FINALLY! The last of the 4-part blog entry for the 40 Mountains Project. I Started writing about this 2 years ago and did not really thought about any time frame to finish all 40 mountains. At that time, I already had 17 mountains, mostly minor climbs on destinations near Metro Manila - Bulacan, Batangas and Cavite. I really had no goals in particular about trekking in the mountains. I just wanted to take photographs, and where else can you see great subjects? The mountains.
...and the beautiful beaches and islands of the Philippines, of course.
So this journey to complete the 40 mountains brought me to the peaks of the Cordilleras, the northern island of Itbayat, the imposing peaks of the Negros Island - Kanlaon and Talinis, the great mountains of Mindanao - Apo, Dulang-Dulang and Kitanglad, up to the mountains of our neighboring countries.
It enabled me to see awesome things - in exchange of buckets of sweat and excruciating body pains (hey, this is an awesome way to lose weight!), money spent on mountaineering (and photography) equipment as well as travel and climbing costs (taught me how to save and budget my meager salary as well as to juggle work-climb balance). So in essence, this is an expensive and very tiring undertaking. HAHA! As what they say, experience is the best investment. And that numerous unforgettable experiences are definitely worth every penny.
Anyway, feast your eyes on these mountains for this last installment.
Life begins at the mountains. Here are the mountains 31 to 40.
#31. Mt. Kanlaon (2,435 MASL) via Mapot-Mananawin Trail | Negros Occidental
 |
| A quick peek at the crater of the active volcano on a brief clearing. |
Mountain number 31 has been my longest climb at that point. We did the Mapot-Mananawin trail for 4 days and 3 nights. Just as most of the mountains on this list, the weather had been very unpredictable during our 4 days at the mountain. This can get pretty frustrating actually because rain and cloud can really close out any beautiful view that you might see. But...
 |
| The stunning Margaja Valley as seen from the ascend towards the saddle camp. |
We were very lucky that at some point, the clouds and fog (and rain) subsided when we reached the Margaja Valley (which is actually a massive former crater of the volcano) that let us see the stunning view of the entire valley - so surreal, it looked like it was lifted straight out of a JRR Tolkien saga. It was actually raining when we descended the valley as we traversed from the PMS campsite. Just as we were about to just pack up and proceed to the saddle camp, lo and behold, the clouds just decided to keep calm and carry on and gave us the clearing that we so clamored for. Two of our female team members actually ran towards the vast 'center field' of the valley while hysterically screaming: "May clearing! May clearing! WOOOOO!". Ah the simple joys of mountaineers. Clearing. Haha!
 |
| Yep. This is how ecstatic they were. |
One way to "enjoy" Mt. Pinatubo is to trek it through the Delta V trail. You will have to start trekking through the rocky trail (pretty much like a dried-up river) before sunrise. Almost 90% of the trail is bare, dessert-like such that the only shade you will only find are the shadows of massive volcanic rocks spewed by the volcano. The trail is only open during summer because you will have to cross rivers, that, even though it's summer and the water level is low, the current is still surprisingly strong. There are even a number of waterfalls along the way which can you can actually take a dip to cool yourself off. Just like mountain #31, trekking through the bare Delta V trail is also a surreal experience. Pretty much like those post-apocalyptic movies you see.
 |
| The barren, rocky trail of Delta V going back to the trail head. The imposing Mt. Arayat at the background. |
The view of the crater from the peak is a refreshing sight from the conventional view we always see from the post cards. From this vantage point, you can actually see the entirety of the crater - having a wide (to ultra-wide) angle lens is an advantage, for this shot, I used Samyang 8mm f/3.5 lens.
 |
| The massive Mt. Pinatubo crater as seen from one of the peaks through the Delta V trail |
Since this can be safely be accessible during summer - which actually coincide during the holy week, this trek is a fitting penitence. haha!
