As I wind down by running another lap here at the penthouse of the building where I live, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful setting sun in the now smog free Manila. This is my reality right now as we grapple with a nationwide lock down due to COVID-19 pandemic. Our world is turned upside down even as we stay indoor for at least a month in order to prevent the spread of the virus. I miss hitting the trail. Most importantly, I really miss the mountains!
Out of boredom of being confined at home, I logged on to Facebook one lonely morning trying to make sense of this new reality in the midst of endless fake news and misinformation. Checking out CLIMBER, a facebook group in the Philippines with hundred thousand members either promoting their hiking events or sharing their random hiking stories and photos, I suddenly got the urge to post a question asking members about what we have learned from hiking that is helpful nowadays in our quarantine at home. Less than an hour later comments were flooding with confessions that hiking has made them more resourceful. Others thought they’ve become calmer and more composed regardless of the situation they’re in. And there are some like me who admitted that if not for hiking they wouldn’t even know how to cook. And finally, there are those who chimed in that hiking had made them physically stronger that they’re able to endure miles of walking from home to their workplace because the entire metro’s public transportation are grounded. The commenter/s probably a front liner in the medical field that is now battling the worldwide pandemic. Kudos to you guys! You are our modern day hero!
Reading their comments warmed my heart. It made me realize that nature is truly our greatest teacher, and that the lessons the mountains have taught us are being put to use by us hikers as we stay grounded in our home trying to survive and to flatten the curve. From afar, a mountain may be nothing more than a picturesque scene worthy to be used as a wallpaper for your desktop or smart phone. But try getting into the mountain, hiking, sleeping and surviving on them and I promise you will be enriched with knowledge, wisdom and life lessons no book could every teach you. Here are the valuable life lessons the mountain has taught me.
I. PREPARATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Let’s face it, hiking is a dangerous activity. The trail going to the peak is precarious, with the weather up there unpredictable. That’s why the first thing I learned in my years of hiking is that preparation is the KEY to a successful ascend and descent of a mountain and is also the key to achieving success in everything else we do, whether it is work, business and life in general.
Before my actual hike I would prepare myself by reading the latest information from the internet about the place I’m about to go to, even if it would be my fifth time there. Things might have changed like the old trail now being closed, an opening of a new and unfamiliar trail, or even an increase in the registration and guide fee of the mountain. I would also ramp up the intensity of my weekly workouts by jogging and hitting the gym even more often so that my body can take the physical punishment one would expect when hiking. Most importantly, I would make sure that I have the adequate food and water, rain jackets, proper clothing, and the proper first aid kids. If one is missing, my adventure could very well end up in a tragedy.
I couldn’t forget my Kibungan cross country experience where instead of our originally planned two day itinerary, it got extended for an extra day because one of my hike mate sprained her ankle in the middle of the hike. Had we have not bought the proper first aid kid and most importantly, extra food and water to last more than two days, things would have gotten even worse. And of course I couldn’t forget my own folly of hiking the 2642 MASL high Mount Napulawan in 2016 bringing a beach tent (an inadequate gear) to camp instead of a proper three season tent when in the middle of the night amidst the never ending downpour I almost froze myself into oblivion because water seeped into my tent. Had it not been for my hike mate taking me inside to his cozy tent to warm me up I would have met my doom back then.
In our everyday life, the degree of preparedness a person has could very well spell the difference between success and failure in his everyday endeavor, and in the face of coronavirus crisis, could very well mean the difference between being infected by the virus or not. That is why we have to be prepared and armed to the teeth with knowledge and measures about preventing and slowing the spread of the virus by constantly washing our hand every thirty minutes, avoid touching our eyes, mouth and nose, observing social distancing by staying away at least a meter apart from the nearest person, and staying home for the meantime to slow the spread of COVID-19. We should also stock up with enough foods and medicines for ourselves and know how to properly prepare a meal for self and for your loved ones because we do not know how long this lockdown/quarantine will last. In short, mountaineering has taught me is that we have to always be prepared when a good opportunity presents itself, as well as have contingencies when things didn’t go the way we want.
II. LIVING IN THE PRESENT MOMENT
One of the secret of enjoying a hiking trip is to pack light. Bringing too much stuff in your backpack and it would slow you down, making you miserable all through the climb. Bringing too little and you could miss the essentials, possibly compromising your safety.
Therefore, hiking has taught me that you should only bring the essentials and leave the things you do not need behind. Learn to pack light bringing only the essentials. Not only will you feel lighter, your back will also thank you later. You will also be free as a bird to run and jump, to look around with interest and to enjoy the moment even more.
In real life, we also have to lighten the loads we carry on our back. That could be our bad memories of the past, fears, worries about the future, desires, expectations, needs, and all the negativities we bring with us. They are what we call “attachments” that needs to be let go in order to truly enjoy life. The past is gone and no matter how good or bad they are, we cannot go back to them. The future is yet to be written so instead of worrying about them, focus instead on the present to make sure that when tomorrow comes, it will be a better day. In short, we have to learn live and enjoy the present moment.
If there’s something this coronavirus crisis has taught me is that we have to treasure and enjoy the present moment, and that means while in the house, it’s time to reconnect with your family members that we tend to take for granted for too long. It is also the time to reconnect with friends and loved ones even if it’s over the phone or through social media. And finally, being quarantined at home means we now have more time to catch up with our sleep, eat healthy to boost our immune system, learn new skills, and many other more.
