Kaya Pa Mountaineers

The Grandeur of Mount Pulag

2010-05-29T03:30:00.000-07:00

Up there 2,900 meters above sea level, at the summit of Mount Pulag, I thanked God for my life and for my family. I was reminded once again of His greatness. God is really more than wonderful and more than amazing.

At the dawn of May 17, 2010, what I saw was a spectacular view of HIS creation, unfolding before my eyes as the sun slowly crept and established its presence in the sky. As of this writing, and to my mind, none can compare yet to the majestic and breathtaking drama that is Mount Pulag.

I was able to climb Mount Pulag with three people closest to my heart - my husband and my two boys. I was also with dearest friends. It was a difficult experience not because of the steep trails but because of the temperature. My tolerance to cold was really put to an extreme test there. Even my patience was stretched to its maximum limit.

I realized that not everybody gets to see the grandeur of Mount Pulag and the spectacular sunrise there. But to all of us who had the opportunity, I know what a great experience it was and we are all LUCKY to have gained it. We are blessed.

I left the summit of Mount Pulag with the thought that if I have a God who created such grandeur, then my GOD will also continue to work wonders in my life. So there at that highest elevation achievement of my life, I threw all my cares to the air, I casted all my worries, bad memories, hatred, envy and selfishness. Upon going down, I promised to take better care of myself, to love life, to always make my family my number one priority, to love those who are around me, to cherish my friends, to be positive at all times..

When I reached home, I knew I mutated into an improved version of me.

Dennis and I at the summit, wee hours in the morning

MT.PULAG , KAYA PA! 2010

2010-05-19T23:54:00.001-07:00

Jeep ,parang 4x4

mag split si pre dennis

find your height

going to summit

far far away to summit

DENR,regitration

malamig ba?

kapit bisig sa summit

unang hakbang

Ranger Station ,start trekking

Pwisto,DENR

Jump,Jump

Kaya pa.group picture

Mt.Manabu

2010-05-19T23:38:00.001-07:00

Mt.Batulao Part 2

2010-01-28T03:05:00.001-08:00

Me(boyet) and my wife(maribel),for Better and for worst sa pag akyat ng bundok magkasama pa din.

Kuya louie and Janet. Kuya get's the Tittle of KAYA PA, kayang kaya pa,after after a long rest,now he's back to scale another mountain. after Batulao we are now planning to climb Mt.Tarak ridge,maybe on the 2nd week of February..

Buko kayo dyan,refreshing after a short walk.

This are the tre's hermanas, mga addict sa picture,kita mo naman pang charlie's angels ang mga pose....
Scout ranger ba o Mountaineer

Posted by: Boyet KPMC

MISTY FOG, SUNSHINE AND DRIZZLE ROLLED INTO ONE

2009-09-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

It was amazing...to see a lot of mountaineers in one mountain in one day. Well, it was a Sunday, and Monday was declared a holiday (National Heroes Day) so one would expect a summit to be filled with a lot of tents.

Mount Batulao indeed continues to draw a lot of crowds. Not only because of its proximity, but because it really provides a welcome respite to tireds souls and beaten-up minds of people living in Metro Manila.

Mount Batulao is so loaded with Wow! From ascent to descent, you can only express wow to your heart's delight. The trail offers magnificent views of the greeen Batangas down below. Spectacular indeed even for neophyte climbers and experts.

It only takes an hour and a half to reach the highest peak, but the profound experience it can give is really so immense.

It's a place you want to keep going back to..promise!

by: Lucilyn B Saylon

WOW Batulao

2009-09-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

They call us the Hunks este chunks pala ,we are the daddy's of kaya pa mountaineers ,mt.batulao is done so whats next? wait wait wait lang muna ,let me finish first the exciting trekk in mt.batualo ,AWESOME,AMAZING , wkat else can i say.start pa lang ng trekk ,amazing view na agad ang makikita mo ,hindi mo mararamdamn ang pagod because of awesome view .but hindi namin solo ang batulao,holiday kasi kinabukasan

so madaming umakyat na mountaineers.