#33. Mt. Malasimbo (1,168 MASL) | Puerto Galera, Mindoro
 |
| The grassy slope leading towards Mt. Malasimbo summit, just re-emerging after a wildfire. |
What I really like about climbing Mt. Malasimbo is that you get to enjoy the more quiet side of Puerto Galera, the Talipanan Beach. You get to start your trek from the Ayala-developed Mangyan Village (as what our Mangyan guide told us), and you just got to ask around the village for a guide. The trek up Malasimbo can give you a good vantage point of the Puerto Galera white beach as well as the surrounding area. During our trek, we were surprised to actually encounter foreigners (mostly Caucasians) along the trail. But the most memorable part of the trek is this:
 |
| That is actually me offering water to our little friend after completing the Malasimbo |
There's this little kitten we found along the trail. Few minutes before, we encountered a local along the trail with this kitten. Our guide explained that it is a common practice to bring kittens (and cats) to the mountains to train them to scare off rats that crawl up the coconut trees that cause damage - they start them young. During our descent, we chanced upon the same kitten alone and upon seeing us, it decided to tag along - one little step at a time. During our quick rest breaks along the trail, you can actually see it pant so we offer water to this cute little fella every now and then. At some point, I had to pick it up for it to have a quick rest while we resume our trek. When we reached the village, we left the kitten at the house of our guide. And being a small community, we're sure that this fella will be back to his master in no time.
#34. Mt. Ijen (2,799 MASL) | Banyuwanggi, Indonesia
My venture into Indonesia started with a casual chat with a former colleague at SGV who now works in Jakarta. Back then, we were already hiking in the Philippines so I asked why not do it in Indonesia? So our search for fascinating hikes started and led us to this mystical volcano that emits blue flames.
 |
| The blue flames of Mt. Ijen. People at the lower left for scale. |
Mt. Ijen in Eastern Java is just one of the many awesome volcanoes in Indonsia. The hike inside the crater of this volcano is very popular to the locals and that the sulfur inside is being mined by the locals. For some reason, we encountered aged locals venturing inside the crater, perhaps because of the medicinal effects of sulfur? In order to see the blue flames, you got to hike very early, around 2am and you must be able to get out of the crater before the sun rises. The sulfuric smoke can be very irritating to the eyes and will make breathing harder - face mask is a must.
 |
| Catching the sunrise at the peak of the massive Ijen crater |
After seeing first hand the mystical blue flames, you can catch the sunrise at one of the peaks of the Ijen crater. At the top, you can have an appreciation on how massive the volcano is. It was Philippine independence day when we did the ascent of Ijen. So a 'flag raising' was in order.
#35. Mt. Bromo (2,329 MASL) | Malang, Indonesia
Originally, we only planned to hike Bromo for our Indonesia excursion. Because when you search for picturesque hiking destinations in Indonesia, the Bromo-Tengger-Semeru trio pops up. However, when my colleague in Jakarta asks one of his local staff to arrange a transportation, his staff suggested to include Ijen, to make the trip more epic - and that we did.
So after our dayhike of Ijen, we packed up and took off for Malang to hike Mt. Bromo the next day. The picturesque shot of Bromo along with the massive Tengger crater and the imposing Mt. Semeru at the background can be seen at a viewpoint atop an adjacent mountain (forgot to take not of the name). There's a view deck there, swamped with people waiting for the sunrise and this sight to unfold. This site is quite popular among locals and foreigners alike (no wonder really) so there's quite a crowd here - resembles the crowd waiting for sunrise at Kiltepan in Sagada.
While bulk of the people are battling for position for the sunrise at the east, I went on to the western side to wait for the sun to slowly light up this wonder:
 |
| The postcard shot of Bromo-Tengger-Semeru National Park at sunrise. |
The red-pink-purple shade of the rising sun has greatly accentuated this shot - and this has been my favorite shot. After the sunrise viewing, we get to ride a 4x4 Jeep towards the dusty terrain to the foot of Bromo, where you can find a shrine. "Bromo" actually came from the Javanese pronunciation of Brahma, the Hindu creator god.
 |
| The temple. |
That mountain at the background of the temple in the picture is actually Mt. Batok. Mt. Bromo is the one with the massive crater at the back of Mt. Batok. The trek up the crater is very short, which will take you around 30-45 minutes. The experience of actually hearing a grumbling sound of an active volcano is very much interesting!
 |
| Bringing my tradition of "flying" the Philippine flag atop an international mountain to the crater of Mt. Bromo. |
Reaching the province of Batanes is in every Pinoy traveler's list. Batanes is actually composed of three main inhabited islands, Batan (where the airport is located), Sabtang (where you can see the stone houses of Chavayan) and Itbayat (the northernmost inhabited island of the Philippines). There are actually mountain treks you can do in Batanes. When reaching Batan, you can already see the prominent Mt. Iraya, but we were not able to do some trekking there. Between Batan and Itbayat, there's this mountain island - D'Nem/Dinem, which is a small inhabited island, resembling the Lost World of Jurassic Park. Then there's the twin peaks of Itbayat - Karovooban/Karoboboan and Riposed.
