Amuyao Part1

A lot of people have told me to get an account with Facebook or Multiply. I tell them that I have an account on Friendster and that I don't need to sign up with any of these newfangled networking sites. Besides, it's hard enough to maintain one site with what little time I have. Why would I want to have another one?

That answer alone has revealed that I am, indeed, a thousand-year-old man, technology-wise. This blog is a pathetic attempt to catch up with the relentless onslaught of the digital age. A futile attempt to learn a skill that will validate my right to live with the travelers of the information superhighway!

Sigh. Anyway, if this doesn't work, I could just forget the whole thing and climb a mountain. Hehe!

Speaking of which, I have been fortunate enough to be invited to climb with the AMCI BMC Training Climb 4 this past weekend, and shall we say that it's the most fun I've had since I've discovered the musical powers of kamote.

Wednesday, October 1, was a national holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan. I took stock of my gear and proceeded to pester my friends for the things that I needed for the climb. I visited my batchmate Papachu to borrow his pack. He lent me not just his pack, but his trowel, tarp, and waterproofing bag as well. Warms my heart to know that I can always rely on my batchmates for support. I then went to Marris and Ver's place to borrow a headlamp and share a few jokes. The Zapantas were busy cleaning their flat. Guess who's cleaning the ref. Haha! Went to the market afterwards to buy meat and a lot of veggies. I got puso ng saging, sitaw, labanos, talong, patatas, repolyo, bawang, sibuyas, kamatis, garbanzos, and saba to name a few. Feels like World Vegetable Day. Oh wait! It is!

My mom and dad saw me with my pack as I was leaving for work early the next day. They didn't say much. My mom made a gesture like she was ready to rip her face off her head, and my dad, ever strong and taciturn, just said "Sige anak. Mag-iingat ka." My parents never held me back from climbing before because they know how much it meant to me. But this time, it's different. I assured them that I'll be okay, and as I said it I knew it wasn't all true.

After finishing Thursday's workload I chatted with Pie Valencia, and she said that she was going to Florida bus station to send the team off. We rode the colorum van and arrived at the station a little early. Kim San Juan met us there and together we went to UST to grab a bite, with James Tagara joining us on the way.

Pie and Kim are two of the persons in AMCI dearest to me. Kim was there during my stay at the Municipal Hospital in Zambales. She took care of me then, staying by me in my darkest hour. My mom spoke of Pie when I went home, how her voice made the disquiet in her heart subside. I'm glad they were there to send us off. It was an assurance that there will be somebody looking after our welfare.

When we got back, the station was a veritable sea of orange-garbed AMCI BMC Trainees, undulating with excitement. It's a bit of a surprise to see so many trainees joining TC4. Usually, only a handful of people sign up for this climb because, technically, it's a just a make-up climb for those who have missed one of the three pre-requisite climbs set by the BMC. And by tradition, only a few trainees ever miss the first three climbs. The opportunity to climb again was the main reason why I joined this trip. The chance to get to know so many people was a pleasant bonus.


The bus left a little late because of the confusion with the seating assignments. The conductors gave our seats away to other passengers before we got in. Our assistant team leader, Maxine Fernando, took care of that quickly, and so off we went to Banaue. The tired slept, the insomniacs had terrific fun watching the campy Pacqiauo movie, the shutterbugs snapped away, and the chatterboxes told stories all throughout the ride.

We got to Banaue a little before 7am, and after snapping a few souvenir photos we loaded our packs on the roof of the jeeps and headed towards Barlig. I got to know the trainees who were with us on that ride. There was Beth Gilson, an elegant lady with a radiant smile who made everyone's noses bleed. Joshua Castro, the attorney at law with a ready shoulder for anyone who wants to sleep. Agnes Calumpong, the refreshingly friendly woman who graciously let me partake of her packed lunch. There was JJ Jaranilla, who I think loves trees a bit too much, and Darwin Bamba, who sat in front to enjoy the sights better. Rol Manalaysay was with us but he never said much. Massive nose bleed perhaps. Hehe! The other passengers were AMCI BMC Director Bitoy Faulve, Team Leader Alvin Mabutol, ATL Maxine, Rhinie Lorca, Jepoy Ledesma, Aaron Arcilla, Che Bihag, and I.

Most of the members who have traveled to these parts before know that you can never be sure about the condition of the road nor the vehicle, and that almost always something breaks down. The second jeep broke down, and ours had a flat tire. We got out of the jeep and took the opportunity to be spellbound by the majesty of the mountains around us.

We got to Barlig around 12nn and immediately had lunch. By 1pm we were ready to trek. TL Alvin took the lead with guides in tow and the team went on its merry way.


Little did anyone know that TL Alvin had a surprise waiting for us. Hehehe!

