Years of wall climbing, mountain climbing, dragonboat rowing, jogging, kayak marathon and all other trainings...none of it prepared me for the monster that was the Mt. Mayon summit climb! The kickass volcano kicked my ass!
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| Mt. Mayon view from camp 1 |
Maybe I was a bit out of shape, or signs of old age? It took every ounce of energy, will power and faith in my entire being to reach the summit.
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| Squeezing my way through very thick vegetation |
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| End of day 1 trek - Camp 2 |
Staying at camp 2 was an absolute pleasure. It was freezing cold, just the way I like it. Since we got to camp 2 early, I was able to enjoy my book with an amazing view at the background! Unmatched by any of the city's pleasures, this is one of the things that make me want to climb over and over despite the difficulties of reaching the peak.
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| My books and the fantastic view |
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| Nilagang baka and coffee to recharge my body for the early climb to the summit |
At 3:00 in the morning, we started our climb to the summit and the crater. Accident and death came across my mind countless times. The terrain was treacherous and every step had to be calculated. My life literally depended on it!
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| Still smiling, unaware of how hard the next 10 hours would be |
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| The crack of dawn when sun started to peek...amazing! |
There was a constant debate in my mind every 30 minutes on whether or not I should turn back or soldier on..."Ayaw ko na, mamamatay ako dito", "Sige na nga tapusin ko na, sayang naman". It really was a test of character and will power.
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| 1 hour to go... |
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| THE SUMMIT AT LAST! Beside is is the very angry crater with the stench of sulfur. We could remove our masks for a few seconds to have our photo taken. |
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| On the way down to camp 2 |
The descent was more challenging for me because it almost seemed like we were walking 90 degrees down. Boy, it was a long long way town to the valley! I am not ashamed to say that towards the end, I was already on my hands and knees.
I still can't believe I'm writing this in Camp 2. The grueling experience still seems so surreal.
My battle scars are 1 very small splinter, burnt skin all over, scratches from twigs and plants and an aching body. Was it worth it? I'm still trying to argue with myself. It sure is quite an achievement to be the only 2nd Filipino woman to reach the summit at alert level 2 since 2001.
Would I do it again? Probably not. But this is one experience that I'll definitely will remember for the rest of my life.
I'm happy to be back. I'm happy to be alive.
