NAPO TO BABAG TALES XLI: Cold-Weather Training

I AM ON THE TRAIL once again on this second day of 2011. I will not be alone but will have with me Boy Toledo and Ernie Salomon of Camp Red; Randell Savior, Ian and Tonton Bathan of Tribu Dumagsa; Rowel Seno of Timex Outdoor Club; Dondon of Zubu Ecological Tour Society, Inc.; and Ms. Aisha Ronquillo, the only rose among the thorniest of thorns. Like me, all of them decide to burn whatever party fats they have accumulated during the holiday season.

We all meet at the front parking lot of the Our Lady of Guadalupe of Cebu Parish at seven in the morning. The weather is perfect. Just clouds, no rain and no sunshine. Maybe Boy T and Ernie prayed for it while they were inside the church. It had been raining the whole night yesterday and it stopped at dawn. We take a quick breakfast at a roadside eatery and secure provisions for our lunch which we will cook and eat atop Babag Ridge. Boy T and I have an almost empty butane can while Ernie have a half-full.

We leave Guadalupe at 8:20 AM for Napo and arrive at the place almost an hour later. Rest period is very brief and we cross the Sapangdaku River to hike on its meandering trail for the Lower Kahugan Spring. The trail is still wet and quite slippery in some places. I lead the party and apply a torrid pace amidst rolling terrain. At the water spring, I take a drink and fill my water bottle and waited for the rest to arrive.

We rested for about fifteen minutes before we proceed to Busay Lut-od Falls via the Kahugan Trail. A fifteen minute walk is all we need and the newcomers – Aisha, Dondon and Tonton – are awed at the spectacle of four high cascades of this fabled waterfalls which they probably have heard. Nearby is a father-daughter tandem gathering charcoal and I parted away two of my four used textbook inside my backpack to the girl. I am so touched by their industry that I prefer to look the other way.

I could sense rain coming and off we climb from the river into the trail above and follow it upward until a scant trail to the right branch from it. This route is a switchback to the Roble homestead where we will make our rehydration stop. Manwel Roble meet me outside his house and, at a signal, he carry bolo and rope and climb the nearest coconut tree. We boil water for coffee until Manwel came back. We opened the green coconuts and satisfy ourselves with its water and the soft meat. Later, Manwel's mother offered us cobs of cooked corn. Once we have satisfied ourselves, we follow Ernie's Trail.

We last took this route in March and that is ten months ago. It had not been used ever since. Once we crossed a small brook, Ernie's Trail is already thick with brush and undergrowth. I am point guy and I use my tracking skills to give life to an already-defunct route. I parted thorny brush and hairy grass and took all the scratches. Ladyfinger ferns adhere to my clothing while prickly brown balls of dried grass flowers found niches between my skin and inner boots.

It is raining. Not hard but of an agonizingly-slow and monotonous kind. Nevertheless, it leaves nasty work on the trail making it slippery and the soil soft giving in to weight. Winds tossed by the cold front make you shiver but I did not mind it. It takes a lot of practice and persistence to arrive at a condition where your body would absorb and adapt to both heat and cold. I just let the rain drain from my t-shirt down to my boots. I am fully wet and so were Ernie and Boy T. Jackets and raincoats are not part of our gears though.

I follow the scant trail by sheer instinct, natural land formations and familiar landmarks. After that brain-wracking interlude, I am now presented with that part of Ernie's Trail where it is most difficult – a 70-degree slope of soft loamy soil that is loose come rain or summer. I maneuvered my boots seeking stable surfaces while my hand locked for anchor and my upper body lurch forward to offset gravity pull. Every five meters present a different set of problem and my job is to keep the trail undisturbed as possible for the comfort and ease of the climbers after me.

I see Aisha going up without complaints with her alpine pole and covered by a TNF jacket. Ernie goad and aid her every now and then. Randell, Rowel and Tonton did well and so were Boy T with his uncooperative left hand and Ian, despite wearing a pair of sandals. Oh, I couldn't find a very cheerful bunch of people under a very inclement weather and a very challenging trail.

By now I am at the end of that most trying part where a big bogo tree grow. After this, Ernie's Trail would traverse following the contour of mountain slope but the bushes are very thick and what used to be a trail is now a thick wall of common floss-flower weeds. I did not go this way as it is very time-consuming parting a path and I don't want to antagonize whatever wildlife lurking therein. Instead, I looked up elsewhere and plan to improvise. During my reconnoitering, I catch a glimpse of a scant trail that lead upward.

I find this trail more of the same of that challenging stretch that I thought ended at that big tree. Whatever this is, this is still Ernie's Trail, extended though with an arduous pitch. Just like the one I just passed a half-hour ago! Evading loose rocks and soil and putting pressure on my upper body, I finally gain an easy slope marked by a mango tree. About 400 meters were added to the length of that tough slope of Ernie's Trail today and far away somewhere is a boom-boom-boom of a baffle speaker!

I look at my body steaming from the exertions in cold weather. My breath puffing out white clouds. I did not wait for them once I reach Babag Ridge and continue on to our lunch area. It is already 1:30 PM and we have still a long way to go. I decide to cook noodle soup for my companions so they could shake off the cold weather. Slowly, they come and the last man arrive at 2:20 PM; by now, everyone are already busy with preparing the meal despite a 21-degree Celsius temperature.

I took charge of cooking milled corn in three pots. Ernie, Tonton and Boy T slice meat, vegetables and spices. Boy T uncork his fresh seaweeds and soak it in vinegar after washing it with hot water, Aisha her marinated pork and Rowel his dried fish. Ernie do the cooking of the viand and there were seven courses by the time we eat lunch at three. Food are chicken sinigang¹, pork adobo, stir-fried mixed-vegetables, dried fish fried in tomato sauce, tocino², seaweeds and raw cucumber. We cook all these with just those three almost-empty butane cans!