The Hunks( kuno)Chunks pala

Peak 8 ,foggy lang .

Trail Top of the Mountain

Kaya pa Mounatineers,Franz,Boyet,Bhel,Lucy,Eric,Jhoy,diego, Dennis and david

Three kikays of kaya pa mounatineers

Mt.Batulao

2009-08-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Mt.Batulao ,Nasugbo ,Batangas-811 MASL
Jupm-off point: evercrest golf course nasugbo
Days required/hrs.to summit :1 day/2-4 hrs.
Specs: Minor climb,Difficulty 4/9,trail class 3 with 60-70 degreess assault

Trail no.1( old trail)-fork to summit 1.5-2 hrs, Trail no.2 (new trail)- fork to summit 1-1.5hrs

so mga kapamilya i think mas ok sa mt. batulao ,medyo hindi kasi maganda background ng mt. gulugod baboy,you can check in at pinoy mountaineer site. take note for the new trail start tayo ng trekk around 7:30 a.m. it will take us to the summit by 9:30 a.m. and its just around 1.5 hrs going down, Guide is available along the highway waiting for mountaineers for a range of P300 , age of 8-17 yrs.old this is only a part time job for the kids during weekends. for water 1.5 - 2ltrs are enough.

.....so what do you think ,lets go na ....(Boyet)

Why Do I Climb Mountains?

2009-08-18T06:30:00.000-07:00

Beats me.

It gives me a different high...as if I can conquer any problem if I'm able to climb mountain tops.

Great chance to bond with wonderful best friends.

Burns my extra pounds. Although they almost always come back after a week or two.

Allows me to commune with God while trodding the trail.

Allows me to think, think, and think of nothing else except "how far away from the summit?"

Helps me determine if I'm still physically fit.

The exhaustion gives me extra hours of sleep despite the hard ground.

A lame excuse to drink tequila (nothing to do at the summit at night except scare each other with creepy stories)

Perfect backdrop for pictures I could post in my facebook account

To test my husband's patience. His temper goes off when he's outside his comfort zone.

To deal with my own impatinece as well.

There's always a different feeling after every climb. All mountaineers can describe it. I have yet to find the right words. But all of us converge to that same profound experience.

By: Lucilyn B Saylon

Thieves in Mt. Sembrano

2009-08-02T17:16:00.000-07:00

Mga Kapuso at Kapamilya additonal info lang about mt. sembrano ,beware of this person name joel,isa syang dakilang magnanakaw sa mt. sembrano at war freak pa daw ,ang strategy nya makikihalo bilo at makikikain sa grupo at magkukuwento ng kung ano ano,but at the end nanakawan ka lang marami ng complain about this ,pero hindi pa yata nareresolba ng mga local na opisyal (Baranggay) ng Mt. sembrano .so ingat ingat na lang tayo ,lalo na may mga kids tayong kasama. good luck to all,(boyet)

Mt. Siam explo Climb

2009-07-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Mga Kapuso at Kapamilya musta na wala pa ba tayong akyat. kung wala ,sasama muna ako sa layag trekkers sa mt.siam, 5 hrs from mt balagbag,august 7-9 .sasama ako sa kanila na magbutas sa Mt.siam,wala pa daw kasing open trail doon, so its another adventure for me, 6 p.m. ng august 7 (friday) then mag overnight sa Mt.balagbag ,Saturday Morning going to Mt. siam. sunday na ang balik, medyo naiinip na kasi ako baka kalawangin ang mga joints ko,baka gusto nyong mag join.3 lang ang layag trekkers,pang apat ako so open pa.di bale balikan na lang natin mt balagbag ako na guide nyo. (boyet)

Mt.balagbag,Day trekk

2009-07-13T01:53:00.000-07:00

Mt. Balagbag via Sitio Karahume Mt. Bituin (grotto) exit.

