Mount Pulag 03: Reaching the Summit (a photo essay)

"If I ever reach heaven I expect to find three wonders there first,

to meet some I had not thought to see there second,

to miss some I had expected to see there and third,

the greatest wonder of all, to find MYSELF there. "

I don’t know who said this, but it is the best description I could summon for this entry. The closest thing I could get to heaven.

We set the alarm at 3am to have enough time to prepare for our early assault at the summit. Our aim for that day: to witness the sun ascend from the sea of clouds at the summit of Mount Pulag.

From the campsite to the summit, it would take 2 hours or less. When we woke up that early morning, the weather was not encouraging. It was raining, foggy, and chilly. My hands and my feet were all numb as we were making the assault. The combination of rain, cold wind, and thick fog surging on my face, made me feel frozen all the more.

In less than 2 hours, our group reached the summit. Ah, finally!

The temperature at the summit was colder than what I have expected. Since it was still dark and raining, I hid among the bushes just to moderate the surging of the cold wind and the mist. It was less than 5 degree Celsius at the summit and I could not feel my face anymore. My gloves and my shoes were useless as they were soaking wet.

A few minutes after, miraculously the rain stopped and the sun was peeking from the cottony clouds. It was a momentous day for me. The sun dance worked!

Below is a photo essay of my experience at the summit. :-D

SUNRISE, FINALLY. Oki was happy to witness the sun rising from the thick clouds. She was the first person who suggested that we all do the sun dance (ala Sarah Geronimo). She believed something will come out of it and we all succeeded in convincing the god and goddess of the mountains that we deserve such nature's splendor. It was fun.

THREE GENTLEMEN. Fellow climbers who were with us during the early assault. They were the first three who went to the other side of the hill to witness the sun rising. They brought with them tripod.

WILLIE RISING. Around this time, the sun was up and the cold weather was at a tolerable level. Members of our group were starting to disperse, positioning in every hill to stand and take every photo opportunity. I sure did position myself, strategically. For awhile, I felt that the hills were mine!

CHANGING COLORS. Facing the sun, this is the view at the east. One great attributes of Mount Pulag is its rolling hills that change colors depending on the season and the weather. Some portion are lush green, the others are light brown owing to the colors of the grass, and dark brown like the chocolote hills of Bohol.

GREEN, LUSH ROLLS. This could be the back of a huge monster. It is a rolling hills from where I stood. The thick clouds are slowly dispersing as the sun reaches its peak.

BROWN ROLLS. This is the same grassland. It changed colors as the sky cleared up. There was no sign of the rain, but the dews were there...shimmering under the rays of the sun.

STEALING BEAUTY. Fellow photographers and nature enthusiasts trying to capture the beauty they were witnessing. How could you not? This is the closest place to heaven. God could be wondering about the noise down there and opt to take a peak at us.

SOLITUDE. A fellow climber who was enjoying the moment.

CONTRASTING COLORS. The sun was up, the spread of light was just stunning. The grassland turned yellowish, the best contrast against the blue, clear sky.

SAVORING THE SUN. I've missed the sun that day. The cold was enduring but feeling the sun once again was just a breath of life. I was enjoying this moment.

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I am taking each moment as it comes. I try to change what I think is wrong and learn from my own mistakes and misapprehensions. I cannot change everything, but I am trying to do something. Did I ever tell you I am the most amiss person?

But if there’s one thing I truly learned from this experience, it is trying NOT to miss on that “little moment” in my life --feeling the sun on my face, smelling the grass, touching the dew after the rain, enduring a freezing weather, and smiling back at you every time you give me the coldest “hi”.