tarak ridge

J has so much faith and confidence in me that for my second climb, he suggested we hike Tarak Ridge in May 2013. Admittedly, I know very little about mountain climbing as I'm only beginning to like it as a recreational activity whereas, J knows a lot about it. And because of this, hiking with him always gives me a sense of security.

Once again, we signed up to climb with Trail Adventours and paid Php 1,400 per person. With my happy experience of hiking Pico de Loro earlier in the same year with them, I felt that it was going to be as hassle-free and worry-free as it was the first time. This time around J also invited his colleague, A to join us. Although J and I work in the same company and are in fact within the same business unit, we had never worked together. And as such, I do not know many of his colleagues save for a few.

We all met in El Pueblo on a very early Saturday morning. There were a couple of familiar faces but most were new and I think that's the good thing about joining a group. You get to share an experience with people who you do not know and maybe even get to know them in the process. When everyone who signed up for the climb was accounted for, we left. I can't remember how long the drive was from Manila to Bataan because I fell asleep. The drive was smooth and comfortable save for the excruciatingly irritating minutes when someone's phone mercilessly shrilled so many times over and jolted J and me awake. When we got to the jump-off point, it was about 6am. After finishing our sandwiches, we began our trek.

A goat smiled for me.

The hike was quite easy at first. There were a couple of houses here and there. There were goats on a fenced part along the trail, doing what goats do. And then the scenery began to change, with the trees growing in number and blocking the sun so that there was just enough sunlight to make us appreciate our surroundings. Along the trail, we stopped by a hut. After a few minutes of rest, the group did some stretching exercises and then off we went again. There was a stream here and there and rocks big and small. And then finally there was Papaya River, which was a welcome sight. Writing about it now, many months later, I frankly cannot remember most of the details of that hike. But I do remember holding on to branches, encountering parts of the trail that I felt were dangerous. The trees grew in number, the fallen leaves carpeted the trail. There were a couple of fallen trees. Some parts of the trail were muddy. And a young man, who was part of the group, struggled with his shoes because it was falling apart. 

And if we weren't already tired enough, the next part of the trail was even more energy-draining as we looked on to a steep trail. There really was no other way but up. Literally. But I was happy because there were a lot of roots to hold on to. But surprisingly, this was the part that I really enjoyed the most.

I guess because it wasn't just about walking. It involved grasping onto things, figuring out where to step and what to hold on to next, and really just thinking on your toes on how to get from A to B. There is something playful and childlike about climbing the way you have to climb that part of the trail to Tarak Ridge. And aside from that, there is also something fun about it and there's a hint of danger as well.

And I loved it. It reminded me of the time when I climbed trees as a young girl, when I had very little care about pain and death; when there was nothing to hold me back and when doing something adventurous and fun felt like it was the only natural thing to do. This part of the trail is the one that I liked and enjoyed immensely even though my arms were almost about to cry in pain. I remember the trees were huge in that part of the trail but it was dry and so it was good. I can only imagine how difficult it is climbing that trail if it weren't dry.

Eventually, we reached the ridge. We had lunch and rested for some time before we explored the rest of the ridge.

Blue skies at the ridge.

Exploring the ridge.

Tarak Ridge,
May 11, 2013

Peace at the top.

J and A before we headed back down.

That hike to Tarak Ridge was a nice experience for me. It was nice to get to know A and to glimpse a side of J that I barely see - his face when he is among friends, the way he is in the company of a friend. I've never been one that is comfortable around guys but it was nice to be around them for a while, to hear male chit chat and banter. It was a nice change for me. 

We were the among the last ones to head back. At that point, I was already so very tired that I wished I could just slide my way back to where the vans were waiting for us to take us back to Manila. But sometimes, heading back seems so much quicker than it is when you were still going to that place. And luckily that was the case for me.