Taking on the Trails and Riding the Rapids

I’ve been away from my blog for almost a week now. Let me fill you in on what’s been going on…

I was down south for 5 straight days. We were supposed to climb the second and fourth highest mountains in the Philippines: Mt. Dulang-Dulang and Mt. Kitanglad. However, on the night of our flight, we were told that any attempt to climb Mt. Dulang-Dulang would not push through because there was an ongoing tribal war in the area. Yes. A tribal war. Imagine my dismay when I found out about the news.

So, what we did was climb Mt. Kitanglad. We did an overnight hike. The task proved to be brutal. The trails going up the summit were very steep. We were all very tired, I believe. In the morning, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunrise and wonderful views of some parts of Mindanao and Kitanglad’s neighboring mountains – including Dulang-Dulang. Seeing Dulang-Dulang – that “so near and yet so far” feeling – was both heartbreaking and inspiring. Bittersweet, I believe, is the word for it. One day, I will be back. One day, I shall climb Dulang-Dulang.

At the summit of Mt. Kitanglad, with Mt. Dulang-Dulang in the background

We also tried rafting at Cagayan River. White water rafting is one of the must-try activities in Cagayan de Oro. The river boasts of Class III-IV rapids. One look at the International Scale of River Difficulty will tell you that Class III rapids are intermediate ones, while Class IV rapids are advanced ones.

White Water Rafting at Cagayan River

Shooting the rapids, riding the waves, high-fiving paddles… White water rafting at Cagayan River was a blast!

In the end, all I can say is that it was a great experience. The trip had its shortcomings, but it made up for it by allowing me to experience really thrilling adventures and to meet new friends.

I am deeply honored to have been in the company of good souls… kindred spirits. Meeting new people and having new friends really make each journey more meaningful and worthwhile.

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Meanwhile, I am now about to go meet some friends (both old and new) and head on to a new adventure. Tonight, we leave for Baler, one of the Philippines’ go-to places for surfing. But don’t be fooled! Surfing isn’t the only fun activity in the place. We are also going to climb a mountain (Mt. Udok), visit two beautiful waterfalls (and go rappelling on one), visit some historical spots, and go canyoneering. It’s this summer’s last hoorah! Exciting! I’m sure it will be a blast! 😉