By four, we go back to Guadalupe by way of the No-Santol-Tree Trail in Kalunasan. A lot of ground to cover and so little time. The rains have not abated and it is very cold. Aisha and Dondon decide to part company going by the road that lead to Garahe in Upper Busay. NST Trail downhill is very slippery and compounded now by a non-stopping rain and the threat of darkness. I am able to keep my balance well despite walking in limited light. Rowel kept shadowing me from behind until I reach Kalunasan Road at around 5:30 PM. The rest were still far far behind hidden by the hills. I could not see their lights.

I decide to push on to Guadalupe with Rowel on the road and arrive there at 6:30 PM. In a few minutes, the first pair of Randell and Ian arrive on board a motorcycle-for-hire, then Tonton and Ernie and Boy T last. It is a good training for all and I part kind words to Tonton and Ian for persevering the cold without protective jackets and raincoats. Boy T, Ernie and I then spend a few hours at Camp Red's temporary watering hole in Guadalupe and down three one-liter bottles of ice-cold Red Horse beer to douse away our thirst and to replenish lost electrolytes.

Meanwhile, my pair of McKinley hike boots just lost two studs while its leather uppers began to bristle out. Looks like this will be the end of its journey. It have served me faithfully well in going to Mount Babag and back almost every weekend since Boy T gave it to me at Olango Island in May 2008. This pair of shoes, while nominally branded, outlived my pairs of Columbia, Hi-Tec and Halla shoes.

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1A tamarind-based soup.

2Meat marinated in soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, onion, lime and sugar.

NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXXIII: Camp Red Training Day

IT IS SO HOT today. A perfect Sunday for training. Camp Red takes the trail of Napo to the Babag Mountain Range. Coming along is Dr. Abe Manlawe who is preparing himself for the Mount Apo climb with the Cebu Mountaineering Society come June. It is May 23, 2010.

I am the trail master for today. Boy Toledo and Ernie Salomon will assist me and we will have two low-frequency handheld radios for this occasion. New guys Niño Dizon, Brady Betonio, Daveson Uy, Ian Betonio, Marco Albeza and Marlon Ponce will be physically tempered under the brunt of the sun.

Going also with us is Johnson Luym of Jungle Wild Adventures and Paul Ceniza of Ridge Outdoor Shop. Both will assess the quality of the trail and they will be in for a surprise later.

I lead the pack as we walk on the road from Guadalupe to Napo. Ian and Marco are behind me singing along with their iPods. After the half-way mark both were still alright and we were a couple of a hundred meters ahead of the rest of the party. I hasten the pace and both stopped singing especially along the vicinity of Sitio Arcos which is steep.

We arrive at Napo after forty minutes of walking and waited for the rest. Last to arrive were Niño, Marlon, Brady and Daveson. Everybody rehydrated themselves, except me. I will drink water once I will arrive in the last river crossing where there is a natural spring.

We were now following the trail after crossing the Sapangdaku River. Dr. Manlawe is carrying a heavy training load and exchange conversations with Johnson. Boy T and I run downhill when we could and swarms of sweat gush forth in endless rivulets from my body especially after a 45-second sprint down to the natural spring area.

Boy T, who was ahead of me, is already lying down on a big granite stone on the river while I gasp for air to stabilize myself from the extreme exertion. Getting my drinking bottle, I fill it up, drink and refill it. One by one, the rest arrive and enjoy this very shady spot which is a natural resting area for the locals.

It's time to move again after a 20-minute rest for the knoll where there is an ancient tamarind tree that host the home of the Roble family. The place is the last natural rest area before embarking the last stretch of the trail to Babag Ridge. You could rehydrate there with water from green coconuts provided you notify them early. Quite possible and here is the number: 09335164999.

By the way, a steep trail lead to there and I towed the rest of the party for a well-deserved rest. Immediately, everyone helped themselves to drink young coconut water and eat its soft white meat. Meanwhile, Boy T and Ernie became instant chefs and cook food provisions we bought from Guadalupe like pork meat, dried fish and milled corn.

As we were busy, Dr. Manlawe opt to cut short his training after receiving a call from a patient and retraced his path back to Guadalupe. I bring a rope for this climb and teach the newbies the four most important knots for bushcraft and survival: slip knot, square knot, figure-of-8 knot and the bowline knot.

Lunch time came at exactly one in the afternoon and the food served were pork in sinigang soup, dried fish cooked in tomato sauce and pork adobao while cooked milled corn remain as Camp Red's main staple. Others dished in their canned food to supplement the meals.

After an hour of siesta, time to move again. I divided the group into two: the strong climbers and the weak ones. Ian and Marco will come along with Ernie, Johnson, Paul and me going by way of the difficult Ernie's Trail while Boy T will lead the rest through the Babag East Ridge Pass.

The downhill part of Ernie's Trail down to the creek is not affected by the extreme summer heat. Right after crossing the dry creek, the vegetation is brown and sparse. Many trees wilted and their leaves go brown. A parcel of farm gnawed itself into the route and erasing a part of it, leaving me to look for the rest of the trail.

By the time we assault the main crux of the trail, the soil is very loose. Brutal! That's how Johnson describe it. Balance is of prime importance here and you have to use both your hands. 4 by 4! Paul added his to Johnson's remark. Inwardly, Ernie and I are elated at the guest's comments. Ian and Marco did themselves well. My compliments.

The two groups arrive at the ridge by just a few minutes of each other. We follow the Babag Ridge Road until we stop at a store to rehydrate. Boy T ordered two big bottles of cold San Miguel Beer to get optimum minerals and electrolytes lost to the exertions. I am very tired. Not from the climb but from the scene of cut trees.

Niño, Daveson, Brady and Marlon decide to part early with the rest of the party following the road to Upper Busay to attend to some important commitment. It is already almost four when we, the rest of the party, went down to Kalunasan via the No-Santol-Tree Trail. We ran and walk intending to reach Guadalupe before dark. We arrive at 5:30 PM and finish our after-activity rituals with four big bottles of Red Horse Extra Strong Beer at “Camp Red”.

