When I was still a kid, I have seen a lot of groups of students walking in our street with their teacher, as I have heard they were on excursion or hiking as part of their Physical Education subject, they are either going to Mainit Falls or the famous PLDT tower. The tower is can be seen from our barangay and it was my childhood dream to reach the peak like them.

[Photo courtesy of Stephen Photography]

Unlike any other climb, my third climb with the RBM last February 25, 2018 was a twin hike. We climb Mt. Manapon (523 msl) and Triple Peak Tower or famously called PLDT (613 msl). I almost wasn’t able to go because my feet was swollen the day before, it has been raining for the past days and I guess the dirty water went through the small cuts in my skin. I took an antibiotic capsule without getting a prescription because I really want to climb and it was a bad decision I made.

[Photo courtesy of Stephen Photography]

Since, the venue of the hike was just in our barangay my sister and I didn’t anymore went to town to be at the meeting place, we just waited for them to pass by and then we meet them at the jump-off. Yap, you read it right. I went hiking with my sister, it cost me a lot to bring her. I have to bribe our mother and we have to ask permission repetitively (lol).

When we met at the spillway, the jump-off place. I was surprised to see that most of them were wearing sweatshirts and jackets, when I have asked my hiking buddies they said it will be cold  up top.  We just waited a bit and then walked further to the foot of the mountain where the normal routine was done, short information drive, stretching and praying for safe climb and descend.

The trail was a bit wet because of the rain days before the scheduled hike. As I didn’t exercise a lot before the hike and I took antibiotic the night before, I was easily tired but the good thing I am with my sister and my hiking buddy Anna. They waited for me despite I am slowing them down, you know what is funny, I keep reminding my sister to be careful, but it turns out it is me who needs to be always be reminded to be careful (lol).

It was a good thing, the hard core members of RBM were just behind us so we didn’t lose our trail despite that our guide was in the first group. We had so much fun along the way, telling stories, laughing and taking selfies and photos, there are trails that were cleaned but there are some who are bushy and plenty of sharp and tall grass.

We saw a lot of things a long the way, beautiful sceneries, landslide, unfamiliar grasses and etc., There are a lot of guava trees but since we are the last one, the ripe fruits were already got taken by the first groups or the first group the previous day who did the pre-climb. and

[Taken at the peak of Mt. Manapon]

Within two hours we reached the peak of Mt. Manapon where the first group where already resting and waiting for us, our friends even teased that they have already lunch. We rested a bit, took a group pictures and started another hike to the Triple Peak Tower (PLDT).

The trail to the next mountain is slippery, foggy and narrow especially when you are nearing at the peak. You need to be careful if you doesn’t want to hurt yourself. We reached the next peak within one hour, it was foggy and there was no clearing which is bad because you can’t appreciate what’s around or below, we are not allowed to go up more at the vicinity because of radiation.

We didn’t stay longer, we took our photos and did the customary group pictures and we started to descend, the trail became more slippery because lots of people already passed by, we have been extra careful but still there are some who slid.

We returned to the peak of Mt. Manapon where we had our group lunch and after which we have small introduction, short meeting when will be the next hike and the signing of the group tarpaulin. It was a knee-breaking experience going down because we’ve climb a lot so we have to move down in frenzy.