I decided to lump them into one count simply because you won't need to do some trekking to Karovooban as it is accessible through tricycle. The challenge of the two peaks starts with the Faluwa trip to Itbayat, that, even on sunny days is still very challenging. I don't need to elaborate further on this, just take a look at this pic at the pier:
 |
| As the saying goes: "Sasakay kang turista, dadaong kang mandirigma". |
Mt. Riposed is one of the staples of an Itbayat tour, which will bring you through grasslands and at the top, you will be able to see most of the island of Itbayat. But since our guide was too eager to let us see a new attraction, he guided us through a circuit trek - to let us see the Tayawun rock.
 |
| A circuit trek can bring you from the top of Mt. Riposed to a "secret beach" with a sight of Tayawun Rock. |
Tayawun rock is in itself a sight to behold. Pretty much like Mt. Pico de Loro's monolith, but this one is more massive and at the middle of the sea. Climbing this is is a possibility but will be a very difficult one. Considering that the whole Itbayat Island is an uplifted coral island, the rocks at this part is sharp so prepare your slippers/shoes for a heavy beating. My slippers actually gave up on this part of the trail. If you are not careful, you can easily be wounded at any of the sharp rocks along the trail.
To complete the 'Itbayat Twin Peaks' we hopped on our tricycles and headed north to Mt. Karovooban. This mountain's peak has been one of the sacred grounds of the early people of Itbayat and during World War II this was an outpost of the Japanese army. Now, this houses a view deck, at which you can catch the sunset (which we did).
 |
| Catching the sunset at the view deck, with our trusted guide, Kuya Jojo (the one with scarf). |
At this view deck, you can see Mt. Riposed to the south (the peak at the far upper left of the picture) and the northern uninhabited islands of Siayan and Mavulis. This site is actually one of the best areas to cap off your day at Itbayat.
#37. Mt. Fan Si Pan (3,143 MASL) | Lao Cai, Vietnam
 |
| The awesome sea of clouds at the summit of Fan Si Pan |
If you are planning to take mountaineering seriously, then you might want to add up Mt. Fan Si Pan to your list. This is the highest mountain in Indochina, which is dubbed to be the rooftop of Indochina. The trek is pretty much straightforward and the trail is well-established. There are also cabins at the campsite, so you won't need to bring a tent with you.
The trail up the campsite varies from lush green forests, to grassy peaks and rock-dominated scrambling parts - pretty much like what you see in the Philippines. We were welcomed by massive sea of clouds at the summit and a beautiful sunrise to top it all, but we were told that this is quite a rare sight since on most days, the summit is covered in fog. I can say that the sea of clouds we've seen here is one of the best I have encountered.
In the future, you won't be needing to strenuously hike the summit of Fan Si Pan since the cable car leading to a few meters below the summit is already nearing completion (as of the time we climbed this mountain which was in November 2015).
#38. Mt. Ulap (1,846 MASL) | Itogon, Benguet
 |
| Sunset at Mt. Ulap amidst the cloudy trail. |
Mt. Ulap has seen a rise in foot traffic and is steadily gaining popularity among hikers since it is very accessible through public and private transportation and its proximity to Baguio City. For our hike here in January 2016, we decided to start our trek a little late since we will be doing an overnight hike and will be camping. We also did not want to add up to the traffic in Gungal Rock (the main attraction of Mt. Ulap), where almost all of those who go here take a picture, thinking by the time we reach it, there would be little to no people there.
Soon enough, we realized that we made a wrong decision. The clouds started to creep in during the afternoon and covered the trail leaving us with little to no visibility - that's why it is called Mt. Ulap. The picture above was taken around past 5PM. It was already getting dark and the clouds are getting thicker and we had to night hike into the clouds until we reached the campsite at around 7PM. The next day, since we were not able to have an opportunity to take a picture of the mountain's trail, we decided to back trail instead of doing the shorter traverse (which would only take around 1 1/2 hours).
Update: I had the chance to go back to Mt. Ulap in August 2016. I had been invited by a climb organizer to take pictures of his participants atop Gungal Rock. That was a welcome invitation since I did not have a chance to do a traverse during the first time we climbed here in January.
 |
| Mt. Ulap's famous Gungal Rock. |
#39. Mt. Kabunian (1,840 MASL) | Bakun, Benguet
Bakun in Benguet is known in the mountaineering community for the "Bakun Trio". But for this particular instance, we just did Mt. Kabunian. The group that I hiked with decided to allot more time in trekking the rice terraces and the numerous falls in Bakun - particularly the picturesque Tekip Falls. Sadly, during that time, the falls was dry. But hiking around Bakun's rice terraces is equally awesome.
 |
| Overlooking the mountainous terrain of Bakun along the trail of Kabunian |
Kabunian is actually the highest deity in Kakaney, the father of all other gods and mankind. True to its name, the trail is other-worldly and is one of the most scenic trails I've seen.