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXV: Freewalking Alone

I STARED AT THE far expanse of the metropolis and all its neighboring islands as I stood on the ridge of the Babag Mountain Range. It's just another regular Sunday for me hiking alone on the trails. It is September 6, 2009 and this is my twenty-fifth session here. Oh, I just arrived yesterday from Iloilo, crossing two bodies of water – the Guimaras and Tañon straits – and a whole day of travelling by bus over the great Panay plateau, the Negros central highlands and the Naga-Uling Road.

I should have rested this day but I have not. I have begun to develop a craving for Mt. Babag and I would miss her trails even for just one weekend. My self-imposed commitment to attain stamina have not wavered one bit. The trails in Sapangdaku and Kalunasan and, to a greater extent, the so-called Freedom Trail from Tisa over Toong and Baksan, is a perfect avenue for that.

And you may wonder why all my mountaineering-related activities are confined within the Babag Mountain Range? FYI, Guadalupe, from where I start my walk, is only two jitney rides away from home at Php6.50 a ride and that translate to only twenty-six pesos back and forth. Yes, a mere Php26.00 for the price of exercising your hobby to the max. Just a set of loose change in your pocket that you are ready to happily part with. A great bargain!

I am not a creature of comfort though and walking on the same trail doesn't matter to me either as long as it is realistic and attainable for my small budget alloted for leisure and exercise. I do not yearn anymore a once-a-month activity in faraway exotic places that doesn't sit well in my running a household in these difficult times. What I do need is a very good alternative that is conveniently located where I could repeat the process over and over and over...

Anyway, the weather is perfect for today. I did start at eight and found myself a small eatery in between Guadalupe and Napo and the lady cook there sold her food and rice at a much much cheaper price than what I paid for in the eateries of Guadalupe. I ate with gusto at the well-cooked meal and, after paying, I continued on my journey to Napo. Really, it is a cloudy morning and the breeze breathed in my face and hair. It is so refreshing even as I sweat.

I am alone today. I set my normal pace and, here I am, running in short bursts up a trail once my trail boots kissed the dirt trails. I am not here for a leisure walk but on a year-long intense training. I ran downhill when I could and shaved a little time. Long lines of “small people¹” crossed the trails and I carefully placed my steps not to disturb them. I carried a training load of about ten kilos and forbid myself a drink save at the spring, at Manwel Roble's place and on Babag Ridge during my lunch.

The best time to drink would be at Manwel's place. Not water in my bottle but water from young coconuts. Manwel's father prepared four opened coconuts and I helped myself with three. Afterwards, five hikers arrived and I shared the last of the coconut to them. Then we parted ways at 10:30 AM. They took the Babag East Ridge Pass while I went to the very steep Ernie's Trail.

Ernie's Trail is thick with vegetation today and it had not been used since June 21, 2009 - the day when I last passed by there. Otherwise, the trail is in good condition and I sweat hard trying to climb on all fours or keeping myself on balance with the heavy load on my back. The cool breeze soothed my body well and my hawk feathers on my head danced. The bamboo groves creaked and swayed as its leaves exulted at the rubbing they got from the wind

I arrived at Babag Ridge at 11:15 AM, just five meters behind the five hikers who went on an easier route. We took lunch together on a small store offering a good view of Metro Cebu. After the meal, I stood and looked at Metro Cebu at a high vantage. Then I took a rest and slept for thirty minutes and then went on my way back to Napo via Kahugan Trail.

It would have been a perfect day for me except along the trail where a hillside have been cleared of madre de cacao trees that have have grown thick. Tree limbs were cut into pieces ready to become another batch of commercial charcoal. I couldn't understand why low-level village authorities like barangay captains remained blind to these activities. I couldn't even understand the Environment and Natural Resources department so inutile in enforcing national laws. I left dismayed and nurtured a growing contempt for these lazy bureaucrats.

Again, as I have done months before, I ran in Kahugan. I put to good use my anger here. Kahugan is devoid of people after noontime. The trail is wide and winding along the river on a rolling terrain that is perfect for a good downhill run. I let gravity dictate my pace and my quick reflexes evaded obstacles and tight bends and I sweat so hard even as my hawk feathers trailed after me. My backpack moved from side to side but I tightened the locks placing the weight closer to my body. I moved in long strides until I reached the river.

I panted but I felt good and I took a deserving drink from a spring and then went on my way for Napo. I relaxed my pace knowing I burned a lot of calories walking and climbing the whole morning and running for a full 3-4 minutes in the afternoon gulping clean air and enjoying the sights. You couldn't experience these kind running inside an oval track or sweating on a treadmill machine inside of a sweat gym. My track and gym is the outdoors and it is FREE!

I reached Napo at two then I took a relaxing walk down the road for Guadalupe. The sun still refused to show his face and the wind have been following me ever since morning. It took me just less than thirty minutes to reach Guadalupe and that surprised me even as I was just on a “slow” walk. Hiking and climbing on a very cool Sunday and delivering a plastic bag full of bread to a poor family is an exceptional combination that is both good for your body and your spirit. I just did.

Happy FREEWALKING Day...

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1Black ants.

NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXIII: Storm Hikers

AFTER AN ABSENCE OF more than a month, I am reunited again with Boy Toledo, of Ernie Salomon and, later, with Manwel Roble. Here we are again, maintaining our physical conditioning program walking the mountain trails of Napo to Mount Babag in the middle of an ongoing tropical depression! Just three has-beens so madly in love with these trails. The same three has-beens that would shame guys 25-30 years our junior in a test of endurance and speed.

As sure as the sun rises from the east, we rose from our comfortable beds to go out in an inclement weather condition and accommodate a request from our club to assist in training members and member-applicants. I received two such notices in my cell phone in SMS. I arrived at six-fifteen in the morning and missed the first mass at the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu Parish. There were nobody in our meeting place. That's strange.

