My last mountain experience was last January 2011 with Mt Pulag via Ambangeg trail. Come June, my friends and I thought it’s time for another mountain indulgence.
Last August 13-14 we spent a night at the campsite of Mt Makulot. With just a few shirts and lots of food, we headed to Cuenca, Batangas for another first [well for some.]
We boarded Alps bus lines in Cubao around 2 in the afternoon. We headed to Batangas around 3pm and arrived at Tambo Exit a little past 4pm.
We hired a jeepney in Tambo Exit to bring us to the jump-off point. We paid 30 Php each which was actually a bargain because a separate tricycle ride will cost us another 20Php each if we opted just to commute.
We took a 30-minute break at the market place and bought some provisions which included an additional load of 5 liters. [Okay, because they bought some liquor.]
We started the trek around 6 pm. The sun was starting to set already and we were not confident that we can make it before the dark sets in.
Sweat flooded my face as we ascend through the rocky trail. We had to pass by several pit stops before reaching the foot of the mountain. It took us approximately 30 minutes before we decided to stop and rest.
A few minutes later we continued our ascent. We reached the campsite after 2 hours of non stop sweat and foot ache [for me.]
We pitched our tent fast because we wanted to rest our tired feet. We ate dinner after and then I went inside to sleep.
The wind blew pretty hard during the night. Paul and I were not able to sleep well because someone from the tent next to us was drunk and talked a lot. It was 3 in the morning when his [the man from the other tent] cell phone rang so loud. It annoyed me a bit but we went to sleep afterwards nonetheless.
our tents
We woke up before 6am the next day. The weather was cold and the air was fresh - perfect for a morning trek to the Rockies.
It took me tons of courage to sit at the tip of the rock. My knees were trembling and I was afraid but when they said “1.. 2.. 3..” I smiled and pretended not to worry. [I crawled after this shot.]
We descended to the “tongue” of the rockies and took some awesome pictures. After a while we went back to the campsite and ate breakfast.
photo courtesy of megs
After breakfast we packed all our things and started our decent. The trail was a little muddy and slippery so we had to take extra care.
We didn’t have water anymore so the sight of “buko juice” was a blessing for us. [I drank 3 cups.]
After a few minutes of rest with the buko juice seller, we continued our journey reaching our destination after 20 minutes or so.
I am proud I conquered Mt. Makulot. I am proud I was able to survive the difficult trail. I am proud because I was able to conquer my fear of heights.
Thank God for the wonderful nature.
Till next time Team Injury.
