wan na lng natin yung bags dito tas balikan natin pababa bukas (let's just leave our bags here and come back for it tomorrow)" Eds said jokingly. It was almost an hour ago when we started this vertical ascent from the Papaya River. Earlier on we were forewarned that it might take us 2 hours to get to the camp and should ready our gloves because we would be using our hands on this one.
Going Up There
Indeed the trail towards the peak is quite challenging among all the mountains I have climbed so far. For a brief moment there, it reminded me of my first climb at Pico De Loro, where my mind was battling with my body on whether I could survive the trail. But that was a year ago; so much has changed since I first climbed a mountain. Eds has been a constant companion during our preparation for our upcoming climb to Mt. Pulag's Killer Trail - Akiki for the next month with Lakbay. Those times we spent jogging and lifting weights at the gym were not for naught. For in this I noticed that we were a lot faster and stronger than the others. Though, I was already breathing heavy and my scarf could no longer hold my sweat as it is already falling on my eyeglasses, we continued on. One thing I like about this trail is that it is fully covered in shade so there is no heat to slow you down. Despite this, the terrain is quite challenging. From the combination of rocks and soil terrain, coupled with a 30 to 45 degrees ascent. There was also a time when I had to let go of the improvised walking stick I was holding so I could hold on to the roots on a near 80 degrees ascent. I have to hold on to the roots that were jutting out among the trees so I could pull myself up with my upper body. The bags could also add in to your inconvenience, you must constantly lean over as its weight could pull you down backward if you are not careful.
A few moments later, the chicharon boys came along with Ruby, who seems to be handling herself quite well. After our rest, we continued our ascent, and not more than 15 minutes from our rest stop we found an open cogon grass field view beyond the forest trees. Is it the peak already? It's not 2 hours yet. After a short walk at the cogon field we found the other members of our group setting camp. It turns out that the other group of climbers already occupied the better campsites so we have to settle there. After a while, Ruwen came carrying Hazel who seems to have been injured. It was fortunate that it wasn't that serious but an ankle injury. Here is where Ruwen exhibited her expertise as a medic.