My guest, Jerry of Alps Mountaineers came at seven. Boy T and Ernie (these two old guys never ceased to amaze me) arrived at quarter to eight. Both came from yesterday's day trek from Budlaan to Upper Busay and it seemed these two never knew what is physical fatigue. In the final count, only four of us could make it. I understand, cold and rain make people lazy. The mud make them squirm as if it's a plague.

We started walking on the asphalt road to Napo under dark overcast clouds at fifteen past eight after securing our packed lunch and reached there at nine. From Napo, we crossed a swollen river and reached another river crossing. It was raining hard yet we walked as if were doing this thing in summer. It was a fast pace we set and Jerry was quite game showing none of the discomforts.

We wore no raincoats on purpose. No picture-taking also for today. The weather won't allow it. Strong gusts of wind lashed at us and made the trees dance. A branch or two broke but we never mind it. In fact, it raised our adrenaline and hasten our pace. We arrived at Manwel's place at ten-thirty. I brought the kids my usual present of fifty pesos worth of bread. Jucel, the youngest, came to meet me on the bamboo bench and took the prize.

We decided to tarry a while and cooked two packs of instant noodles on Boy T's cook set with the fire coming from my Bulin camping stove. We slurped the warm soup and munched the stringy food. It made us feel a little better. There were no young coconuts to savor this day. The wind is like a loose dog from its leash and Manwel have the flu and couldn't climb the palm. His parents were away.

Boy T was here last week, he told me, together with Noel Delantes, an oil rig safety officer based in the Middle East. They stayed overnight in the summit. Meanwhile, Ernie also came here last week with Lester Padriga, an American peace activist. Took a short hike up to the old resting area under a mango tree and backtracked. Both guests were eager to meet Manwel and me. Lester, later called Ernie and invited us to dinner.

We left at eleven for Mt. Babag and I left vegetable seeds like cucumber, pea, bunched onion, okra and tomato so Manwel's father could earn an extra income. We took the Babag East Ridge Pass, a route of a less degree of difficulty than Ernie's Trail. We summitted at quarter to twelve and reached our high hang-out overlooking Metro Cebu at 11:55 PM and we all took lunch there.

We rested and savored two one-liter bottles of cold San Miguel Beer Grande before deciding to go downhill at one in the afternoon by way of the No-Santol-Tree Trail. Man, I disdain traversing this trail especially during a rain. It is very slippery! I still carry the memories where the seat of my pants kissed the ground here several times. Only, there were nobody watching behind me then.

Passing by this branch of the trail that lead to Kalunasan, I saw a large pile of newly-cut trees beside a recently-dug hole intended for burning wood into commercial charcoal. This is the same place where a couple made a living cutting trees and making charcoal whom I have advised to practice responsible cutting of trees in the months of January and May which they have blatantly ignored.

I requested Jerry to take pictures of this place, the piles of wood, the hole, the makeshift hut, etc. After that, my rage began to break loose and wreak havoc on the piled wood, their equipment, their hut and everything within my grasp! Fortunately, they were absent that day else my legendary temper would have created problems for them.

We left the place and Boy T and Ernie hurriedly trudged downhill, happy to be away from my whirlwind-like performance. As I followed them, the trail were smothered out by Boy T's tracks. Trailing Boy T spelled peril to those who have followed him during downhill stretch in Mt. Talinis, in Mt. Manunggal and in Carmen. It was almost impossible going down the trail after Boy T. I improvised a route and, Jerry, shaken by the bulldozed trail, followed after me.

At 2:45 PM, we reached the Kalunasan Road. We decided to go by way of Kalunasan while Boy T wanted to go to Napo then Guadalupe. Boy T eventually sped away backriding on a motorcycle-for-hire. He is, obviously, in a hurry after receiving a call! We arrived at Guadalupe at three-thirty in the afternoon. Jerry decided to go home early while Ernie and I waited for the 4:00 PM Holy Mass.

After the mass, we waited for Boy T to arrive but he never came. Ernie and I decided to go to Lester's place in Friendship Village, Mambaling, Cebu City. We watched a Free Tibet documentary and, afterwards, a live band jam-session and dinner. At nine, we left our host and glad to have cemented another friendship.

It was another perfect Sunday!

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXII: Father's Day Special

IT IS FATHER'S DAY, June 21, 2009.

I am going up to Mount Babag today and I am alone.

Yeah, alone...

...again.

I have no problem walking alone. I find good therapy in the silence and I love the sound of my voice. I talk to myself. Yes, hum a song. Imitate a bird call. That's what you do when you're bored.

From my home, I rode a public jitney in the early morn for the downtown area then another jitney for Guadalupe. I arrived in time for the Holy Mass at six at the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu Parish. The mass ended at 7:15 AM and I bought fifty pesos worth of bread from a nearby bakery and went to the back of the church to eat at an eatery.

Securing my packed lunch, I left the eatery at 7:45 AM and do the customary warm-up walk on the concrete-and-asphalt road to Napo – a distance of about 2.5 kilometers. I walked an easy pace and arrived at 8:30 AM and, without taking a rest, proceeded to cross the first river crossing.

I arrived at nine at the second river crossing and fetched my drinking water at the nearby spring. Saw a man fording the stream with his son above his shoulders. Ah, what a perfect scene for Father's Day. I rested for about ten minutes and resumed my trek.

The sun shone hot this day and I slowly climbed the ascending trail to Sitio Busan then to Manwel Roble's place. I arrived at 9:40 AM.

I brought out my bread and gave this to Manwel's younger brother, Jucel, who jumped up and down upon seeing me. I rested at the long bamboo benches and savored the opportunity to enjoy their company, the view and the breeze. Overhead, I saw clumps of ripe duhat and my taste buds began to crave the sweet purple fruit.

Instantly, father and son climbed the tree and collected two plastic bags, half-full, and I enjoyed munching the ripe fruits. The duo told me that Boy Toledo, Ernie Salomon, Glenn Domingo and Jecris Dayondon were here yesterday and ate also of the duhat fruit. And jackfruit too. They tarried long at the benches and ate their packed lunch here and, afterwards, drank Tanduay Rum chased with powdered tea and young coco water. Then they forgot to climb Mt. Babag, maybe too drunk to go on.

