Can a team conquer the third highest peak in the Philippines and signal no. 2 typhoon at the same time?  Arduous... but of course it can be done because the Buhawi Mountaineering Club was able to do so.  Let me tell you how.

Only one in the group had scaled Mt. Pulag before.  But as mountaineers, everybody was aware of the possible dangers of hypothermia, injuries, sickness, dehydration, hunger, sunburns and exhaustion in the said mountain, which was believed to be the after world habitat of the dead by the indigenous people in the area. 

But hey, I'm not sharing this piece with you to discourage you to scale Mt. Pulag nor encourage you to climb the mountain under a severe weather condition.  I just want to inspire you with the right attitude of a mountaineer under different circumstances.

It was Ninoy's 20th death anniversary, a perfect opportunity for a three-day battle with Mt. Pulag.  After two months of all the preparations we've made, now, the team was ready-- well trained and well equipped.  Yes, it was time to conquer the highest summit in Luzon, and second to Mt. Apo in the country!

The day before we left to Benguet, Sir Joel, our team leader, instructed our assistant trail master Richard to phone PAGASA to confirm if typhoons Lakay and Manang had already left the country and inquire about the incoming typhoon, Nina.  Richard was then informed that typhoon Nina would be hitting the northern parts of Luzon in two days.

Consensus was taken on whether to go on or not.  Our Plan A was to scale Mt. Pulag.  Our Plan B was still to climb the mountain.  But if it would be so dangerous for everybody to climb because of the weather, our Plan C was merely to scale Mt. Batulao in Batangas.  

Well, I'm sure you've already guessed which plan was pursued. 

It was ten in the evening when the team left Ayala.  That was the start of the long journey:  Thirty minutes ride from Ayala to a bus terminal in Pasay, seven hours from Pasay to Baguio City and three hours from Baguio City to Ambangeg, Bokod, Benguet.

We stopped several times before we reached our first destination. We couldn't afford not to take pictures of some wonderful sights in Benguet like the Ambuklao Reservoir.  It was fantastic!

After the long journey, finally, we had reached Ambangeg.  We had our orientation first at the DENR office about Mt. Pulag and how to protect the mountain. There, we met some mountaineering clubs, which members were also excited to scale the mountain. They were also from Metro Manila.

After lunch, we left DENR and began to ascend Mt. Pulag, via Ambangeg trail.  The sky was getting grayish... darker than the usual. Then a cold mist quickly developed into sudden burst of rainstorm.   Everybody had his raincoat on to protect ourselves from heavy rain.

Compared to the previous climbs of the team, this one was considered the most arduous so far by the members.  And what made the climb very difficult was that everybody was not only struggling with the long and tiring trek but also with the severe weather condition.  Because of that, we had to spend the night at Babadak Ranger Station, our designated campsite, so we were not able to use our tents. Throughout the trek to the said station, mixed emotions were heard among the 14 Buhawi members who joined the journey.

"Are you sure we don't need to ride a jeep up to the Ranger Station?  Bakit sila?"  asked Elvie as she saw some jeepneys passed her by, loaded with climbers from other mountaineering clubs. (After half an hour, the drivers had realized that the road was still not passable so those climbers had to walk with us.)

"Picture! Picture!" was the persistent joke of the guys as we were all getting disappointed because we couldn't even take our cameras out from our bag.

The constant downpour was strong.  Taking too much time would lead to having to trek in the cold and in the dark to reach the Ranger Station, but some of us had to stop several times for much needed breaks. 

"Wait up!" shouted Rey. "Bagalan lang natin para di tayo madaling mapagod." He was so tired and wet.

"Kaya natin 'yan!  Just tell me if you want to take a break," was from Jaz who tried to encourage her buddy.

A huge, dark mist suddenly swept across the horizon... blotting out the sky as two of our guys were drawing closer towards the Ranger Station.

"Pare, don't you think they can still do it up to the Ranger Station?" asked our asst. trail master Richard, who was then suffering from cramps due to severe cold and exhaustion.

"I think it would be better to go back and see their condition," suggested the other Richard (our trail master) to assess whether the other teammates could still move on or not and merely spend the night at Palanza Day Care Center, a few kilometers away from Babadac Ranger Station.

The sky was dark already that those who were left behind couldn't see the trail clearly so everyone had to use a flashlight each.

"Kaya ko pang maglakad.  It's just that... I feel like I'm getting chilled," came from Ian who was so tired of his heavy load.  He already had goosebumps and everyone was aware that his situation could lead to hypothermia.

