Mt. Tapulao, Palauig, Zambales

My very first major climb....Mt. Tapulao

Last January19 to 20, I was invited with a climbing buddy Gerald on his event to climb Mt. Tapulao in Palauig, Zambales.  At first, I was so hesitant again to accept the invitation because...Wow...It's a major climb boy!....kaya ko ba yan?... My fear to do a major climb is increasing especially when I heared the story of another climb buddy which he said....isinusumpa ko ang Tapulao...grabe pahirap!... Gosh!...how can I do this? Until another climbing buddy of mine, which is also a joiner to this event told me....kaya mo yan...sige kasama naman ako...Nakakapagpalakas ng loob di ba?...But still the fear is there. Lessen? Yes...because I have with me the very comfortable buddy I ever had...Gerald and Erwin...Thanks to them for the support and the boost to do it...And it was a very successful major climb...and I can't believe I did it with all my pride and happiness...

Leo and Erwin

So, here are some of my story about this adventure of mine...and I am proud and humbly sharing it with you...and to all the nature lovers out there...Come and join us...!

Since most of our climbing buddies will came from the north, (Angeles City and Baguio City), we are only three who travelled all the way from Manila to Zambales(as my prior knowledge). Me, Erwin and Leo, met at the Victory Liner Bus Station in Caloocan City around 9pm of Jan.18th...  It is my first time to meet Leo and I don't have any idea how he looks....Gerald told me that he is a foreigner but not mentioning his nationality...Gosh! sabi ko kay Erwin...duguan ng ilong ito bro....hahaha. And it's good that Leo, a German national, has no heavy accent and he speaks slowly...not like some other foreigners that speaks too fast and had a hard time to understand because of their accent. So lucky for both of us, Me and Erwin...hahaha!

Sir Gerald, event host

A sign showing that you are already at the
jump-off point of Mt.Tapulao

And as per our itinerary is concerned, we have to ride a bus bound direct to Iba or Sta.Cruz, Zambales by 10pm of Jan.18th so that we can take a little rest upon arriving to our jump-off in Palauig before we start to hike. But a very sad situation happened. All the bus is fully-booked until 12mn.  So we take our chance to take a bus bound to Angeles City that leaves the station by 10:30pm, and from Angeles, we will have to ride another bus going to Iba. And that is the hardest part of our travel....we don't have any idea that it is difficult to ride another bus from Angeles going to Iba that time...whew! We stayed there for almost an hour and I tried to call Amber, also a climbing buddy, just to ask if there is any alternative transportation going to Iba....but she only knew the same route that we had in mind...but still many thanks to her because she gave us an idea how far are we from the jump-off even in the middle of the night. And having a hard time waiting for the bus to Iba, a man approached us offering a taxi...Huh! di ko alam may taxi pala sa Angeles...but you know what a taxi means in that area?  It is a private car/van...hehe! He offered Php1,500 para ihatid sa Iba...salamat at may sumabay sa amin hanggang San Antonio...we pay only Php800 for the three of us....And from Iba, a tricycle was already parking at the other side of Victory Bus station in Iba, Zambales. We paid Php400 to the tricycle going to our jump-off in Palauig...Thanks God...we arrived around 3am of Jan.19th at the registration area and from there, we met Sir Gerald's group from Baguio City. Next to us arrived was the group from Elektrekkers also based in Manila...And upon waiting for the Clark group to arrive...we did not waste the time to take a rest....So we did our nap...and gain some more energy...Pero bakit di ako makatulog....haist! ...excited???nervous???

The Elektrekkers Group

Our trek starts at 6:30am, a little late to our IT....but still...everybody is excited and happy meeting each participants...para bang matagal na kaming magkakakilala....lahat ay may nabubuong kwentuhan...biruan at kung anu-anu pa... Ito ang masaya sa pamumundok...lahat ay masaya, lahat ay pantay-pantay, lahat ay may bigayan, lahat ay may paggalang sa isa't-isa, lahat ay marunong magpahalaga sa kalikasan....Sana sa kapatagan nabubuo din ang ganitong samahan...Ito ang isang katangian ng Kabundukan na naibabahagi nya sa ating mga tao...sa isang Mamumundok...
Ikaw kaibigan...napapansin mo ba ito? Ginagawa mo ba ito sa kapatagan?
At bilang pagbabahagi ko ng karanasan dito sa Mt. Tapulao, sana ay maibigan nyo ang isa ko pang munting karanasan sa pag-akyat ng kabundukan at maipakita ko ang kagandahan ng kalikasan...

Types of trail we encountered before the camp site...

Since this mountain was classified as a major climb, we took it 11hrs before we reached the camp site...this was so tiring for me though the trail is not that stif, it is because of the rocks that I found so hard ...grabe! walang katapusang batuhan ang pakiramdam ko that time...thanks to all the participants because they always finds a way how it will become enjoyable to all of us...their sense of humor are superb...Ganado!

Some trees, views and landscape that attracts my attention 

our camp site

our camp site before sunrise...photo credit to Mam Gilda

Sunrise and Sea of Clouds in Mt. Tapulao...

This moment is the most precious on all mountaineers...to wait and see the view of the sunrise...the most overwhelming moment when you're in the mountain...the very priceless event of our life that not all person had a chance to see....This is what I always love to see and feel every time I climbed....

Mt. Tapulao summit

the most popular tree on Mt. Tapulao's summit

With this, I am very much proud and happy that at this moment of my life...I can still do and did a major climb...this is how Byaheng Jologs made to conquer her fear....kaya taralets...akyat na tayo para makita pa natin ang ganda ng kalikasan...

Tara...Byaheng Jologs na!!!