I always make it a point to become better, or at
least, happier, at everything. Or Not. Truth is, I’m just perennially bored,
and those things called mountains alleviate this certain fear in me I prefer to call stagnation.
With the ubiquity of slopes and hiking
destinations scattered all over the place, I think Philippines has become a
mountain-mad country already, thus, comes a lot of hiking enthusiasts out there,
and mountaineers alike, and those pretending to be one that which includes me. Anyhow, after crossing-out at
least 20 peaks off my list for the last two years, I finally had this golden
chance to meet this fine, boisterous giant at the north last year, no less than the highest peak in Luzon, Mt. Pulag.
We drove up to Baguio the night before the
actual climb which means we won’t be having a good night sleep for the
remainder of that day. And it’s hard climbing a mountain without enough of a
rest to say the least. Nevertheless, I took every opportunity to snatch some
nap while taking that long bus ride from Manila to Baguio in preparation for
the rough day coming up. In no time, we arrived at a freezing Baguio City at
around 3 AM, a little early than our scheduled trip. A little over an hour of
waiting followed, then we rode off in a jeep bound to the jump-off point.
Not long after, we hit the road again and it was
already the birth-stretch of the sun. I found myself once again on that reminiscent winding
road of pines and ridges on the sidelines. I travelled those very same roads for a number of times already yet the travel high it caused me was still madly intensified. Every single
time. I still had those little chills of excitement like it had always been the
first time. And just before falling to a deep slumber off the jeep, the gloom
towards the north perfectly matched with the darkness on the far south. So then
I tried to capture on memory every twist of the road in awe with every turn of our
wheels.
Few more turns and we stopped for a sumptuous
breakfast at a local eatery along the way, then stopped for a while at the DENR
office for some reminders about respect
through a quick briefing on how to rightly conduct ourselves while braving the
chilly trek. We finally continued on our ride to the Rangers Station at the
base of the mountain, had a quick lunch and proceeded to do the three-hour trek
to the camp on top.
And that’s where it all began – brought it on right there in the playground of gods, ready to play a goddamn game of our lives.
