The Climb

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The alarm went off at precisely 2AM.

I silenced it and rolled out of bed, wide awake even though I’ve only had barely three hours of sleep. In an hour, I will be meeting my friends and setting off on an adventure.

Up at 2AM to trek up a mountain. Why are we doing this to ourselves?

Still, I was excited. I’ve never done this before. And the fact is, I don’t even know if I can actually do it.

Why so early, you ask? Well, we wanted to reach the peak – or at least a significant height of the mountain – to hopefully catch a nice view of the sunrise. Ambitious for a first climb, yes. But we tried to prepare for it in the couple of weeks prior to our climb by working out to build strength and endurance, plus some yoga to improve balance. So at a little past 3AM, off we went.

Mount Pamitinan is just about an hour away from Cubao, Quezon City. The early morning ride to the drop-off point was quick; we barely even had the chance to sneak in a nap. Since it was the weekend, a lot of trekkers were there with us before the crack of dawn. We got registered, found our mountain guide, prayed for guidance and safety during the climb, and then the seven of us embarked on our journey up the mountain.

4:30AM - All set for the climb!

I thought I came prepared. Minus the lack of sleep, I made sure I was wearing comfortable clothes with enough food, drink, and essentials packed for the hours of climbing ahead of us. But barely ten minutes into the trail, I was already struggling. It was dark, the steps are steep and uneven from the get-go, and my bag was a bit too heavy from my water bottles (I was thinking it’s better to bring all that rather than get dehydrated halfway...). I had to admit that I had grossly underestimated how poor my balance will be in such a terrain.

If you aren’t already aware, I have a genetic disorder called NF2. It causes benign tumors to grow on the hearing nerves, which also affects balance aside from causing hearing loss. I don’t normally have difficulties with balance in my day-to-day life though, so I didn’t expect that the uneven landscape coupled with poor lighting would cause me to struggle that much.

My friends were incredibly patient and understanding though, and obliged with my frequent requests to stop along the trail. Our mountain guide even offered to carry my backpack – something I really didn't want to be done for me. I wanted to push myself and do it on my own as "normally" as possible, but the fact is, I needed help.

At the halfway point, we stopped again to rest. During that time, so many trekkers walked past us. I saw how easily they went along the trail as if it was an ordinary set of stairs. Meanwhile I literally had to crawl on all fours most of the way up since I didn't want to risk losing my balance and falling off the mountain.

Selfie muna bago sumabak ulit sa akyatan

Still, we pressed on. To be honest, I hated the feeling of being a pabigat to the group. But they told me not to feel pressured; it isn't a race after all, and we were there to have a good time, to enjoy nature and each other's company.

Just past the halfway point, the sun started to the light up the sky, and with it the landscape also changed. The big, smooth boulders turned into sharp, pointed limestone formations. By then, all of us had to use our hands and feet to get to the next parts of the trail. Sheer arm and core strength was required to hoist your own weight past the natural obstacles. It was definitely challenging, but oddly enough somewhat easier for me to navigate than the parts where people can walk upright.

It was light enough to see around by then, and we were able to see how high up we were already. Even just halfway up, the view was amazing so we stopped to take some pictures and catch our breaths.

Oooohhh we're halfway there

Finally, at about 7AM, we reached the first peak. We had to wait for a bit for our turn since this is where the buwis-buhay shots commence, and trekkers are lined up to go one at a time. The mountain guides are unbelievable. They walk and hop from rock to rock, oblivious of the cliffs all around us. Just one misstep will lead to certain death. Yet they hardly even look at where they are stepping on since they were also directing the trekkers on where to step and how to pose for the photos - which they themselves are taking. Unbelievable.

Finally it was our turn. We had to ask ourselves a few times, are we really doing this? Well, that's what we came here for after all isn't it? Is it safe? Well definitely not, but as long as you have the presence of mind to step on relatively sensible parts of the cliff-side and not to let go of your hold from the rocks (nope, there aren't any harnesses or nets to catch you if you slip), you're good.

Yep, just do it.

After the first peak, there was still a bit of climbing to reach the summit. Here, a rope was put in place to help us climb to the very top. At around 11:30AM, we finally made it. Wooh!

We finally made it to the top!

The trek down was a bit easier since a lot of the trail now had bamboo guides that you can hold on to to keep yourself from slipping or losing balance. Still, it took us another two hours to finally get back to the drop-off point. Looking back up the mountain we just conquered, it was hard to believe we had gone through all that. And made it.

Together.

Yep, they say Mt. Pamitinan is just "beginner level", but it was definitely not a walk in the park. Still, it was enjoyable because of the awesome company we had in each other. It would have been terribly frustrating for me dealing with my balance issues during the trek, but their encouragement and fun vibes got me through. It was also awesome meeting friends of friends who joined us for this adventure.

I could go on and on about life musings and realizations I had during this trip. What I am though is truly grateful for the opportunity to witness God's creation, for the gift of friendship, for the strength and capability to do this in spite of everything.

On to the next episode of Magandang Bbuhay!