I should have blogged this days ago but my body is all beaten up and I wanted to sleep early. Since my body has recovered now, I am gonna tell you about my climb up Mt. Kalisungan in Calauan, Laguna.
This is my first climb with people that I do not really know. Well actually, the Lava Trek (maybe I'll re-write it here from my old blog) had a lot of people that I do not know but I didn't get friends with them unlike this one. This climb was organized by Ai's friends because she recently joined these people last year on their hiking trips. I wanted to join them back then but there were reasons (that only Ai knows *wink*) that prevented me from joining them earlier.
Since Ai was joining this time, I volunteered myself to join too. She informed me of the details and just brought some extra clothes, food and water with me. I just wore shorts and shirt since that was what I wore on the Lava Trek climb. I am just a newbie in this so I am not much prepared of the different gears these people had.
The meet up was at Buendia at 5:30 in the morning. I woke up at 4:00 am since I will go first at Ai's place (because I don't know how to go to Buendia alone in the morning). We met the rest of the people at KFC there. Some of these people Ai already know and some, like me, was the first time to meet them.
We were supposed to leave at about 6am but there were late people so it was moved. Good thing there was no traffic in the morning. We rode a bus going to Sta. Cruz (Green Star) and we asked the conductor to drop us off at Victoria, Laguna (where there are rally big duck statues at the entrance of the town). The ride costs P107.50. We were all asleep (I think) on the whole ride going there.
After we passed by the giant ducks, we know that we were there. We alight the bus at Victoria, Laguna. At first, I am not sure why we're there but they said that we were waiting for someone who will go with us. As soon as he arrived, we rode a jeepney going to San Pablo and asked the driver to drop us off at Brgy. Lamot 2 in Calauan. It costs P10 but I think that he charged us extra since we don't know where was that. I feel that the ride was less than 4kms or if it exceeded, it wouldn't amount to P10 *grrrr*.
What is more pissing is that we asked him to trop us off at the Brgy. Hall so that we could register first but instead he dropped us off at the start of the trail. We were supposed to meet some more people there but since the trail and Brgy. Hall is a tricycle away, but instead, we just waited there. After a while the other people got to the trail and joined us. we were ready to begin the climb.
The trail started with a steady path going deeper to the sea of banana and coconut trees. Soon there were wild plants in the trail as it started to ascend. The weather that day was partly good because it was cloudy and a bit signs of rain so it wasn't that hot to climb up however, it rained the night before so the trail were all muddy and slippery and it is a nightmare for me T_T. As the trail went steeper and slippery rocks and mud were all the choice I have to climb up, I begin to slow down my phase. Good thing that some were kind enough to wait for me and patient enough to go along with me at the last of the group (thanks Bry for being patient and for all the kwnetuhan at all my take five stops).
I constantly stop to catch my breath and rest my aching knees and legs. I am in a very bad condition because of the exciting lifestyle of a programmer (yes, i just sit infront of a PC everyday burning of what remains of my brain cells). This is also one reason why I was eager to join Ai in this climb, to get some workout and balance my life. I ought to live a healthier lifestyle this year!
After much effort, the summit is near. The wild plants soon became talahib (Kans grass) and the wind is becoming stronger. The last few meters were a struggle because the strong wind is blowing me and the other guys. We held on the talahib just not to go sliding down the steep path. We reached the top and the trail became plain again but the talahib was hitting our face because of the strong wind. Another struggle to reach the cross at the summit. Soon, we reached it at about 12 noon and I am so so so happy ^_^.
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| cross at the summit |
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| Strong wind and dark clouds |
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| the fields below |
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| summit |
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| Kevin and Adi |
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| my dirty feet |
The wind up there was super strong. When you stand, it could blow you back and it was freezing cold. But since we were up there, I took pictures (even if I couldn't see clearly the output of my shots). After that, we ate our packed lunch. It was so yummy even if it was cold. We were so tired that the food we had were like the best tasting food ever!
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| Potatoes and Chicken best food ever! |
They say that going down was easier than climbing up. In this case it is not! Yes it is easier in terms that you don't get tired easily but the trail was steep and with a lot of mud so it was super difficult for me. My shoes was already full of mud that it easily slips to the earth. My knees are giving up already in every step but I held on to it until we reach flat grounds. And being the clumsy person I am, it was a total nightmare (huhu >.<).
After slipping a hundred times, tripping about a hundred weakened knees and a very muddy shorts (from the slips) and legs, we finally came to the plains. But there was a fork road that we encountered. We initially took the left one (which was the correct one) but after a while, we decided to take the other one. We were quite lost because the trail was unfamiliar. Good thing there was a house on the way where we asked for directions. It turned out that we got to the other trail that was closed and privatized. Good thing they allow people to pass by there. And so, we walked the streets just to get back to our original jump off point but before that, ice cream treat courtesy of sir Romulus (I wasn't sure of his name until he added me on Fcebook. sorry sir, I am thick faced that I accepted the ice cream even if I am not sure of your name :P)
All muddy and dirty, I survived Mt. Kalisungan. Even though I am bruised and my muscles are all beaten up (and I know that I will feel the effects of this the next day), I am so proud of myself! Cheers for me!
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