Mt. Kanlaon, Wasay - Guintubdan Trail

Kanlaon Crater

There are various stories as to how Mt. Kanlaon was named, tho most popular however is the story of a warrior and a princess. It was a story about how in the mountains lived a seven-headed dragon to whom unblemished women were offered otherwise it would destroy the kingdom in Negros. It came down to a point where there was only one maiden left unmarred, the princess who when told about the fact was willing to give herself up but a mighty warrior Khan Laon came to her rescue and slayed the dragon, burying it in the mountains causing the volcanic eruptions and the mountain is then named Kanlaon. We all know this isn't true but it is quite a story and every woman's dream is to be rescued by that one man who is willing lay down his life for her, how romantic and how heroic, so let's just believe it was true and it happened a long time ago. 

Mambukal Resort

Regardless of whether it was the dragon or the earth's magma causing the eruptions, Mt. Kanlaon is one deadly mountain because it is up to date an active volcano. Mountaineers  aiming to climb the mountain are aware of that fact but still we are willing to take our chances while we are still allowed to climb it. The DENR is also very strict as to the number of allowed participants in a climb with a specific trail so we count ourselves blessed to be a part of the trek to the volcano last May 1-3, 2014. 

We arrived early in Thursday, May 1 (09:00) at Bacolod's airport (Silay) and passed by The Ruins in Talisay, before heading to Bacolod City to have our lunch and buy the things we needed for the climb. After Eating at Manukan's just in front of SM we made Bongbong's ( a few blocks away from Manukan) store our hang-out  place while the others are buying groceries. We had a stroll at the plaza and church nearby and once everyone was done we hired a jeep to take us to Mambukal resort at around 14:00.

the Bats Hanging on Trees

At Mambukal we were hoping to get a dorm room but no room is available whether it was dorm or not so we pitched our tents. We arrived at around 16:00 and we had our food ready by 17:30 so we explored the place, you know the usual photo op while walking around. Mambukal actually is a good vacation place for families and Bacolod locals are blessed to have it, there's a lot of things you can do at an affordable entrance and the facilities makes it comfortable.

Preparing for First Day Hike

Mambukal have lots and lots of bats that hang on tress like they were some fist-shaped fruits and when night time comes you will see them flying around which is oddly amusing (I never thought bats could be this amusing really). We then ate dinner and slept early to prepare for a long day ahead of us, when I say we though I meant me and ma'am Tess - my tent mate, I can't speak for the guys with us who were socializing that night, I wonder if that makes me anti-social.

Wasay Ranger Station

Early the next day (Friday), we prepared for our breakfast and lunch and started trekking via Wasay trail at around 7:30, there are other trails, but you know we want it the difficult way just for the fun or misery of it. After 30 minutes we arrived at the Ranger's station of the Wasay trail, we stopped for a few pictures just to document that we were at Wasay trail (bragging rights it is!). I realized we were still passing through a habitated area when we met locals building fire along the trails at around 9:30 (I love picture timestamps!) before we passed by a wide seemingly unused road (10:30) where we met the huge python snake that scared me so much I had to re-think the reason why I was climbing, I never want to see anything like it again.

mr. snakey

We passed by a dried river at around 11:30 where we had our lunch and continued hiking up hoping to arrive at the camp site sooner. After another 4 hours with multiple stops to rest we arrived at the junction camp, drawing smiles on our faces. We thought this was called the old-NPA camp but the guide corrected us and said it was never an NPA camp (sounds like there was never an us, hehe) and called it the junction camp where the other trail (forget what it was) and the trail we were from meets up. 

First Camp Site (Junction Camp)

We prepared for our dinner and packed lunch for the next day early and had the time to converse and somehow get to know (barely) the climbers with us, we just act like we were long time friends but most of us have only seen the other participants on Facebook. Thanks to social media, we can now organize events without actually meeting people yet, think common-friends!

We had dinner, and as usual, I slept early, it's not like I'm really anti-social but for my body to function well during the hike it's need rest. 

Hardin Sang Balo

Saturday, we left the junction camp at around 8:00, we were headed to the saddle camp which is only 30 minutes away from the summit/crater passing through the Killing-Me-Softly trail (good thing we survived). Just 30 minutes from our camp site, we passed by a beautiful garden they called Hardin Sang Balo (Garden of a Widow), it was obvious that this used to be a crater because of the visible swamp that growed mossy dwarf tress and nature decided to make it surreal. Local stories though has it that a widow was so disheartened by her husband's passing she lived there and planted a garden until the earth swallowed her and her house (creepy), leaving just the garden.

