Growing up, I was always fascinated by nature - mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, seas, waterfall, all bodies of water, and land formations you can think of. I've always wanted to stray somewhere far from the city, away from the things I was used to. The heat of the sun on my skin, the gentle breeze on my face are just a couple of the feelings I've always craved for, as a little-snot child. I can't recall if I was very vocal about it, but I may have mentioned this fascination to a friend or two.
Fast forward to a more recent past!
In 2012, a friend casually mentioned that two of his band mates are also "mountaineers". I was instantly all ears. Later that week he introduced me to one of them which led to my first official mountain hike. We picked a date. It was around June 1st or 2nd (my fb photo album upload's dated June 3rd). My outfit? leopard printed leggings, long sleeved hanging blouse which I topped with a Smurf tank top, and a pair of Lambat sandals that were one size bigger.
These three not-so-young men (left to right: Dex, Bot, and Aweng) were my companion for the hike. They've been hiking minor and major mountains in provinces around the metro for years before I met them. How lucky was I to be accompanied by experienced seniors on my very first mountain?! We arrived at the jumped off few hours before noon. We were blessed with sunshine and muddy trails in the first half of the ascent. The other half was foggy and rainy. The surrounding looked like a scene from Silent Hill, it's zero visibility 5 meters from my position. Contrary to feeling uncomfortable and nervous, I was absolutely thrilled! I thought to myself "This is it, pansit!"
We hiked for a couple of hours, more before reaching the top. We didn't push through the helipad (the summit) because the rain started hammering our heads and backs. We sought shelter fast. The campsite was a little space enough for one 3-4 person tent. It's only a hundred steps off the trail. There was a shed that was made from wood and galvanized iron sheets. They pitched under it. I tried helping to set the camp but most of the time I just watched (you can't expect so much from a newbie, can you?) We woke up early the following day to catch the sunrise. Alas! It's a drizzly morning, I felt less motivated than the previous day because of fatigue (Yes, fatigue. I didn't really feel tired as we hiked. Probably because of over excitement) coupled with the bed weather. But the boys pushed me and boy.. was I glad I did!
Mt. Balagbag is situated in Rodriguez, Rizal. A grassland with a height of 700+ MASL and classified as minor hike with a difficulty level of 3/9. Good specs for your first hike, eh?
Back then I felt overjoyed as I looked at those small formation of clouds in the distance. Little did I know that I'd see more majestic views far from this and the most insane sea of clouds formation here in the Philippines as I continue my hiking adventure ( you'll see them soon enough).
After feasting our eyes with this beautiful creation, we broke camp. We started our descent before lunch but the boys wanted to show me more of this place so we went for a detour to a mini waterfall!
We arrived at the jump off in time for lunch. We tidied up at the local store then headed home. That concluded my weekend adventure.
How did I feel? Peace. For the first time I appreciated the word peace. Of course it's a given that I'd feel fulfilled and elated, I was, hundred percent. The weather didn't bother me as much, as I was briefed by my good friends of what to expect during the climb. If there's anything, the rain and fog added to my excitement. It was a minor hike, the hours required to reach the summit is between 2-4, it's perfect for a beginner like me.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed walking down my adventure lane. Peace!