I had again grown weary and tired of the routine activities here in the city so I longed for a respite from the stress and pollution that goes along with living in Manila. I had not hiked for 4 months so my best friend Stephen brought up the idea for us to hike again. Also, I had not been to Baguio after that catastrophic 1990 Luzon earthquake which leveled many of the structures there. At first, I was hesitant, as I had never hiked in two mountains in a single day, but Stephen insisted. He mentioned the Twin Mountains at the heart of La Trinidad, Benguet. He would say “life begins at the end of your comfort zone”. Actually, he just never tires of telling me that. Frankly, I am so used to living in my shell, to this day, and so afraid to see what’s out there, what’s going on outside, that I am afraid of being a little more adventurous but at the same time, I was getting disinterested with the dull and repetitive life I lead in Manila, and the lack of interest and enthusiasm, I felt, was taking its toll on me. Staying in the same place, doing just the same thing every day when you’re no longer happy with it… What’s the point? A change in scenery was needed, maybe? I was also feeling a little ill, but Stephen suggested that this trip may do a few wonders for my health. Luckily, I relented to his suggestion, took the chance, and thought I ought to make my life a bit exciting.
We boarded a bus in Cubao that went to Baguio. We arrived there very early in the wee hours of the morning and had a hearty breakfast in a cozy pizzeria. There were still very few people at that time, and most of the establishments were still closed. Afterwards, we rode a jeep that went straight to our destination.
We started with Mt. Yangbew (pronounced YANG-bo), standing at 1648 MASL. The mountain is called such because jamboree were held there, and the name given is a corruption of “jamboree”. We were told it would take 30 minutes to reach the top normally. This mountain is absolutely ideal for beginners who have yet to enjoy the joys of hiking and mountaineering, and also want to commune with nature. Every time we rose to a particular point, we saw something new that we had not imagined earlier. Truly, every mountain is unique by itself. The way that laid ahead of us foreshadowed the calmness and the serenity I would feel as I slowly rose up the mountain. The path is not that steep, not that muddy either, and there were tall strands of talahib on the sides of the way. In my impatience, I would repeatedly ask Steve if we were near the summit already, which somewhat annoyed him. To the point that he kidded that we took the wrong path. I did not stop and take a rest that long when we took several breaks. Eventually, we arrived there just as the sun was about to rise. What a most beautiful sight! We could get a spectacular view of the surrounding villages from above. Everything underneath just looked so small from the summit, the houses, the communities, the roads and the people. The good thing about the summit was that it was wide, and there was a multitude of rock formations in different places in the summit. We took pictures of ourselves in various poses. The view of the surrounding communities made my heart leap a bit. Though this climb was very easy by novice standards, I still felt it was such a glorious day to be there, spending time doing something out of the box, outside the norms, so to speak. After taking a short nap, Stephen said it was time for the descent….
We took the same path we took in our ascent. At first, I was having difficulty with descending until I observed what other hikers did as they descended, stretching their arms and trying to balance themselves. Stephen noted that there was some improvement. Or maybe this mountain was not really that hard. It took me just a little imagination and thrill seeking to try to descend in a shorter time that I was used to. He was already planning to go to that other mountain, Mt. Kalugong, and again, I hesitated but just the same, I relented. Once we got to the bottom, we drank a bit of coconut juice, and got ourselves ready for the next destination….
We took a jeep ride to nearby Mt. Kalugong, literally meaning “hat” in Kankana-ey language spoken by the locals, as it looks like a hat from a particular distance. With a height of 1472 MASL, just a little shorter than the other one, this is a most memorable introduction to the experience of hiking for newbies. From the starting point, we could see small houses surrounding the mountain. It also looked lush and alluring. There seemed to be a community there. It is more developed than its neighboring twin without giving up the natural beauty and naive charm one expects from a forest.
So on we started with climbing it. The path was very well-paved so I had even less difficulty than I had in climbing Mt. Yangbew. Now, I thought, I am glad I relented. I couldn’t wait to get to the summit as well. Even before I could see them, I could already smell the scent of pine trees. The pine trees with their huge branches and trunks at the top stood towering over us and cast their shadows upon us both. No wonder some people call it “Little Pulag”. This is considerably more convenient made than the other mountain. There were wooden seats and tables and hammocks and swings. There was a sign that said “This is a stress-free zone”. People were sitting there, chatting, enjoying every moment in the mini-jungle.
Just a little further, there is a restaurant that caters to guests and hikers. A most breath-taking view of the surrounding areas can be seen there. I took a glimpse of the houses underneath. We ordered coffee, chocolate and cakes while taking a short rest there. There was a cabin feel in the restaurant. After taking a rest there, we started our descent.
We took the alternate path on our way back to the starting point. This time it was even easier than the path we took in our ascent. In no time at all, we were back to where we began, getting prepared for the trip back to Baguio. When we got to Baguio, only then did I realize that Baguio now is a far cry from the Baguio I was used to as a child. I am glad we spent a lot more time in Benguet than we did in Baguio. I even forgot I was ill before I left Manila. Now I am reminded of how refreshingly wonderful those memories of my hike are. I am now glad I gave in to Steve’s persistence. Still, there are some things I wish I had done while I was there, and I could only wish I could stay there longer if not for work the following day. In hindsight, I need to be more pro-active in getting out of my so-called “comfort zone” to enjoy my life. I am inclined to believe we live only once. I long to experiencing these twin mountains again in the very near future. Indeed, Stephen, life begins at the end of our comfort zone, and life is too short to just let these seemingly minuscule things, these opportunities, merely go unexperienced.
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