(Starting today I'll be writing about my personal experiences on climbing mountains. this is just the first of a series. Bear with me; feel the thrills and the difficulties. I am sure that you'll love each mountain too.)
Exploring the Base
Pototan, my home place, is surrounded by mountainous municipalities. We can always see them from afar but most of us can only guess what they hold in that distance. One time, the Talunanons (the local mountaineering group) of the town of Lambunao made a plan to reach out to the residents of Brgy. Cabatangan, in a form of a medical mission in coordination with the municipal office concerning skin maladies with more focus on leprosy, Ted, my better half, decided to go with them in order to see the actual situation of the barangays in this side of the town too. At that time, he was assigned in that municipality. They went with private individuals and the local church group in this noble task. I didn’t allow the chance to pass me up so, I signed up with them.
From the tip of the feeder road in Brgy. Bagongbong to the Tinagong Dagat of Lambunao, it took about 8 to 12 hours. Every one of the members of the four eight-man team was so excited right from the foot of the hills where we were to commence. Canned items, biscuits, a bottle of water, a small packet of salt and chips were distributed to each man in addition to each one’s provision. Our guides wanted no mishaps to happen on the way that before we started, important pointers were run through. The locals commissioned to carry our packs of provisions were instructed to go ahead but
wait for us in the second waterfall where the trekkers will stop for about 30 minutes for their water and refreshment.
The first stop was the waterfall where trickles of water come out of a fissure from the rock (or was it dalipe?). The place was about an hour and a half of continuous climb from the starting point. The path is interesting as every now and then it’s accented by varied wild flowers, scents of flowering wild trees, birds’ sounds and plants with leaves that were in themselves quite unusual to us - their shape, color or size. There was a time too when the scent of the flowers that drifted through to us were like something so wild but it was so nice that’s reminiscent of a grand ballroom where ladies’ perfume were so enticing and seductive yet they look so demure that gallantry will reign first before bawdy ideas grip the imagination.
Another two hours and we reached the top of the highest hill where there was a small, one-bedroom hut with a small balkonahe attached to it that overhung the cliff.
The view was terrific. Below us was a village so alive with activities. From our location we can see clearly women hanging their laundered clothes on the line. Men weeding out the kaingin dikes, others feeding the fowls, and children darting to and fro. It was breathtaking that you’ll almost forget you’re also a mortal just viewing them from a different angle. Anyway, it made us so happy to have a top view of where we will be spending the night because, according to our guides it was best that we stayed overnight and rest. He added further that it might rain in the mid afternoon which might hamper our progress if we go directly. He pointed to us the small concrete structure that stood in the middle of the houses saying that it was the barangay center that served as the health center as well because it was the catchment area of the midwife. The midwife, Clarins was with us in the journey. She goes up the area once a week and stays here for three days. Of which, two days are for her trips. The other days are spent on other barangays which were also on the mountain side.
Having viewed the scene from the hut, we got more excited thinking that we were nearer the destination because it appeared so. There I realized what they call “Dyan lang sa bangi.” Bangi to the people of the locality means, ‘just on the other side.’
After we had refreshed ourselves with a sandwich and sips from our bottled water we left for the nearer goal in a five minute-interval per group. The six ladies were divided into each of the four groups but I went with the company of my significant other which was one before the sweeper. The sweepers in trips are the last people to leave because they make sure that no one or nothing is left behind and that if anything happens before them they will be tasked to do the ultimate help. Therefore other than the first group who act as the guides and path finders, the sweepers are experts too in rescue and first aid applications.
From the tip of the feeder road in Brgy. Bagongbong to the Tinagong Dagat of Lambunao, it took about 8 to 12 hours. Every one of the members of the four eight-man team was so excited right from the foot of the hills where we were to commence. Canned items, biscuits, a bottle of water, a small packet of salt and chips were distributed to each man in addition to each one’s provision. Our guides wanted no mishaps to happen on the way that before we started, important pointers were run through. The locals commissioned to carry our packs of provisions were instructed to go ahead but
wait for us in the second waterfall where the trekkers will stop for about 30 minutes for their water and refreshment.
The first stop was the waterfall where trickles of water come out of a fissure from the rock (or was it dalipe?). The place was about an hour and a half of continuous climb from the starting point. The path is interesting as every now and then it’s accented by varied wild flowers, scents of flowering wild trees, birds’ sounds and plants with leaves that were in themselves quite unusual to us - their shape, color or size. There was a time too when the scent of the flowers that drifted through to us were like something so wild but it was so nice that’s reminiscent of a grand ballroom where ladies’ perfume were so enticing and seductive yet they look so demure that gallantry will reign first before bawdy ideas grip the imagination.
Another two hours and we reached the top of the highest hill where there was a small, one-bedroom hut with a small balkonahe attached to it that overhung the cliff.
The view was terrific. Below us was a village so alive with activities. From our location we can see clearly women hanging their laundered clothes on the line. Men weeding out the kaingin dikes, others feeding the fowls, and children darting to and fro. It was breathtaking that you’ll almost forget you’re also a mortal just viewing them from a different angle. Anyway, it made us so happy to have a top view of where we will be spending the night because, according to our guides it was best that we stayed overnight and rest. He added further that it might rain in the mid afternoon which might hamper our progress if we go directly. He pointed to us the small concrete structure that stood in the middle of the houses saying that it was the barangay center that served as the health center as well because it was the catchment area of the midwife. The midwife, Clarins was with us in the journey. She goes up the area once a week and stays here for three days. Of which, two days are for her trips. The other days are spent on other barangays which were also on the mountain side.
Having viewed the scene from the hut, we got more excited thinking that we were nearer the destination because it appeared so. There I realized what they call “Dyan lang sa bangi.” Bangi to the people of the locality means, ‘just on the other side.’
After we had refreshed ourselves with a sandwich and sips from our bottled water we left for the nearer goal in a five minute-interval per group. The six ladies were divided into each of the four groups but I went with the company of my significant other which was one before the sweeper. The sweepers in trips are the last people to leave because they make sure that no one or nothing is left behind and that if anything happens before them they will be tasked to do the ultimate help. Therefore other than the first group who act as the guides and path finders, the sweepers are experts too in rescue and first aid applications.
No comments:
Post a Comment