2021-045 | ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: SEGMENT IV-A

SEGMENT IV OF THE CEBU Highlands Trail is the beginning of where leisure mountain camping ends. The latter had been popular, especially at its two prominent peaks: Mt. Manunggal and Mt. Mauyog. These had been shaped by constant activities of outdoor clubs beginning in the ‘80s. What lies beyond is terra incognita or “no man’s land”. 

I decided to break that impasse by boldly walking through those areas in October 2015 with which places have confined the activities and stunted the growth of the collective outdoor community only on those two peaks because it was risky to do so. That exploration opened a corridor of passage where I eventually used during my Thruhike in January to February 2017.

Segment IV is divided into two sub-segments because of its length: Segment IV-A starts from Mt. Manunggal, Balamban and ends in Lawaan, Danao City. Segment IV-B takes off from Lawaan and finishes at Caurasan, Carmen. These were the very places which were frequented by armed groups in the ‘80s up to the earliest years of the third millennium. 

But Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei of Team Adrenaline Romance were ready. They understood that mindset which only long trails could provide. They honed this, starting from Mt. Manunggal to Mantalongon, Dalaguete, churning a mileage of 166.56 kilometers on four sets of weekends for Segment I, II and III. It was beyond my expectations considering that segment hiking the CHT was still an experiment yet. 

Experiment, in the sense, that I could not choose the people who desires to walk the CHT’s rugged length, the tyranny of the humid tropical climate, the remoteness from help and the very inquisitive locals. There was one major adjustment that I had made in the light of these and this was the deliberate reduction of pace. I cannot afford accidents in the middle of nowhere. I had to have a modicum of control on people’s movements, especially at places where you cannot observe them. Then, of course, there is the radio.

So the paths to the north of Mt. Manunggal were ripe for the taking on that day of September 29, 2018 and Team Adrenaline Romance were in the right place, at the right time, with the right person leading them to places where only a handful had been. Going with them were Apol and Swiss adventurer, Markus. This was the very first time that adventure tourism would be exposed on these misunderstood places. 

After a meet-up at the Ayala Mall van-for-hire terminal at 05:00, we cruised over the Transcentral Highway in a passenger van and to our preferred starting point, on a lonely corner where a feeder road led to Mt. Manunggal. On this very spot, Team Adrenaline Romance launched their campaign of the CHT seven months ago, which was the first half of Segment I. It was an extraordinary feeling for everyone who were here. 

We transferred by motorcycles-for-hire to the campgrounds of Mt. Manunggal and proceed to acquire something to eat for we simply forgot to eat breakfast, except for Markus. Then the journey for Segment IV lurched under a controlled pace at 07:15. The weather was mild but, once out of the mantle of fogs, it would be humid out there. We followed the route I explored in 2015 and it remained wild.

 

The forest had reclaimed what was theirs after a road was created in their midst. On a trail in between tall grasses, I spotted a large bird scat. It was made by a mature grass owl, perhaps a pregnant female. This was her breeding ground. Trees abound on both sides, 20 meters away and, ahead, were wild raspberries (Local: sampinit) which branches were heavy with succulent fruits. 

The path narrowed as we passed through it, plucking as many raspberries as we could and enjoying the freedom of the hills. We delighted the solitude of the moment, for we know, in five years’ time, people would come to settle and claim farm patches here. That would be alright if you are a subsistence farmer but what I feared really are outsiders who would buy rights to big chunks of land and then fence off both humans and beasts away in the name of “development”. 

I saw a couple of homesteads along the way but I know also that the lure of money from these outsiders would make them exchange their way of life for the lowlands, forfeiting their children’s rights to the land and its bounties. It is a cycle as moneyed lowlanders from the cities purchase properties to do “farming” while the true farmers on the mountains sold those rights to make a living in the urban areas. Then they exchange places, maybe in a hundred years. 

After snaking our way through that beautiful forest, we were met by wide open spaces – Cebu’s “Big Sky” – where you could see beyond the highlands rolling north before you without any obstacle. We stopped here for a while to rest and rehydrate. Markus carried with him binoculars and I saw better with a larga vista than with my own naked eyes.

With magnified vision, I noted Garces Peak of Asturias, Mt. Kalabasa and Mt. Mago of Danao, Ngipon sa Ilaga of Carmen and Mt. Kapayas of Catmon. Beyond was a blur of blue. All of these are on the fringes of Segment IV. These might be very far from where we stood but, in a matter of a day, we would be below Mt. Kalabasa. Another 2-and-a-half days, Mt. Kapayas. Team Adrenaline Romance have used my assessments to gauge their strength, stamina and rest time since day one of their journey. 

If Markus had brought a binocular, he would be bringing other items as well. While a binocular is a valued item, it is not a necessity on this long trail. He has a backpack with him and another big sling bag made of canvass. He answered to my appeal in bringing a gift for the grandchildren of Candelario Garces, who lived on a very remote mountain of Kaluwangan, Asturias. It was a board game and I decided to remove the burden from him and carry it myself.

