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Monday, April 26, 2004
Climbing Ancho Frio, Zambo's highest peak
By Ivy A. Custodio
TWO days after my graduation day, some of my high school friends and I, scheduled a reunion camp into the mountains. Feeling afraid of getting bored out from school, I didn't refuse to join them.
On March 26, few days before the actual camp, the group met for a pre-climb meeting, where we all were assigned tasks and oriented with some basics of mountaineering. I was more excited to be on camp rather than to attend my graduation ceremony. At last, my mother allowed me to go. Earlier, she figured out that trekking into the mountains might be dangerous.
Excited as I am, I did not even sleep the night before the group's departure day for the mountains. I was hanging out with my batch mates in college into the beach. Then, as the sunrays came out of the clouds, and the set meeting time for my group to depart for the mountains was nearing, I got more excited. I feel the freedom of moving away, into the forest, into the mountains, away from the noisy city. I imagine the views pleasing to the eyes, the scene enchanting enough to daydream, to reflect upon and deep within one's self, to realize the things that happened in the past, to visualize the path for the future, to unwind. These were really my goal in going to the mountains. But later I realized that there are more things to be discovered in such adventure.
Then came 7:00 a.m., at the plaza in the heart of the city, where the group decided to meet; big backpacks, mountaineering gadgets, food supplies and water were seen to be of primary "baon" of each of the mountaineers. But, what shocked me during the packing time was we have to share in carrying those loads of food and gasoline.
Off we went to the starting point of our trail; we took a bus first to bring us to the barangay at the foot of the mountain that we were about to climb, then, took a motorcycle locally known as "habal-habal". Then, at the end of the road, which was not yet developed for vehicles to pass, we started to walk.
All of us were carrying heavy bags, not thinking how tiring it could be to be trekking while bringing along weighty gears. Add it with the heat of the sun that shone on us while we were hiking so many kilometers up into the highest peak of Zamboanga, known to be the "Ancho Frio," a land acclaimed by the mountaineers as the "Land of Abiding Beauty and Imminent Adventure."
It took us a whole day to follow the trail towards the peak, and while on our way, I almost gave up. My feet almost did not make it to the top, our water supply almost did not sustain us till we reach our destiny, and our tired muscles already released heat in the form of white smoke, (that was my first time to see and learn about that heat-releasing phenomena of a human body.)
And I realized, way back when my ailing grandfather was bed-ridden, would I be willing then, to hike farther, and alone into the jungle to find the herbs that will cure his sickness and bring him back to life? Would I be brave enough to go into the dark jungle just to find species of plants among the thousand kinds?
Then, thoughts of my grandfather, who departed not long yet, came flashing into my mind, I wished then that I was already old at the time when he was still young and strong. That time when jungle was a place where he loves to go to find some alternative medicine for the poor ailing- people in the village who were afraid and cannot afford to take the commercial medicines. How I wish!
But past is past. I was then walking in the forest that time, feeling the coldness of the air that blows under the tall big trees, which I assumed, older than I do. Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. That was all of us felt; minute by minute asking our guides how far yet were our destination.
It was almost dark when we reached the place where we were about to spend the night. And the pessimistic thoughts of backing out of the trek were changed with enchantment and appreciation of the just above our heads.... Fog! We were then enjoying the views, taking pictures, watching the scenery around, then daydream of romance, of someone special who must have been with us and made the entire adventure a lifetime memory.
At the first night in the forest, we supposed that we could have slept well for being so tired, but did not. The silence of the night, and later on, the unfamiliar sounds of land insects and of the wild birds, together with the cold breeze and the images that forms when we glance at the dark, made us conceive of scary thoughts that caused us sleeplessness.
We just prayed that morning will come soon so the darkness will go away and give us back our freedom to move around without the fear of seeing things that might scare us.
Later in the morning, the group was eagerly discussing about the scary musing that happened the night before that somehow lead to a good way of interacting with the other campers. And it did build a strong bonding amongst us all.
As we moved higher, towards the very peak of Ancho Frio, we became so carefree about getting tired, for as long as we see down the mountain ranges that we passed through. That was a sort of accomplishment. A passing of a test not only of physical limits of oneself but also of the adventure into the heart of the unexplored and the unknown.
Together with my new-found friend, Kalif Tan, a nursing graduate from the same school I was in, we led the group into the trail; I was amazed with the kind of guy, Kalif, was, because instead of posing for a picture, he just took shots of the scenery. Same with the other friends I met only during the camp; Abby, Froilan, Arjay, Cherie, Ken-ken, and Alih -- everybody had certain distinctions and personalities, yet friendship just happen in an instant among us, and with my high school friends and classmates; Anna, Ragendra, Jeffrey, Hernan and Joel, sharing of views on how should we make our paths for the future a successful one became one of our favorite matter for conversation. I saw then, that the camp did not only paved way for us youth to develop a strong bonding and friendship, aside from providing us a new avenue away from destructive drug and some other vices, but it also served as a forum for us to discuss youth idealism.
We then all have high hope, that many more youth will be attracted with the idealism of the mountaineers club which was established by youth members mostly Zamboangueños. So that, young people would conceive of an idea that there are lots of interesting activities that can be done to devoid boredom and would take them away from the temptations of the evil drugs and vices.
Truly, climbing the highest peak of Zamboanga did not only give me time to see the future that I am supposed to face, but it also allow me to think back of my past, of my beloved, of my idealism, which has also taken place in the hearts of other young people who share my dreams. Those friends that think good for themselves and advocate also the kind of thinking they have with other friends is what it takes to enrich the youth in us.
And as we left the mountain and were back in our homes, the friendship that was built during our stay in the mountains remained in us, and wherever on earth our idealism will take us, Zamboanga's highest peak will continue to linger on in our hearts.
(April 24, 2004 issue)
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