Route: Mt. Balagbag via Sitio Karahume Mt. Bituin (grotto) exit. (Day trek)

Itineraries:

8:00 am Assembly Jollibee Tungko

10:00 am ETA Sitio Karahume

10:00 – 1:00 pm Trekking via rotary trail (lunch included)

1:00 – 2:30 pm Mt. Balagbag peak

2:30 – 3:30 pm Mt. Bituin (grotto)

3:30 – 4:00 pm Licao-licao terminal

4:00 – 5:00 pm Tungko

Breakdown of Fee
200 Php / head
Ancestral Domain (Mt. Balagbag)
Guides fee (TL, FG)
Wash-up

Lessons From Mount Arayat

2009-06-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

Each mountain has its own beauty and its own unique peculiarities. The group's latest conquest was Mount Arayat (Pampanga), towering more or less at 1032 meters above sea level. We did the hike on June 27 2009 and stayed there overnight. There were three other hikers with us from a different group. Generally, it was a difficult climb. A climb I will not repeat.

A lot of things can be said about this particular climb. Although Mt. Arayat is considered a minor climb, it was already tantamount to a MAJOR climb to our context - we being in our mid 30s. We really encountered a lot of difficulties conquering the infamous mountain. It was loaded with obstacle courses. It was all uphill!

More importantly, there's a lot of lessons that can be gleaned from this recent hike. Such as:

1. Bring only the essentials. Let's do away with plastic cutleries, plastic cups and paper plates as these are considered garbage by other climbers. let's have our own mess kits next time. How about not bringing wet wipes? Is that a good idea?

2. Bring lots of water. We ran out of water halfway down the trail and that was critical (if not dangerous) because there were children with us in the group. Of course this would depend on which mountain to hike next time, since there are mountains with water sources along the trail. Mt. Arayat doesn't have any at all. Surprisingly, the swimming pools in Arayat National Park at the foot of the mountain get its water from the mountain itself.

3. We all have our own fetishes. We can't blame other mountaineers if they don't want to bring extra clothes and smell bad after a day's hike to give way to other essential items in their backpacks. Getting the "high" after reaching the summit is one thing, but to sacrifice hygiene just to get that high is a different matter.

4. It helps a great deal if you do research before every climb. Tips and comments from other mountaineers who have been there will surely lead to an enjoyable, safe, and comfortable hike. In our case, it was good that we learned early that giant mosquitoes are ubiquitous in the mountain that's why we brought plenty of repellant with us. We also realized how cold it was in the summit especially in the wee hours of the morning.

5. Regarding the camera, I'm still mulling over the idea of leaving my sony SLR behind the next time. Sigh..it takes the best pics for me, but it's really just so heavy and adds burden to my aging back. In Mt. Arayat, I was sort of blaming myself for bringing it since it was becoming a burden while I was crawling under the thick branches of trees.

Whatever nuances you may have with the way you pack up your climbing essentials, I don't think I can hike without my sunblock foundation. Nor without my umbrella...We may have had our glitches in the past climbs, BUT we learn from our mistakes right? So Until next post, about the next mountain, after we have experienced our next adventure. ANYWHERE BUT MT. ARAYAT. (By: Lucilyn Saylon)

Mt.arayat Endurance Test

2009-06-30T23:35:00.000-07:00

Mt.Arayat ,Pampanga via brgy Bano
Happy face after all ng hirap at pagod

Picture taking Mt. Arayat peak

KAYA PA mountaineers with Richard(yellow shirt) toby(beside richard) and Angel (yellow shirt standing)

Manny Paquiao and Ricky Hatton este Boyet and Franz (Father and Son)

100 steps going to Mt.Arayat (kapoy) umpisa pa lang napalaban na kami,but still . thats why we are the KAYA PA mountaineering club,think positive,wag kang aayaw.