We all carried extra loads for the Garces grandchildren. We would unload that tomorrow and we need to reach Cabasiangan first for the day was getting warmer. Tech1 Corporation, distributor of VERSA 2-Way Radios, loaned me a pair of their VERSA QuickTalk Go, for field tests. It is in FRS/UHF band which is ideal for urban areas with transmission distances of up to 200 meters but equally effective where there were no obstacles like unpaved mountain roads. I let Gian Carlo carry one of the pair. 

This heavily-furrowed road brought us to a small community which has a small store that sells cold soda drinks. They did not have something cold, this time, since a ref conked out. What the place had was a wounded, leopard cat (maral). It was breathing heavily half-alive and I cannot understand why people here did not put it out of its misery. Pity aside, it was my first time to see it so close, although I saw glimpses of this many times on the mountains. 

Leaving that poor animal, we decided to move on. We took a short cut but the imperious sun was still bearing its heat to our exposed skin no matter how we tried to be smart. As I was with Apol, a hundred meters away from the village center of Cabasiangan and waiting for them, my VERSA QuickTalk Go caught a transmission from Gian Carlo. I left my bag with Apol and proceed to their location. 

It was very warm at 11:15 yet I overtook a male local and appealed to him to carry a bag of one companion who may have been bogged down by the severe warmth. After a few minutes, Gian Carlo, Sheila Mei and Markus emerged with the local carrying a backpack. We thanked the local and paid him for his valuable services and we all decided to enjoy our noonbreak under the shade of a covered basketball court. 

At 13:30, we left Cabasiangan but not after ensuring that Markus gets a motorcycle ride down the lowlands and safety. The tropical heat was just too much for him. When we continued our journey, it was really warm. No amount of breeze could stymie the heat. We rest when we find a shady spot where there were no houses. We city people have habits, ways of talking and body language which locals might find unusual and might gave off a different connotation if espied.

 

We arrived at the village center of Ginatilan and, fortunately for us, their village chairwoman was present and I personally asked her approval to let us stay for the night at their old village square found at the bottom of this mountain where it meets the Lusaran River. It was downhill walk but, at least, it hid us from the overpowering heat of the mid-afternoon. At 16:00, we arrived there and claimed their granary as our billet area. 

On the second day, September 30, we left Ginatilan to cross the Lusaran River at 07:45. The water was just right as against the last time where it was thigh level. Everyone crossed the stream safely to the other side, which became the Municipality of Asturias. On the higher bank was a community square and a public school. 

Seen a familiar face. It was the farmer whom I talked to during my 2017 Thruhike. He was the son of a Korean War veteran and currently employed as a sentry in the said school. I gave him my extra Swiss Army Knife as my token of friendship and as my gesture to establish rapport in this place, as I did so on other places.  

Of course I printed certificates of appreciation for those villages which welcomed me during the CHT route explorations and the Thruhike. In Segment I, it was the village of Buot, Cebu City. In Segment II: Tubod, San Fernando. In Segment III: Mantalongon, Barili; Mompeller and Balaas, Argao; and Mantalongon, Dalaguete. Here, in Segment IV-A, I already gave Ginatilan. 

Soon, I would provide a different appreciation of thanks to Candelario Garces and his wife for welcoming me during the October 2014 exploration and for sharing what little food they had during the Thruhike where I passed by here last February 2, 2017. We have gifts for the Garces couple and their grandchildren. Yes, we have extra cargo but it would be worth its weight in bringing it here. 

I followed the trail up a ridge. It was another very warm day but I have one person less to look after this time. The view from up here was superb and you could see the serpentine path of the Lusaran River below, shining as the sun reflected its surface. I struggled with my breathing under the naked sun until I reached a forest line and stopped to rest, leaning my weight on a live tree. The canvass sling bag with its cargo were both heavy. 

After a few minutes of catching my breath, the covered trail led to a high meadow where there were two children playing. Instantly, the kids recognized me and respectfully took my hand to kiss it. The kids, a boy and a girl, were very happy and laughing to see visitors. They led us to their remote home. We finally arrived at the Garces Homestead at 09:40 and unloaded our gifts.

There was the expensive boardgame bought by Markus which I carried on his behalf. Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei unpacked their bags to produce two loaves of sliced bread, chocolates and more food. Apol has notebooks, pencils, ballpens, crayons and writing pads. On my part, I brought two books, four paracord bracelet assembly kits and free giveaways from a popular fastfood chain.

Apol was most helpful with her experience in dealing with children, orphans and youths in conflict with the law. She made the children overcome their shyness and sang and played with her. She even taught them how to create a paracord bracelet from the assembly kits. We gave all the food we brought to the beaming grandparents.

After an hour of rest and interaction with the two children, we bade goodbye and proceed on our journey to finish this sub segment. We were feeling blessed to impart something which would be appreciated very well by them as well as to their grandparents. It was a nice feeling and the hour-long rest was well deserved for the four of us. 

So I followed the rest of the trail through the graces of a kind memory. Sometimes I missed a path but most of the time I was correct. If I was in doubt, I brought out my compass for the cardinal directions. If it could not help me, I consult my map but it rarely came to that. Navigating in an almost unfamiliar terrain by memory sometimes burn you out.

When I missed a trail, I retraced my path until I found a familiar something. It could be a landmark, a familiar smell or just a gut feeling. But a chance meeting with a local is most valued. So I found the true path on the premise of the familiar and I found the unnamed river that separates Asturias from Danao City. It is a long descent and somewhere up ahead would be the pot of gold. 

