Lost twice in a vast mountain during a Signal #2 storm. Not bad for a First time climber huh?
Going back to my story (as lengthy as the climb itself), when we finally regrouped, we promised each other that no one would lag behind, targeting me and Ewik who got lost for more than 20 minutes. We couldnt afford it. The light was now disappearing on the horizon. Ika nga sa mga horror films a la shake rattle and roll, "nagaagaw dilim na..."
So with one flashlight in our lead's hand (Sir Andoy), the ten of us walked hand in hand into the dark forest of Pico de Loro.
Kala siguro ni sir ewik, we wont get lost again kaya he started telling me the tale of the two people who got lost in Mount Makiling. They got separated from the pack and eventually, from each other. The guy was able to survive and the girl, well, she was found at the bottom of the mountain, washed away by the stream. Thanks, sir ewik. That was really an appropriate story. So like ours. Now, i dont have to worry about getting left behind because i stupidly fell asleep. Thank you, I wasnt able to sleep. AT ALL.
(sir ewik, if youre reading this, I'm just kidding :) Thinking about it now, it was so much fun getting lost with you) p.s. lang, i have to admit that i have no sense of direction. Naalala ko tuloy, Ewik, Book and I got lost inside the parking lot of Rockwell. NOt a very good team, huh?
Anyway, we stopped at a much larger clearing, which i clearly remember from the hike up. The only problem was, there were two trails. One was going straight ahead, into a much wider clearing. The other one was scarier. It was going down, and you can hear the sound of the stream flowing. The two leaders (sir andoy and Ms. mel) went to both trails to see where they would lead to. Ms. mel kept on saying that we would have to pass by a waterfall but when she went to the sloping-downward trail to the water, there was no sign that there was a waterfall there. Sir Andoy went to the other trail and he said that he saw two cows in that area but no relevant trail. It must have been washed up by the nonstop rain.
After 10 minutes of decision making, still hand in hand like the old logo of UNICEF (or was it World Youth Day? whatever), we opted to take the wider road going to the cows. The rationale was cows= people (or at least someone taking care of the cows). Appararently, it wasnt a person. I actually saw someone in white standing over the cow but after squinting my eyes and looking closer, wala naman pala. If i were the only person who saw it, you may accuse me of telling a kwentong kutsero. Bad thing is, Ms. Gelli and Roxy saw him too. the former even saw him closer... he only had one eye. NGINIIIIIIG!!!
So, after taking the wider trail, we had to retract because after a 5-minute walk, the trail was gone.
HUWAAAA!!! Panic attack.
it was 7 pm. We only had one small (concert purpose) flashlight with us. Even if we didnt get lost, things would still be difficult because of insufficient light. PANO NAMIN MAKIKITA ANG MABABANGIS NA HAYOP? PANO NAMIN MAKIKITA ANG MALALALIM NA BANGIN? PANO NAMIN MAKIKITA ANG MGA NYPHA AT ENCANTADIA SA GUBAT KUNG WALA KAMING ILAW? PANO??? (hysterical scream)
Ayan.. OA mode na ako.
o-k. meron talagang moments of insanity ano?
mabalik tayo sa kwento.
because of these constraints, we had to (HAD TO) stop at the clearing and set camp. Buti na lang at boy scout si sir andoy. He brought a tent with him. At least, may masisilungan kami.
hopeless and unsure of what to do, Ms. Mel volunteered to go back to the base of the peak to ask for help. she saw some guys putting up some tents before we left the area. brave and gentlemanly as he is, sir ewick offered to accompany her.
With only the concert flashlight and a cellphone, they left to take the highway to the ICU, este, peak pala.
Shempre, i didnt want them to go. I dont think that its wise to separate from each other at that point. It was still raining and it was pitch black. After they left, the 8 of us went inside the tent (which, under normal circumstances, can only accommodate 3) and wait til our other friends get help.
I was distressed not because i was scared for my life (although, I was... pero nung sumunod na mga oras na). I was panicking because I was scared for the two who left. I know how it feels to get lost inside the forest. its not in any way fun.
WHen we entered the tent, we started praying the rosary and ended up saying our own prayers as well.
Ms. Gelli: Lord,sorry po talaga. I would never lie to my parents again. (she told her dad that she was going to a conference in tagaytay)
Anna Banana: Lord, I know you're teaching us a lesson. Whatever it is, I'm sure we're learning it. (This experience rekindled my Faith--- but thats another story)
Clauds: Shiiiiiiiiiiit! My battery's getting drained! I need yoosiiiii!!!!
The tent was one of the pivotal items in this trip. WIthout it, we would die of hypothermia. Seriously.