III. PATIENCE & PERSEVERANCE
Hiking takes hours. Some even takes days or weeks to finish. If there’s anything hiking has taught me is that you have to have lots of patience and perseverance in order to be able to reach the summit of the mountain as well as finish an entire climb. Losing your cool in the woods? That’s a big no-no. The weather won’t suddenly change, the trail won’t become shorter or change into an escalator, and you won’t suddenly develop a super power to dash up to the summit in seconds.
Patience, perseverance, and a positive outlook are musts when it comes to hiking. The summit might sometimes look nearer than it is, but it can actually still be hours or even days away. I’ve lost count how many times I look at the horizon thinking that the summit is near but is actually hours or even days away. By taking one step at a time, occasionally resting but not giving up and staying positive all the time, you will eventually reach the top of the mountain. How couldn’t forget my experience of hiking to Mount Apo, the tallest mountain in the Philippines, with someone who has a torn ACL? Despite his physical disability, he was able to successfully reach the summit, and he wouldn’t be able to do it if he didn’t believe in himself or has negative thoughts in his mind.
In our everyday life, patience and perseverance are the essentials for achieving any goals, personal or professional. Whether it’s a successful marriage or raising kids properly, leading a business or managing a project, getting in shape or even learning a skill, we need tons of patience and perseverance. Now more than ever in this time of coronavirus crisis we need to cultivate the virtue of patience, especially when we want this worldwide pandemic to be over. Sure, we may think that staying home for one to three months is such a chore and are itching to go out, but it is a sacrifice we must do in order to protect ourselves and others. So let us stay patient, do our part, continue improving ourselves while at the confinement of our home, and this will soon be over!
IV. SHARING AND CARING IS PART OF HUMAN NATURE
We are selfish and self-centered, thinking of ourselves first and foremost, with others merely an afterthought. Our society also promotes it, a “me first” culture that encourages us to buy the best things our money can get, go out, be happy, and enjoy our life to the fullest. But once you go on a hiking trip, especially if it is with a group, you’ll then realize that sharing, caring, and being concerned about the welfare of others is inherently part of our human nature.
In my five years of hiking around the Philippines, and even in other countries, I’ve come to realize that mountaineers are probably one of the most compassionate and caring people on earth. Whenever we met each other on the trail, we will almost always say “Hi! Hello! How are you?” unlike in the city where we will just walk past each other. Whenever someone is having a hard time on the trail, we would almost always assist and help each other, even if we don’t know each other before converging on the trail. On campsite at night, we would share stories about work, love life, and memories of our past hikes, and I’ve lost count how many times we’ve shared trail foods with each other in order to recover our energies, pep talk to motive each other into reaching the summit, and high five each other once we all reached the summit. It’s not uncommon for hikers to go from total strangers at the foot of the mountain to being brothers and sisters hours later in the middle of the trail.
Yes, nature truly has the power to unite us as a human being. We become more caring about the state of our mountain, the plights of the indigenous people living on it, as well as the conservation status of its unique floras and faunas. That is why at this moment of worldwide pandemic, where close to a million people are already infected, we should be united in solidarity to fight covid-19 instead of doing unproductive things at home like sharing fake news and misinformation, lapping up on conspiracy theories and being an online troll or keyboard warrior on social media. Our doctors, nurses, interns and medical volunteers, or in short, our frontliners need help. They are fighting round the clock to curb the pandemic as hospital beds fill up very quick. Scientists are also racing against time to develop a vaccine for the virus. As for us, the least we can do as we stay home is to practice the spirit of generosity and compassion that we’ve learned on hiking by donating to the hospitals and relevant NGOs monetarily so that they will have enough funds to purchase the necessary PPEs to fight covid-19. It is also the time to help those urban poor who would be out of job during this challenging time by giving them monetary assistance through proper channels. At this trying period, the sooner we help each other through work and cooperation, the faster we can reach the goal of eradicating the spread of the disease and return to our normal lives.
V. THERE IS LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL
I have a confession to make. Whenever I’m clutching my heavy backpack seemingly oblivious to how many hours I’ve already spent on the trail, which could be anywhere from seven to seventeen hours or even days, the summit looming from the distance, looking so near yet actually still very far while my legs are starting to feel numb, I would question myself why the heck am I doing this. I could have stayed home, read a paperback or watch NBA highlights on YouTube; they are much more relaxing than this! But once I made my last push firmly planted my foot at the summit as Mother Nature flaunts her raw beauty to me on top of the mountain all my weariness instantly vanishes as I feel like I’m on top of the world. It’s the best experience I’ve ever felt in my life!
Yes reader, I know we’re all in a rough patch right now, seeing that this pandemic is driving us on the edge. Stores are closed, we’re confined on our home, and the number of infected and deaths keep on rising every day. It seems that we can’t catch a good break this year. But just as it is with hiking when there will be a happy ending in form of a glorious sunrise amidst sea of cloud in the summit, or if there’s no clearing, a most delicious post climb meal awaiting at the end of the climb, there will be a glorious ending to all of this.
So here I am, sitting at my desk, looking at the blue sky from my window and realizing that it’s never been this clear before. Perhaps Mother Nature is healing, recuperating, and patiently waiting for the day when all of this madness is over, for us to return to her so that she can take our breath away once again. I’m thinking how I will celebrate once this covid-19 pandemic is over by going to a major climb doing what I love to do best and not leave behind any regrets. It will surely be an epic comeback hike but for now, I’m staying put at home. I’m also thinking of donating monetarily to the proper LGUs to help our front liners as well as to those urban and rural poor who lost jobs due to this pandemic. They’re the best things I can do. Kaya kapit lang mga bes! Tiis tiis lang muna tayo. No matter how hard things are right, there is light at the end of the tunnel. This too shall pass!
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