We reached the bottom and prepared our lunch at a time. We are behind schedule. It was already 13:00. While Gian Carlo was at it, Apol and Sheila Mei took a dip on a deep pool of a stream where there was a small waterfall. God, it was so warm. I keep Gian Carlo company and exchanged stories to keep us occupied on dry ground. It was a good moment under the shade, recouping strength with coffee even on a very warm day! 

After a more than an hour of noonbreak, we crossed the stream and were now in Danao City. A path led to a large tree where there was a bull blocking the way. Although it was leashed, it could still reach us should we took any of the safest spaces to walk. The best thing to do is walk as one tight group so as to intimidate or confuse him. Small fries do that to keep at bay bigger fishes. 

There was a community and we moved through it and over a steep hillside which was bare and loose. Then we crossed a smaller stream and we were now in the village of Sacsac. We reached a paved road and stopped at a store to hydrate with cold RC Cola, just like I did during my thruhike here. For a good 15 minutes we took our rest ignoring a huge but empty jeepney calling out for passengers. We disregarded the opportunity, afraid that it may stay longer and ruin our itinerary. 

By 15:20, we moved out, following the ascending road that offered a view of the imposing karst formation and forest that was visible from yesterday’s walk. At the steepest part of the road, the empty jeepney roared ahead of us on its way to the Danao City terminal. Pride kept us grounded afraid to cheat for just a while. Anyway, after an hour of walking up several rises which seemed to have no end, we arrived the main road at Lawaan. 

We made it at 16:45 but, at this hour, in these places, transportation were scarce. After a longer wait, we were able to convince two motorcycle-for-hire drivers to ferry us down to the city center. Although downhill, the distance was great and we arrived 30 minutes later. We transferred to midget public jeepneys, dropping by at Liloan, to grace the opening of a friend’s halo-halo franchise and ingratiate ourselves with the specialty of the house to recover lost energies.

Team Adrenaline Romance, after Segment IV-A, have amassed a total of 190.05 kilometers and there is the Segment IV-B that is scheduled for October 13-14, 2018, which would surely goad them over the 200-kilometer mark and complete the first half of the CHT. That was a tough walk and the trail north has lots of these. But Team Adrenaline Romance is now in the groove of things of how the CHT ought to be walked…and enjoyed.  

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment IV-A experience on the Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments: 

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-A: Mt. Manunggal to Ginatilan, Balamban.

Cebu Highlands Trail Segment IV-A: Ginatilan to Lawaan, Danao.

ADRENALINE ADVENTURE HIKE: Segment I-A

THE CEBU HIGHLANDS TRAIL, is best appreciated in segments. But Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei of the Adrenaline Romance Blog, thought of it otherwise. Why not walk it in half-segments? Although I have tried it (and completely forgotten that I did) but, I believe, it is STILL a wonderful idea. Two weekend days. Overnight. Yeah, why not?

Segment I, the most intimidating of the eight segments, because it goes up and down through three separate mountain ranges, cross two major river systems, and break your will huffing and puffing while carrying your load for 4-5 days. I have walked it straight but once only last November 2017 and, if only it would be possible, I would not walk it again that way.

 

Why not break Segment I into two sub-segments like I used to during the exploration phase of the Cebu Highlands Trail and, unintentionally, during the Thruhike of January-February 2017? Why not indeed? Frankly speaking, it benefits me well. The two-day hike removes the stress that the third, the fourth and, maybe the fifth day would give to a person.

Why not? Why not? Oh, why not? Thank you Adrenaline Romance. You just gave me an idea how to safely proceed about the segment hikes of the CHT. This blogging couple, is one of my supporters during my 27-day Thruhike. They even provided me a replacement bag – a 50-liter High Sierra Titan – halfway in my Thruhike after a local bag created problems on my shoulders.

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei, in one of their articles, choose the CHT as one of the seven destinations in their bucket list for 2018 but they do not want to hike it through for they simply do not have a generous time in their lives, they, being company employees. They fund their trips from their hard-earned salaries and write about it in Adrenaline Romance.

Their blog is what kept them going. The couple made mincemeat of any difficult challenges and obstacles and what becomes of it are well-written essays of their adventure experiences. They are into rock climbing, scuba diving, caving, mountaineering, snorkeling, canyoning and, of course, blogging. They walk the talk and, for that, they influence people about adventure destinations and activities and what gear and equipment you need.

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei are product ambassadors of Deuter and Se7en Outdoors, a local apparel provider. Aside that, they are honorary members of Project Blue, an environmental advocacy organization. The couple, from to time, gets invited to cover events and services with their famous blog as medium like Bluewater Resorts, Trexplore, Bellevue Hotels, to name a few.

But, today – February 17, 2018 – their quest of the CHT starts on this early hour at Ayala Terminal, Cebu City. I would be their guide and we will be walking from Mount Manunggal, Balamban, to somewhere in the Transcentral Highway in Cebu City. Sounds easy but it is not. Not because it is difficult terrain, but because of my unreliable memory. The CHT is a product of traditional navigation. No GPS coordinates. Just memory only and it wreaks havoc on your itinerary!

