The Beauty of Benguet

"In those days, he departed to the mountain to pray..."

—Luke 6: 12

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No words can express the sense of wonderment I felt as my eyes took in the dizzying yet awe-inspiring 360-degree views of the Kibungan Mountain Range. Though it definitely had its fair share of difficulties (for instance, it was the first climb that had me in tears by lunch time on the first day), our third training climb last September 9-11, 2005 was definitely the most enjoyable climb I've experienced thus far. With a group of wonderful people and breathtaking views, what more can you ask for? I'll let the pictures tell all!

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Our first pre-climb meeting at Jollibee with GL Malvin and AGL Momoy.

Our second pre-climb meeting during the rapelling activity was just as filling.
(No wonder Malvin and Gilbert have fallen asleep!)

Who knew that grocery shopping with the group could be fun?

Departure for Baguio.

A group shot at the jump-off point.

Happily crossing one of the many bridges with Happy!

Maida and I at the peak of Mt. Ooteen on the second day.

We made it!

This is as close to heaven as we're going to get.

Trekkers wait for the starter's gun.

The Others.
Clockwise from left: Happy, Yvonne, Alexis, Mon, Nestor, me, Sharon,
Malvin, Momoy, Francis, and Gilbert.

Tell me what this looks like to you.

Setting up our tent at the second campsite.

A scrumptious dinner of deep fried spicy chicken, pasta, french bread, white wine,
and mango crepes (specially prepared by Momoy) for dessert!

Walking along the edge of the rice terraces.

The view that makes it all worthwhile.

Crossing the last bridge on the way back to civilization.

Eat-all-you can Mongolian dinner at Oh My Kahn, Baguio.

The bus ride home.

It ain't over till it's over!
Post-climb meeting at Dencio's, Metrowalk.

Rapelling at Camp Vicente Lim

When they told us we'd be rapelling from atop a four-story building, I thought, "They've got to be kidding." And when they said, we'd have to do it not once, but three times and in three different positions (including head first!), I had no idea what to expect!

Tower of Doom.

Every step I took to go up that building made my heart beat faster and my mouth go drier. As the instructor fastened the carabiner firmly to the ropes, I thought, "Well, it's now or never!"

Can you sense the fear behind that smile?

"Trainee number 53, Angela Constantino, ready to perform standard rapelling, sir!"

A true celebrity always smiles for the camera.

Just a few more steps, Angel! You're almost there!

I heaved a great sigh of relief when my feet finally touched level ground. I felt really good when it was over for it was actually a lot easier than I thought—that is, until they made us rapel lizard-style!

Is there something on the wall? It must be all the blood rushing to my head!

If you can get through this, you can get through anything!

Trainees relax on the ground while waiting for their turn.

After lunch, it was time to rapel the Australian way. I wanted to throw up! Good thing I didn't though or else poor Jay, who was belaying me, would've been covered in rice, beef nilaga, lechon kawali, and ice cream! Hahaha!

Praise the Lord!

Hanging out with Wency, Gerry, Jazzie, Borj, and Janice after rapelling.

Indeed, it was a taxing day for all of us. Hysterical screams came out of some trainees, while others were reduced to tears. While some simply breezed down the building in perfect form, others who are normally poised and happy cursed out loud for fear. But in rapelling, as in life, it is usually the first step that is the hardest. The moment when you're about to step over the platform, looking down and wondering whether you're going to plummet to the ground, you feel fear and apprehension. Some throw caution to the winds and take a leap of faith. Others, like me, are a little more hesitant. But once you take that first step, there's no turning back. It becomes easier with each step, and in the end, you realize that you had nothing to fear after all. :-)

Special thanks to my co-trainees, Francis, Alman, and Eubert for the great pictures!

Misadventures at Mariveles

"With you, I am always with you. You hold me tight, your hand in mine.

You bring all things to a good end. You lead me on in your good pleasure.

What is heaven to me without you?

Where am I on earth if you are not there? Though my body is broken down,

though my heart dies, you are my rock, my God, the future that waits for me.

Far away from you, life is not life. To break faith with you is to be no one.

With you, my highest good, my God, with you, I am secure."

—Psalm 73

Music and lyrics by Manoling Francisco, S.J.

An exciting and adventure-filled weekend awaited us on the eve of August 12, 2005. We were all set to scale Tarak Peak in Mariveles, Bataan. At approximately 1,155 meters above sea level, it's not quite as high as Tapulao—but with a trail blazed by none other then Mr. Rudy "Sky" Biscocho himself, both AMCI members and trainees were in for a lot of unexpected surprises.