"You better hold my hand while walking," offered Cecille to prevent Ian's hands from freezing. "Let's lighten his load," suggested Bevis.  Then he distributed Ian's load among the guys and the ladies he was trudging with.

The battering wind was getting stronger, gusting with the fury of typhoon Nina that everyone couldn't walk straight because it seemed like it could blow a person away.  With the help of two-way radios, our trail master was able to communicate with our middleman and first-aider Ricky and our sweeper Noj to know if any member of the team was starting to have a hard time. 

"Manong, pakialalayan naman ang mga kasama ko.  Pakisabi may nauna nang Buhawi member dito," requested Sir Joel to one of the rangers.  He was the first one who arrived at the Ranger Station to prepare our shelter for the night. 

Even though the pacing of the climb was slow because of the typhoon, the team was the only group that was able to make it to the Ranger Station that night without missing teammates or injuries.  

The next day, since the typhoon that hit the province of Benguet was already at signal no. 2, some mountaineering groups decided to descend amidst the storm.  Others chose to wait for the heavy rain to subside before they left Babadac Ranger Station.  We almost got disappointed because we didn't want to go back home without catching a glimpse of the summit.  So the team took a consensus on whether to go back to Makati City or still pursue to scale the summit.  Then, we agreed to spend another day and night at the Ranger Station and waited for the typhoon to blow over.  Yes, we were still on... And that was our persistent decision.

The night in the cottage seemed to be miserable for those who were not mountaineers.  Nevertheless, the team knew how to make good things out of bad circumstances.  The fireplace, which was "decorated" with our hanging wet clothes served as our background for picture taking.  The cold weather helped the guys persuade the ladies to share their room with us.  (The guys insisted that it was "Wala namang malisya." Okay, fine!) The dark cottage, lit with only a small lamp was a perfect ambience for a delectable dinner, for cracking jokes, sharing stories and for playing card games. 

After a day and a night of waiting, the rain had stopped to give us a chance to climb the crest of Mt. Pulag.  It was Samuel "Sammy" Jeking, DENR's provided guide from the Mt. Pulag Indigenous Tour Guide Association (MPITGA), who led the three-hour hike to the mighty summit.

Each had his own tactic to make the pacing of the climb faster.  I chose to scale with Sammy and with some Buhawi guys to push the level of my climbing.  Some sang, laughed and talked with each other to help lighten the load.  Wheng and Cecille even considered the male teammate behind them a "rapist" to motivate themselves to walk fast or even run. (He!he!he!) But most of us practiced the basic... and that was mental training.  We knew that what we thought could affect our climbing performance.  So we told ourselves that we could do it.

"So tired... May ginto ba sa summit?" came from Jhacq as she was trudging on the muddy trail.   Of course, she was just kidding.  I knew she was so excited to reach the highest peak of the mountain. 

Then I thought to myself, maybe Jhacq has a point there.  So what if we reach the summit? What could we get from that? Salary increase? Job promotion?  Approval of a long-awaited US Visa? A prince charming or a charming princess?  Power and fame? A pot of gold?  Whew! Same old question but I knew what the answer was.

The ascent to the summit was a breathtaking experience.  The scenery along the trail was worth the wait and persistence.  The verdant mossy forests composed of dwarf trees were amazing. The sprawling carpet of dwarf bamboo was majestic.  The cold mist was so charismatic.  The clear sky, viewed from above-cloud level was wonderful.  It was really a rewarding experience so we thanked God for His splendid creations!

The awesome place had an effect to everyone in different ways.  To an anxious teammate, it was a sanctuary to finding inner peace.  To a lonely friend, it was a comforting shelter where she could throw painful memories away as far as she could that she herself would never see again.  To stressed-out teammates who joined the trek to withdraw themselves from office matters for a while, it was a place to refresh and recharge for another week's battle.  To all of us... adventure seekers, it was a challenging goal to conquer.  And as nature-lovers, it was a perfect haven for us to relax and breathe fresh air.

As we drew closer towards the summit, the grayish clouds had immediately vanished to allow enough moment of sunlight.  When everybody got there, we cheerfully embraced each other.

BMC climbers shared a perfect combination of optimism, persistence, strength, endurance, camaraderie, caring, sense of humor, teamwork and perseverance to conquer the mighty summit.  Those were persistent mountaineers...working very hard, overcoming all setbacks, not willing to give up and holding on together to reach the goal.

There... on top of the second highest peak in the country, we shouted, "YES!  WE'VE CONQUERED THE MIGHTY SUMMIT!!"  It was a chant of victory. Then, we raised our hands. It was as if our spirits soured upwards with the strong wind to touch the sky.