I crossed one off my 2012 bucket list last January 14-15, 2012: Climb a mountain.
I've always wanted to climb an mountain and go camping ever since I was a young kid. I finally did it. Granted that it wasn't as "roughing it" as real campers would consider but still.
Thanks to my adventurous and always game set of friends, next thing I knew I was already signed up to climb the third highest peak in the Philippines, and the highest in Luzon. (if you're going to do it might as well go all out right?)
For weeks I could not think of anything else but the trip. I read countless blogs of people who have gone before me, researched and re-researched packing lists, went on frequent shopping trips to R.O.X. and Park Square and packed and re-packed my backpack. No, I was actually dreading this trip and was totally unprepared for it. No, really. You see it was only after I signed up and paid for the trip that it hit me that I haven't even completed rehab on my knee which underwent ACL reconstruction surgery. I'm not even 50% done with therapy. So what the hell was I thinking planning on climbing a mountain?! I wasn't. All I knew was I wanted to do it, bahala na how. So for a little peace of mind, I "prepared" for the climb by taking the stairs to my 7th floor office everyday for two weeks. I do at least 2 round trip climbs every day. That was it. Oh and I stopped smoking the day we left for Baguio. (not much help there)
We had a quick breakfast stop near the DENR station. This was where we left our clothes for Baguio too. A short briefing at the DENR station and then we were off to the ranger station - a very bumpy 1.5hrs away by jeep. When we got to the Ranger station it started drizzling but nothing serious. And then we were off. This is it!
