Moments in Nature: A Compilation of my Weekend Hikes

Hello Hive!

Another week has passed but I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that it's already November, and we're officially in the final countdown to 2024! It's kind of overwhelming how time seems to slip through our fingers like grains of sand.

With the holiday season approaching and the year that's rapidly drawing to a close, it's a perfect time to start thinking about making the most of the last two months of 2024. What exciting plans do you have in store? Are you preparing for upcoming travels, reading the last few books on your TBR list or perhaps, embarking on new adventures?

Not long ago, I published a blog detailing my first major climb. Yet, building the endurance and strength required for conquering these peaks was no overnight feat. Prior to that significant achievement, I underwent a kind of "preparation." In this short blog, join me as I recount some of the weekend hikes that I’ve been on.

I have always loved hiking. My cousins and I used to go on hikes every weekend. Although they mostly consisted of short hikes, typically covering around only 3 kilometers or so. Unfortunately, we haven't gone hiking together for quite some time now. A few of us have been tied up with work and academic commitments, making it harder to sync our schedules.

But earlier this year, one of my colleagues invited me on a hike, and since then, my weekends for the past few months have been all about being one with nature and exploring the outdoors.

Thrill of the Climbs: Conquering Uphill Trails and Challenging Ascents

Spartan Trail

It was in March when ate Hive account@mariasalve organized our first day hike with few of our workmates. She brought us to Spartan Trail.

This hiking spot is very popular among hikers since generally, the trail is somewhat challenging. The route spans from Banawa to Buhisan, concluding at Barangay Pamutan.

You’ll start off the hike with a pleasant stroll in the residential area of Paseo Arcenas subdivision leading you through Spartan's initial stretch, or as they figuratively call it, “stairway to heaven”. This uphill trek presents an early challenge for both your lungs and knees and it didn’t help that we were under the tormenting heat of the sun.

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There are also local coffee shops around with witty names like Starbuks, Boss Kape, and Kofi Ben where hikers can take a rest and eat before proceeding to the river trail.

We haven’t completely explored the entire trail yet despite multiple visits; however, I'm hopeful that we can soon conquer every inch of its beauty and challenges.

Budlaan - Sirao - Guba Trail

This trail is also one of our go-tos, and we’ve traversed it numerous times as well. With a distance of more or less 12 kilometers and typically classified as a moderately challenging route, this trail is ideal for beginners.

One of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever been on, the trail includes river trek with waterfalls along the way. You can even take a swim if you want. I first had the chance to explore this trail during the summer so there wasn't as much water flowing over the falls. But that did not make it any less beautiful.

It was also quite fun jumping from one boulder to another.

It's no surprise that hikers keep coming back to this trail. Including us. After the river trail, an assault hike would be next to get to Barangay Sirao and Barangay Guba. Now the route here is mostly open area and unfortunately, the weather was scorching hot since it was summer time. The whole trek was around 4-5 hours.

Babag Mountain Ranges

Napo-Babag-Bocaue-Pamutan-Amordino-Guadalupe

I would say that for all the hikes I’ve been to so far, this particular trail was the most painful yet. Painful to the knees, I mean 😂.

Just like Spartan and Budlaan trails, hiking your way to Babag will also encounter steep and slippery terrain, shallow streams, and stunning views of the surrounding area.

It also has multiple exit points to its nearby barangays, such as Bonbon, Kalunasan, Malubog, Busay, and Pung-ol Sibugay. So if you want to cut your day hike short, you can just choose where to exit among these options.

This trail is considered notorious for a reason – the continuous uphill climb with almost no flat terrain makes it a demanding test not only for the strength of your knees but also for your determination to keep going. I even remembered ate Hive account@mariasalve saying that if you are gearing up for a major climb, the mountain ranges in Babag are ideal training grounds.

The good thing, though, is that there are some parts of the trail where it's covered with trees, so you can find a shade to rest and catch your breath. And just like any other trail, after long, tiring hours of hiking, you will be rewarded with a spectacular bird's-eye view.

I used to really enjoy being surrounded by four walls and spending the entire weekend at home completing monotonous tasks and reading books right after. But then I was and am currently diagnosed with a bad case of reading slump. So instead of curling myself into a ball of misery, why not start spending my free time exploring the great outdoors and finding new adventures?

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While hiking may not be everyone’s cup of tea and honestly, beyond what these pictures capture, there's an unseen layer of frustration, fear, and physical pains involved. But hiking, for me, is most fulfilling when you are with friends . You get to laugh, struggle, and appreciate the journey together.