LONG TRAILS WALKED at your own pace and in as many days as it takes for your feet to carry you is an adventure worth living for. (And maybe dying too if you ran out of luck.) It is the apex of you getting lost. There are so many established long trails in many countries but travel costs and stay duration provided by host countries are too daunting to one's pocket and too tight for your time and mobility. Then this pandemic made it more discouraging to do one's wanderlust at least once in our lifetime.
The lure of the long trails inspired me in 2011 to create
one for myself (and later for you) in my own island of Cebu because I simply do
not have the financial resources to embark in one. Cebu, part of Southeast Asia
but better off as an island in the Pacific, is elongated and narrow with a
rugged spine of mountains running on a north-to-south axis which is perfect
topography to engage in one. Cebu now has the Cebu Highlands Trail, which is,
more or less, 400 kilometers in length.
Apart from myself, only one person has hiked through the CHT in a month in 2017. It can also be hiked one weekend at a time since it has eight segments, making it easier for hikers who do not have a surplus of time due to work and other lawful callings. Only three people have walked the CHT in segments and they finished it in two years time.
Daunting? YES! If you do not have the courage, the stamina
and the mindset of a warrior, the long trail is just a bucket list for you.
Nothing more. Nothing less. And nothing will ever take place. Anyway, it will
be there for as long as I am still able to guide you. Until then, it would be
unwalkable and remains a dream.
However, there is a much shorter route than the CHT and it is a poor man's version of the Camino de Santiago, an ancient path found in Spain. It is actually a true Camino de Santiago, because it is officially recognized by the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, only it is walked right here in Cebu. It is 175 kilometers in length, which is a project of the Archdiocese of Cebu, and 23 pilgrims have already walked this pilgrimage route since its inception in 2017.
Long trails are different than exerting your effort up a high mountain. Apart from a drastic change of scenery as you progress forward up and down the route, something changes you from within and it is beautiful and a thing to rejoice as you reminisce it. Then there are the folks you meet along the way and it is the treasure that I so hold dear close to my heart because I can see what other people cannot. When you see what I saw, you might, perhaps, become another Paulo Coelho in the making.
Long trails, by its very nature, are expensive, even here.
Try doing a Thruhike with me on the CHT and you would likely balk at the cost.
Try doing it in segments and you can feel that the endeavor is achievable, much
to your liking. The Camino Cebu is not expensive. It is a spiritual journey and
much of it are focused on donations for food and the night's rest.
Those that have done these long trails are eager to repeat it again for they simply become lost in themselves and enjoyed it; and it is unexplainable nor understandable to those who have not been there.
Document done in LibreOffice 6.3
Photos courtesy of Adrenaline Romance Blog, Apol Antenor and Markus Immer.
