The breathtaking sunrise at the peak of the highest mountain in Luzon is worth the hypothermia-inducing weather at Camp 2. Mt. Pulag is the second mountain that I had the courage to scale and, so far, I have fallen in love with its valleys and peaks, the rolling hills, and even with the unpredictable weather. The climb was never too difficult especially when you're accompanied by two of your good friends. Being the only girl in our group, I was, nevertheless, 'pampered' and spoiled by Teej and Euge (uyyy, rhyme haha!). It was also awesome that the other campers who joined the hike and trail leaders were a cool and happy bunch that, instantly, we made new friends.
As I said, the hike itself was not too difficult because there were clear pathways and the incline was not too steep. What was rather challenging was carrying a 35L (or 50L bags in the case of my two kuyas) bag all the way 2,922 masl. It was, on an average, 1 - 2 hour hike to reach Camp 2 where the whole crew would be spending the night before the much-anticipated peak assault.
When we reached Camp 2, we were immediately greeted by a cool breeze that later on signalled the coming of rain. It was soooo cold - the coldest I have ever experienced in my life and I am not exaggerating. I was ordered (coerced) to stay inside the tent under my warm sleeping bag as my brothers prepared dinner. Dinner was composed of Nido soup, Spam, and brown rice (which took an hour to cook haha!). It was the best soup I've tasted and I didn't even bother to cool it off because I was practically shaking. I guess the highlight of the night, aside from the delicious dinner, was the view of the night sky. The stars were the only illumination we had during that night and even if it was occassionally drizzling, the sky remained bright. Unfortunately, there weren't any shooting stars but we did see Venus and The little dipper that night.
Dawn was another story. If it was cold during the night, it was freezing by dawn. Before I could get out of the tent, I'd put on 6 layers of clothing, 2 socks, a bonnet, gloves, and a scarf. I was afraid I could not move around easily because of the layers but I did get on without difficulty. We commenced the assault at 3.30am and reached the peak of Pulag around 5 am. It was pitch black with only our head lamps/flashligths providing guidance. An occasional cloud or two would pass by and it would be zero visibility for a second. Upon arriving at the peak, we drank coffee while waiting for the majestic sunrise.
Back at camp, Euge unfolded his cooking skills and made us breakfast - scrambled eggs with basil and cream, corned beef, and brown rice. Heaven on earth! :)After decamping, we trudged on as we descended one of nature's wonders. I was one of the first hikers to complete the descent - I guess when you haven't taken a bath for 2 days, you'll be motivated by the promise of being able to take a bath - no matter how freezing the water is - at the ranger station.
Thank God that we did not experience any extreme weather conditions while trekking. I would definitely go back to Mt. Pulag. Cliche as it may sound but up there, I realized how beautiful simple living is, how nice it is to go back to the essentials. In this day and age of excess, Pulag taught me how to live with what I cannot live without and do away with things that I do not need at all and would only make my journey heavier.
