How fascinating it was to discover how capable we are in doing things that we thought we cannot do. Conquering the 5th highest mountains in the Philippines is a self-achievement for me considering this was my first major climb. All those minor climbs that I’ve tried before were all difficult because I didn’t prepare physically. So to make sure that I will survive the Mt Kalatungan traverse Mt. Wiji climb, I did a cardio and leg work out for one month, lol. I also tried not to hire a porter and just pack light. But no matter how I tried to pack light, my bag was still heavy, weighing to 7 kilos.
Mt. Kalatungan traverse Mt. Wiji climb event was organized by Kaplag Adventours. The group met around 2:00 AM and we reached Bukidnon at 5:00 AM. We registered and signed a waiver then proceed to a short discussion about their rules and prayer before starting the trek. We hired porters and guides. And it was prohibited to bring hard liquor during the climb.
Our guides and porters
And so the adventure begins. We started to trek into the woods. Our goal is to reach the first campsite by lunchtime. It was a 4-5 hours trek before we reach the first campsite. We had our lunch in there, rested for a while, water refill and then continued our journey.
After another 4 hours, we reached the second campsite. We set up camp and pitched our tents. Hungry, tired, sleepy and while waiting for the food I fell asleep. (senyorita haha) Kaplag Adventours at its best, providing sumptuous food in the middle of the woods. A few hours of social and then lights off early to prepare ourselves for another round of hike the next day.
First campsite
Wake up call at 6:00 AM, breakfast, coffee and break camp. We then headed to Mt. Kalatungan’s Peak and then will camp at Mt. Wiji. It took us almost 8 hours going to Mt. Wiji. We depart from our first camp around 8:00 AM.
It started to rain while we trek. The temperature was so cold and my whole body was chilling. There were some ascending portions that were so difficult to climb. There’s no turning back so I need to climb up no matter what. charing! We camp for lunch near Kalatungan’s Peak but we didn’t ascend to the peak because there was no clearing due to the weather condition. After lunch and rest, we ascend to Mt. Wiji.
Muleta Falls from afar
We reached the campsite in Mt. Wiji around 4:00 PM. It was still raining and very cold. We immediately set up tents. Changed fleece clothes to keep us warm. We had again unlimited coffee and good dinner. As usual, because no hard drinks allowed, lights off early. No time for social gathering because it was freezingly cold.
The next day, we woke up early to see the sunrise and sea of clouds. It was still dark but I can see some clouds formation. It was my first time to witness a sea of clouds. Then after a few minutes, the sun slowly shine beneath the clouds. I couldn’t explain how wonderful it was and how happy I am. I never imagined that I can see a beautiful view like that in my entire life.
Sea of clouds and sunrise is so perfect!
Group shot with Kaplag Adventours
We break camp after breakfast and then started to descend. We passed by on the danger zone area. One wrong step and you’ll fall down. It started to rain again making the path slippery. I tried to avoid stepping on the roots visible on the paths but I cannot remember how many times I stumbled. My knees started to get tired. I tried to keep them sturdy while descending to avoid ankle sprain. It took us more than 8 hours to reached back to the entry point.
My Mt. Kalatungan traverse Mt.Wiji experience was very awesome, loaded with full pack adventure, with crazy friends and newly found friends. It is recommended to prepare physically, do cardio and leg work out before the trek. Bring also fleece clothes, jackets, fleece socks, bonnets, emergency blankets and poncho for you to survive the cold.
To book your Mt. Kalatungan traverse Mt. Wiji hike with unlimited coffee and food, kindly contact Kaplag Adventours,
https://www.facebook.com/KaplagAdventours/
Mobile Number: 09102037455
