Batulao Climb (08/02/2008), epilogue

          Quite different from what I expected, the descent was a lot harder than the ascent.  It was probably a combination of a lot of factors, but the most prominent of which was exhaustion.  There wasn't any real rest from the night before,  and before we knew it, we were on packing our bags for the trip back.

          Before Batulao, I can say I've never really experienced what it's like to be in a situation where "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak".  Well then, the cliche basically describes what I experienced during the final 2 kilometers of the return trek.  My mind was as sharp and focused as the day before when we were still approaching Batulao, but my legs seemingly were already made of lead.  Lara, Ehmer, Raymond and Krissy must have noticed that in our group, I badly lagged behind when we finally reached the foot of the mountain.  I simply could not will my legs to go faster.

          The day after, it was interesting to observe that my legs did not hurt, but instead, it was my shoulders that did.  The part of my shoulders where the straps of the backpack dug into hurt like hell and I had to apply Salon-Pas on them to kill the pain.

          There are two things worth mentioning regarding the trip, and they are both about some articles of clothing that I had the good fortune to possess and use during the climb.



          First, my Nike ACG shoes.  I've purchased the pair early last year for no other reason than the fact that it was on sale and it looked like it would go well with informal wear.  ACG apparently means "All Conditions Gear" and the pair served me well in getting a firm foothold in the slippery and muddy terrain.  I owe it to these shoes (and years of squat-ups that gave me strong thighs) that I never once fell during the climb.  I did come close to losing my balance a few times, but good thing the traction of the shoes helped me fix my footing.

          Second, my Maui heavy-duty rain jacket.  This is an old jacket I've purchased before the new millenium, and which I've always regarded as a mistake.  It is oversized, too bulky and too thick.  It wasn't designed for the tropical climate because it always caused me to produce an undue amount of sweat whenever I use it.  During the Batulao trip, however, it kept my backpack dry, thanks to its tough outer layer that was virtually waterproof.  In fact, I left this jacket outside the whole evening while the storm was raging outside.  The morning after, I saw it on the ground muddied and drenched, but when I inspected the inner cotton lining, it was DRY.  Amazing isn't it?








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          Anyway, I guess I'd like to thank the AWWC mountaineers for letting me tag along for this climb.  I'm not too keen on joining a major climb soon, but if there are "minor" climbs (possibly a return to Batulao in better weather conditions) I'll gladly sign up again.

         

Batulao Climb (08/02/2008), part 2

(To continue...)

          And all throughout, the rain became continuous.  No, it wasn't a spattering rain that made loud noises as it fell to the earth.  This was very fine rain, which, coupled with the high wind speed, was almost like a spray.  One moment you hear the wind whistling in your ears, the next moment your face is drenched with rainwater.

          This was, for me, the best part of the trip.  Walking through the rain with breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape, and hearing only the sounds of nature everywhere.  A number of times in the trail, I purposely let everyone go on ahead until they are out of sight.  It was a great feeling walking all alone on the trail - peaceful, overwhelming, triumphant, exhilarating - a lot of words you will only fully understand once you go there yourself.

         
          I was enjoying one of those solitary moments when I realized that it was already 6 pm.  That's when I panicked a bit because we were warned that it gets dark pretty quickly - and you don't want to be stuck on the trail in the dark alone.  I picked up the pace and caught up with my companions who were resting on a rocky peak.  It was only later when I remembered that there were a number of veteran climbers who were behind me in the trail so there really was no cause for worry.  

          What was genuinely cause for worry, however, was the condition of the campsite when we reached it.  It was already dark and the rain volume increased.  We set up the tents in this desperate condition, and a number us (including myself) began to worry about there not being enough tents for everyone.

          The fears were not unfounded.  In Ehmer's tent where I stayed in, there were three of us guys (the other guy is Raymond) who were packed like sardines in 3.5 x 6 feet of floor area.  We Considered ourselves fortunate because there was a group of three girls ("the Munings") who had an even smaller tent and which seemingly sucked in rainwater which pooled inside.

          Later on, when the wind speeds picked up and we realized that we were actually experiencing a storm, we assembled in the makeshift hut owned by the campsite watcher and proceeded to have dinner.  Ah, so this was what they called a mountaineer's meal.  We had brown rice (brought by myself), mixed tomatoes and salted eggs, and two types of soup (the kind labelled "Knorr" in the packaging.)

          Sleeping in the tent was an absolutely miserable experience.  Apparently, Ehmer pitched the tent in uneven ground.  On my side there was even a rock that slightly protruded to the surface - which poked on my tailbone.  This would later on cause some pain even a week after the trip.  

          In addition, moisture began to set on the inside of the tent - which meant that water began to accumulate in our tent too.  Since i was extremely on one side, i kept on catching the water that dripped down from the side of the tent.  Needless to say, it was very difficult to sleep even though I was exhausted to the bone.

          Later, before dawn, when it became apparent that we were no longer going to get any sleep, we accommodated Krissy (on of the "Munings") in our tent.  She was a welcome addition because it was getting boring and we guys needed someone to pick on (hehe).  Food was passed around from tent to tent and when we realized that most were already awake, everybody just began talking to each other.  It must have been a funny sight for an outside observer.  It was as if one tent was talking to another tent.  