Mt. Balagbag Challenge

2009-06-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

To all KAYA PA Mountaineers here a challenge for us guys,Mt.Balagbag it's time to show your Gut's

I think kaya ng mga Kikay's beauties yan .

Look at that mountaineer lady,papatalo ba ang sun block beauties ng KAYA PA mountaineers

kung kaya ng ibang Mountaineers KAYA din ng KAYA PA mountaineers

So what are we waiting for lets scale Mt.balagbag ,its a challenge to us

So Schedule na agad yan can't wait to climb Mt.Balagbag,KAYA PA Mountaineers GO GO GO,Boyet(kpmc)

Pre-climb Physical Activity at La Mesa Dam Ecopark

2009-06-24T19:27:00.001-07:00

In anticipation of a much higher MASL in the coming weeks, Kaya Pa Mountaineers spent a day at the Ecopark (La mesa Dam) last June 20, 2009 to have a physical fitness assessment by doing wall-climbing and zipline. Apart from that, it was also a bonding day for all the fathers as we celebrated in advance their day, 'father's Day." Each family brought food to share on the table, and everyone had a great lunch. Kuya Louie grilled the most delicious 'liempo" ever, coupled with Boyet's delectable "sawsawan".

As usual, we the kikays of Kaya Pa! Mountaineering Club (we are also known as the sunblock beauties LOL) looked after the kids WHILE busying ourselves with souvenir shots. so here's one: from left to right is Manet, Lucilyn, Joi, Janet and Maribel.

None of us girls dared to do the wall-climb. The father and son tandem of Dennis and David gave it a try and successfully hurdled it. The wall climbing costs P50 pesos per head while the zipline costs a hundred.

On the other hand, a pretty young lass, Natassia Kim (daughter of Boyet and Maribel) had the guts to do the zipline.

It was a great day for Kaya Pa Mountaineers. Now we look forward to another hike as soon as the sky clears up. Rain, rain go away.... (by: Lucilyn B. Saylon)

kikay's of kayapamountaineer

2009-06-15T10:37:00.000-07:00

a friend told me.. sabi nya, "diba pag mountaineer daw eh dirty looks, may tatoo o kaya maraming burloloy sa katawan..saka mga bagets pa!" sabi ko, "oy, hinde ah!"

(check> KAYA PA ladies ".) the sunblock beauties..hehe!

& the cool hunks (ngek'.) cook hunks pala!

mountaineers by heart are all adventurer & nature lover. Willing to explore and share the beauty of nature..

actually, di ko nga na-imagine mag climb or magtrek man lang.. sobrang init kaya! nakakapangit ata yun hah..

until, na-realized ko nalang! ito pala ang SUMMIT..Mt. maculot, Mt. Maguldol, Mt. Pundaquit..
I LOVE IT!

ngayun laging, (what'z next?) pinag-uusapan kahit during badminton games..san kapa!

..siguro nga bago pa kami sa bundok!. pero sa dami ng pawis na tumagaktak samin,

sa bawat steps na hinakbang namin at bigat ng mga backpacks na dala namin.,

.certified.. laging KAYANG-KAYA PA namin!

sabi nga ni janred, go KPM go.. yahoo '',)

Mt.Pundaquit, anawangin cove,Trekking adv.