So, that's why there's an empty bottle of Tanduay and an empty pack of Nestea under the benches. Leave no trace, my ass! I told you it would not apply in these islands. Not with Boy T around.

I stowed the picked duhats inside my backpack and went on my way to Babag Ridge via Ernie's Trail. I left at exactly 10:30 AM. I followed the trail for the uppermost part of the Sapangdaku River and saw that the vegetation along the trail were greatly distorted and smothered away from their original positions.

I was greatly annoyed by the appearance of the trail until Manwel came after me and gave me the answers. He averred that there were twenty-six campers passing by last night and he saw no familiar faces in the group. Jeez! Some people and clubs are downright irresponsible. See? LNT wouldn't work here. There are too many nincompoops who would rather practice their ignorance and carelessness. What a shame.

Facing a grove of bamboo uphill, the trail followed by last night's group veered to the right of the true trail named after my good friend, Ernie. I am glad that our trail remained pristine when I passed by. Shame again to them. They should have availed of Manwel's services¹ to guide them safely to a good trail. They missed the best trail here and, besides, their kind don't deserve to follow Ernie's Trail.

I enjoyed the moments of silence as I slowly ascend the mountain trail with Manwel following me. I thought I heard a melody of a black shama and they were quite near. Three juvenile black shamas appeared with their unmistakable black feathers and I feel fortunate today. This is the second time I saw this endemic bird here in the Babag Mountain Range.

The sun was hot but the trail is quite shady so the heat never bothered me, although I was sweating hard. I arrived on the ridge at 12:15 noon and proceed to pass by the shoulder of Mt. Babag to eat my packed lunch with Manwel at a store 300 meters away.

I loaned my cellphone to Manwel afterwards so he could make use of a vacant time and play a game while I took a nap at the wooden bench where the cool breeze lulled me to dreamland. After an hour, I woke up and started on my way downhill back to Guadalupe. This time, I will tackle the No-Santol-Tree Trail and I will be guiding Manwel, for a change.

As we were still treading the Babag Ridge Road the heavens begun to rumble and big drops of liquid started to fall. Gosh, it'll gonna be slippery at the NST Trail today and I just hope that my McKinleys would hold its ground. As I feared, the trail IS very slippery. Rivulets of water made the trail river-like and the smooth rocks along it are just too dangerous for a misstep.

It was raining hard and lightning flashed so near and the thunder so deafening! I decided to stay for a while under the protection of the trees afraid that these thunder bolts would strike at us in the open. I was worried about Manwel. We both were drenched wet and so unprotected.

Nevertheless, we pursued our quest for Guadalupe and passed by pocket forests of tangguile and teak trees. The trails were greatly immersed with water and as I tread my shoes on it, the soil would gave way underfoot especially on the narrowest part of the trail where it is most dangerous.

My training shoes failed to grip the slimy soil and I used all ten fingers as anchors to dig the ground to keep myself falling. Rain stung my eyes partly blinding me to get a good view of the foliage around me. The sheer weight of water on the leaves broke whole trunks and branches blocking the trail. The rains made a raging river out of a dry water course.

Up ahead, I heard a roar of water before I saw it. I never knew a waterfall existed near our route and, there just across us, is a brown cascade of a great volume of water. Walking on, I saw glimpses of the swollen stream below me. Then we passed by Turtle Rock and Manwel was so amazed and mystified by the rock formation.

Finally, we reached a trio of tamarind trees marking the end of the No-Santol-Tree Trail and we went downhill amongst a field of cogon grass until we reached Kalunasan Road. The dirt road was reduced into a swirling river of rain run-offs coming from above the hills.

Some part of the road were partly blocked by landslides that occurred earlier and one stretch we passed by became a run for life when boulders from above us came tumbling down the road. We walked in the middle of the road just in case if the ground below us would collapse if it is undermined by water and be safe enough to look out for falling rocks overhead.

We walked and ran for an hour in which the rain never ceased until the time we reached the branch of the road leading to Guadalupe. We crossed the Harlemermeer Bridge and watched the surging current of the Sapangdaku River unfolding its power below us.

At 2:50 PM we reached the back of the Guadalupe parish and I parted ways with Manwel. His father would be with him any time soon. I finished this day's journey well ahead of schedule and looked forward to enjoy the surplus of time with Ernie. I was soaking wet as I rode the jitney.

Ernie went out to meet me while Boy T, who was visiting his grandchildren nearby, came later. We talked of my just-concluded trek and their yesterday's misadventure over cold bottles of beer. We three then went together to attend a fiesta celebration in the interior of Espina Village. And that wrapped up my semi-solo journey today.

Happy Father's Day.

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1Manwel Roble. Call or text him at 0932-483-9234.

NAPO TO BABAG TALES XXI: The Trailhawk

MOUNT BABAG IS ALWAYS there and I have no excuses why I shouldn't go there. It's only 752 meters above sea level and eleven kilometers away from downtown Cebu City if you draw a straight line. It's just a pygmy if you consider it against other Philippine mountains and a molehill if you have Mount Everest in mind. Nevertheless, it is MY mountain and you would find me and others tackling her trails there every weekend.

I am of the opinion that there is no mountain, even though how high, that cannot be overcome as long as you have the heart and the commitment to propel yourself up there. It is of my opinion also, that you cannot be an instant climber without having to go the rigors of basic hard training in a gradual phase and the discipline to withstand the monotony of the same trail. Be that and you will not be injured.

I am of the opinion too that Mount Babag has all the elements and challenges that you may need when you are on another mountain trail. You will find pure mountain trails here on its rolling terrain. Some of it are steep and slippery, some are too narrow and deceptive. There are rocky terrain, loamy soil, talus and scree slopes plus pocket forests of endemic and second-growth trees and ancient mangoes. Yes, lots and lots of mangoes. You may walk or carry yourself here on all fours or run.

