Mountain Hiking 101

Nature and all that comes with it, is one of the beautiful creations of God. Appreciating the beauty of nature is like praising God's greatness. Maybe it's the reason why I felt at peace in the middle of the trees and mountains, because somehow, I feel one with myself and God.

I did appreciate nature more when I had my first experience to hike and climb a mountain. It would be in my bucket list (if I had one) and I am glad and proud that I have already done it. We scheduled our first climb last May 1, 2011 at Pico de Loro in Ternate, Cavite with my friends (also fellow Antiochers) Jeda, Shen and Aldrin with Alon as our tour guide.We left home early in the morning and brought some food, fluids, and extra clothes.

When we reached the point where we would start the hike, it felt like we were just trespassing someone's property. There was no 'Welcome to Pico de Loro' or signs like that, at the side of the road where Alon, our tour guide told us we were going to start hiking. And so, walking into the forest started and it seemed endless. As we went through the hiking, we forgot to do something first - to warm up. My body was shocked at the distance that we had to walk and at the energy needed to push through, plus, I was the one less fit among us. I had to request for some moment to rest so I could catch my breath, at the same time, so we could also look around and observe. It took us hours to reach Camp 1 and a few more hours to reach the next campsite.

As we were hiking up to the peak, we got to meet other people who were already going down and they were wishing us luck and safety as we went along. It seemed that they spent the night at the campsite. It was one of the things that I appreciated in that first climb: meeting people you don't even know but were all smiling and seemingly happy, giving away little conversations without pretensions.

When we reached the campsite near the mountain's peak, we took a rest and took our lunch. After that tiring walk, I appreciated the food I ate and the water/ softdrinks we drank. After some photoshoot and rest, we walked up to the peak and I chose to stay at what they call the Grotto and watched them climbed up to the first peak. I figured out that I would just stay there and wait for them because I could not stand the thought of making that wrong step and fall down. I believe there's time for everything, and that moment was not the time to make it to the peak. I just took a rest at the Grotto and observe the nature all around me. It was peaceful up there and my mind was not that clouded with too much thoughts. I felt contented at that point.

Here are some of the pictures taken during our trip:

Mt. Pico de Loro | Photo by Alon Avila

At the top, somewhat

Hiking to the peak

Taking a rest

Alone at the grotto

At the grotto

Jumpshot at the campsite | L-R Aldrin, Jade, Me, Shen

We went back to the campsite and took a rest again. We walked around the area and looked around at what we could find. After few hours, we decided to leave. The hiking back to Camp 1 was equally tiring. We took a shower at the camp before we finally moved along.

Back at the road, we were waiting for a jeepney that could give us a ride back to the town at a cheaper price. We waited patiently until a jeepney with a bunch of teenagers we met, stopped and gave us a ride. Special thanks goes to Alon, our friend who volunteered to guide us and to take beautiful pictures.

While waiting to get a ride

Our tour guide and photographer

The experience is superb and I think it's best when you share this kind of experience with the special people in your life. Next time, I will bring Michael with me. ☺