2009-06-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hi guy's ,fresh from Mt.pundaquit,Brgy Pundaquit ,San Antonio, Zambales. its wow experience ang trekking namin sa Mt.Pundaquit or Mt.anawangin ,sabi kasi ng aming guide na si Ed ang Mt.Pundaquit ay yung kabilang bundok na wala pang mountaineers na umakyat ,pero may trail na daw kaya lang 1/4 lang ang trail so hindi tapos,anyway ang mahalaga naakyat namin ang isa sa kanila going to anawangin cove.at take note ang ganda ng trail kumpleto ilang ilog ang tinawid namin ,hindi sya maputik dahil rocky ang mountain,at nakisama din ang panahon sa amin hindi maiinit ang akyat namin although medyo mabagal ang trekking namin dahil syempre ,picture dito ,picture doon,ang ganda naman kasi ng view parang hindi pilipinas.at mabait din yung guide namin na si ed ,talagang inasikaso nya kami hangang pauwi na kami sulit ang bayad namin sa guide namin.marami din syang kwento tungkol sa bundok ,yung three ninja kids namin matatag ,sabi nga ng mga nakakasalubobg namin na nangangahoy baka hindi daw kayanin ng mga bata,sabi ko naman train to ignore pain in all weather condition ang three ninja kids namin,kaya walang magiging problema, pangatlong bundok na namin ,nangangati na nga ang paa ko ulit can't wait sa next climb namin,ganon daw talaga yun hindi mo na mahintay yung susunod,kung pwede nga every week,kaya lang syempre kailangan ng budget,medyo magastos din he he he.sa anawangin cove naman doon kami nag campsite ,(ligaya ba ang hanap mo) si aling ligaya ang care taker ng beach site na tinuluyan namin,mabait din si aling ligaya,kung ano ang kailangan mo just tell her. ang mabigat na yung pauwi na kami ,meron kasi kaming kasama na mga dating serena yung aking first lady at si janet,mga dating serena kasi sila mga itinakwil sa kaharian ng serena
so kailangan naming mag bangka pabalik sa brgy.pundaquit kung mag trekking kasi uli kami medyo mahirap pero KAYA PA, syempre pagod na din,yung dalawang serena na kasama namin ayaw sumakay sa bangka ,baka mahuli daw sila ng mga kasamahan nilang syokoy,kaya lang no choice sila so kahit na ayaw nila mag boating ,join pa din sila,eto na yung dagat galit na galit parang gustong itaob yung mga boat namin,tili dito hiyaw doon,dasal dito,yung dalawang serena namin,eh dahil malakas kami kay BRO nakarating kami ng payapa sa aming destinasyon,kaya ang susunod namin aakyatin ay ang.........Mt.Arayat.

All members are welcome to post in this blog

2009-06-14T07:13:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, please feel free to post your thoughts here, stories, pics, whatever. just text me for the the username and password. you are also welcome to leave comments to other members' posts as long as we strictly follow journalism ethics. I just changed the comments settings so anybody could easily leave a comment. Let's make this blog a diary of sorts. -Lucilyn

KAYA PA Mountaineering Club ,T- Shirt

2009-06-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

KAYA PA Mountaineers Check this out! our T- Shirt ,kung ok sa inyo try natin pa print para may sample tayo, Boyet

Spectacular Mount Pundaquit with Anawangin Traverse

2009-06-13T20:17:00.000-07:00

Exactly two weeks after the last climb in Mt. Daguldul, Kaya Pa Mountaineers packed up their bags once again on June 12, 2009, and headed to San Antonio Zambales to scale Mt. Pundaquit then traverse to the becoming-popular Anawangin cove. The intermittent rains days before the trip did not stop the team members to proceed and explore this spectacular mountain which turned out to be one heck of an adventure.

The team left Manila at around 4am proceeding to NLEX and SCTEX. After a very filling breakfast along the way, prepared by spouses Boyet and Maribel, the team drove right away to San Antonio, Zambales to register at the local police station there, following protocols. A few meters away was the Barangay Hall of Pundaquit, where the team leaders paid courtesy to the Barangay Captain who was more than kind enough to refer the team to the most suitable guide.

At exactly 8:40 AM, the team composed of twelve members, headed to the foot of the mountain.
A few steps after, we were already overwhelmed by this breathtaking sight:

The minor bloopers in our previous clilmbs taught us to be more disciplined in this one. Thus, we agreed to trek in a single file and to look out for the ones behind or to the ones ahead. Our sweeper for this climb was Boyet Nueve, who really took his assignment by heart. On the other hand, Kuya Louie placed himself behind the guide, immediately followed by the kids. The ladies were designated to stay in the middle. We brought a lot of water with us because as gathered from our research in other blogs, this climb really requires lots of water from the mountaineers.