The van-for-hire dropped us on a corner where there is a feeder road to Mt. Manunggal. Astride motorcycles-for-hire, we arrive at the famous parking lot of Manunggal. We checked our bags and retrieve items that we need for the hike. It is like a ritual. At 08:00, we go down a path that leads to the campsite where there are tents and people. We simply pass by going to a trail that these campers know not.

No, it is not a secret trail. Locals use this trail once in a while. Only a few hikers walk this trail. I am a regular here and I once walked it alone on a Good Friday. I talk as I walk and Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei were laughing as I told them my encounter of a big snake on this path. I jumped downhill out of fright, rolling and panting. Who would not? It travelled alongside you!

The path goes through second-growth forest and an original forest that clung to the steep rocks. The ground is muddy but we walk on firmer parts. As I walk I also talk about plants. An unusual vine bear oversized beans. I did not know matchbox bean vines (Local name: gogo, bayugo) grew here. It is so huge! Showed them rhododendrons (yagumyum) and Asiatic bitter yams (kobong) and explained what they for are.

Once we got past the forest I showed them a speck of white on a trough between two hills. It is a saddle, of course, and it is our next destination. It is called Inalad but it is pronounced as Ina-a-a-ad. The quirks of Cebuano vocabulary. We will arrive there at noon and we do not have to hurry. They were shocked at my casual disregard of distance.

I have to take it slow. I am nursing a fever. I have to honor a commitment and I must not let them down. Also, they must not know about my condition. Slow is better. We must not hurry or we get stressed out. It is a long day and tomorrow is another long one. I must conserve my strength for tomorrow for it is much different than today. Patience would win the day for me.

 

We go down into a grassy and open field and entered another forested but very tight path among rocks. Rock surfaces are well-polished by water and I take them so super slow here. I am wearing my Hi-Tec Altitude low-ankle shoes and I developed a certain level of trust on this pair. My High Sierra Titan bag looked heavy with a rolled Therm-a-Rest hitched underneath it.

On the other hand, the Adrenaline Romance pair wore their Deuters and the bags are almost like a part of their physical bodies. They move with it without any extra effort. They are good product ambassadors and Deuter did not err in choosing them. They looked also great with the CHT t-shirt made by Silangan Outdoor Equipment.

The trail goes into farms and we meet one family trying to wiggle themselves out of a path that was choked by a falling tree. Some of the higher branches and twigs have blocked the way and the children and women have to squeeze through with difficulty. The mature male among them, equipped with bolos, do nothing and just let the weaker ones manage themselves.

When they were gone, I break off the twigs and slimmer branches away from the trail. The bigger ones, I stepped on and put weight to break it in two. I am used to this work: Clearing debris in my playground at Camp Damazo and doing trail maintenance. Of course, I have with me bigger blades then. On this hike, I have only a Mora Companion, a Victorinox Trailmaster and a William Rodgers Bushlore, which I did not use.

We arrive at a homestead and rest for a while. It is 10:00 and we did good. We are now  halfway down the mountain and in about a half hour we would be on the shores of a stream. To celebrate that, I asked from Sheila Mei to part a chocolate bar to a shy small girl that had been spying us from a window. She goes to school far far away, up and down this mountain. They are deprived of little comforts which urban-bred ones take for granted.

After a rest of five minutes, we proceed down the trail, passing by little streams and more homesteads. Once, I stopped on the path to study a trail of a farm animal. It is the one made by a swamp buffalo and there is only a single line of hoof prints. I quizzed Sheila Mei about this anomaly. Actually, there is another set of hoof prints along the outer edges of the path and it could not be easily seen unless you study it at a different angle.

We arrive at the bank of the upper Lusaran River. This is one of the three major river systems of Central Cebu and it flows out of Balamban to the Tañon Strait. We will cross this stream five times and will have to remove shoes and socks. Walking barefoot on the sandy bed and on sandy banks made a soothing effect that removed the kinks in our nerves. It is a wonderful feeling.

Walking on solid ground once more, we met the first of the many animal farms tethered on to trails, most of these have their young with them. We met two cow families while going to Inalad, where we arrived at 11:30. That is 30 minutes early despite the deliberate slow pace. Inalad is a marketplace and the boundaries of Balamban, Toledo City and Cebu City converge here. We took lunch on one family-run restaurant and enjoyed siesta.

The 30-minute nap was good enough for me. The fever is almost gone save for brief dizzy spells. At 13:00, we leave Inalad for a feeder road that goes all the way to Tongkay, Toledo City. The village is located on the bottom of the valley and Sheila Mei bought a few vegetables there but failed to find a common ingredient: lime (lemonsito). We also filled full our water containers, renewing the weight we lost to eaten food and to rehydration.

We cross the uppermost Hinulawan River where it drained to the man-made Malubog Lake. We follow up a path that rode the back of a ridge. It is very warm, the sun slaps hard at your right, the part where the mountain is almost bare. Gaining more elevation, we come face to face with a bull, standing over the path. I make grunting sounds and the bull gave me space but regained that space immediately after I passed.

