Mt. Apo January 25 - 29, 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.

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

STANDARD INSURANCE CLIMB AND ADVENTURE TEAM (SICAT)
Mt. Apo Climb – Seven Peaks
Digos City, Davao Del Sur and Kidapawan City, North Cotabato
Kapatagan – Kidapawan Trail (via EDC formerly 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 6 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. Well the sweepers should always be behind.

We enjoyed so much the clouds, views, trees, 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 City;  Errol, Allan and Jin from a mountaineering club from Manila; and Lia Ann, lady newbie.

We grouped into four for meal purposes and to maintain solidarity in rock climbing of the The Boulders’ 87 degrees known to have 10 meters visibility due to fog and/or sulfur fumes.

Our Group’s meals were tinapa, daing, frozen chicken ( for sinigang), and frozen but cooked pork chop, paksiw pata, adobo and pork (for 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 new chest freezer.

Day 1 : Monday  – Paradise Camp

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, according to the pilot”.

We went directly to our Hotel, Crown Regency for check in and breakfast and left about 9:00 AM for Digos City up to Kapatagan , a town of Davao Del Sur (or a barangay of Digos City?). We bought some additional supplies like tuyo, daing, oil, noodles and rice at Kapatagan and took our sumptuous lunch of Litson coming from Davao City. At about 1 AM, we changed our ride from two Vans to 3 pick ups and rode, standing partly squatting, to jump off site at Barangay Mainit.

The road was rough and bumpy with light showers and shy, hiding afternoon sun. We were slightly wet. We arrived at jump off point after 45 minutes, a little tired.  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 will sink in mud about 1 foot if you made the wrong step. It was all uphill but about 15 to 20 degrees only. Good thing I am wearing mid cut TNF Dauhlagiri with leggings to protect mud and small stones to enter into my shoes.

We reached our campsite at Paradise about 3 PM. This camp has good spring water from the mountain on rubber hose. It has basketball court and some played in cool afternoon weather. This community has several houses and has electricity coming from generator.

The temperature was about 18 degrees C. I actually carried a thermometer which a bought in Singapore as souvenir.

I noticed that a porter brought all along the styro box but it was empty. So I took back the styro put the frozen food to prevent spoilage.

In Paradise camp, the view of Mt. Apo was breath taking and spectacular and one can visualize the path to the summit avoiding the sulfuric fumes. You can see the South peak, the sulfuric fumes and mossy forest. North peaks are partly hidden.

After our dinner of sinigang na chicken, we slept early to prepare on the climb up to Godi Godi Camp.

DAY 2 : Tuesday – Baroring Campsite

In the early morning, we saw clouds blanketed the whole mountain. You won’t see the summit, the fumes and the mossy forest. How will I feel once I am blanketed by clouds? I remember in the morning at the base of Mt. Kanlaon. The thick clouds came from below east from Margaha valley, passed thru us at the base camp of crater and went down the west valley. So cold, refreshing and wet. The air so sweet (of course not sugary) and fresh. So awesome. No place like this but only in Mt. Kanlaon. I will be back Mt. Kanlaon.

We took our breakfast and started our trek, at about 8 AM thru mossy forest up to next camp site at Godi Godi. The trail was not muddy anymore. The trail is of moist bushes and small trees with wet trail, passing under trunks or over it, under complex roots or over, deep ravine clinging on roots or stones, balancing on fallen logs crossing deep slopes, crossing creeks and stepping and climbing on protruding roots careful not to slip or fall.

We took some rest at a small clearing called Upper Sabwang with a sign that says 3 to 3.5 hours going to Baroring. After about 3 hours, we reached the clearing Baroring and took our lunch.

Our group lunch was daing na isda and rice only. When you are tired, you don’t feel like eating much.

Here I noticed the cover of the styro box was broken and still carried by the porter. I did not notice nor see the body of the box.

Afer lunch, we proceeded to Godi Godi Campsite and reached it in about 3 hours or about 4 PM.
 
At the Godi Godi, we were dismayed to see pile of trashes and garbage left by other mountaineers. The porters said authorities usually collect and dispose the garbage down. Our SICI team head gave garbage bags to clean up the mess to the porters. After cleaning, it was nice to look at and the 3 full bags were put in one place so that wind will not scatter the garbage.

Our group dinner was tinapa and pork adobo. Again we slept early since the following day, we have to climb the 87 degrees incline boulders.

DAY 3 : Wednesday – Summit Base Camp

Early in the morning, our sweepers called my attention that they found the cover of styro box with my name of it along the trail. The porter took it and 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 1 hour passing thru mossy and virgin forest, we started our climb of the boulders at 87 deg incline.

There is no trail at all in this wide area of boulders. You have to figure out and select the best and easy boulder to step while following the leading Guide. The visibility was about 20 to 50 meters. The guide will usually stop and rest and wait for the five of us in Group 1.

The area of the fumes is yellowish and with big holes.

We trekked the boulders to the right of sulfuric fumes that constantly hiss with white smoke. Fortunately, the wind blew away the fumes from us and we did not have to use our masks.

Our path was passing on the right side of the fumes and went on to the top and turned left towards Boracay, a clearing with milky white sand and surrounded by big boulders.

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 one’s cooking and to shield one from chilling wind. At this moment it started to drizzle continuously. We wore our raingear this time and went under the boulders.

We reheated pork adobo for our lunch. After energizing our bodies, we commenced the trek at about 1pm.