This next photo below shows our sweeper Boyet with Judith Labrador, acting it out in the middle of the boulders as the "oblation". He had so much fun doing it.

The group faced different kinds of ordeals this time, for there were streams both wide and narrow that we had to cross. One of which claimed the lives of four mountaineers in 2008, at the height of typhoon frank. They were swept away by a strong current when they tried to cross this stream:

Our hearts were really pounding when we crossed this body of water. It has huge and sharp-edged boulders. There was a strong current indeed, even with the waters only at knee level. I remember the fellow mountaineers who lost their lives here, and I felt sad. Their tragic death sent goose bumps on me. It was good that we hired a very experienced guide, Ed, who was a Boy scout and brought with him ropes in case of a very strong current. Little did we know, that this river crossing was only the tip of the iceberg, for there were more thrills waiting for us far ahead!

The mountain is considered a level 2 climb in terms of difficulty. Measured at around 460+/- meters above sea level (MASL), it was actually steep with very few trees scattered in between with which to shelter from the sun. Team members had to put on their gloves to avoid cuts from the sharp edges of cogon grass.

We reached the summit by 11:30 AM. Team members quickly unpacked the lunch and devoured them effortlessly. As usual, the group posed at the summit this time with our own streamer and printed shirts. The views in front of us and behind us were so spendid. God is so marvelous indeed for His beautiful creations. Because we were on top already, our goal was to go down and reach campsite, which is Anawangin cove before sunset. So the group didn't waste any more time and started the descent after lunch. So excited to see Anawangin cove finally.

It took us three hours to descend. Along the way, the trail was full of boulders and rocks and was a little bit slippery because of the rains. It seemed to us, though, that the streams were never ending. One after the other, we crossed them all. There was one that caught our attention and just really made our jaws drop. At the back of our minds, we couldn't come to terms if what we were seeing was for real?

When the group was nearing the campsite, our guide ED thought of gathering logs and dried twigs to light our bonfire. The guys in the team were kind enough to carry some. Eric happily agreed to carry a bigger one. Boyet was on the other end. Thanks guys!

Sure enough, the logs and dried woods kept us all warm as we were about to call it a night. The bonfire thrilled as to no end....then it was time to hit the tent and sleep.

After an energizing sleep (although some members lost a good one), the dawn greeted us so warmly. As usual, the guys prepared breakfast while the ladies enjoyed the scenery.

Can you actually believe we'd be able to do rock climbing as well? Above photo shows Janet, Judith, Maribel, Lucilyn and Joy having the time of their life with a rock formation at the far end of anawangin cove.

Of course, my husband Dennis and I had to pose as well. Geez, we left the kids at the campsite!

There are two ways to reach the anawangin cove. One is to trek Mt pundaquit for four hours, and the other is to take a banca. Going back to Barangay Pundaquit where we left our vehicles, the group decided to have the 30-minute banca ride instead. One final group shot before leaving the spectacular anawangin cove:

Another mountain crossed out in our list. Where to next? Congratulations members of KAYA PA!
By: Lucilyn Banac-Saylon