It created a bit of a problem for me. The bull refused to vacate when Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei slowly approached. Both made a difficult detour on a very tight space where the ridge is narrowest. My heart trebled its beat when the bull approached the duo. Unexpectedly, the bull slurped Gian Carlo’s hand instead. What a close call.

Once I reach my old campsite, I break off the trail and follow a narrow path that led to a hillside farm. A slight drizzle begins to appear and it elicits a frown from me. I hope it does not rain hard. The path disappeared when I got past the plowed field and blazed across waist-high grass to reach a ridge, which led to the present campsite. We came 90 minutes earlier than what was indicated in the itinerary and we are just walking very slow.

The slight drizzle became light rain and I have to set up a shelter over a space reserved for cooking. My hammock can wait. Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei found the shelter convenient to set up their dome tent nearby. Pouring drops of rain fell from the shelter eaves and I have to wait when rain begins to disappear. Winds added chill to the situation.

At 16:30, the shower stopped and there is still a lot of daylight. I hastily set up my hammock between two trees. Then I transferred my sheet from the cooking area over my hammock. The campsite is on a cleared ridge where a forest claimed the other side. We eat our supper early, availing of daylight. The grounds and vegetation are wet and it begins to go cold. We turn in early at 18:00 and the hammock felt warm.

I awoke at 21:00 hearing great gusts of wind roaring from below the valley. It never affected us. In fact, warm air dislodged from the valley floor by colder wind made its way up to our camp, giving us a comfortable night. This micro climate will stay for a few hours and would soon dissipate. I have noticed this phenomenon in my older camp down the mountain.

I feel good rising early on the second day – February 18. The long comfortable sleep was most welcome for my body. I did not feel any effects of fever today and that is good news for me because it would be a challenging task for me later. After a very early breakfast, we break camp at 07:00. We follow the path up a peak and show Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei, a big hole on the very apex. I believe this was used as a mine vent.

Beyond the peak, we follow a very narrow ridge that led to another peak – Etwi. The landslide that blocked the trail below Etwi had been cleared and it led into another narrow ridge that led to Maraag, a part of the Sudlon Mountain Range. A concrete marker bears information that this is now part of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape.

At Maraag, we savor a bottle of softdrink each and munch a few stale bread. After ten minutes, we proceed to the “hog’s back” (buko-buko sa anay) on a paved road but switched to a feeder road for Panas. I surely marked the place of the trailhead I took last time in my mind so that I would not miss the route to Bonbon again.

The trail is well-beaten but once you get past homesteads it becomes narrow. Some of it pass by scrubby grass that grew persistently despite being trod by many feet everyday and you get the impression that a trail do not pass by here. We cross the headwaters of the Bonbon-Mananga River System several times and these are brisk clean brooks.

It always excites me to walk this stretch because it keeps my mind to work and think, to read the right track from the false ones, and to study the terrain with much concentration of thoughts. These things make up traditional navigation so honestly demanding from even the most trail-savvy traveller. The changing contours here are themselves very demanding.

After four hours of walking, I am rewarded of an arrival in the last homestead in Panas that was a half-hour early than that found on my itinerary. We were not hurrying. We were just in a strolling pace, most of the time stopping briefly to talk about a plant, an outstanding land feature, previous observations, local attitudes, scenery and landmarks or even the shape of a hut. There is a clean water source here and we take some.

We rest for about five minutes and then proceed on, following a trail downhill to a forested part. I try not to miss this trail this time and it is well-marked in my mind. The route inside the forest is steep and slippery. Too few hand holds and most of them were unreliable taro stems and abaca trunks and springy vines that break at the first sign of force.

We arrive at the rocky bank of Biasong Creek and follow it downstream. We walk for about a half hour when I found a perfect spot to stop and prepare our noontime meal. It is shady with a wide sandy beach. Sheila Mei cooked our food with the butane burner and we proceed with lunch and a few minutes of rest.

 

After an hour, we are now fully rejuvenated and proceed on with the last hours of our journey today. The couple was amazed at the clean water of the stream as well as beautiful spots good enough for river bathing. Ahead of us is the sound of rushing water falling in a high elevation but we are deprived of its presence since it is impassable from our location.

We go over dry ground, this time, skipping the sheer obstacle and, from our new location, caught limited glimpses of the not-so-known Bitlang Waterfall. The trail put us on the part of the stream where there is another branch whose mouth is choked with humongous rocks. May God bless those souls caught up in here during a flashflood. It is a meat grinder.

Downstream, Biasong Creek gets tamer and tamer as black PVC pipes competes space with rocks and debris. These pipes channel water to communities and a local resort. We arrive at the resort and outside it is another local unofficial resort. We cross the last of the stream and walked again on dry ground to a store in Biasong selling cold softdrinks. We deserve that.

After fifteen minutes of rest and snacks, I followed a different direction this time given by a local as shorter than that of going to Bonbon and we do not have to cross another stream. Okay. Goaded by local knowledge, we followed a paved road and it seemed to rise forever. It did go downhill going to the St. John Marie Vianney Parish in Maomawan, but it goes up again.

 

We finally reach a place named Tugop, which is a part of the village of Babag at 16:30 but there is something wrong with the new route I took. It is much tiresome compared to the older route and there is but little difference in distance. It was recommended by a local because they travel nowadays on motorcycles and it is very convenient for that kind of travel. But, for walking? Nah.