8 pm. we lost all desire to talk. wala na kaming mapagusapan plus we were all frigging tired and worried. imagine the 8 of us, back to back in a cramped position, hugging our legs. We cannot afford to lie down, stretch our legs, nor sleep because we were sitting on a flooded tent. Yes, unhygienic situation. yuck.
9 pm. we finally got a call from Lean through Claud's cell. SHe told us that help was on the way and that 6 mountaineers were going to rescue us. We just have to wait a while because of the weather condition and the darkness.
After that, we rejoiced and started doing the dugtungan game. We dont really mind that our asses are numb. Lalo na sa akin. You can poke my ass with a pitchfork and i probably wouldnt feel a thing. we tried calling Ewik and ms Mel to tell them that help was on the way but they had no signal.
11 pm... What's taking them so long? we had no energy to even make a decent conversation. Only Clauds was still bubbly during that time. bat namin hindi? tinaktak ba naman nya yung isang pakete ng extra joss without water before the climb ano... kaya ayun, hyper kulit.
Clauds (in her super high pitched voice that can cause the eardrums serious damage): If i get ouf of this mountain alive, first thing i will do is SMOKE. JJ, you wet my lighter! how could you? hmm, if we get stuck here forever, sinong kakatay sa baka? Kung gagawing pelikula ang buhay naten ngayon,sinong gaganap na artista sa akin?
and she goes on and on and on... just like the energizer bunny--- a high pitched and cute energizer bunny.
11:30. we got a call from Lean saying..
"the mountaineers cant find the trail. they went down na..."
imagine my depression. It was like the sky has just fallen on us. and literally, it was because our tent was quickly collapsing. We had to get out of the tent with our numbed legs and embraced the chilling wind and strong rain.
it was then that i took the chance to answer the call of nature.. so to speak. (as if i wasnt doing that same exact thing). I asked ms gelli to accompany me so just a few feet from our tent, I took a pee. and she did, and everyone else did. so in effect, we were sitting on our own pee. yuck. pero shempre, hindi naman talaga derecho yun sa tent namin ano. kadiri.
While we were setting up the tent again, we called ewick and mel and finally, they answered. They safely arrived at the other tent at the base of the camp and they were being accommodated by the other mountaineers.
It was only then that i finally heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God they were safe. Now, my brain can accommodate my own scary thoughts on our OWN MISERY.
Anna Banana's thoughts:
we might get kidnapped by the NPA... taken hostage.. shown on TV. Mommy.
wild boar will eat us up. (News flash: when ewik and I got lost, we can actually hear a wild boar snorting from a nearby distance)
we will die from hypothermia. ( I almost did at around 1 am. I started shivering uncontrollably and i incurred a fever... also when Ms, gelli put bengay (alaxan gel pala) all over her body causing all of us to shiver as well)
an aswang will murder us all.
sir ewik might fall into the ground below... (my thoughts constantly wandered around the two.. bakit kaya?:P)
130 pm. we got a call from Lean saying that the she has talked to sir ewik's dad who is an army general and assured us that a rescue team will arrive at dawn to save us.
we called the other two to tell them to rejoin us because its much safer that way. at 2:30 they arrived with the other campers, bringing along their own scary stories as well.
(the flashlight's battery got drained before they got to the other tent. buti na lang malapit na...)
Dun pa lang talaga ako nakahinga ng mabuti.
we ate the other campers' boy siga and ambec's ever reliable rosquillos and went back to our own small spot inside the tent .
630 am. the rain's gone finally. we went out of the tent, stretched our tired legs only to fall once again. Di na sanay sa vertical position.
by 7am, the marines came together with a local to guide us to the right path. there was even a helicopter on stand by in the event that someone wont have the strength to go down.
Buti na lang we're with the general's son.
The trek was hard, as usual. Although the rain was lighter now, I cant help but slide down the muddy slopes. it occurred to me, if we didnt stop by the clearing, someone's bound to get into an accident. The track was scary talaga. Buti na lang at di na namin tinuloy. Mauubos na rin yung ilaw namin at malakas talaga ang ulan that night.
1 1/2 hours later, we saw the highway. Shit, i have never seen a sight more beautiful. Level ground. I could kiss it.
when we got to the DENR station, dun lang nag occur sa akin na mukha na akong batang palaboy. Ang baho na namin (amoy kulob...), our pants never got dry and im sure our undies were at their grossest as well.
Pero kahit na... we got out of Pico de Loro, traumatized but unharmed.
so that's how i spent my weekend. how about you?
CHANGING MY WORLD, ONE MISTAKE AT A TIME.
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