PMS Lake

After an hour of walking from the Garden you will pass by a fantasy-themed camp with long mossy green tress that resembles the ones in The Lord of the Rings movie. From here on the trail is just as beautiful as it was hard. At around 13:00 we reached Samoc Lake (another old crater) and yet another crater after just another 30 minutes, the PMS Lake (why PMS?, i'll ask when I see the guide again), Samoc was beautiful but I favor PMS more, the green bermuda grass under the clear waters and the trees and plants surrounding it makes the place like the ones in those fairytale movies that just makes you fall in love with no one in particular. I'll have to add that the fog added drama to that scene, it was a memory I would always cherish.

Fantsay-themed Camp (L-R Joel, Bong, Maron, VA, Maritess, Noli, Terry, Adam, Ekson and invisible Arnel taking the pic)

We arrived at the saddle camp at around 15:00. It was a bright and sunny day so we requested to visit Margaha Valley to which our guides agreed (Kuya Ariel and Kuya Val). We set up our tents first so we could leave our things and headed down to Margaha valley which is around 15-20 minutes down from the camp. I know I've told you about how the Garden and the Lake seem to take you to a place far away, but trust me you would not think Margaha can be found in the middle of those mountains. Imagine a football field surrounded by mountain ridges, a really wide green football field except it has parts with tall grass, sturdy bushes and stones and a wide sandy part with moss like plants. It felt like I was in an Arena, until the guide told me this is but another old crater. Yes, Mt. Kanlaon is a prolific volcano, I've seen 6 craters, Hardin Sang Balo, Samoc Lake, PMS Lake, Margaha Valley, a lake I saw from afar (not sure of the name) and the now active crater and I'm just thinking will there be one more? Because you know the dragon had seven heads, but that would be a story for another day.

The Different faces of Margaha Valley..

Kuya Ariel fetching water like a boss. 

Of course we can't stay in there forever which is why we brought our cameras in the first place (and by we here I mean they, me was part of they hence the we), so after we (they again) fetched water we climbed up to the summit to take advantage of the clearing. We didn't back-trail to the saddle camp, instead we approached the summit on the opposite side facing the saddle camp. At first I really thought it was just a walk in the park specially at how the guide says it's just 30 minutes away, well maybe for them, but it took me an hour from Margaha to the summit.

Crater (Photos are from my climb mates, not mine)

I underestimated this alteration from our itinerary and I got so hungry on the trail I asked everyone for trail food, I think I ate everyone's trail food that time. I was relieved however with the view at the summit, thank God we still had light at 17:30. Beautiful I think is not the right word to describe the crater, sure it had depths, heights, curves and colors we can appreciate but I think it was more formidable while fascinating at the same time. I had to drew courage just to take a picture on a stone just a few inches from the crater's edge and felt  relieved after it was done while mumbling that we should go home. Maybe I was thinking  about saddle camp when I said that but home really for me that time is somewhere further from that edge. 

well, you know me.. :)

Our organizer (Ekson) was afraid of the dark, I don't mean he's afraid of the night but he was determined and urged us to go down before total darkness befalls us to avoid any accident so we headed to the saddle camp after just about 15-20 minutes of photo op. Downhill, we saw the ever reliable sun setting down painting the sky orange while slowly disappearing into the sea of clouds. That and the cool, soft, gentle breeze touching my face made this day perfect, after all it was my birthday.

and look at that.

We felt contented when we reached the saddle camp we agreed not to go up the summit the next day which was originally on our itinerary. We prepared dinner and had long talks about just anything under the sun. I remember it was mostly about volcanoes and how we can't predict when they would erupt and butterflies because one of our guides (Kuya Val) used to be a butterfly hunter (German scientist if I am right hired him to catch rare butterflies before), he was quite informative really. 

The next day, I woke up feeling really cold because it rained the night before and just about after we prepared breakfast it rained hard, good thing we summitted the previous day. We went down via Guintub-dan trail and started really late partly because of the rain and partly because someone was not able to wake due to mix-drinking (I think I made this word up, I meant drinking different types) alcohol, don't follow that example if I were you. Nevertheless, we were all able to hike down safely and arrived at the airport in whole pieces. :)

I won't say never ever drink on a climb and I think many would be mad at me, but I guess I could say don't get drunk on a climb if you want to be back home alive. Cheers to more years in our lives (Psalms 91:16).

