30 August 2015
Hiking is not for everyone! This is a general statement that I hear whenever I invite friends for a hike. They would rather spend the day inside a crowded mall or relax inside a cozy "spa" rather than exposing themselves under the sun on a grassy and sloppy trail - I would like to coin this phrase as "Getting Closer with Nature".
Doing outdoor activities, hiking in particular, is one of my favorite past-time activities. I consider every hike an "achievement" since "it is not for everyone". On long weekends, I would spare time to escape the busy city to enjoy the peace and serenity of mother nature.
I felt so happy to be joined by few of my colleagues in the corporate world for a weekend hike at a nearby Mt. Batulao on a Sunday the 30th of August 2015. None of them has ever climbed a mountain before. They were all "freshmen".
The day before the climb, I can feel their excitement as we discussed few details of the climb - what to expect, what to bring, difficulty level, etc. I can almost imagine myself on their shoes when I did my first hike several years ago.
Early on Sunday 30th of August, we met at the Nasugbu Bus terminal at the Coastal Mall. Julius, Edwin, Joel and Ms. Jeannie were with me. Two participants Ms. Weng and Ms. Rhea were waiting for us at Robinsons Pala-Pala.
We alighted at the Evercrest Golf Course in Nasugbu at 0615H. There were seven of us. From the highway we took two tricycles going to the jump-off point. We also met sir Allan, our guide, at the Evercrest Golf Course.
We were at the jump-off point proper at 0625H and prepared for the hike. The ground was wet. According to sir Allan, there was a downpour at the area all day and all night long before the day of our hike. Immediately, I thought of the "muddy trail" but I said, we'll charge it to experience.
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| Jump-off Point |
We started the adventure at 0635H. There were many hikers at that time.
At 0657H we started the challenge of surviving the muddy trail. Because of the volume of hikers and the rain, the trail turned out like a wet rice field.
The mud was thick, sticky and yet slippery. Ms. Weng and Ms. Jeannie had to ask for a rubber boot while Julius, Edwin and Joel had to remove their slippers and braved the muddy trail bare footed. They had mixed feelings of excitement and fun.
Luckily, we had sir Allan who closely and patiently assisted Ms. Weng, Jeannie and Rhea on this portion of the trail.
Finally at 0759H, we passed the challenge of the muddy trail and we started to ascend as the trail started to slope upward. It was a new challenge for the beginners at this time. We had fun looking at our hiking shoes and rubber boots that turned heavy because of the thick mud.
At 0812H we had to stop for a quick break and to regroup. At this point we had seen the sloppy trail of Mt. Batulao. We resumed at 0815H.
At 0822H, we had another stop at a nipa hut for a break and to refresh ourselves with a sweet buko juice.
I had a silly smile along the trail as I was asked several times of the question "Malayo pa ba?" (Is it far yet?) others would also comment "Ano ba 'tong ginagawa natin?, OMG!" (What are we doing here, Oh my God!). I was actually laughing at that time but I never let anyone of them noticed it. I just kept on telling them "Malapit-lapit na... kaunting hakbang nalang..." (It's quite near. Few more steps and we are there).
I had a complete recall of my first climb as I had the same questions and comments as well and my guide would also smile telling me the same words "Malapit-lapit na... kaunting hakbang nalang...".
At 0844H we reached Peak #1 and stopped there for a break and to regroup. We resumed at 0846H. As we go further along the trail, I had to stop more often to wait for others who were having fun along the trail taking pictures. I felt so happy for them that they were enjoying the hike after all.
At 0857H, we reached Peak #4 and we enjoyed the view of the lush green landscape of the slopes of the mountain.
We had fun along the trail as others started to share their experience on the muddy trail and on the slopes.
We reached the rope segment at 1002H. All of us had to queue for the single rope. I was the last to take the rope.
At 1012H, we started to hike the rocky segment of the trail leading to the summit. I had an inspiring moment when Ms. Jeannie had to "crawl" on the short stiff rock to get to the trail. I remembered at one point in time, I also did the same on my previous hikes.
There were few loose rocks and gravels so it was a little challenging for a beginner. We called this the summit assault climbing the last remaining slope that leads to the summit of the mountain.
Finally at 1037H, we were at Camp #10 - the summit.
At the top, we had so much fun enjoying the view, the company of other hikers and also the food.
We had an early lunch at the summit with the tasty "Laing" and "Adobo" prepared by Joel for the rest of the team. We were also grateful to share our food with other hikers including our guides.
At 1159H, we started our descent and at this time, there was a clearing and the sun was out and the exposed trail started to get hot and humid. By the time we reached the muddy portion of the trail, it was dry already. We were back at the jump-off point at 1510H.
SIDE TRIP TO CALERUEGA
We took a tricycle from Mt. Batulao Jump-off point to Caleruega. At 1629H, we were at the gate of the retreat site and started to explore the area.
We left Caleruega at 1650H.
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