Hello, Hive!
Have you ever been on top of a mountain? How does it feel up there? Whenever my non-outdoorsy colleagues and friends learn that I hike as a weekend hobby, they would always ask this question. Oftentimes, I end up giving a vague answer to it. Probably because, in most cases, the memorable and life-altering events happen along the way for me. Of course, reaching the top definitely puts the icing on the cake, but what I’m trying to say is that somewhere between the jump-off and the summit lies the reasons why we keep coming back.
And speaking of being on top, I’d like to share with you here my experiences climbing the Philippine’s highest mountain.
Dreams do come true, eventually
Most Filipino hikers, if not all, dream of climbing Mt. Apo. At 2,954 MASL, it is the highest point in the country. The closest any Pinoy could get to the sky on foot. So naturally, my friends and I want to set reach that far too. But a series of unexpected things happened in 2019 and we ended up climbing Mt. Kalatungan instead.
Fast forward two years later, we were given another chance to climb Mt. Apo before its annual closure. Our original route was supposed to be via Sta. Cruz – Bansalan Trail. However, after the earthquakes that rocked Davao, Bansalan LGU “lost” our papers and will no longer honor our downpayments. It was one of our seemingly endless plot twists, but as they say “a bit of bad luck is a blessing in disguise.” We were told we’d follow the Sta. Cruz – Century Tree trail circuit instead, which was actually a great option since it meant that we would be able to see the infamous Lake Venado! So here we go…
Hiking in the rain and fog
The hike began with a steep ascent to the jump off area. This was also where 
We reached Sitio Colan, an ancestral domain of the Bagobo-Tagbawa tribe, at 12 noon. There, we had our lunch and orientation with the DENR. Quarter to 2 PM, we started our ascent to the first camp at Tinikaran I.
An hour later, we passed by a farming community where we were met with mist and fog. The sky was turning gloomy then. Soon enough, it rained. With our ponchos on, we continued the hike to a forested trail that served as the entrance to Mt. Apo’s forest cover. It was past 3 PM when we reached the first rest area, Basakan E-Camp.
At quarter to 4 PM, we reached the Bugha-anan site — a stopover station along Sta. Cruz trail that is famous among bisaya hikers for its colloquial, and at times lewd, meaning.
Another hour later, we passed the Big Rock E-camp. The rain had gotten lighter at this point but our enemy was the fading light. The sun has started its descent. We needed to get to Tinikaran I before the sky turned pitch black because (1) there were other groups climbing Mt. Apo and we need to secure a good spot to pitch our tents; and (2) we need to get as much rest as we can for challenging the second day.
Finally at 6 PM, we reached the campsite. It was dark and we were just as wet and muddy as the ground. Pitching our tents on a cramped space was a challenge too, but we were thankful still that it stopped raining.
Sleepy but excited with a bit of fright
The next day, we woke up early knowing that something exciting is about to happen. It’s 2 AM. Except for the light from the night sky, outside was pitch dark. The air was cold but thankfully our guides prepared hot soup before we break camp.
From Tinikaran I, it would take an estimate of 4 to 6 hours to the summit — depending on your pace and your stops. Kuya Babu briefed us what to expect along the trail. He told us not to stray away from the group since there were many confusing forks ahead. He warned us of the steep ascent. That it would be long and grueling and somewhat endless. At quarter to 3 AM, we began. To make sure that no one would drag the hike and none of us would be left behind, we decided who will be on the lead, midpack and sweeper group. As for me, I chose the latter.
As I walked at the back of the pack, I saw a string of headlamps snaked to the sky. We hiked through a thick forest, passing by Tinikaran II. We used the roots of bigger trees as foothold and means to hurl ourselves up the trail. Some fallen branches also acted as blockades. We hoped and crawled our way through until we exited the forested area.
At 4:30 AM, we finally reached the foot of Mt. Apo's boulder face. The first light started to break by this time. And, yes, this is the exciting part I’m talking about. My favorite section of the climb, which I will be sharing it with you on a separate post since I believe it deserves a spotlight of its own. See you next time! 😀
Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives for life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.
If you like this content, don't forget to follow, upvote, and leave a comment to show some love. You can also reblog if you want. Connect with her through PeakD, Tiktok, or Instagram. 🤍