They say that if something scares you, it might be a good thing to try. I have always toyed with the idea of doing something extreme, extradonaire and way beyond my pre-set limits. Yet, I have begged off from a lot of opportunities owing it to the excuses I would tell myself when fear of unknown sets in. So when the opportune time presents itself in the form of a mountain expedition on Heart’s day courtesy of my best friend with an attached photo of Kim Jones' look away shot against the backdrop of Mt Pulag’s sea of clouds, - surely an offer I can't resist.
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| The Elusive Sea of Clouds |
And so I found myself at the airport clutching the straps of the huge TNF backpack I borrowed from Gatch. It's almost midnight and as I stared at the glass door window, I figured that there's no turning back. Judging by the glaring eyes at the subway as I pushed my way in, my entire ensemble certainly looks legit for hiking. It started to dawn on me that for the first time in what seems like an eternity, I was finally doing something out of my comfort zone.
My most recent trip to Mt Pulag was with Travel Factor. And there’s a good reason why my friend and I booked at the last minute. We were supposed to travel with a group of 20 pax but due to unforeseen circumstances, they all had to cancel out leaving the two of us to push through with the climb. Say yes to adventure right?
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| The coolest coordinators ever! ( Rico, Milet & Peter ) |
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| The cold morning breeze of Baguio greeted us and as I hugged my fleece jacket tightly, I was told that it is nothing compared to cold we would soon feel at the summit. We were then ushered to the jeeps to take us to DENR office for briefing and then set off for the Ranger Station. Top load ride - one of the memorable experiences I’ve had going to the campsite. As the driver trudge on the rough, steep road; I let the cold wind brush through my face as we marvel at the lush greenery, vegetation and stretch of Cordillera Mountains. Everything was a beauty to behold that I even told myself that if I won’t be able to make it to the summit, what I’ve seen throughout the jeepney ride would surely suffice. |
Due to the number of climbers on weekends, camping on
Camp 1 and 2 is prohibited (one of the reasons my friends opted out as it would
entail longer hours to reach the summit). Weekend climbers stayed in the Ranger
station along with the locals with close proximity to carrots, broccoli and
potato plantation. Here you’ll find everything you’ll need from basic hiking
gears, hot water down to the freshest carrot juice you’ll ever get your
hands on.
And as our first day came to a close, the sky was
painted with tinge of yellow and orange. We were treated to a
magnificent view of the sunset 2000++ meters above sea level. I was gasping in
awe and was literally going near the edge of the cliff feigning to reach the
sky as the rest of us marvel at the majestic view before us. I uttered a silent prayer of gratitude and
hoped that the summit will offer the same clearing and breathtaking view
similar to what we’ve seen.
Sleeping the night off was
a real struggle. Lying down inside the tent made it hard for me to stay still. I
had changed to my hiking clothes and had gloves, bonnet on yet the subzero temperature made it
difficult for me to get a good shuteye. I was fidgeting yet careful not to wake
my tent mates but quite amused to hear snoring sounds from across our tent.
(Maybe the cold didn’t bother them anyway). At 1:30 am we set forth for the
summit. Armed with headlights, trail mix, camera and hiking gears, we braced
the cold, dark trail. The moon unabashedly showed off her gleaming light and
the night sky exploded with billion of stars. Climbing Mt
Pulag for the first time wasn’t an easy feat. The first 30 minutes was
exhausting and challenging as the air becomes thinner and temperature
progressively drops as you go higher. By 5:30 am, we found ourselves at the Grassland
Summit where majority of the climbers have already secured their spot to
witness the sunrise. At dawn, the dark silhouette of the mountains adds to the
beauty of the imminent sunrise. We waited patiently as sky slowly breaks
into hues of warm orange and yellow. Rays of sun break on the horizon through
the cold cover of clouds.
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Front Row Seat |
Borrowing lines from Tangled, it was warm, real and bright. - And the world has somehow shifted.
Then
a sea of ghostly mist drifts by on the grassy rolling hills of Luzon’s highest
peak. The sometimes-elusive sea of clouds showed up in all its grandeur. Everything
was surreal and it was the most impressive view I’ve seen in a long time. I
thank God for His provisions and for giving us a window to glimpse over His
beautiful creation.
As I turned around, the face of the mountains turns gold as the early morning sun kisses it. The magnificent view of the grassland unfolds as we trekked to reach the summit. After an hour and a pack of oatmeal cookies later, we finally reached Mt Pulag peak. Towering 2922 meters above sea level, I made it to the 3rd highest peak in the country - I literally and figuratively conquered a mountain for the first time.
The descent proved to be a breeze but the never ending trail of the mossy forest led us to resort in taking a motorcycle ride (habal habal ) back to the campsite. It was thrilling and undoubtedly risky to take the rough road sans a helmet. And as I gazed at the steep cliff on the other side of the road, I prayed that I would make it back to the site alive and in one piece.
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Team #Pulove
My sole purpose for climbing Mt Pulag was to witness the sea of clouds. While it is no doubt, magnificently beautiful, I was amazed to discover that more than the majestic view are the myriad of stories and experiences shared with the people I’ve spent hours and few days with. The wee-hour walk under the galaxy of stars with the people I shared a connection with was equally magical.
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Mt Pulag sums up the best of what the Philippine
mountains has to offer. It is coined as playground of the gods for its unique
flora/fauna offering an experience of a world that is cold and beautiful. The
weather here can be erratic and the elusive sea of clouds may not always show
but what you will discover is that the destination is as beautiful as the
journey and the goal goes beyond what you thought is the end. The magic
lies in the moments, adventure and experience shared.
Xo,
Jhesy
