We met at around 8am at Mt. Carmel parish in USJ-R Main Campus. All 5 newbies (and 5 pros) were determined, enthusiastic and ready to conquer Osmeña Peak. We then proceeded to the bus terminal for Mantalongon routes. The terminal is at Caltex gasoline station across Ermita street, I think, near Carbon market. When you opt to ride in these buses(fare is P100), be prepared for crampy, low-ceiling seats, reserved seats mostly by Carbon vendors and just a tip, avoid sitting on the back as chairs are a bit high that your legs are left hanging by your seat.
Travel time from the terminal to Mantalongon Market is around 3 hours. Withstanding all the delays, we finally arrived at Mantalongon at around 3pm. We hurriedly ate lunch and had a short meeting afterwards before preparing for the actual climb. From the market, you can already feel the cold breeze, slightly comparable to that of Tagaytay's cold weather. This cold weather added more excitement to my already itchy feet to reach the mountain's peak.
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| Mama Mary's grotto - can be seen along the road |
We then started our trek from the market at around 4:30pm. We were still warming up but BF and I already felt uneasy, tired. Yes, we were slow and we were the slowest in the group. I felt ashamed of ourselves :(. The weather that day was good but some parts of the way were still muddy due to yesterday's stormy weather. The road going to the peak has (literal) ups and downs. I'm kinda afraid of heights and its one of those hindrances that kept BF and I from moving fast. Its getting darker as we went nearer to the peak. It was a huge challenge for a newbie like me to trek in a mountainous environment with muddy and dark pathways. BF and I kept a slow pace 'til the end and with the help of our concerned and helpful mountain climber colleagues, we were able to finally reach the top at around 6pm.
Immediately after we arrived, we set up our tents and prepared our dinner afterwards. First thing on my mind was, where's the toilet or where would we pee? And the best answer would be, "Everywhere", huh? Ahh, ok. So yes, there's no comfort room or toilet in the peak. As for water, you can ask the locals, kids and teens to get you a container of water for a fee, us was P50/container. During nighttime in the peak was very cold and it gets colder 'til dawn. It wasn't just ordinary cold, it's freezing cold so better prepare thick jackets and blankets.
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| fogs all over the place |
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| fog on the peak |
On the following day, we woke up at 6am and everywhere was still very foggy. We can't see the beautiful views everyone was raving about. When we went to the peak itself, you can only see the fog, like you were in heaven, hahaha. The sun finally shined at around 10am when were already prepared to go down. So sad, I wasn't able to see the beautiful scenery and views that Osmeña Peak has to offer but that's fine because of the worthwhile adventure I've encountered.
Am I paranoid about the climb I went through? Probably yes. I only thought this climb would be somewhat a hiking type where you'd just walk through it. And I was a hundred percent wrong. I didn't expect this to be that of a difficult climb. I almost gave up, but I couldn't and I shouldn't. This is a pretty good challenge and one of those adventures I've always dreamed of, so why quit now? I literally climb unto some parts as I can hardly walk straight. I used the stones on the pathway as support especially when we'd pass through scary mountain edges, where one wrong move and you'll slide down.
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I'm very happy I was able to experience this kind of adventure. Never give up, especially when you're almost there. Despite the hardships I've encountered, everything was all worth it. Now I'm proud to say that I've conquered Osmeña Peak.
** Some photos courtesy of my friend Rei Ya
** Budget expense is more or less P500 (food, transportation, etc.)
Slowly but surely is the way to go :-) The view from O Peak is spectacular, isn't it?
ReplyDeletewasn't really able to see the view from the peak itself due to fog, sigh. but the surrounding views were already enough for me - greens everywhere...
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