TC 2 Super Group!
From L-R: Francis, Niel, Rendo, Sir Atoy, Neri, Mercy, me, and Tisoy

We began trekking at 5:00 am from the MC Jam Square Resort. We stopped momentarily at the DENR post where groups were then dispatched at 10-minute intervals. It had rained the night before so by the time we got to the Panikian river and waterfalls for the first river crossing, the current was very strong. Though I clung tightly to the ropes, the rushing waters threatened to buckle my knees and push me downstream. If Sir Atoy hadn't grabbed my backpack and pulled me to safety, the sweepers might have collected my lifeless body at the foot of the mountain! (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration. After all, they found Janet's jacket draped over one of the rocks further down the mountain. It's sleeves were outstretched, as if hanging on for dear life!)

The first of many river crossings.

Taking a break while waiting for our turn to cross the river.

Waterfalls in the distance.

A path that proved challenging was Cox's wall. Yes, it was literally a wall! We had to hold on to ropes and ascend on an almost vertical terrain with very few footholds. Rocks, big and small, rolled mercilessly down the mountain!

It was definitely a relief to arrive at the Pangil Campsite where we had a brief respite from the torturous trail set before us. Though undeniably challenging, Sky was right to call it a "pure nature art trail." The rivers were filled to the brim and views of the waterfalls were breathtaking.

A photo of the Sllaj Waterfalls taken by Alman.

The rushing river.

After a few more hours of trekking, we reached the Loreejen Stream, which was the last water source. We loaded up on camp water and forged ahead.

The path that stretched ahead of us.

Yes, that's me! Thanks for taking the picture,Vince!

Like Cox's wall, the Magellan trail that came after was a steep vertical ascent. I actually found it quite exciting though! It was like wall-climbing for real—only this time, our handholds and footholds were in the form of rocks, plants, and tree roots.

The trail seemed to go on for hours. My groupmates and I were getting very tired but we hiked on. Though relieved when the Magellan trail was finally over, the huge boulders that loomed above us when we reached the Japanese gardens were hardly consoling. This trail was a little trickier because there were no more tree roots to hold on to. The rocks were huge and slippery. One wrong move could send you plunging down the misty depths of the mountain.

But alas, we made it to the summit! It was so foggy, we could barely see anything (but we were told that on a clear day, the view of Corregidor is breathtaking from here).

Rendo, Niel, and I strike a pose!

Francis stands by the sign that says Tarak Peak—the only proof that we had made it.

After taking a few hurried pictures, Niel, Francis, Rendo, and I started the trek down to the Tarak Ridge campsite. It was getting dark and we were having trouble spotting the trail signs. When we emerged from the forest after about an hour, we finally spotted the colorful sea of tents in the distance. Our camp was so near... yet so far! Going downhill was slippery and the winds were so strong, I had a hard time keeping my balance.

From Tarak peak down to the campsite.

View from the campsite. See the waterfalls in the distance?

I finally reached the campsite at around 7:00 pm. Some of my groupmates made it earlier (we were the first group to be completed at the campsite!). We were very lucky because we trekked for less than 12 hours. We were able to cook, eat a proper dinner, have our own socials, and sleep safely in our tents. Others trekked for 24 hours—in the rain and in the dark!—with only their tarps to keep them warm and their head lamps to guide them. Before the climb, I actually felt quite anxious because my GL had a reputation for prioritizing speed on the trail. But in the end, his prodding for us to keep a steady pace and meet the IT was certainly a blessing because it spared us from a potentially toxic 24-hour trek.

Time for breakfast!

Brrr... it's cold!

The trek down was a lot easier. This time, we used the traditional trail, which allowed us to relax and enjoy the scenery. As one of my groupmates said, we would have appreciated Sky's trail more had we not been fearing so much for our lives. (But in fairness, this trail was definitely more exciting than Tapulao. Not only did it allow us to experience all kinds of terrain, it also gave us one big adrenaline rush!)

Wake up, Niel, we're almost there!

The hills are alive!

The road from whence we came.

Before I end, allow me to wax philosophical and share some of my reflections.

For the duration of this course, I'm sure a lot of us have asked ourselves, "Why are we doing this?" I have already found a multitude of reasons, but perhaps the greatest is this—it has allowed me to be fully present and to feel fully alive. Only now have I been able to make full use of my senses, and exhaust my physical, mental, and emotional faculties. When you're climbing, there's no room to think about anything but the climb, and more importantly, there's no room for self-doubt. You become very aware of yourself and your surroundings. You feel fear, excitement, anxiety, and exhilaration all at the same time. Of course, I cannot speak for everyone, but I personally feel a sense of achievement after every climb, or even after every training session and activity we've had. I've conquered many fears and surpassed seemingly insurmountable limits throughout the course of this training. But the journey is far from over. My only prayer is for the Lord to continue giving me the strength to see it through.

Super group is back at the resort!

TC1 group reunited (albeit with a few extras)!

B2K5 ROCKS!!!