Hello steemians and travellers!
Welcome to the 29th edition of Kim's Quest and the last part of my Mt. Kalatungan traverse Mt. Lumpanag/Wiji chronicle. It was one hell of a journey and like all journeys, it must come to an end. But before the finale, let me recap by sharing the links of the first four parts of this series.
After breakfast and photo op, we descended on the other side of the mountain. The sun's already blazing in the sky, but the wind was still very cool. I was still wearing my jacket that time. The grasses were so tall that sometimes we would pass under them. Since it was already downhill and the ground was wet, we were extra careful not to trip or fall.
The descending trail is an alternating mossy forest and open grassland.
As I looked back from where we were, I noticed that majority of the mountain is a grassland with sparse dead trees poking in the landscape.
As we descended from Mt. Lumpanag/Wiji, we passed by a Danger Zone. It was a ridge where both sides of a narrow path are cliffs.
I didn't mind the deep ravine below, the weight on my shoulders (~14 kg of gears and wet clothes), and the tall grasses that will certainly cut your skin if you're not careful. I also didn't mind that both of my legs were becoming wobbly. Three days of walking had started to take a toll on my body, but I think nature has its ways of replenishing my lost energy.
What I mind was the beauty that was right there in front of me. The details were so vivid that my Earth Science self started to activate. I imagined how such grandeur was formed over time. I visualized how the wind, rain, and other forces of nature sculpted that majestic structure. It was overwhelming. I had to snap back to the reality that I will definitely descend the mountain and it would take another 4~5 hours.
The cold morning wind was refreshing, but it made my head ache. It was like experiencing a brain freeze in the absence of ice cream or cold drink. I had to wear my bonnet just to make my stiff ears warm. It was 20 minutes past 7 and the sun's already at its full blaze, but I didn't feel any heat.
More descending walks and rolling hills later, we reached another mossy forest which looked like in fairy tales with more twisting trees and odd colored mosses.
The trek continued downhill and we were walking for about two hours already when we reached Lisihun Creek. My body was already signalling that it was near its limit. I feel that I have been walking for so long that my feet would move on its own. The roots along the trail made the trek more difficult. It was very slippery and my feet were so wobbly that I slipped twice. Good thing my trekking pole made a lot of difference.
When we reached So. Mahayahay after an hour and a half from the mossy forest, all of my toes were already numb. I can't feel them in my wet socks. I was so tired. We were all tired; I can tell because everyone's already complaining. My bag became so heavy that I thought without my poles, I would collapse and can't stand up again.
The last part of the trek was the most difficult. It was almost flat ground, but the trail was so slippery. To add to the misery, you don't have anything to hold on to except those grasses that could cut you if you're not careful. But I was able to appreciate the beauty of Bukidnon's highlands in that last leg of our journey.
We reached Brgy. Mendis gym at around 12:15 PM after almost 5 hours of downhill trek. I was so relieved that when I removed my shoes, I was so happy to see my toes moving as if they were resurrected from the dead.
It was my first major climb and I can't still get over it. It was one instance where I tested the limits of my body. To be honest, I didn't have enough preparation. I underestimated the dangers of mountain climbing without proper training.
Why would someone subject himself to such grueling trek? I don't know. All I know is that the experience was priceless. I know that I will definitely be climbing again soon.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in the Steem blockchain. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world (it will just follow since he's still a poor, corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college).
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