The trek is still about 80 degrees on boulders of wide areas with some vegetation. Then heavy rain came with chilling high wind. When I tried to stand up, the wind almost fell me backwards. So you have to bend trekking or sometimes crawl with hands and feet (4×4) to go up.

Nearing the summit, we aborted the climb due to heavy rain, chilling wind and poor visibility. We turned right and went down to summit camp instead and arrived about 4 PM. On time again to target destination.

DAY 4 : Thursday – Maag Campsite/Maag Bunkhouse – EDC compound

We started our trek to summit at 7:11 AM. I remember well since it is the name of convenience store near our office. It was cold, windy and no clouds nor rain. The trek was only about 15 minutes and at the peak my GPS read 2934 MASL, N 06’  59’08.9, E 125 16’18.6. Suunto and Casio readers of my fellow mountaineers read different elevations since they were calibrated in sea level while my GPS sourced satellites. The peak is somewhat flat about 10 mtrs by 4 meters.

At the peak, the feeling is triumphant and victorious. All is elated reaching the highest peak of the Philippine mountain, Mt. Apo. Video and photo shoots of everyone and the views followed.  

We trekked down about 7:50 AM, so quick, and decided that one peak is good enough.

While I was relieving of excess body water facing the crater lake (LOL), I saw Errol, started to trek the North peak. Others saw and followed including me. 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 peak area is about 2 x 2 meters only and the high wind can knock you down.

Along the trek, it was so foggy that you see nothing beyond 100 meters.

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 so far, we started early our party at about 5 PM. Our singer, Joel sang all songs to the tunes ala Reggae together with guitarist Randolf and alternately with Seymour. Some of the porters joined the singing and plucking guitar and we found a good singer, Lia Ann our newbie.  All are dancing and singing along including guys cooking in a small area about 10 meters by 5 meters. This remind me of Saguijo nights with Couchsurfers Manila. Eleven bottles of long necks, Tanduay, were downed and some guys were also downed, hehehehe (LOL) including me. We finished the liquor about 9 PM.

That night was my best night of Mt. Apo nights. I slept straight from 9PM to 3AM without interruptions.

DAY 5 : Friday – Crown Regency Hotel

We took breakfast, break (or broke for past tense, 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 further a water falls called Marble Falls. The running river has spring water is potable. I drank it and it was clear and cold, no taste. However further down the trail I tasted some bits ( not orange pulp bits, LOL again like a crazy man) and spat the water.

We left camp at 9AM reached the EDC gate at 12 Noon and rode up to the resort.

We took our buffet lunch of adobo squid, fried yellow fin tuna with rice at Agco Mahomanoy Mountain Resort, about 2000 MASL, according to EDC guy. We had lunch together with two executives from EDC, Alej and Boy, head of Security.

The resort is nice, clean 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, head of EDC Security, the vegetation adapted to the hot boiling environment.

I would like to thank personally, Alej and Boy, although I do not represent all SICI members for their hospitality. They arranged for our individual Certificate of Climb of Mt. Apo, signed by the Mayor of Kidapawan City, Cotabato Province, Mindanao.
At about 3PM, we took the two rented jeepneys and a Mitsubishi Strada pick up to Kidapawan City and to Davao City about 3 hours drive on smooth cemented road.

We took our native sumptuous dinner at Davao City but I forgot the name of the restaurant.

We spent the night at Kanto Bar in Matina Town Center until the wee hours of 2 AM

DAY 6 : Saturday – Back to Manila.

We took our breakfast at Crown Regency and proceeded to Samal Island for our tour and lunch at Bluejazz Resort.

After lunch, we went back to the city and bought some pasalubong to our friends and love ones in Manila. Of course, I bought souvenir 3 shirts with Mt. Apo and Samal Island prints for me and my wife and come candies for my officemates.

We took our Cebu Pacific Air flight 5J 970. The plane took off on time and arrived Manila 15 minutes earlier. We are 19 Manila based mountaineers with eticket CN Y6EIYC. Mabuhay!!! Mabuhay ang Cebu Pacific!!!

What I regret in our flight, my Coleman trek pole was damaged at the NAIA baggage handling and claiming with Cebu Pacific was tedious and complicated as well as time consuming that will delay our trip to Mt. Apo.

OTHERS

Will I will come back and conquer Mt. Apo again? Yes of course. Especially I did not personally see the sunrise. It was only 3 guys from us who summitted before the sunrise. Next time, I have to do it. Sunrise is the most spectacular and exhilarating experience of a mountaineer that can be captured by one’s lens. I missed also Lake Venado since we took different trail. Still I consider this my ultimate quest since I summitted 6 of 7 peaks of Mt. Apo. I will not mind skipping the Boulders which is quite difficult in my next climb.

The easiest must be EDC – EDC via lake Vinado to fulfill the conquest of sunrise of Mt. Apo and to dip at Lake Venado.

Water Source.

1.        At Kapatagan, - buy your mineral water and other provisions.
2.        At Mainit – maybe but maybe far.
3.        At Paradise – good spring water, fill up your bottles
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 this filtered water for cooking rice.
5.        At summit camp – good potable water, fetched by porters
6.        At PNOC Maag Bunkhouse – water is good but will run out fast for 25 guys
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.
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 and started picking up garbage to be disposed at lowland.

WILL CONTINUE LATER WITH MY  BLOG OF MT APO CLIMB AND ALSO POST SOME PICTURES