January 18, 2010
At last, after cancelling our climb last Oct, 2009, we are go go go to summit Mt. Apo.
I am ready to go with my hardcore training.
Blogs to follow
My Daughter and Grand Son - Hunter Josh
STANDARD INSURANCE CLIMB AND ADVENTURE TEAM (SICAT)
Mt. Apo Climb
Kapatagan – Kidapawan Trail (via PNOC, permit needed)
Jan 25 – 29, 2010
SUMMARY
Our climb is a great success being endowed with cooperative weather, only light rain but with heavy winds and no injury. All reached the peak but 7 of us climbed other 5 of 7 peaks.
The paces were good as we are all in good physical condition. The strong ones were ahead of time and all the others are on time to reach daily target sites.
We enjoyed so much the views, saw unique flowers and heard birds singing.
GROUPINGS
We were joined by 5 guests from prestigious mountaineering clubs and one lady newbie. SICAT members are Judes, Eric, Tina, Stephen, Sey, Dan, Ricky, Paolo, Pitong, Sid, Randolf, Nestor, Jeff, Joel, Mel, Lito, Allen, Sally and Me. Guest were Rey and Eioi of mountaineering club from Mt. Kanlaon/Bacolod; Errol, Allan and Jin from a mountaineering club in Manila; and Leah, lady newbie.
We grouped into four for meal purposes and to maintain solidarity in rock climbing of the The Boulders 87 degrees when the visibility is about 10 meters due to fog and/or sulfur fumes.
Our Group meals were tinapa, daing, frozen chicken (sinigang), and frozen but cooked pork chop, paksiw pata, adobo and pork sinigang plus coffee and trail foods. Our frozen food came from Manila in styro box. My wife cooked all the foods and froze it in our chest freezer.
Day 1
We, 13 Manila based SICAT mountaineers with eticket CN B9L3QQ, arrived 5:55 am in Davao International Airport via Cebu Pacific air. The plane departed Manila on time but was delayed by about 10 minutes during landing due to Seair ahead of us landing.
We went directly to our Hotel, Crown Regency for breakfast and we left about 9:00 am for Digos City up Kapatagan , a town of Davao Del Sur. We bought some additional supplies like tuyo, daing, oil, noodles and rice at Kapatagan and took our sumptuous lunch of Litson. At about 1 pm, we changed our ride from two Vans to 2 pick ups and rode up to jump off site at barangay Mainit.
The road was rough and bumpy with light showers. We were wet but not very wet. We arrived at jump off point after 45 minutes. We repacked our things and food that was newly bought. I advised the porter to leave the styro box near a Nipa Hut.
We started our trek about 2 pm thru muddy trail. You sink in mud about 1 foot if made the wrong choice. It was all uphill but about 15 to 20 degrees only. We reached our campsite at Paradise about 3 pm. This camp has good spring water from the hose.
The temperature was about 18 degrees C.
I noticed that the porter brought all along the styro box but it was empty. So I decided to return the frozen food to prevent spoilage.
The view of Mt. Apo was spectacular and one can visualize the path to the summit avoiding the sulfuric fumes.
After our dinner of sinigang na chicken, we slept early to prepare on the climb up to Godi Godi Camp.
DAY 2
We took our breakfast and started our trek thru mossy forest up to Godi Godi camp.
We took our lunch in a small campsite which I forgot the name (something like Saro…). During our lunch I noticed the cover of the styro box was broken and still carried by the porter. I did not notice the body of the box.
Our lunch was daing na isda only.
We reached Godi Godi about 3 pm which on time based on the signs of length of trek.
At the Godi Godi camp, we were dismayed to see pile of trashes and garbage. The porters said authorities will bring the garbage down. Our team head gave garbaged bags to clean up the mess. After cleaning, it was nice to look at and the 3 bags are put in one place so that wind will not scatter the garbage.
Our dinner was tinapa and pork adobo. Again we slept early since the following day, we have climb the 87 degrees incline boulders.
DAY 3
Early in the morning, our sweepers called my attention that they found the cover of styro box along the trail. The porter took it disposed with the other garbage.
We took our breakfast of pork chop, two slices each and every one. We left about 8 AM and after about 2 hours passing thru mossy forest and virgin forest, we started our climb of the boulders.
There is no trail at all in these wide area boulders. You have figure outt and select the best and easy boulder to step while following the leading Guide. The visibility was about 20 meters. The guide will usually stop and rest and wait for the five of us in Group 1.
The boulders are to the left of sulfuric fumes. The side is constantly hizzing with fumes. Fortunately, the wind blows away from the fumes and I do not have to use my mask.
Our path was passing on the right side of the fumes and go on top to the left up to Boracay.
At exactly 12 noon we reached Boracay. It is a small flat area with yellowish sands and stones and surrounded by big boulders to cover ones’ cooking and to shield one from chilling wind. At this moment it started to rain continuously. We wore our raingear this time.
We ate pork adobo and commenced the trek at about 1pm.