2009-06-09T05:24:00.000-07:00

hey.... its my turn... sabi ng dalawa kong anak.. papa bakit tayo aakyat ng bundok, ano ba meron dun??? mag swimming nalang tayo! sabi nila.. oo nga naman bkit ka pa mag hihirap umakyat ng bundok kung wala naman dagat dun sa tuktok!!! sbi ko lang basta sumama kayo dahil pag dating sa summit merong kayong PREMYO!!, mas maganda pa sa beach, SABI KO! so sama sila nung nag climb kmi sa mt. daguldul sa san juan batangas. first climb ng mga kids kaya nag aalala ako ksi bka di nila kayanin ang pagod. si david ksi is 13 yrs. old and diego is 11 yrs.old, so kumuha kami ng porter, thanks GOD meron hayyy. ang bait talaga NYA! ksi pati kabayo meron. hehehe. malaking bawas sa bigat sa likod ko. yung sarili ko ksi talaga inaalala ko bka di ko kayanin nakakahiya..... huhhhh jump off na!! hayyy parang gusto ko ng maiwan... eh yung mga anak ko pati misis ko kya. KAYAPA? tanong ko? oo daw sagot nila. tsk tsk tsk. wala na talagang urungan. so PRAY na lahat with pastor louie .hehehe syempre PRAY TAYO para sa sarili... AKYAT na! syempre una kabayo... di ko akalain na kaya palang sabayan ng mga bata yung hayop na yun!!! samantalang kami, lalo nako hingal kabayo na!!! nakakahiya pag sumigaw yung mga kids., si franz gwaping na anak ni pareng boyet at abeng, david at diego ng alak pa! KAYAPA! may isang kids pa pala si jericho. buti nalang kasama si jericho may dahilan para mag pahinga ko. 9 yrs old sya so madaling napapagod. spoiled ksi sa daddy eric at momi joy. hehehe.. anyway nakarating naman sa peak. actually nauna mga kids makarating sa peak so diko nakita reaction nila sa nakita nilang view. diko alam kung nakuha nila yung premyo na sinasabi ko. basta maganda daw. ang sarap ng bonding sa pamilya at kaibigan sa hirap at ginhawa. palibhasa first time, hindi prepare, so pati sa pag tulog, ang hirap! ksi inulan pati sa loob ng tent umuulan..... bukang liwayway! yun na! kahit puyat! kahit pagod! masasabi mo talaga na GOD IS SO WONDERFUL! napaka ganda ng view. bed of clouds, mataas kapa sa ulap.. basta napaka ganda... alam na ng mga anak ko kung ano naging premyo nila... kahit diko na ipaliwanag sana pagdating ng araw mai apply nila sa buhay nila yun.. yung hirap at ganda ng buhay.. thanks. dennis.

MT.MACULOT ADVENTURE

2009-06-08T22:48:00.000-07:00

Mt Maculot as seen from Cuenca

Before Mt. Daguldol, My very first Mountain Adventure is Mt.Maculot ,i was very excited during that time ,I dont care kahit gaano pa sya kataas or gaano kahirap akyatin ang mahalaga maakyat ko sya ,they said its only a level 1 for the Mountaineers,ganon pala ang feeling parang hinihintay mo na marating ang summit,nakakapagod na masarap ang pakiramdam ,sabi nga nila ano ba ang premyo mo sa pag akyat sa bundok,sa totoo lang wala pagod lang, but if you are nature lover ,malaking bagay ang marating mo ang pinaka Peak ng Mountain,magandang View,very relaxing ,wow tangal lahat ng pagod mo feeling mo malayo ka sa lahat ng problema ,it was really an achievement for me,beacause eversince isa na sa dream ko na maging Mountaineer matagal ko ng gustong gawin ang pag akayat sa mountain,kaya ng magkachance ako hindi na ko nagdalawang isip.sabi ko nga rain or shine go ako ,we plan to climb first to Mt.Pulag but there is thyphoon during that time so na postpone,i feel sad kasi can you imagine first time ako na aakyat ng bundok Mt.Pulag agad kaya lang di nakisama ang panahon ,that's why sa Mt.maculot kami natuloy with my wife ,my 12 years old son and our friends which is now a member of KAYA PA MOUNTAINEERING CLUB,Headed by Kuya Louei sya ang nag sked.kung saan ang next climb namin,sya kasi pinakamatanda sa amin (joke) he he he ,and this coming Friday were going to conquer Mt.pundaquit in San Antonio,Zambales.this is my third trekking adventure,at marami pang nakapila,this year for sure Mt.Pulag kasama na sa list namin,at least twice a month makapag Trekking kami we dont know yet what's next after Mt.Pundaquit so wait lang muna tayo mga ka kosa, sabi nga ni FPJ, ISA ISA LANG......