Well done Adrenaline Romance, you made it this far and, on many times, bettering the itinerary by 30 minutes to even 90 minutes. Amazing! You have proven your steadfastness and your commitment to the first of the many that you would soon impose on yourselves. This is no easy walk but you are rewarded with scenery that was denied to most people and the experience that you could better describe in your popular and highly-rated blog.

The mysteries and idiosyncrasies of the CHT would simply be laid before you once you set your sights on the rest of the paths. You are on the right track to that quest and there is no turning back. Happy trails...

Gian Carlo and Sheila Mei wrote about their Segment I-A experience on their Adrenaline Romance Blog under two installments:

 Cebu Highlands Trail Segment 1A: Mt. Manunggal to Mt. Tongkay
  Cebu Highlands Trail Segment 1A: Mt. Tongkay to Tugop
        

Document done in LibreOffice 5.3 Writer

Photos courtesy of Adrenaline Romance

MAN-SIZED HIKE XXVII: Manunggal-Babag-Lutopan

THE CEBU HIGHLANDS TRAIL is a long trail comprising of roads, dirt paths, farm trails, highways, even an old railroad and a stretch of trackless wilderness from southern tip to northern tip. These were stitched together by this blogger for almost six years before being hiked through in 27 days last January-February 2017. You would marvel at its length and you would be amazed that this blogger walked it on sheer memory.

It is divided into eight segments, the author noting that a guided thruhike is a far possibility as of this time since the routes had not been documented by any radionavigation system, being the CHT is but a product of memory borne from the oddities of traditional navigation. In segments, the CHT is simply manageable and the chances of error are small which could be rectified by creative ways.

 

In segment hiking, you could either start from the heel of Cebu, going up north to the “finis de tierra”. Or you could do it in numerical order from Segment I to Segment VIII. Whichever, the author simply designed it for the convenience of travel, with easy access from start and finish. Segments vary from two days to as much as five days. Segments also make it easy to carry your load of gear, food, and fuel and other supplies.

I have not yet opened it for guided walks but I accommodated the request of the Bukal Outdoor Club, for them to try the CHT. I have complete trust in this group for they trained themselves in jungle survival and wilderness first aid. They choose Segment I, the route that would start from Mount Manunggal then to Mount Babag before it terminate at Lutopan, Toledo City. This could be a test hike and to test my memory.

Segment I is one of the most difficult hike of the CHT and could stretch from 56 to 60 kilometers in length. It pass and traverse over three major mountain ranges: the Central Cebu Mountain Range where Mt. Manunggal is located; the Sudlon Mountain Range; and the Babag Mountain Range where Mt. Babag is located. It also cross two major river systems of Cebu: the Lusaran River and the Mananga River.

 

After lunchtime of November 30, 2017, we left the terminal at Ayala Center. Thirteen members of Bukal Outdoor Club came and two from the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild. We have an itinerary to follow which is very important since it would determine the food we bring. Going up and down difficult terrain for five days hefting heavy loads is not easy, especially under a warm tropical sun.

We alighted at the Trans-Central Highway where there is a feeder road that lead to Mt. Manunggal. From there we follow this dirt road which pass by the village of Sunog, Balamban. The village now charge visitors eighty pesos each if you camp at Mt. Manunggal, which we will soon be, and at Mt. Mauyog. Personally, I do not have any qualms about this if it benefitted the folks and improved the services, then, so be it.

We arrive at 16:00 and set up our shelters. Part of the entrance fee is the use of the bathroom and piped water. Which is fair enough. I do not know about how the caretakers dispose of other people’s garbage. As far as I know, hikers and mountain climbers take care of their own garbage and bring it with them. I believed the bulk of the garbage are those that are brought by locals, especially during the annual March 17th revelry.

It was strangely warm in Mt. Manunggal where, in another time at that hour, it would have been already awfully cold. I expected a sleepless night since I would be laying down in a hammock under a simple shelter of taffeta sheet which are open on two sides. The ingredients for their first meal is now dispatched into a grand dinner. There was a glass of brandy doing the rounds and I stayed until about 20:00 when wind begun to chill a bit.

When it was still dark, and cold, hushed voices awakened me. In the clear air, the metal clank of pots are distinguishable and I could hear the hiss of a butane stove. Somebody woke up so early to prepare breakfast. I would want to rise but there is not much I could do except slurp coffee. I could do that later. The second day, December 1, is really the start of the Segment I hike. The start of their adventure.

After a filling breakfast, we break camp and started very early at 07:30. Our first destination would be Inalad Saddle, which the itinerary says we will reach at 12:00. We would be following a trail that only a few people use and it goes down the upper part of the Lusaran River. I know this path well, having passed by here on many occasions until someone closed that part which offered shorter route to Inalad.

 

We go down from Mt. Manunggal over a very beautiful trail, grassy and forested and squeezing among rocks in a tight cleavage until we rest by a place called Kapiyoan. Going with us is a dog from Sunog. It followed us because we have food to spare. From there, we go down some more among cleared patches, solitary houses and swidden farms and cross small tributary streams and landing on the sandy shore of the Upper Lusaran.

