Mt. Apo

Hailed as the Grandfather of Philippine Mountains, Mt. Apo is a favorite destination among hikers around the world. Despite its elevation, the difficulty level of reaching its peak is considered just above average, 7 out of 9. It would only take 2 days to climb and 1 day to descend depending on the trail you follow. We chose the Kapatagan-Kidapawan traverse trail. I highly recommend it because of the diverse ecological communities and terrestrial formations you can experience along the way.

Day 1

We started hiking in a grassland or more like a tallgrass prairie. I was a little bit scared because it was high noon and I heard snakes usually spend the hottest time of the day in bushes or tall grasses. But we were travelling in a group so there's no need to be frightened actually.

Few hours later, we entered into a forest. Not exactly a forest. It was like a savanna. Trees are everywhere but widely scattered. Eventually, the canopy became thicker. We were several feet higher and the temperature started to drop. We spent our first night in the middle of the forest. It was hard for sanitary reasons like you know...yes, you got it.

Day 2

By sunrise, we continued our journey. Vem and I were so fast that we decided to be ahead of the pack. About noon, we were already hiking on a cliff. It was so steep that we have to control our movement. Here, we we're supposed have a good view of the summit but it was covered with clouds so it wasn't that perfect but already satisfying.

Along the way, we noticed some fruit-bearing plants that looked like berries. We weren't sure if they're edible or not but still, we "harvested" them. It was a life-threatening experience because most fruits could  be found at the edge of the cliff. On us were heavy bags and if we weren't that careful we could lose our balance anytime.  Lives were at stake really.

Here comes the boulders! This part was so thrilling. Jumping from one rock to another was fun but absolutely dangerous. Of course, we were very careful so as not to hurt ourselves. The view at this side of the mountain was breath-taking. It really takes your breath not only because of the captivating scenery but also because of the smoke coming from the sulfur vents nearby. It could choke you.

When we were almost at the top, we stopped for a while to munch some chocolates to boost our energy. Afterwards, we proceeded to the peak. Since our guide were not with us at that time, we followed a wrong trail. Actually, it was me who followed the wrong trail and the rest proceeded behind. It was a difficult path. As we learned thereafter, it was already abandoned for safety reasons.

The environment near the peak was like a pygmy forest. Trees don't grow tall maybe because of the soil type or the atmospheric condition, or maybe, they were only shrubs I'm not familiar with, I don't know.

On top was the crater lake. The water was relatively low. Seemed like no fish can survive. But according to some stories, shrimps possessing supernatural abilities live in it and able to survive even when it dries up during Lenten seasons. I don't know where that story came from but I don't think it's true.

Finally, we're at the peak! Unfortunately, it was almost dark and the clouds got heavy. Visibility was extremely low making our summit experience not so amazing.

We couldn't stay in there for long due to the strong wind. So we moved ahead and went to the campsite. We needed to get enough rest for an another big day waiting ahead.

Day 3

I describe the first part of our day as stomach-friendly. We didn't only have a good breakfast but we've got a dessert---fresh fruits! On our way down, we noticed another fruit-bearing plants. They're a little larger and looked more convincing. We asked our guide and he confirmed it---they were edible. They're true berries! Vem and I realized how stupid we were risking our lives at the cliff picking those fake berries, haha.

Almost midday, we arrived at Lake Venado. The water was so cold that nobody dared to swim. It's not also encouraged because of the previous drowning incidents. On the other side of the lake was a little hut. It was so cute that could only accommodate 4-5 persons.

We rested there for a while and after eating our lunch, off we go. While trekking, I noticed that the trees around look so weird. The branches were crooked and of less foliage. I felt like I was in a Jurassic Period.

Shortly afterwards, we were advised to wear our raincoats. We were approaching a rainforest! I was so excited. I wanted to know how it feels to be inside. Well, as the name suggests, it's a forest and it's raining, but not heavy. It was like already twilight but actually light are screened by the thick layers of canopy, which I guess, is also the reason why it rains always.

The rest of the trail was a combination of forest, water springs and rivers. At this time, I kept pace with Peter. We descended incredibly that we tried to walk as fast as we can.

I was already exhausted that I all I wanted was to complete the journey. But it lasted few more hours before it ended. Finally, when it was already dark, we arrived at our destination, Lake Agco.