Sunday, April 22, 2007

Mt.Kanlaon Virgin No More! (pictures will follow)

Eight hours of walk through Mapot Trail (farmlands, think forest, and thinker bushes), the easiest way to reach Makawiwili Ridge. Thousands of feet below is Margaja Valley, it's beautiful and dangerous, one careless step, down you go...

Then another two hours of sliding down the muddy trail plus climbing up and over trees lying across the narrow way to the shoulder of Mt.Kanlaon. Passed through thorny leaves and twigs, itchy cogon grass that will leave like eternal itch to your feet.

Fog starts to cover everything halfway to the Mt.Kanlaon's shoulder and you start having that fog released from your mouth when you talk ( what's that called again?). When you finally reach the mountain's shoulder, the cogon grasses are way tamer than the ones you encountered first, and it's the sign you're ready to put up your tent.

Pray for the clouds or fogs to talk a sail away from the mountain so you can see the entire view of the crater and the whole Negros Oriental. The crater by the way is 30 minutes away from the shoulder. When you decide to go up, put on some thicker gloves, coat, and reliable sandals or shoes. The way up is steeper and rocky.

The fog is thicker and you'll find it hard to see your way up so it's really advisable that the guide should put up some trail signs or something and everyone must be careful in stepping on some rocks, it might fall right down to the face of the person climbing next to you.

Up there in the crater, if you're lucky enough that the mountain is fog-free, then you'll see the entire Negros Island! Imagine how tall and mighty you are, looking down the vast green and brown land!

Then after taking in all the greatness God has allowed you to feed, it's time to say byebye to Mt.Kanlaon.

Follow Mananawin trail, the easiest trail in going down (hardest in going up). From the camp site, you have to trek six hours to reach Canlaon City. The bushes are thicker, itchier, and more thorny. The forest though is not as thick as that in Mapot trail. After about three hours of it, you will reach "patayng suba" or "dead river" there's a cliff there with a face of a smiling woman like it's intentionally carved. Quarter of that remaining three hours is still a forest area. Then after that are farmlands and the next thing you know, highway na.

1 comment:

veraLeigh said...

how's the guy?

you HAVE to introduce me to him.