We cross the stream five times and climb up on the other side and follow a narrow trail that follow gently the lower contours of a mountain range of Cantipla. We ultimately reach Inalad at exactly 12:00 and buy prepared food from a local restaurant. One of the hikers  has to cut short participation because of prior commitment. Inalad is a marketplace and is the common boundary of Balamban, Cebu City and Toledo City. After lunch, we spend our deserved siesta. So is our guest dog.

At 13:00, we continue on our way by crossing the Trans-Central Highway into the side of Toledo City. There is another feeder road that would lead to the village of Tongkay. It snaked its way, gently meandering into a valley surrounded by mountains. When we reach the village, we registered our names into their visitor’s log after a courtesy call. We cross the Upper Hinulawan River, which drains to Malubog Lake, and climb Mount Tongkay. 

This is another good trail but you would not appreciate it since the warm early afternoon sun would be directly facing your right. Although it is well vegetated on both sides, the path is bare. The trail goes up and up until it becomes tricky. While the trail goes on its hog back, I prefer to cut across a hillside farm, oblique, right on the face of the mountain until I come upon low vegetation where I turn at a right angle towards the campsite uphill.

  

Before climbing Mt. Tongkay, everyone filled their water containers full at village since the nearest water source would be at Etwi, half a kilometer away. What weight they disposed to the two meals at Mt. Manunggal were replaced by water and everyone struggled the trail to this campsite, which we reach at 16:30. Tents are set up on the open ground while Jethro and I opt to sleep above ground in our respective hammocks.

Soon there would be a spectacular moonrise as the moon approaches its full waxing in two days. Across the campsite is the saddle of Inalad and the imposing height of Mount Gaas. Further away, lost in its mantle of clouds, is Mt. Manunggal. We are overlooking the valley and, soon, warm air from below would slowly rise, giving us a comfortable night with just the right temperatures. A forest rising from the other side protect us from the south wind.

Dinner is prepared hastily while there is still daylight and our adopted dog liked it very much. We made a campfire to celebrate the good hike for today. Another glass of rum make its round among the campers under the silvery light of the moon. Wind shrieked among the lower valley yet it never affected us. It was comfortably warm in our campsite. When the last of the fiery liquid were completely gone, we made for our waiting shelters.

The third day, December 2, made its presence known with the crowing of the cocks, tame and wild, and by the hiss of the butane burner. The camp becomes alive as daylight augured for another round of adventure. Segment I is divided into two sub-segments. The first installment, the ones we have walked yesterday and later for today, is unknown territory which this author and only a few has walked.

After breakfast, we break camp and kept to the trail to Mt. Tongkay. On its very summit is a deep vertical hole, perhaps the vent of a large copper mine and everybody carefully study its depths from the lip. Continuing on, we followed the path on a narrow ridge that connect to Etwi Peak. Landslides effected a difficult passing underneath the mountain but all made it safely. This ridge goes on to another ridge which becomes the Sudlon Mountain Range.

We arrive at Maraag, in the village of Sudlon I, and there is a store that sold cold soda drinks. We stayed here for about ten minutes. There is now a road here that connect to the Trans-Central Highway if you go north. We go north but we veer to a feeder road that goes to Panas. It is a dirt road with several trailheads, tempting you to take one. I have taken each and every trail in the past, borne out of confusion, stress and failing memory.

Never have I stuck to one path on those occasions and I was literally lost except for my first attempt. That path is the one I am looking for. I have to be accurate this time. I have fourteen people to take care of and our line would stretch long on “uncharted” territory. I found the trailhead and my confidence builds up. The trail lead us to solitary houses, farms, headwaters, forests and grassy meadows. It is a warm day and my memory begins to lose some.

I have to backtrack on one when I found going the wrong way and I have to reconnoiter on other times, the stress begins to build up on me and I have to call a time out at 11:00 as the sun bore its intensity on me. I begged for coffee underneath the shade of a big star apple tree. I have to rest else I would burn out. The rest for thirty minutes, coupled with coffee and powdered juice, have stabilized me and I took the trail once more with gusto.

The trail goes on its serpentine path, going up and down, mostly down, until I reached the home of Yolando Obong at 14:00, whose place I passed by in 2015 during a penitence hike. The house is abandoned yet there are fighting cocks leashed to the ground while hens and chicks rove around and everywhere. Mr. Obong would be back later to feed these fowls, I am sure of that, but I could not wait. We rest here for a while and fill our bottles from a spring.

We must go down to Biasong Creek then go to Mt. Babag and we have squandered a lot of time that we are now behind schedule. Once we reach safely the village of Bonbon at dusk, it would be alright to walk in darkness to our next campsite. We leave for the stream, following a trail which I thought was the one based on a two-year old memory. Although I passed by here in January during the Thruhike, it was done in reverse from Biasong Creek.

We go down a steep and difficult route inside a jungle. There were trails but it ended on holes where charcoals are made. I tried the gully but I stared on a very steep precipice as it is a dried up waterfall. My hair stood on its tiptoes as I realized we could all be swept away to kingdom come if ever there is a big downpour. I advised everybody to backtrack and go back to where we came from. My memory simply failed me again and I am tired.

