THERE ARE SOME
PEOPLE WHO just does not give up. Failure is not an option for them but an
opportunity to better them next time. I led a Selection Hike last time in
October from Lutopan, Toledo City to South Poblacion, San Fernando which was
41.64 kilometers. There were twenty-one people at the start yet only fifteen
made it less than twelve hours. The rest would have to do a repeat which I am
organizing today, December 30, 2017.
The route, this
time, is the traditional route of the Camp Red Bushcaft and Survival Guild,
which is from Lutopan to Guadalupe, Cebu City. It is 36 kilometers yet it has
to climb up the Babag Mountain Range and be finished in under 12 hours. Many
have cut their teeth here and I just hope that those who were denied the last
time would finally be able to break the curse. The Selection Hike is one of the
requirements for membership into the guild.
We meet at the
Cebu South Bus Terminal at 05:00 and I forgot about the holiday weekend rush.
There were many people going home to the towns to celebrate New Year and the
line is very long. We were able to ride a Toledo-bound bus at 06:45 after
almost an hour of standing along the queue. Once the bus made its way, it
stopped to pick up more passengers. It arrived at Lutopan at 09:00 and so we
begin this stark holiday-season walk.
The pace I pushed
was moderate, intending to preserve strength at its most crucial moments, which
is the last half. We would arrive in darkness, I am sure of that, because of
our late start, which was beyond our control. The 6-man Liloan Triathlon Team,
totally driven high by the result of their participation of the October
selection hike, came again to better their time in a terrain almost the same as
from last time.
Bonabella Canga
and Glyn Formentera, who both were overcame with fatigue and the 12-hour time
limit during the last test, made themselves available now, along with
first-timers Aaron Binoya and Kim Binghay. Going along as overwatches are
Jhurds Neo, Aljew Frasco, Christopher Ngosiok, Justin Apurado, Locel Navarro
and Mark Moniva. We all sacrificed comfort for this, which most are doing now
for the approach of New Year’s Eve.
From Lutopan, we followed
the paved concrete road over Cantabaco and Camp 8, Toledo City; Camp 7,
Minglanilla; and stopped at the road corner found in Manipis, Talisay City for
rest and rehydration. From this road corner, we took another road, partly paved
and partly bare, most of this downhill, passing by Cebu City’s remote mountain
villages of Sinsin and Buot. When everybody arrives at Buot, we stop to rest
and to rehydrate.
There would be a
one-hour noonbreak but there would be no lunch of cooked meal. What we would
eat could either be bread, sandwiches or pre-cooked food. The Selection Hike is
designed not as a race, despite its time limitation, but as a physical test for
people from Camp Red and those who would like to associate with us, as a sort of an
evacuation drill, under a scenario of foreign invasion, war or increasing
distance from a threat of biological and chemical gases or radioactive
fallout.
Across us is the
hanging bridge which spans our side to the other bank 30 meters away over the
Bonbon River branch of the mighty Mananga River. We cross this swaying span and
the misery of the hikers begin. The trail goes up to Mount Samboryo, a hill
held in awe by locals. It should be because it is steep and there are swamp buffaloes on the loose with their young. You give it a wide berth when it stares
at you with the evil eye.
We stop for a
moment halfway to gather water from a water source. We proceed on and pass by a
farm then climbing up a ridge and rest again. Two trails faced us: the older
one which led to Cabatbatan and another newer path that goes up over the divide
of Samboryo, passing by a razor-edged ridge and grassy meadows among muffin
(sic) peaks. I lead the party slowly up the mountain, containing adrenaline
level to a minimum.
The ground is
stable than was the last time I passed by here a month ago. Dirt motorcycles
causes so much damage to the trails here to the consternation of locals who
used these trails to carry their produce to the markets and back with their
week’s subsistence and also where their children use in going to school. Some
homesteads decide to fence off the trails going to their farms for good
measure. Seems the best way to discourage mindless cockroaches astride these
machines.
The trail goes on
a rolling terrain of short grass and farms on one side and forest line on the
other side. Across us is the Sudlon Mountain Range and the wide Bonbon River
Valley. Our quest took us to a beaten trail that goes down gently until one
section of our party encountered a farm animal tethered across a trail. I
passed by this cow and it moved timidly to the side when I made noise.
I find cows and
swamp buffaloes blocking a trail normal although it should not be there.
Farmers are just totally irresponsible and they never give a thought that people
use these trails but what could we do when they grew up with this wrong habit.
The cow became spooked when Jhurds brandished a stick to move it away and fell
on all fours. The owners noticed it and they became agitated. I go back to
control the situation.
All is well when
the cow stood up. But it is best not to add fuel to a spark and thaw it with
apologies instead even though it is their fault in the first place. There was a
rush of adrenaline on this episode and we took advantage of it with increased
speed over many road rises which seemed to never end. We reach Pamutan Junction
at 16:30 and stop to rehydrate. We were all stressed out and that is not good.
Jhurds decides to pull out due to a household errand.
From hereon, it
would all be downhill through paved roads that pass by Baksan. It is a long
concrete road and not friendly to our now-tender soles. I would have loved to
take a trail that goes direct to Guadalupe but it is now dusk and most of those
who compose this party has no experience in night navigation. I would not dare
compromise safety for pain. Pain can be tolerable at times if you know how to
turn off nerve receptors.
Those who are most
fit and who seemed to have a high tolerance for pain vanished from view. I
would have loved to be at the forefront but I have other matters to attend. I
need everyone to beat the 12-hour limit and I decide to be at the tail, to be
where the last people are. I became a one-man cheering squad trying to raise
the morale of the last people in my field of vision.
I am with the last
group and we arrive at the parking lot of the Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish at
20:44 or 11 hours and 44 minutes. The Liloan Triathlon Team, six people,
arrived first at 20:21 or 11 hours and 21 minutes. Bona and Glyn, finally made it, especially
for Glyn who failed on two occasions. It cannot be denied that both arrived at
20:31 or 11 hours and 31 minutes. Bona has her iPhone application to show me,
to include the number of steps and calories burned. All that, for a happy 36
kilometers of torture.
Happy New Year!
Document done in LibreOffice 5.3
Writer
Photos by Christopher Ngosiok
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