Homebound, Mang Inasal Dinner, because its different in Bacolod. :)

Soon.. :)

Riding Siargao's Waves

Siargao, the surfing capital of the Philippines and my first impression was, how lonely can this place get? I mean sure there were hundreds of people at the port who boarded with me on the fast jet (ferry), but when I arrived at cloud nine (where everyone surfs) I can count the people I see with the fingers in my hands and the air was just oh so lonely, you know the feeling of homesickness because I’m at a province but of course it’s not my province and my being alone is slapped in my face. Well, that was until I was riding my perfect waves.

This was after my trip to Tinuy-an falls and Hinatuan river last October 12, right after my visit to tinuy-an I went back to Butuan only to ride another van to get me to Surigao city so I can get a ferry to Siargao the next morning(Sunday). At Surigao City I was able to get a decent enough room at 350PHP with a bathroom but I am not recommending it because I don’t feel that the place is safe, I locked myself in right after I paid and vowed to never open the door unless I’m all packed and ready to go. The only reason I took it was I was already tired and needed sleep.

Early the next morning (around 6:00) I hired a tricycle to get me to  the port but the earliest boat had already left and the next ferry is scheduled to leave at 11:30 at a different port, which is the official one, if you want to ride the earliest boat you have to be at that other pier at 5:00 – this is what the locals usually ride, just ask around and I’m sure they’ll tell you where it is or just ride a tricycle. I decided to buy a ticket first to make sure, and then went on to have my breakfast, and you won’t guess where it was, at Jollibee. Yes, I was trying something different and then went on to Gaizano and made my way back just in time for boarding.

I slept on the fast jet (for three hours) and I envy the ones riding the cargo ship enjoying the open air,  I made sure to take that one for my return trip. At the port drivers were asking me where I was headed so I said I’m okay and when everyone seemed to calm down I asked one driver to take me to Cloud Nine. I asked if he knew a safe but not costly place to stay and he said no, so I said okay, we’ll go on an asking adventure, I told him to just take me to where surfer’s meet and I’ll ask around.

I found Patrick’s on Cloud Nine  with only 400PHP per night, so I left my things and headed to the beach. The huge waves looked really powerful that when an instructor asked me if I would want to surf I asked if I could only ride the smaller waves. I agreed to have my one hour surfing lesson for 500PHP which comes with a shoes for safety because the shore had sharp reefs.  

I was surfing until sundown (I think I had more than an hour, *grin*) and looking at the sunset was like God telling me I answered your prayers. I was praying even long before this trip because I am going alone and all I can say is God made it perfect. Riding the waves while looking at the sunset felt so romantic it feels like Jesus was asking for my heart. After surfing the instructor told me “Perfect yung waves mo maam (you had perfect waves)”, then I realized that I never missed a wave, primarily because we had enough distance from the shore that I always find my balance before I loose the wave (yeah, that was cool).

While talking to my instructor however he told me that most of the tourist are at  the town proper, General Luna. I knew I had to go there or the quiet stillness in my room will not let me sleep, I asked the caretaker and she was okay with it, I said I am going to stay at their another beach hut Patrick’s on the Beach at General Luna and I was very glad I made that decision, it was like bits of puzzles falling into places.

General Luna was indeed were sea people (people who loved the beach) gathered. Thankfully Patrick’s is not near the place where they had KTV’s, so I had serenity and at the same time felt safe because I know there are people around. I ordered dinner and befriended the caretakers and even had a picture playing with their cute dog.

I enjoyed the place just siting at the beach front listening to my good old music the next morning while enjoying my breakfast - picture that! And I have to tell you that their Nipa Hut is also something to look forward to specially for couples, it has the laid-back feel of privacy that can really be romantic (I just love the term romantic because I am a hopeless romantic so cut me some slack). It costs me 800PHP (this is good for two persons) for a non-aircon room (it has an aircon it's just a matter of not turning it on, who would? it was cold) with a bathroom and you have a front porch, how awesome is that?

I packed up my things at 11:00 (Tuesday) so I can leave at twelve as I need to catch the Cargo ship leaving at 13:00, bid the caretakers farewell and rode another motorbike. Motorbikes should only cost you 50PHP but there has to be 3 of you – if you are alone and don’t want to ride with other passengers it will cost you 150PHP. There are still more places to visit at Siargao (there's an island there with glowing jelly fish) but I came here primarily for surfing and it would cost me more if I did Island hopping on my own so I’m hoping to go back with friends some other time.

Of course you have to check on my pictures below. 

Scenery at Cloud Nine's view deck, and there's me because I had to be there.. :)

I wish I could surf those gigantic waves, but maybe next time.

With the cute doggie..

General Luna  Beach,..

Yes, I enjoyed my breakfast.

I loved this, and that's why I have to have two photos.