The trek is still on boulders on wide areas. Then the trek becomes trail of still about 80 degreees with rain and chilling high wind. When I stand tall, the wind almost fell me backwards. So you have to bend trekking or sometimes crawl with hands and feet (4×4).
Near the summit, we aborted the climb due to rain and chilling wind. We went down to summit camp instead and arrived about 3 PM. On time again. The right time of trek.
DAY 4
We started our trek to summit at 7:11 AM. I remember well since it is store near our office. It was cold and no clouds. The trek was only about 20 minutes and my GPS reads 2934 meters, N 06’ 59’08.9, E 125 16’18.6. Suunto and Casio readers of my fellow mountaineers read differently since they calibrated in sea level while my GPS are by satellites. The peak is somewhat flat about 10 mtrs by 4 meters.
We went down by about 7:40 AM and decided that one peak is enough. While relieving, I saw one guy, Errol, started to trek the next peak. Others saw and followed. We were seven, Errol, Sey, Rey, Eioi, Nestor, Randolf and me. 2nd peak was 2949 meters, N 06 59’10.8” E 125 16’18.9, 3rd peak 2949 but N 06 59’12.4, 4th 2950 meters N 06 59’59’13.1 E 125 16.16.8” and 5th peak 2961 meters N 06 59’15.0” E 125 16’15.6”. These peaks can allow only 2 to 3 persons sitting and not standing because the area is about 2 x 2 meters only.
We went down to base camp about 9:15 AM to take our breakfast and to break camp. We moved out about 10 AM going to EDC Maag bunkhouse. We reached Maag at 1 pm and cooked our lunch.
We gave errands to the porters to buy rice for dinner and breakfast the following day. It took them 4 hours to come back.
Since we do not have yet any socials, we started our party at about 5 PM. Our singer, Joel sang all tunes ala Reggae together with guitarist Randolf and alternately with Seymour. Some of the porters joined the singing and we found a good singer, Leah our newbie. All are dancing and singing along including guys cooking. Nine bottles of Tanduay long neck were downed and some of were also downed. We gave two bottles to the porters and guides. We finished 9 PM.
That night was my best night sleep. I slept straight from 9PM to 3AM without interruptions.
DAY 5
We took dinner, break (or broke, just like Broke Back Mountain, lol) camp and started our trek down thru PNOC (now EDC) trail. We passed by a lake, I forgot the name and a water falls called Marble Falls. Accordingly, the running river water is potable. I drank it and it was clear, no taste and cold. However further down the trail I tasted some bits ( not orange pulp bits, lol) and spit the water.
We left camp at 9AM reached the EDC gate at 12 Noon. We took our buffet lunch of adobo posit, fried yellow fin tuna with rice at Agco Mahomanoy Mountain Resort, about 2000 MASL. We had lunch with two guys from EDC (Alej and Boy), one of them is head of Security.
The resort is nice and newly constructed 3 years ago. There is SPA and hot and cold swimming pools. The resort is run by cooperatives with participation of EDC Geothermal Corp.
Side trip was the boiling lake Agco, about 200 meters from the Resort. Despite the boiling lake, the vegetation is thick. According to Boy, the vegetation adopted to the hot boiling lake.
At about 3PM, we rode back to from Kidapawan City to Davao City about 3 hours drive on smooth cemented road.
We spent the night at Kanto Bar in Matina Town Center until the wee hours of 2 AM
DAY 6
We took our breakfast at Crown Regency and proceeded to Samal Island for our tour and lunch at Bluejaz Resort.
We went back to the city and bought some pasalubong to our friends and love ones in Manila. Of course, I bought 3 shirts with Mt. Apo and Davao prints.
We took our Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 970. The flight take off on time and arrived Manila 15 earlier. We are 19 Manila based mountaineers with eticket CN Y6EIYC. Mabuhay ang Cebu Pacific.
OTHERS
Water Source.
1. At Kapatagan, - mineral water.
2. At Mainit – none
3. At Paradise – good spring water
4. At Godi Godi – brown water with some larvae, you need to filter and boil the water. Or don’t drink at all. We used for cooking rice.
5. At summit camp – good potable water
6. At PNOC Maag Bunkhouse – water is good but will run out fast
7. Marble Falls after Maag– drinkable running river water in right spot to take
LNT
The side of Kapatagan to Summit seemed to be not practicing LNT since
1. There was some garbage along the trail and pile of garbage at Godi Godi camp left by others.
2. Personally I saw lighted cigarette left by a porter and snuff off by my fellow mountaineer.
3. The porter threw away the cover of styro along the trail and picked up by our sweeper.
4. The body of the styro box was nowhere to find.
5. A porter picked a flower for planting. The other porter said it should be at least 3 stems in order to be replanted and grow.
However, some of the porters maybe influenced by us since they tallked of picking up garbage to be disposed at lowland.
WILL CONTINUE LATER WITH MY BLOG OF MT APO CLIMB AND ALSO POST SOME PICTURES