By the way, Mt. Babag has a perfect downhill trail for running in Kahugan and it is for that reason where, on May 24, 2009, I decided to take a solo hike up in Babag upon knowing that Boy Toledo and Ernie Salomon are in the south in Osmeña Peak. It will save me the trouble of watching over them. I will run in Kahugan today without them. Oh, freedom...and silence! They're hard to come by these days.

After attending a Holy Mass at the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu, I immediately went outside to buy fifty pesos worth of bread for Manwel Roble and his family. I bought also another set of bread for a street urchin sleeping on a wooden bench. My heart always bleed to see children who have less in life. I am a different kind of outdoorsman, mind you. I will give even sacrificing my shoe-string budget to accommodate charity.

From an eatery I bought a meal for lunch and packed this inside my plastic containers. My backpack is heavy. I carried an 11-mm thick 17-meter long dynamic rope inside the bag as my training load. At 7:30 AM I left Guadalupe for Napo and arrived there at 8:10 AM and five minutes later I was off crossing the Sapangdaku River. I arrived at another river crossing at nine and filled my water bottle from a nearby spring.

Refreshed, I continued on my way passing by an upland community and arrived at Manwel's house at ten. Delivering my present of bread to Manwel I rested for a while and savored the cool breeze and the view overlooking Metro Cebu. Later, four guys arrived and rested at the bamboo benches and I held conversation with them. They brought chocolates and some snacks for Manwel and his brood.

Instantly, they recognized me through my blog and were familiar with my advocacy. They have become regulars on these trails and have availed of Manwel's guiding services. I'm glad that my blog post about Manwel have rubbed off on other people. We capped our pleasant meeting with fresh young coconuts that Manwel and his mother have gathered. Ohhh, I've never tasted such coconut water in its most perfect state until now. They were so so so sweet! Wow!

At eleven, I bade them farewell and proceeded on my own to Babag by way of Ernie's Trail. The vegetation have become so thick it covered much of the trail. Without a trained eye you would find yourself losing your way. I have no trouble following the trail as I am very familiar with it; but what I'm worried of is that there might be some reptile curling along the trail beneath those vegetations, especially a Philippine cobra, which is very common in this area, that you might accidentally step upon.

Conserving my strength with just an easy pace, I tackled Ernie's Trail step by step, rock upon rock, stepping over dead branches and slippery boulders. During the most steep and slippery stretches I tried and practiced my old unorthodox foot placements which I have perfected on so on many different occasions in the early '90s with which technique have lain idle for so many years, particularly during my “warrior pilgrimage” years, that is from 1997 to 2005. With aching knees, I am still agile to do those old stuffs.

I arrived at the ridge at 12:15 noon and proceeded to pass by the highest shoulder of Mt. Babag that is not fenced and walked a couple of a hundred meters down a dirt road to a store overlooking the city and took my lunch there. After a while, the four guys whom I just left moments ago, came together with Manwel. They hired Manwel to guide them on another route – the Babag East Ridge Pass. They took time with me and ate their packed lunch at the store.

Over music of a local FM station, my digestive system began its work as I took a short nap. At exactly 1:00 PM, I bade them farewell again. I backtracked and went down for Napo via the Kahugan Trail with Manwel while they went the other way going the easy Babag Ridge Road towards Garahe in Upper Busay.

I began to walk and trot, hurrying down until I crossed a river. From the river I snaked myself amongst jackfruit, breadfruit and star apple trees that abound on this stretch of the trail and climbed a short uphill route traversing a ridge passing by the junction of the Babag East Ridge Pass where Manwel bade goodbye to me. Then I came upon a pocket forest of madre de cacao trees and there among its trail is a very deceptive route wherein loose talus rocks abound. I slowed down my pace when I heard the unmistakable melody of the black shama, locally known as siloy. Perched on a tendril of a thick bamboo thicket nearby another upland community is a juvenile siloy singing its song.

From there, I pushed on passing a trio of tamarind trees that marked the end of this difficult route. I reached the community chapel at 1:45 PM and, here, the trails of Kahugan widened; just wide enough for a solitary traveller running loose on the trail at break-neck freewheeling speed! As I took a little rest, I readied my camera and switched it to video mode, intending to record myself trail running and then have this moving image uploaded in my personal blog at Blogger and at the community website in Multiply.

It took me just three to four minutes to reach the next river crossing where a drinkable spring is located. After resting for a full two minutes I proceeded for Napo following the trail above the meandering Sapangdaku River. This time, I took an easy pace, intending to take time and savor the view the route afforded. I met many locals passing the other way and exchanged nods and greetings with them, at the same time, practicing trail courtesy.

I arrived at Napo at 2:45 PM and took just a very short rest before I proceeded for Guadalupe. The asphalt and concrete road at three in the afternoon were stifling hot and, at that angle of the sun, the shades from trees where not yet wide enough to cover the whole width of the street. Inconvenienced by that, I opted to compensate by protecting my feet and stepped only on soil, weeds and stones, usually found beside the street curbs. The temperatures here were ten degrees cooler than that on the pavement itself.

I walked on, never minding the heat and the numb on my left shoulder. My water is about gone but I never swallowed a drop. I am on training today; at least, my feet are alright. Finally, at 3:30 PM, I reached Guadalupe and took a rest at the parish grounds when Boy T called me on my phone just in time. I was awfully tired and, here he is, with his vehicle to ride on and a promise to douse my extreme thirst with ice-cold liquid, uh, like beer...and a lot of tales to talk about. Ernie joined company and made it sure that there will be many “tales to talk about”.

I have concluded yet another perfect Sunday in the mountain trails of Napo to Mt. Babag while Boy T and Ernie did also with their trip in southern Cebu. Yes, there were no stupid rules here and there and that made climbing mountains simple again.