My mind was somewhere else at the start of the trek. I kept thinking of what my doctor told me during my last therapy. "Hilaw pa ang connecting muscles mo sa kanang balikat. Pwede kang umakyat kasi wala namanag problema sa binti mo. Pero di ka pwede magkarga ng mabigat sa balikat mo. Come back on October 6 and we'll see if your shoulder can take the weight." Holy kamote. I'm already here at Barlig with over 20 kilos strapped to my back. I guess I'll just bring a bottle of Johnny Walker as a gift to my doctor when I get back because we might end up being very close friends with all the therapy time I'm going to spend with him if my arm falls off.

From the police station, we took the stairs down to the river. After the river we ascended towards the Big Pine Tree. Maxine and I at the back of the pack with Rhinie and Bitoy close behind. The first hour went without incident. Second hour I was sweating like pork on a hot grill. Then it began to rain. Cold, freezing, wind-driven rain. We took out our jackets to keep warm. By the time we got to the first of many wooden stairs, we were already slowing down from the effect of that unexpected ice bath.

I've been climbing long enough to know how hypothermia sets in. You need to act on it fast or else the cold will snatch the heat away from your body faster than you can say superpahpahlicousness. So by 5:30 pm, before our ascent to Barlig Viewpoint, we took shelter from the wind under a makeshift waiting shed. Alvin took out a cookset and his bottle of water while I fired up a stove. Bitoy handed over packets of coffee and soup. By 6pm we were all huddled inside that shed, covered in tarp and sipping coffee and soup to keep warm. The effect of the hot broth and beverage was immediate. By 630pm, we were already trekking towards Barlig viewpoint.

The altimeter on my watch registered our elevation to be at 2180masl. Only 220 meters to go and we'll be at the viewpoint. If we can manage to maintain an average ascent of 150m per hour, we'll get to the summit a little after 9pm. Rhinie began tracking our ascent by asking for a reading every time we climb a high slope:

Rhy: "Bojo, ano na elevation natin?"
Me: "2250"
Rhy: "Ok. 150 na lang."
Me: "Ay may pababa! Sayang ang elevation! Wala na bang ibang daan na pataas lang?"

We got to the viewpoint at around 8pm. Looking around, I saw that the TL and the guide weren't with the group. Apparently, both his legs cramped and he had to rest. It's the first time I've heard of Alvin getting cramps, but he's a tough bastard and we knew that he'd be with us in a few minutes. Rhinie asked what our elevation was during a rest stop at the slope towards the summit. It was 9pm and we were now at 2500m. Only 75 meters to go! Yahoo!

And then my right foot slipped on a muddy step. My right calf felt like it got sliced in half by a razorblade. I rested by the side of the trail and elevated my leg. Bitoy administered pressure on the muscle to lessen the pain. Alvin caught up with us then. A few minutes later two of the guides came down to assist us. They told us that the summit is less than 30 minutes away.

Now we all know how the locals climb. For some strange reason, everything is just 30 minutes away. If you ask them how far Barlig is from Cambulo, they'll probably tell you that it's just 30 minutes away. Ambaguio to Akiki? 30 minutes away. Aparri to Jolo? 30 minutes away. So when they told me that the summit was less than 30 minutes away, I forgot about cooking dinner. It'll be breakfast by the time we get there.

Thankfully, our guides were spot on with their estimate. We got to the bunkhouse a little after 10pm. Seeing our tired carcasses, Che Bihag, Aaron Arcilla, and Jepoy Ledesma quickly gave us hot soup, rice with tapa and fruit salad. The bunkhouse was teeming with activity! Everyone had a smile on their face, especially the trainees. They've just scaled arduous Mt. Amuyao through rain and chill, yet they're hopping around like it's their first high school soiree. It's like a birthday party at a winter resort. Sayang! Kung may snow, kumpleto na!

We set up the staff's camp at the upper bunkhouse, right beside James' group. They already had dinner and their socials were well under way. We started cooking our dinner by 11pm.

Pochero, by the way, is not your everyday dish. You know why? It's because it's friggin' complicated! It's right up there with morcon, glazed ham, and kare-kare. I don't know what the hell the staff thought when they chose pochero and kare-kare as our main viands (unlucky me I wasn't at the preclimb when they discussed the meals). The girls said they wanted pochero and kare-kare, so Bitoy, Alvin and I took care of it.

And so, the pochero was done by midnight, and we called the girls to come and taste our delicious pochero. The one they've been hankering for since preclimb. The one we've been cooking for an hour at the summit of Mt. Amuyao while exposed to the elements. Well, guess what? The little harpies were fast asleep. Damn it.

We had a few shots of gin afterwards, then went to sleep. Tomorrow promises to be a very exciting day!

...to be continued...