Kaya Pa Mountaineers Conquer Mt. Daguldul

2009-06-08T19:28:00.000-07:00

It was in 1993 when I did my last climb together with my friends. It was in Mt. Maculot, in the province of Batangas. Before that, I was able to climb Mt. Banahaw, Mt. Sembrano and Famy in Laguna. I was still single then and life was a lot simpler. The married life had put all my climbing ambitions on hold.

Recently, I got interested again in climbing mountains. My age may not be that ripe anymore for mountaineering, but who says there’s an age limit to it anyway?

My best buddies Janet, Maribel, and Joi are so into it too. So do their husbands. So off we went to Batangas on May 30, 2009 to climb the 672 MASL mountain named Mt. Daguldul. We left Manila before sunrise to be able to steer clear from the traffic congestion. I was excited because my husband and my two grown-up kids were with me, and so were my best pals and their families.

We trekked the mountain for almost six hours (including the three stops in-between to rest). I actually predicted a slow pace because there were four children in the group, but I was amazed it was us adults who couldn’t catch up to their stamina and speed! We were always lagging behind the adolescents.

Halfway through the trail, the rain poured on us but it was alright. The rain was actually a relief to the scorching heat. It was fun trekking in the rain, despite the mud and the mixed smell of sweat and water.

You’d be surprised to know, that somewhere in the path, there is actually a store selling “halo-halo” to refresh our thirsty bodies. There were also cola drinks and fresh buko that one can relish. The store also has a clean restroom as an added amenity to the climbers. Mountaineering has now gone mainstream!

We reached the campsite after almost six hours of gruelling climb. Under normal conditions, it only takes 2.5 to 3 hours for a professional clilmber to reach the summit. The mud just made it extra harder for our group since it had been raining for the last few days. Nevertheless, the trail provided a magnificent view of the thick forest, and the smell of nature that is so refreshing. We immediately pitched our tents to shelter us from the brewing rains.

When the tents were done, it was time to cook dinner. The guys in the group (Kuya Louie Cesar, Boyet Nueve, Eric Agulay, and Dennis Saylon my husband) tooks turns cooking and fetching water from the water source nearby. Meanwhile, we the girls (Lucilyn, Janet, Maribel and Joi) were busy taking pictures of ourselves and taking advantage of the spectacular view that the summit offered.

As expected, it rained that night. Being an amateur climber that I was, I failed to bring some items needed to keep us dry and warm. Our tent didn’t stand the heavy rains so the water just dripped and made us all wet. Anyway, after the heavy rains, this is the view that mesmerized us:

a bed of clouds after a heavy downpour!

It was time to go down at 9am the following day. We couldn’t get enough of the serene view that engulfed us that morning. The group took a souvenir shot before leaving the summit. Good thing there were other campers whom we asked to take a photo of us. Altogether, it was a great experience climbing again after so many years. What made it more memorable was that it was the first climb of my two boys David and Diego. Even my husband Dennis (who also climbed with me in 1993 at mt maculot) had so much fun bonding with us. Now they are clamoring for more! And higher ASL at that !

As of this writing, my body is still dead tired from the climb and recuperating from a terrible cough that I have acquired post-climb. Even with Muscles and tendons aching, my spirits are still high because I and my best friends had a blast at the top of the mountain. We have shared a different kind of experience that made our friendship even more special.

the KAYA PA MOUNTAINEERS have conqured Mt. Daguldul. Now we can’t wait to scale the others out there.

L-R: Boyet, Maribel, Franz, Eric, Joy, Jericho, Kuya Louie (Team leader), Janet, Diego, Lucilyn, Dennis and David.

May 30-31, 2009