The moment I went back to trekking, I dreamt of having my first major climb and I planned it to be this year.
During my last 3 climbs (Manabu Peak, Mount Maculot & Pico de Loro), discussion about a major climb was opened, initial target was to scale Mount Napulauan in Hungduan, Ifugao but lack of preparation and the lenght of time that will be needed to climb it makes us consider another mountain. Then came the idea of climbing Mount Tapulao in Iba, Zambales.
Mount Tapulao stands at an estimated 2,037 MASL, what interest me the most was the amount of hiking time needed to reach the summit. According to the people who’ve experience hiking Tapulao, it was a 21 kilometer (half marathon) walk on an open trail which will take about 12 hours to reach the bunker and another 2 hours to summit. It is definitely a major climb.
I prepared well for the upcoming climb, physically, for almost 3 weeks, I did at least 2 hours of daliy bike run, most of the time during the hot hours of 9:00 – 10:00 AM to test my endurance from the heat of the sun. Instead of taking a trike, I would walk a kilometer as part of my training and also to save P25 of the fare. I also planned to take cardio training in a gym nearby.
I only took a few days off from training when I was in Anawangin Cove for the First SEO.Org.PH’s First Outdoor Camp (April 21-22) and on Monday to kill the hang-over brought about by the much booze at the event. Tuesday, I was back to training, it was an hour of early morning bike run before going to the supermarket to buy my food stuffs for the climb, trail food, pre-cooked “ulam” and a pack of danggit.
It was also that Tuesday when I found out that a close friend who lives nearby died (on April 20) and will be buried the next day, so I took time to visit the wake and attend the funeral service.
I woke up the next day having joint pains and itchy throat, I suspected that the itchy throat was another case of sore throat and the joint pains was because of my biking the previous day. But it was not, flu had conquered me, I was not able to freely move the whole day. The flu hit me harder the next day, I was forced to text Sir Jim to inform him that I will not be joining the climb.
I was feeling better on Friday (the day of the meet-up) but I didn’t push through, I just stayed at home to further recuperate and just wished the group good luck.
Although it was to accept, I can live with it, besides, me being sick can be a liability to the group, sabi nga nila “di naman aalis ang bundok d’yan, pwede pa rin siyang akyatin anytime.”
inggit mode din po ako…nde dahil di ako nakasama that date dahil di nga po aalis ang bundok…
it’s the experience…sabi nga ni gideon ” there is no such thing as you are climbing the same mountain twice”..coz every climb you cannot take the exprience from the first…its another date, new berks , time and momentum=)