          (It was also at this point where the mountaineers gave me a nickname - "Boy Bastos".  But that's another story.) 

          When dawn finally broke (it didn't really "break" in the usual sense of the word since the skies remained overcast) everyone gathered outside relieved that the rains gave us respite ,and to spend some time socializing.  It was unfortunate that the rains spoiled what could have been a great mountaineering adventure.  In particular, the chance to socialize with each other was severely limited.  Most of the morning was spent packing up for the trip back.  

          We've reached 8 peaks and in the morning we were supposed to go further and explore the other two.  But the veterans were unanimous in deciding that, lest the rains come back, we're better off descending the mountain.   When it was time for the trek back, it seemed as if all the atrocious things I experienced the night before was cleansed away.  I again enjoyed walking alone on the trail in the mist, with no sound at all except my footsteps and wind.  

          The trip back was as grueling as the trip going to the campsite, because we passed by the same 8 peaks we have reached.  It was like climbing 16 mountains all in all - 8 going to, and another 8 coming back - unlike a singular mountain where the descent is all downhill.

(To be concluded)

Batulao Climb (08/02/2008), part 1

Last August 2, I joined my office's local mountaineering group for a minor climb at Mount Batulao (in the province of Batangas.)  I should have been blogging about this weeks ago just after the trip, but some tech-related setbacks occurred that caused the delay.

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          I've always preferred the mountains over the sea but I realized that over the past decade, I've been visiting beaches more frequently than the mountains.  That, and the fact that I've haven't left Metro Manila for the past 2 years made me sign up for the Batulao trip.  It was quite exciting because my previous mountain-climbing experience was confined to informal climbs involving barely-challenging peaks (i.e. those that don't even require backpacks and can be accomplished in a day.)  This climb was an overnight one, which necessitated the bringing of food rations, tents and lots of tissues and wet wipes.

          We left the office Saturday morning straight out of the shift.  A number of rides using public transportation brought us to the drop-off point at Evercrest in Batanggas.  After a short on-site briefing, and after acquiring the services of two guides barely 10 years old, we began our ascent.  With our backpacks, and rain gear (because it started to drizzle - an ominous sign), all 21 of us moved forward in varying paces with groupings that changed a number of times.

          The first part of the trek was made in relatively flat terrain.  Actually, there was even a part where the trail went downwards - making us wonder if we were on the right path.  Our prepubescent guides and experienced companions, however, assured us that we were on the right track.  

          The first major difficulty in the trip was crossing through wide gaps of mud in the path.  It was at this early point where a lot of us experienced their first fall of the trip.  It was indeed a huge effort to prevent oneself from falling while balancing a heavy backpack and contorting one's body to the angle of the particular terrain.  I've observed that a lot of us were so conscious of getting muddied feet that we ended up getting muddied a lot more than just on their shoes.  Those who were inexperienced and wearing sandals, in particular, had a very hard time because their sandals kept on being left in the mud whenever they step into a deep part.  Later on, a number of them just went through the trek barefoot, in frustration.

          One thing that can easily be observed about going to Mt. Batulao is that there is horse shit everywhere.  It seems that in transporting goods up and down the mountain, the lack of roads still necessitate the usage of beasts of burden, and as far as the mountain people are concerned, the horse is the beast of choice.  It's not hard to see why.  Carabaos are stocky and relatively short-legged so they aren't agile enough to climb up steep parts of the trail.  Horses, however, are very strong (although not as strong as carabaos) and can carry loads for sustained periods of time.  Their long legs are also useful for negotiating uneven and steep terrain.  Anyway, back to the horse shit, in the rainy weather this almost always mixed with the mud - an unfortunate development for those of us who decided to go barefoot.

          Due to the number of newcomers (or maybe because we just wanted to eat and smoke every hour) we made a lot of stopovers during the climb.  There was even this house that sold ice cold Mountain Dew (how appropriate) and some mountain crops, where we spent more than the usual stopover time in.  Later on, this slow pace became a cause for mild concern because we were still less than halfway to the camping site.  All throughout, the sky was overcast with clouds and the precipitation alternated between rain, drizzle and none.

          I was expecting Batulao to be a "normal" singular mountain wherein there was just one peak, and we would pitch our tents on a site near the peak.  As it turns out, Batulao had 10 peaks, and our campsite was at an area between two of those peaks.

          I honestly don't know how my smoker's lungs enabled me to keep up with my companions.  By the time we reached Mt. Batulao proper, greater challenges lay ahead. 

          Some parts of the trail were steep and of varying surface conditions.  There was rocky ground, muddy ground, and some of the muddy parts - to reiterate - were mixed with horse shit.  The lack of trees was replaced by grasses almost as high as a grown adult, and some paths branched off to God knows where.

(To be continued)

Will be back on sunday

          I'll be joining my office's mountaineering group on a minor climb in Batulao this weekend.  I'll be back on Sunday and tell you all about it (hopefully by Sunday evening.)  There will be pictures of course.