SEEKING ADVENTURE IN NATURE: Climbing Mt. Manalmon
The moon was still up as my mind kept drifting from being awake to drowsy. Still, my body seemed to feel the excitement that I thought I was already sleepwalking. My bag was already packed the night before the adventure. There were extra clothes, foods, two (2) liters of water, candies, slipper and raincoat - recommended valuables to be brought during trekking - inside my medium-size bag. I wore a blue shade rubber shoes and black leggings, that I find comfortable enough to walk, climb and roll wherever the tour guide will be taking us.
The meeting place wa a 24-hour fast food chain. I was with my two of my closest friends in college. It was thanks to them that I was able to go out of my comfort zone. There were already people that arrived ahead of us. At first, I thought we were on the same adventure but later we figured out that they were climbing a different mountain, harder than us. Two young, male Americans came. We were actually older than them, but they were way taller than us. They only wore shorts and sleeveless shirts while our body were almost covered with cloth. And then I wondered if it would be safe to not fully cover your body when climbing a mountain. I put aside the thought and continued conversing with my friends. Eight (8) more adventurers came including the two (2) tour guides and the driver.
Five in the morning when we left the fast food chain, I was getting more excited. We sat in the first row of the van we will be riding to Mt. Manalmon. I sat between my friends. We talked shortly then drifted to sleep again, recharging our batteries. We had our stop over in Pulilan, Bulacan. The vast greenfield already welcome us, preparing us for our day hike adventure. I was getting pumped up. I ate an egg and biscuits to supply my energy. I'll be needing it all, I thought.
The road became narrow. It was a rough road. Spaces only opened up when we reach the campsite. My eyes watched with awe. Locals watched us as we descend the bridge that connected the land where we took our first step in the mountain. My feet stopped at the center of the bridge as the two sides of the mountain almost meet each other. Trees were like its fingers longing for each other's touch. It was a beautiful scenery, magical I should say. I took a photo, capturing the first scenery that marked my heart.
We had our brief orientation near the campsite where the locals also live. There were crosses at the side of the slope as we climbed. The marks made me think that someone was buried there. It gave me goosebumps. I never bothered to ask why there were crosses at the foot of the mountain.
Our tour guide brought us back to the other side of the bridge. Little did I know that it was where were going to enter. We trudged to a grassy opening. From there, the Mt. Manalmon loomed before us. The trees on the other side of the mountain were also getting thicker. The trail was muddy because of the rainy night before our climbed. It made the climbed steep and harder. It was an easy trail according to our tour guide but not for me.
Later on, we started ascending and descending to a steep and slippery trail. I often needed to crouch down and dropped one of my legs slowly before descending. Although there were many trees beside it, it was a steep slope I'm going to fell. My parents would not be happy learning that I was injured. The bamboos were everywhere. I can also hear the river at the bottom of the trail. It sounded like one of the application in my Ipad that helps you have a good night sleep. The sound of streaming water was comforting if not for the dangerous trail.
We had to pass by a small streaming river. My rubber shoes were not ready for, but I had to cross it. Paulo helped us get through. We started climbing again and stopped almost in the next campsite because there were also adventure seekers ahead of us so we needed to wait. We drank our water and ate some candies and biscuits.
When we felt we were taking a bit long, we decided to approach the campsite. The other group decided to start climbing up to the peak while we had photos of the view and ourselves with it. We climbed next to a smooth mountain made of rock. The view was more enigmatic. We stayed there for several minutes.
The picture-taking was longer than the climb actually, I joked. My friends agreed and we laughed.
We continued climbing. It was an easy trail. We waited again for several minutes before climbing to the peak of the mountain. The rock was steep and the sun was brimming us with hot weather. Yet we continued climbing. A tree at the peak of the mountain stood strong before us. There were trees a little below of the peak where our tour guide and locals that accompanied us took a rest. My mind did not shook from fear of height but my eyes wander in amazement. I reached the top, my first climb. A vast forest was crawling below us. A tall mountain was standing opposite it with its face watching us from the other side. The river crawled up to the next mountain until it was out of sight. Who would've thought that such a wonder exist just a few hours away from Manila. I would definitely continue climbing, I said to myself. And it will never be my last.
Aside from trekking, breathtaking and thrilling spelunking is also part of the adventure. There were no harness, only ropes, to help you explore the cave. You'll crawl to small holes, climb slippery rocks, and walked the edge of the cave where deep holes and protruding rock formations await to those who will fall. Don't worry. It's safe as long as you trust yourself and your tour guides. They are actually fun to be with and they make sure that anyone who ventures inside the cave will get out alive.
Swimming in the river is also a bonus. The breathtaking view and running water is relaxing. Though you need to be careful because the riverbed is a wave of sand.
