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!!!