowers or the wild plants around, I tried to see their beauty, tried to admire them and mesmerize myself in them. But my physical labor won over, and I cannot find a way to appreciate them fully. I’m not hostile towards nature, not at all. I just can’t condition my mind to completely love it during those moments, when I was really having this difficulty in breathing and felt like I just wanna die.
But I survived. After 4 hours of hell walking up and down the trails, it’s almost dark when we reached Camp 2. Our group mates started fixing up their tents, and as for us first-timers, two of our guides, Mary and July fixed the tent for us. The temperature was so LOW! In the orange horizon by the setting sun, you can see the smoke-like fogs moving slowly, making you want to shiver more. We unpacked our bags and I was asleep right away after I stretched out on the cold ground. But the sleep was not deep, because as the night wore on, I can hear my group mates talking and laughing while preparing dinner outside our tent. Then I heard them yelling out my name, calling me out for dinner. I forced myself up, walked out of the tent, and holy-molly! I was greeted by one of the most splendid views I’ve ever seen in my life. It’s already dark but mountaineers are not allowed by the Pulag management to make camp fires for fear of ruining the park. So we just have to make use of our flashlights to go about our businesses. When I looked at the pitch-black sky, I saw thousands and thousands of stars! The kind of star clusters you’ll only see in the planetarium during your elementary field trips. You will never see this number of stars in the metro ever. Not even in Rizal or Laguna or the other suburban locations in the country.
I felt so close to the sky that night. I felt like I’m in heaven. But little did I know that that view would seem so puny after I reach the summit by daybreak the next day.
A Few Steps Away From Heaven
After dinner we finally settled to rest. We wrapped ourselves with whatever clothes we got because our sweaters, jackets and sleeping bags were not enough to fight the bitter cold. Under my thick sweater, I have a t-shirt and a long-sleeved shirt. I was wearing two thick socks, hand gloves and a bonnet, the hood of my sweater wrapped around my head. I haven’t been covered with too much clothes in my entire life! Sleeping itself was an ordeal. Christian my tent mate and Rona’s friend, suffered from the same headaches as I did. We also found it very difficult to breathe, telling ourselves that it’s probably because of the high altitude we’re in, making the oxygen in the atmosphere very thin.
After hours of sleeping on and off, with the loud snores and delirious moans of our groupmates as our background (because of the unbearable cold, some of us suffered from hypothermia), we woke up at around 3:30 am, ready for the summit assault.
I was grateful I brought a flashlight. I was actually not planning to bring one since the flashlight we have at home is quite heavy. Besides, to tell you the truth, I wasn’t really taking this climb seriously at first. I also thought that the necessity of bringing warm clothes was an exaggeration. But like I said, I don’t have any mountaineering background, I’m a big ignoramus about these things. So I was grateful to have brought our good old flashlight. Because assaulting the summit in four in the morning without a light will be next to impossible.
The summit assault wasn’t as hard as the climb from the Ranger Station to the camp sites because it was dark and you only get to look at the trails. Besides there was nothing much to see. We walked on wide trails, narrow trails, but since we’re going to the summit, most of it were going up, that’s why I have to take a break every time I find a need to. It’s an enjoyable experience because while resting and taking a gulp of water from the canteen, you’ll always find yourself looking upwards, admiring the thousands of stars scattered around the velvet black sky.
We did that for at least 2 hours. Direk Monty asked us to hurry, saying that we might not make it on time to the summit to catch the glorious sunrise. Ate Gwen, one of my good old companions while in the trails said it’s okay if she won’t make it to the summit to catch the sunrise. What’s important is she reaches the summit. That’s also what I was thinking then. So I took my time and didn’t force myself to hurry, assuming I have all the time in the world. The summit seemed to be so near, you can already see it. There were already climbers up there, you can hear their yells and shouts of triumph echoing through the vast corners of the mountains.
