1994 - my first climb in Mt Apo, with UP Mountaineer friends. (photo credit - Ivan Sarenas) |
I first climbed Mt Apo way back 1994, as part of my team’s
backpacking trip in southern Philippines including Leyte, parts of Mindanao and
Cebu. This was that time that reaching
Tacloban (Leyte) by boat from Manila takes around 25 to 30 hours! My group was the usual gung-ho type where fun
is the priority, and planning was next to none.
Before the trip, one senior org member that we consulted told
us that Mt Apo is “typical” and nothing to worry about. Only to experience, unprepared - for a windy
summit camp with temperature dipping to 0-degree C during the night!
I still recall some side stories – some worth sharing, just
for fun ;)
-That moment when our assigned dinner cook, was seen “freezing
to death” outside our tents (wind blowing hard right through our camp), shivering
while haplessly taping pieces of plastic garbage bags around his exposed legs. As we were unprepared, only 1 or 2 members
carried some sort of pants. He survived.
;)
-That desperate cry from another member, who unwisely depleted
his drinking water way far from the summit camp. Believing that learning the hard way is the
best teacher – and hearing him shouting and begging for water from a distance,
I quickened my pace forward and left him miserable for the rest of his
climb. Ha ha! He would later curse me repeatedly. He obviously survived! And learned the lesson.
-One member attempted to light the stove (dangerously inside
the tent due to strong winds), the fuel vapor whizzed out from the small stove quietly–
then he flicked the lighter, igniting the air around and partly burning his
hair in the process. We all
laughed! He survived (the embarrassment)
with no skin burns.
1994 climb - summit, doing a warrior shot of some sort (photo credit - Ivan Sarenas) |
Overall – the climb was a great, fun adventure – and our
climb story, epic! Mt Apo, being far
from home - was difficult to visit given both time and money concerns for
budget hikers like myself.
It will take another 17 years before I climb the mountain
again!
2011 climb - Born to be Wild (show) episode on Mt Apo |
I started my 5-highest peaks-in-5-days project in 2011 partly as a sort-of-training for my Vinzon Massif climb (Antarctica), as well as
to promote Philippine mountains. The
idea is to climb each mountain in one day each – to eliminate camping (and the
eco-footprint that comes with it). After day-climbing Mt Pulag in Benguet that year, my next on the list was Mt Apo.
With a small crew and limited time, we hurriedly booked our
flights and took the easiest route (EDC trail).
The climb was featured in my former show Born to be Wild – the goal then
was not just to have fun but to showcase the beauty of the mountain while
promoting conservation.
This Mt Apo climb was short and sweet – but with good video
documentation, it was more ‘lasting’.
It will take a devastating wildfire before I was lured back
to climbing it again, but this time for actual reforestation work!
About to plant a seedling in a remote
planting site.
|
I’ve shared a short story on why we started the
reforestation project here , and as I looked back – it was simply the right
thing to do. And it’s not just about the
mountain, but also consequently helping the community grow – being a crucial
partner in this stewardship effort.
My next climbs in Mt Apo focused on tree-planting in a
remote, rugged terrain. On an advocacy
side – I felt glad that we’re are doing this – and my hope is that those
thousands of trees that we’ve planted will grow to a beautiful and lush forest.
The adventure side of this is being able to explore and hike
the ‘hidden parts’ of the mountain - steep, rocky, unforgiving! Combine that with remnants of a dead forest
and newly grown thorny bush – it was a type of rare adventure that I’d look
for. Challenging - yes, but fulfilling
to see the ‘untamed’ side of the mountain and the little hopeful trees that we
planted.
There will always be good reasons why one will go back and
climb the same mountain…
Stunning sunsets or sunrise, majestic mountain range, superb
photo opportunity, good laugh with friends, even a quiet communion with nature.
But now for me, there’s a new good reason why. To see through that the forest regrows, and
to eventually admire the future forest that we so passionately re-started and
nurtured and cared for.
Mabuhay ang Mt Apo!
Near the crossroad to the summit.
|
Tips in climbing the mountain
-
Be sufficiently fit, not just to survive – but
to enjoy the climb! A good climb in a
fairly, difficult mountain route like Banahaw, Pulag- Akiki trail, Dulang
Dulang or Kanlaon a few weeks before Mt Apo climb will be best.
-
Bring enough warm gears, clothing and protection
jacket and pants. One shell, one or 2
alternate or layer warm jackets, a good non-cotton base layer, along with
trekking pants (shell pants is optional and could be very warm and
uncomfortable during day time). I’ve
experienced 0-degree C in the summit camp during my first climb so warm
sleeping bag and good tent is also recommended.
As an alternative (and in case summit camp is closed), sleeping in lower
camp like Venado area is better and a little bit warmer and less windy at
night. It may still reach 10-15C during
cold season so proper gear and clothing is still a must.
-
Gloves and sturdy outwear (ex. stretch
poly-pants, and high ventilation jackets) may prove very useful if one is
exploring the bush-and-thorn slopes of Mt. Apo.
This will be a normal path if one will visit the tree-planting areas, or
if one is to explore non-regular trails.
-
Sturdy shoes or boots. Mt Apo receives a decent amount of rainfall
every year so expect wet-and-muddy trails.
Unless you can tolerate, wearing shoes with no waterproofing will soak
your socks and can easily ruin your day.
-
Trekking pole is recommended especially when
going down. Save your knees!
-
Bring delicious and energy-rich food for
sufficient hiking power, to fight cold, and for good social dinner with your
team. forget about canned goods,
freeze-dried, dried fish or lazy-hikers-packed meal. Preserve your food and cook a good dish!
-
To make it more memorable and fulfilling –
immerse yourself in social or environmental effort. Visiting the Manobo community in Agco for an
outreach side trip for example, or participating in clean-up climbs (there are
tons of litters in the summit camp).
Volunteer in tree-planting activity. With last year’s wildfire that
denuded 140 hectares of mid and highland forest, it will take many years before
the forest regrows. Participating in a
reforestation program will help accelerate this growth, and will surely make
the climbing trip more purposeful, meaningful and fulfilling!
In many years to come, what will
make the mountain memorable may not just be the memory of its awesome view or
stunning sunsets – but the silent happy whispers of the trees that live and
thrive. The trees that you painstakingly
planted, nurtured and cared for…
And just a reminder, if you are a
beginner – don’t haste! There are few mountains that you may want to try
first. Get enough experience, meet more
friends, learn enough skills, enjoy the great mountain playground – and in due
time, you will be ready to climb and truly enjoy this great mountain.
Good luck and have fun...
No comments:
Post a Comment