FIRST ASCENT OF MOUNT APO LEADS TO THE BIRTH OF PHILIPPINE MOUNTAINEERING
Based on the Essay of Fr.Miguel Bernad S.J.
In his book HISTORY AGAINTS THE LANDSCAPE published by La Solidaridad Publishing house in Mannila 1965. He wrote "The 'Snows' on Mount Apo",Bernad Described Mount Apo, (9,689ft - 2,954m) the highest peak in the country, is a very difficult mountain to climb in the 1800s. It drew only the most Didicated and resolute individuals to take on the challenge of threading its Domain and climb its Unclimb summit. Among these men of great resolve is Don Jose Oyanguren, governor of Davao, who organized the first expedition to climb Mount Apo in 1852. In the absence of roads, this expedition approach by way of Tagulaya River. Encountering Thick jungles and hardships, this expedition retreated in failure and 20 members died from exhaustion and perhaps malaria after their return. The second expedition composed of 31 men led by Real, also a governor of Davao,approached by way of Tabon. While it was also defeated, it had no casualty. Don Joaquin Rajal (governor of Davao)together with Fr. Mateo Gisbert and Dr. Joseph Montano (Frenchman) fit the third expedition in 1880. With the help of Datu Manig, one of the chieftains of the warlike Bagobos, this expedition started in Davao on October 6, 1880 and reached the summit on October 10, 1880.Bernad rules that it is the 'first ascent' with implicit reservation. Understandably, the Bagobos enjoys the exclusive domain of the interior, not far from the summit. However, belief on the sacredness, if not frivolous wrath, of Mandarangan, the god of the summit, must have prevailed upon this tribal people not to venture to the summit. In fact, among the Rajal party were 13 Bagobos who, with fear, almost desisted at a point from following the Christians to the summit. One of the Bagobos, a sort of an old sorcerer, told his fellow Bagobo that he had seen Mandarangan leave the crater and fly away in the clouds. Confirming the vision, they then followed the Christians up to the summit.Since the Time Mt.APO is Climbed every major mountains in the Philippines Followed and So The Philippine Mountaineering is Born.
CANLAON IN THE ADVENT OF 2OTH Century RECORD OF FIRST ASCENT In his writings, "The Ascent of Canlaon", Bernad does not pinpoint the date of the first ascent but, nonetheless, suggests that the 'recorded first ascent' of Canlaon (8,085ft) must have occured in the early 20th century. there is no mention of Canlaon in early literature. Under the name Malaspina (after Alejandro Malaspina - a Sicilian nobleman in the Spanish navy), Canlaon appeared for the first time in maps in the 19th century and exists with that name until the early 20th centuty. About this time, Jose de Lacalle (1886) speaks of the dense forest of Canlaon and tells of a party of Englishmen who attempted to climb the crater but died from "exhalations". However, Fr. Miguel Sadera Maso S.J., maintains only one published report of "ascent" before the 20th century. It belongs to Mencarini, a "well-known publicist of the Far East", who has reached the lowest solfataras, which were nowhere near the summit.
Using the papers of Fr. Miguel Selga S.J., Bernad cites, among others, two climbs in the early 20th century implicitly suggesting the 'recorded first ascent'. First, in 1902, Charles S. Banks "climbed" Canlaon with a party of American teachers. Second, in 1916, Echanojauregui, a Spaniard residing in Negros "walked up to the summit". Obviously, for as long as the 1902 climb remains vague with regards to its legitimacy as a consummated ascent , the 1916 climb holds the distinction as the 'recorded first ascent'.
Nevertheless, the true 'first ascent', very likely unrecorded, must have occured long before the known climbs. Historically, the slopes of Canlaon had settlers, composed of Negritos and Malay tribes like the Carolanes, even before the 19th century. No explicit psychological deterrence (i.e. Mandarangan in Apo) could inhibit those early settlers to summit the volcano. Significantly, the recorded climbs of Selga (March 1933), Federico Viaplana (April 1933) and Bernad (1961) are typical of the mountaineering practice of the time. These patrons of mountaineering belong to the gentry who rely on the services of cargadores or porters who doubled as trail guides. By inference, it is not so farfetched to assume that the rest of the Canlaon climbs cited by Bernad could be classified as the 'mountaineering by the gentry'. Regardless of everything, guided climbing is a way of climbing a mountain long before explored by predecessors, some of whom established the trails.
Mount Guiting-Guiting: 1982 The Up Mountaineers claims the first ascent of Mt Guiting-Guiting in 1982.Situated in Sibuyan Is, Mt Guiting-Guiting (6,750ft) remains thickly forested and an intimidating mountain in a remote island. Its summit is craggy and its vegetation in montane grass.
Mount Baloy: 1990s For a long time Mt Baloy (7,049ft), situated in the heart of Panay Is, is held in isolation. It saw intense mountaineering activities in the early 1990s with two clubs attempting to climb it from two sides - the west in Antique and the east in Iloilo province. Naturally, the Antique Mountaineering Society, did carry out its two fruitless attempts from the west. For its part, the Iloilo Mountaineering Club attacked it from the west, for seven days in one of the attempts.. Fortunately, the IMC earned the first ascent in the second attempt With the aid of the locals living in Karatagan, a village at the foot of the mountain, the IMC ascent must have groped their way through the forest in the absence of trails.