Mt. Marami 2.0

 After not being able to summit Mt. Marami last November, I ought to myself to never attempt to climb it again. No revenge hike for this mountain! 

It was not until friend of mine who happens to be a tour coordinator added me to a group chat of that event. I immediately told him that I am not interested on going to that event but a few days before the day of the event, I said yes and it was a decision that I didn't regret. 

We started our trek at 3:00 am. Hindi katulad noong unang akyat ko, walang ulan nung araw na yun. Summer na din kaya tuyo ang lupa at walang putik sa daan. Banayad lang yung lakad namin. 

The thing about Mt. Marami is, pababa yung first part nung trail, which is yun yung mahirap pagpabalik na sa jump-off dahil the last stretch would be puro assault. Pababa ka na bundok pero may assault pa din. 

Familiar pa ako sa unang part nung trail na nadadaanan namin, natatandaan ko pa kung paano kami nakipagpatintero noon sa putikan noong unang daan ko dito. Confident na akong makakasummit ako dahil maganda yung panahon, tuyo ang daan at most especially I was wearing a hiking shoes. Natuto na ako.

Almost an hour and a half na kaming naglalakad pero wala pa kaming nadadaanan na ilog, that's when I asked the guide. Ibang daan daw yung may ilog. 

I've been wondering how my coor friend and his joiner last January was able to reach the summit in just three hours when during our time we were walking endlessly, five hours of walking but still we weren't in the summit yet. Mas maikling daan pala yun. It was on the left side of the summit, and the trail that we used last November was on the right side of it.

A few minutes ago we were the only group that was on the trail, little did we know may nauna na palang group and we were able to catch up with them.  Doon na din nagsimula yung paghihirap ko sa paglalakad. Kaya pala naabutan na namin sila dahil assault na yung daan sa bungad. Isa sa pinakamahirap para sa akin pag pa-assault at maya't-maya tumitigil dahil nandun na yung momentum pero mawawala dahil nagtatraffic kaya mas minamabuti kong mawala muna sa paningin ko yung mga nasa unahan ko bago ako lumakad paakyat lalo pag assault na yung trail. 

Matapos yung assault na yun nakarating kami sa bukohan, kahit papaano nakabawi ako ng hininga. Nagsimula na ding umangat yung sikmura ko which is naging problema ko na din noon sa mga previous hikes ko. Nakailang hinto at pahinga ako ma-contain ko lang yung feeling na nasusuka ako.

 

Taken nung pababa na kami

Nagsimula na din lumiwanag, halos natatanaw na din mula sa kinaroroonan namin yung summit pero aabutin pa daw kami isang oras bago makarating sa summit. Dun ko din nakita yung lugar kung saan kami nag surrender sa nakaraan at naunang akyat namin dito. Kaunti na lang pala talaga malapit na, pero hindi ko na pinanghinayangan pa dahil nakabalik naman na ako. Mas maayos yung panahon, mas maayos yung kondisyon, higit sa lahat may clearing!

Summit plus the malaking mushroom daw

While on our way to the summit, madami kaming nadaanang redberry, which is inalok nung guide pero hindi ko sinubukan dahil hindi ako familiar. Pag hindi ako familiar sa pagkain, ayaw kong kainin. Pero sabi nung mga kasama ko, masarap naman daw. They were able to finish a handful of redberries. 

Redberry

Yung fulfillment to reach the summit on the second attempt was superb. The moment na nakarating kami sa summit nag flashback yung paghihirap na dinanas namin nung unang punta namin doon. Ibang-iba yung experience that time kumpara doon sa nauna. Sobrang worth it.

Pagod yan? Na-summit ka din naman, finally! 

Lakas maka Siargao vibes ng bukohan. Summit at the background.

                            

Our first attempt to summit Mt. Marami