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES XVII: The Soloist

I DRANK MY LAST BOTTLE OF beer and I went home at thirty-five past eight in the evening. Our office just concluded a Thanksgiving Mass and there was a buffet dinner and then drinks were served. It is Saturday, April 4, 2009 and, earlier, two members of the Cebu Mountaineering Society led a mixed group of eighteen member-applicants and guests from bisdakcentral.com and from NCR to a trek from Guadalupe to Mount Babag at 10:00 AM.

I am supposed to be on that morning trip but I begged off from joining the activity but I promised them that I would be there at eleven in the evening. The drinking session in our office was an unforeseen event and I was forced to tarry long, but, nevertheless, I did make true my oath that I WILL BE THERE and so I quickly gulped all the frothy liquid served to me.

After a quick shower I packed my things inside my Habagat Venado II and bade goodbye to my wife and the kids. I carried along my heavy Maglite - powered by four size-D batteries, my rainbow-colored Mantrack jungle knife and my new Böker folder for my protection on my solo travel in the dark. I also brought my throwing axe and secured this outside my backpack while I held the flashlight with either hand. A good knife is a good companion on the trail.

At 9:47 PM I arrived at the back of the Guadalupe church and I rode a motorcycle-for-hire for Napo and started my lonely trek 15 minutes later. It was very dark on the trail but there were wisps of moonlight that penetrated through the foliage and I used this scant light to navigate myself in the dark. A waning half-moon was still hanging in the western sky and in two hours it would be hidden behind the Babag Range. It was not easy doing travel without a focused light in front of you but I managed myself quite well.

I reached the second river crossing at 11:02 PM. I admit I mimicked the pace of a turtle. My personal safety is always on my mind and I used my flashlight only when crossing a river or a gully. It is best to limit your visibility at night. I bypassed upland communities knowing that a stranger's scent and sound could be easily picked up at night by a watchful dog so I improvised and followed trails where I have not passed before and calculated the routes to connect it to the main trail. These could not be easily done during daytime much more so during night without using a flashlight.

Finally, I reached Manwel Roble's place at fifteen past twelve midnight and I was soaking wet with perspiration even when the night was quite cool. I could hear voices from within the house and they have not noticed my coming so I took camera shots of myself sitting on the bamboo benches before I decided to make known my presence. I gave away my two kilos of rice to them so I could make use of less weight tackling the difficult Ernie's Trail.

Manwel's father accompanied me and I decided to use the flashlight to light our way. The moon had already descended beyond the Babag skyline and there are no more faint moonlight to aid in my navigation. The use of the flashlight at this phase of the trail is most needed and I would have to forego the element of invisibility. Along the route I could clearly see the lines and ridges left by many hiking shoes seen at a different angle of light. They left a lot of shoe prints to follow!

I arrived at the established campsite at Manwel's Peak at about 1:30 dawn of April 5. Ernie Salomon and Glenn Lao held vigil, along with five others, to await of my coming. It was a refreshing sight at this vantage scanning the bright lights of the part of the metropolis. The two bridges linking the island of Mactan with the mainland sparkled in the clear air while vehicle lights would repeatedly glint as they travel along lighted avenues and urban byways. Across another campsite faraway firelights danced and twirled and we thought it to be St. Elmo's fire.

Manwel was also awake and he was grinning ear to ear and I greeted him congratulations for graduating from elementary school. And gave him a high five. Yeah! Cool! After Ernie helped me set up my borrowed Coleman tent I decided to call it a night - or day - whichever is appropriate. Yes, I slept without even unfolding my sleeping bag and I didn't know that. I was that exhausted.

I woke up at nine and I noticed that they have already cleared the campsite. Mine was the only tent left standing. Por dios mio! I quickly broke camp and stowed all my belongings inside my bag. While I was busy, Glenn L and Boy Toledo where talking to the group. It surprised me to see Brian Gera present. Now we are four CeMS members leading a “mixed group of eighteen member-applicants and guests from bisdakcentral.com and from NCR”.

After a photo session and prayers by Vince, Dusty of bisdakcentral.com with her brother and friend, decided to part ways with us, with them going by way of the easy Babag Ridge Road exiting at Garaje in Busay while we will follow our scheduled route down for Kahugan Trail and back into Napo then Guadalupe. Without a surplus of time I skipped breakfast and gave away my part to Manwel and to his cousin, Paterno. We gave the boys their guide and errand fees and we left them our surplus of unused canned goods, noodles and snacks.

Boy T led the downhill route while Brian and Glenn L acted as backstop. Me, well, I just went with the flow of the pace and content myself without working my mind on managing the speed of the group. The sun was hot and all felt and bothered by the heat. We met fellow hikers from MONC going the other way and we exchanged smiles and short conversations with them. We arrived, finally, at Napo at 11:30 AM and all ordered cold softdrinks to whittle away the thirst.

Travelling at the asphalt road under the near noontime sun would be a useless exercise and we all settled to ride motorcycles-for-hire by twos instead and reached the parish grounds of Guadalupe safely and quickly. It was a successful assessment and training climb by Boy T, Glenn L, Brian and me on the fine young member hopefuls; with which event ran parallel to an ongoing climb undertaken by eight CeMS vanguards on the Cuernos de Negros Mountain Range.

The climb at Mt. Babag were ably steered by Boy T and Glenn L with support from Brian and Ernie. At the end of the activity, four of the participants submitted their membership-application papers to Boy T - a gesture which elicited an approving smile from him. Jolly good show Boy T! You have finally arrived.

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NAPO TO BABAG TALES XV: Endurance Training

THE FORTHCOMING TRIP to Mount Talinis in Negros Oriental on April 3 to 6, 2009 goaded the Cebu Mountaineering Society to consider training at the trails of Napo and Mount Babag, here in Cebu City's own backyard which they scheduled on March 8, 15 and 29. They tapped me and Boy Toledo to do the honors of preparing the itinerary of the training climb.

“Good morning Philippines! Wake up!” These words screamed in my cellphone screen, a text message coming from Boy Toledo. It was 4:30 AM, March 8, 2009. This will be the second day of preparation training for the participants of the Mount Talinis climb come April. The day before this, there was a speed time trial at the Cebu City Sports Complex oval – a four-kilometer run and walk.