#40. Mt. Kalawitan (2,714 MASL) via Bontoc-Sabangan Traverse | Bontoc, Mountain Province
 |
| Catching the sunrise at the summit of Mt. Kalawitan. |
Seeing Mt. Kalawitan from afar can be quite a daunting feat, because you get to see how many mountain peaks you have to cross. But once you start trekking its trails, you will appreciate the scenic sights that the Cordilleras have to offer. We did this climb May of 2016, at the height of El Nino summer, and during those times, major mountains in the Philippines caught forest fires one after the other (either from natural or man-made fires), most notably Mt. Apo. In Kalawitan's case, we encountered burnt grasslands on the ascent towards the campsite and at the descent towards Sabangan town. Our guides told us that this is part of the native's practice to remove unwanted weeds. But sadly, there were pine trees that were burned down as well. We also noted that our guides, who were supposed to foster forest preservation, burned the camp trash in their bonfire as we left the campsite. We were dumbfounded from what we saw. In the morning, you will be awaken by the sounds of chainsaw from afar, cutting down trees. Whether these are illegal logging or not, that, sure is unnatural.
The summit of Mt. Kalawitan is reminiscent of that of Mt. Napulauan. Covered in lush dwarf trees and shrubs in a mixture of different shades of green and red. This is a sure way to enjoy waiting for the sunrise in this part of the Cordillera. You can actually see Mt. Pulag from here on a clear day.
-- Epilogue --
My journey through the 40 mountains brought me to different parts of our beautiful country, and in our neighboring countries as well. It though me lots of things, too many that I just can't discuss it all here, maybe one time let's sit down and exchange mountain stories over a cup of coffee (although I'm not really a coffee person. haha) - or even better around a campfire! But I'll tell you what, if there's one thing that's for sure, just as what the old saying goes: "You don't change the mountain, let the mountain change you." And for me, it has, in a lot of ways. Just look at my photos from mountain number 1 to 40. I have learned a lot in improving my chosen art form - photography. From composition to post-processing, I have learned them through trial and error and countless times at the mountains with my camera. Just as a samurai sharpens his sword and improve his skills through battle, I have learned to work through the quirks of my camera. If I could just make a living out of this, that would make me really happy.
In my quest for the 40 Mountains, I have been with my trusted camera, a Nikon D3200 DSLR. It has been with me through all of the 40 Mountains. And all of the great sights I've seen in the mountains, I was able to share it with you through my camera's lens. So if you are looking for a camera to bring with you through all your adventures, I can vouch for the camera same as mine. All the 40 Mountains (as well as the islands and beaches I've been) can vouch for it.
 |
| My Nikon D3200 mounted with Nikkor 18-105mm f5.6 at the mossy trail of Mt. Al-Al. (c)Ralph Mariano |
As I cap of my 40 Mountains, it's also just about time to welcome a new chapter with a new camera! haha! Since I can tell that I still have a 'climb mileage' in me and my knees are still holding up, maybe I can push through 100 Mountains?
 |
| L-R: LJ (na mukhang matatae), Allen (na mukhang nirayuma sa balikat), RA (na nagmumuni muni sa kabuluhan ng buhay), Ralp (na mukhang na almuranas), Pao (na mukhang nagaaral ng ninjutsu), at yung guide namin na si Kuya Santi na natutulog. Taken at the summit view deck of Mt. Tabayoc. |
But before anything else, I would like to take this time to thank this small group of people who were, for the most part with me in the journey through the 40 Mountains. This picture actually sums up our dynamics as a group - random. I hope our knees can keep up with all our shits. haha! And for those in the mountaineering community who I was able to interact with in these mountains, just keep on carrying on. Your journey awaits you there, outside your comfort zone.
In ending this project, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome you to the next chapter: The Journey to 100 Mountains through the lens of my Fujifilm X-T10 mounted with Fujinon XF 18-135mm f3.5-5.6! *ehem* sponsors *ehem*
Carpe Diem!
No comments:
Post a Comment