It is now 15:30 and too few daylight hours to make another try to the stream. We have to go back to Mr. Obong’s place and set up our campsite. We have adequate water there. Defeated, I set up my hammock and shelter far from the rest. Dinner is prepared. There is another spectacular moonrise over the Babag Mountain Range, the place where we should have set up camp tonight.

Mr. Obong arrived at 22:00 and how I was glad to see him and talked to him about our earlier debacle. He is feeding his fowls in the dead of night for his late arrival and he promised me the correct path early morning. He also warned me that strange men not from his place pass by here at dawn. He just leave them alone. True enough, there was a man in a hurry passing by where I slept at around 02:00 and he was not carrying a torch.

The fourth day, December 3, saw us falling behind schedule by almost 24 hours. I have to remedy that and do some improvisation once we reach Biasong. We thanked Mr. Obong for his help and for accommodating us in his ground and bade goodbye. Refreshed from a good night’s sleep, I am now on the trail to Biasong Creek at 07:00. The ground is slippery as it is steep with very few good handholds to anchor since most plants here are spiny.   

 

After 45 minutes, we were on the stream. The water is at a moderate level. We followed an invisible path where we are able to keep our shoes dry. While trying to grip a steep rock face, one of my shoes slipped from a slippery toehold and I fell into a waist-high depth, totally incapacitating my use of my Lenovo A7000 smartphone and my Cherry Mobile U2 analog phone. Without these, I cannot give updates of our locations. 

We arrive at Biasong at 10:00 and sucked dry, bottle after bottle of cold soda drinks. We haggled with a Suzuki Multicab owner and we were transferred, all 15 of us and a dog, to the place where we were supposed to spend our campsite last night, disregarding the need to cross Bonbon River and walking the road to the Trans-Central Highway and to Mt. Babag. Even with that, we are still a full five hours late. It is almost 11:30 and we eat lunch brought by another Bukal Outdoor Club member who joined us.

Fully rested and full, we continue at 12:00, following the dirt road, passing by Mt. Babag, until it becomes a mere trail. The Babag Ridge Trail is a beautiful stretch of forested country unknown to a lot of people. Lately, new hikers begun to discover this and they failed to know the places where the old World War II trenches and tunnels were located. Everyone were aghast at this hidden gem and it goes through another forest, mostly of crawling bamboos (bokawe) and, facing before us is, Mount Bocaue.

We did not climb the peak as we were on a hurry. We are racing with time and there are too few daylight hours left. We need to be in the village of Buot, Cebu City before sundown and walking in darkness into our next campsite would be okay since we will be on roads. In the meantime, we are on a trail yet and following a wrong one would spell disaster to our itinerary. I concentrate on landmarks instead of being concerned with time and pace.

This is a long ridge. We are walking almost the entire length of the Babag Mountain Range. We reach Mount Samboryo and my worries of getting lost are losing its grip. The trail goes down but some people before us, on board dirt motorcycles, have ruined the path, loosening a lot of rocks and tearing soft spots which became difficult to tread on. These people simply do not respect the locals who used these trails for their livelihood and for their children going to school.

We cross a hanging steel bridge and arrive at Buot at 17:00. We douse another batch of cold soda drinks before going the long way to Odlom. This time, we would be walking uphill on a combination of paved and dirt road. It is a long uphill walk. The soles have seen its beating from four days walk and extended for another many hours of night walking. It begins to be painful as the leg joints begins to complain.

 

The pace becomes controlled and careful so as not to overburden the feet soles. We arrive at Odlom, a part of the village of Sinsin, Cebu City, at 19:00 and we have to walk another hour to the Manipis Road and then 30 minutes to Camp 7, in Minglanilla. It extended to two hours because of frequent rests. At 21:00, we finally arrive at the DENR’s Biodiversity, Coastal, Wetlands, Ecotourism Research Center for our day’s campsite.

Our stay at DENR-BCWERC was made possible through my request which was approved by Dr. Alicia Lustica, the center head. It is composed of the Cebu Experimental Forest, a nursery, caves, trails, a small waterfall and wildlife. Unknown to most people, the center accepts ecotourism tours as it has a 240-meter Kiddie Trail; a 1.3 kilometers EcoDiscovery and Heritage Trail; and a 1.2 kilometers Ecstacy Trail which include visiting two caves.

Dinner came at 23:00 and it was another grand meal worthy of remembrance. There was a bottle of brandy somewhere but I opt to chase sleep. I am really tired. I was using the wrong bag. It was the Mil-Tec rucksack whose waist belt was inadequate to transfer the weight to my hips from my shoulders. I was hefting all along for the past four days the whole load on my upper body. I was supposed to reserve this bag for overnight trips only. Memory fail again.

The fifth day, December 4, is just a stroll in the park. Our destination is Lutopan, a progressive mountain village of Toledo City. We left the DENR-BCWERC at 09:00. The road goes down but long and paved. We are nursing bruised soles. What more for our adopted canine who walked bare? We reach Lutopan at 12:00 and rode a bus bound for Cebu City. What a great canine migration and adventure.        

Document done in LibreOffice 5.4 Writer

Photo credits to Apol Antenor, Kier Mancao, Nyor Pino and Mariel Reyes