Grudgingly, I went downstairs and grabbed a towel for a bath. Afterwards, I arranged all the things I need for this day and flopped them inside my day pack. I brought with me seven used text books, intending to distribute those in the places where I will pass by. These would be my training load in lieu of the three liters of water which everyone will carry today.

I went outside and waited for Boy T who called me a while ago that we go together to Guadalupe and attend a Holy Mass. He arrived twenty minutes later with his car and off we went to the Our Lady of Guadalupe de Cebu. It was a concelebrated Mass and we sat on the pews before it started. After almost an hour, I went outside the church leaving Boy T behind, bought a 50-peso worth of bread and went straight to our meeting place at the back of the church.

Already at the eatery were the first couple of Cebu mountaineering, Ramon and Ann Vidal of TWO Sandals fame; Boy Olmedo, the current CeMS president; Jecris Dayondon, his vice; Ernie Salomon, a member aspirant and the oldest participant, Daddy Frank Cabigon. They were all eating breakfast. I joined with them and ate two cinnamon bread from a nearby bakery as my breakfast and bought rice and eggplant omelet as my pack lunch.

Boy T came after me and the last to come was Lilibeth Initan, past president and chair of the powerful MEMCOM. I was designated the trailmaster for this training with Boy T acting as my assistant. Checking all the things we need we left at 7:40 AM. As usual, we followed our warm-up walk from Guadalupe to Napo. We felt the summer heat at this early hour of the day as we walked the winding asphalt road.

Forty-five minutes later, we reached Napo and rested for a while before crossing the Guadalupe-Sapangdaku River and followed the Napo Main Trail for our first stop – the spring area. Another forty-five minutes we reached our destination and took a 15-minute rest while I filled my drinking bottle full from a nearby spring. I designate Boy T to take the lead while I decided to backstop the party.

After crossing another river crossing, we followed the Busan Trail passing by a steep flower farm and into an upland community in Sitio Busan. I passed by a hut and I saw through a window a boy grinding a pint of corn ears to bits using a stone-wheel grinder. Curious, I stayed for a while and observed the workings of this ancient contraption wherein I recorded a one-minute video.

Up ahead, Daddy Frank failed to see and evade a low hanging branch and got hit in the process causing a cut on his left forehead along the hairline. Fortunately for him, he was wearing a ball cap but the impact was just too strong enough to cause a 1.5 centimeter-long cut and the crew of Jecris and Ernie were able to administer quick first aid remedy leaving Daddy Frank looking like an aged Axel Rose with a stars and stripes bandanna tied over his head.

After these, we continued on our way passing along an avenue of ancient mango trees that grew along the trail. Here and there were the myriad low-hanging fruits, the famous Guadalupe mangoes, all encased with paper wrappings to protect it from fruit-boring worms and invisible insects.

Looking forward ahead, I could see the Vidal couple taking it easy while Daddy Frank walked as if nothing had happened. Jecris was sweating hard and Boy O kept following Boy T and Ernie who were leading the group. Madame Lilibeth, meanwhile, showed a big smile despite the stinging heat. Slowly but surely, they arrived at Manwel Roble's place. They were already resting on the long bamboo benches when I arrived. We took just forty-five minutes for the effort. Amazing!

From my backpack, I let out my big plastic bag of bread which I bought in Guadalupe. Jocel, Manwel's young brother, jumped up and down upon seeing the bread and grinning from ear to ear. We rested for a full hour here, glad to quench our thirst with the fresh young coconut water which Manwel and his father gathered. I counted sixteen fruits that were consumed by the whole voracious lot in us. We thanked them after this and we left cash that each one of us heartily gave.

At 11:30 AM, we bade goodbye to Manwel and his family and we begun to tackle the highlight of this training at Ernie's Trail. The oldsters took it in stride as Boy T, himself an oldster but getting younger and better after every visit here, led the assault. The trail is in perfect shape during the onset of summer with very few slippery spots. It was a good pace.

We finally reached the ridge at around 12:20 noon and rested for a while at two parallel bamboo benches located along the trail. From there we walked the ridge road past the shoulders of Mt. Babag into a store overlooking the metropolis. We ate our lunch there and, afterwards, Daddy Frank, Boy T, Ernie and me downed three one-liter bottles of San Miguel Beer Grande. When Boy T's precious liquid began to empty we left the store at two.

We descended for the Kahugan Trail and the dry summer left the gravelly topsoil very loose especially on the long stretch from the ridge to the river and from an upland community up to San Roque Chapel. We took it slow afraid to let our rumps kiss the ground during a spill and we were able to make it to the chapel safely. Meanwhile, I unloaded my used textbooks and gave these to the children living among the houses we passed by.

I rested for a short while at the chapel and then I sprinted downhill for the river crossing followed by Boy T. Like the me of old, I free-wheeled and jumped over obstacles instead of braking and slowing. These inspired by my book-giving and Ramon's comment of the whole trail package as a “five-star base training site'. It was, in fact, redemption for Boy T when he worked for the conversion of these trails as a training area for CeMS.

I know a good trail when I see one and Ramon only affirmed my previous observations. It is for this reason that I have developed a great affection for the trail, the place, the people and the whole countryside. It's as if I am one of the locals and I have adapted well with the environment.

I don't find this a boring thing though when I go there every weekend. Aside from the constant dose of physical exercise I make many children happy with my gifts that cheer up my heart to full proportions. And THAT gave me a happy and healthy disposition in life.

For Boy T, he has been a source of inspiration for some locals who are victims of stroke. It gave them hope seeing a stroke survivor passing by their locality carrying a heavy backpack and climb Babag Range every weekend. Someday, they hope they may follow Boy T's trail to recovery.

Slowly, the others arrived at the river crossing at 3:30 PM and after a twenty-minute rest we followed the winding and rolling trail for Napo and arrived there at 4:15 PM. Then we finished that day's activity with a slow walk down for Guadalupe.

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