Then I found myself in one of the most extraordinary circumstances. I was always the last climber in the line, since I was slow. A lot of my group mates were already way ahead of me. But it’s okay since I know there were guides following us in the trail. Then I realized it’s not okay. Not very far from the summit, there were these trails that were overlooking deep ravines and cliffs. And it was so narrow you have to clutch on the tall grass beside you for safety. The ravines were steep and deep, it’s hard to see the end of it. You can just imagine yourself losing your footing and sliding into that ravine and disappearing forever. If you’re one of those people who are afraid of heights, like my friend Rona, that will be a total hell for you. But it’s nothing to me. Loving heights is one of my very few strengths. Then I realized I was already alone. I saw the others walking ahead of me moments before, and now I can’t hear any other footsteps aside from my own. I glanced at my back, expecting July, one of our guides to be there. But he wasn’t around. I was totally ALONE. I stopped for a moment, tried to catch my breath, looked at everything around me. It’s almost daybreak and the sky is turning pink, clouds were floating all around. It’s very, very beautiful. But amidst all that beauty, I felt this loneliness creeping inside. Because there I was, standing almost on top of a big, big mountain, right at the edge of a very high cliff, clutching the tall grass by the sides, and TOTALLY ALONE. I can’t hear anything aside from the blowing wind. There were voices, but they were so faint. I tried not to be scared, forced myself not to think about morbid things like, "what if I suddenly slipped and fell into that ravine?" Everyone is so ecstatic to have reached the summit that they won’t even realize I was already missing and is already dead at the bottom of the cliff. And if they do, I would be a big party pooper. I don’t want to give any problems to anyone so I continued my slow pace towards the summit. I can say that that "solitary ravine encounter" was one of the loneliest moments in my life, probably next to the passing of my father two years ago. It may sound so shallow or cheesy to you, but I am a very emotional person. I can cry and laugh even at the most insignificant things. And that moment of being so alone made me want to call all the prduction staff of the TV networks and help me shoot a very sentimental mtv.
Walking Through Clouds Literally
I finally reached the summit at around 6 am if I’m not mistaken. I don’t care anymore if I was the last one to arrive. What’s important is I made it. I made it through hell. And now I’m in HEAVEN.
I won’t be able to accurately describe the breath-taking beauty of the view on the summit of Mt. Pulag. I guess even the photos won’t be enough. You have to see it for yourself. Imagine yourself on top of the highest peak in Luzon, surrounded by the Cordillera mountain range, wrapped by seas and seas of clouds, the majestic sun slowly showing itself in the pink skyline. When I reached the summit, I was greeted by my group mates, particularly Ate Gwen. She congratulated me. We became emotional and we wept. But before you call me a big crybaby, let me tell you that there were valid reasons why we shed tears. FIrst, the beauty of the place is so overwhelming and urban animals like me don’t get to see that everyday. Second, just imagine all the difficulties I’ve had just to reach this summit. And third, that moment was just a dream for me a few days ago as I look at the photos of the invitational poster in my email. And now, I’m here. I’m one of the few lucky people to have made it to the peak of Mt. Pulag.
Everyone is so happy basking in the sun, although you can hardly feel the sun’s heat because of the very cold temperature. Every time you talk or just breathe, cold smoke comes out of your mouth. I felt like I’m in one of those koreanobelas I translate to earn a living. Hahaha. And of course, taking pictures are an essential part of this trip. So we grabbed our cameras, did every silly pose that we managed to come up with, and clicked it off.
Moral Lesson of the Story
I think I will just be redundant to tell you about our descend from Mt. Pulag. There was nothing really significant about it aside from the fact that it was a lot easier for me than ascending the mountain. But as easier as it can be, I’m still the slowest and the last one to reach the camp site and the Ranger Station. I’ve already acknowledged that I’m the weakest link in this expedition. That’s okay. Because after all the weariness, the humiliation and embarrassment I’ve put myself in, I am very proud to say that my first mountain climbing experience happened in Mt. Pulag, the second highest mountain in the Philippines. Climbing Mt. Pulag is a major climb. And for a totally unathletic person like me, that thing is a big feat. Imagine it, I’m fat, I’m heavy, I totally lack exercise, but I still managed to survive! And I’m not afraid of heights. What else could I have done if I was skinny and light as Rona?! Hahaha.
My group mates kept asking me if I will join them again in their next climb. I gladly said, "No, I won’t. I’ve had enough for one climb. This isn’t really my thing." I’m sure most of them think that I didn’t enjoy a single moment in Pulag. That everything is but a big mistake and a huge ordeal for me. But you guys are wrong. Little did you know that I consider climbing Mt. Pulag as one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life. I don’t have any regrets in deciding to join you. Yes I’ve had fears, and those fears proved to be right as I was climbing. But I consider them now as valuable lessons that I can make use if ever I can summon my strength to climb another mountain again. Literally and metaphorically speaking.
So yep, I’m not closing my doors. I will join you guys if I feel like it, if the schedule allows, and if I’m not that broke. And I can assure you one thing. I won’t climb another mountain totally unprepared.
Anyone wants to join me do a little bungee jumping? If anyone’s interested, feel free to contact me. :)
