“May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.” (Edward Abbey)
What are things that are worth your weekend? Is it a day - long sounding sleep ? or a quick dip at the beach ? or maybe a simple dinner date with your dear ones? Last weekend was different for me as I took the long and winding road of Bukidnon to see the beauty of Kapayawan Ridges.
It was a Saturday night when I left my comfort zone and joined the group of nature trippers at McDonalds Bajada organized by @IndebtedSouls Trail Adventure enroute to Malaybalay, Bukidnon. All we need to prepare is some trail food as the transportation and fees are alongside with the payment. The Low Pressure Area around Mindanao made us a little bit worried because of the continuous rains for almost three days. Luckily, at the night before the trip itself the rain stopped.
The trail, the rain and the trekkers.
We arrived at the BMEG Plantation Site at Impalutao, Impasugong around 4:00 AM. Since the van cannot go a little further near the jump off area we then started to trek going to Ant Farm.
tip: make sure to bring head lamps, or flashlights as tour agencies normally offer a dawn trek if you are scheduled for a day trek.
The 2 and 1/2 hour trek to the camp site was intensely grueling as you need to master your balancing techniques, endure the long uphill climb and the steep downward slopes, the mix of rocky, grassy and muddy trail that will add to the assault. Woods and roots can be helpful at times to save your body from kissing the ground. What makes it more difficult for us was the continuous pouring of rain that caused the path to be slippery and the visibility to be vague.
Upon reaching the campsite, our bodies were gasping for air and in awe at the same time. I always adore such beauty of nature. It is like sucking up all your stresses from the tiresome trek that you have been. Although we haven't witnessed the "sea of clouds" phenomena due to the weather, everything was still worth it. We stayed for a while, took some pictures, ate our breakfast then visited some mountaineers who stayed there overnight.
Perhaps people too preoccupied with the technology and too busy chasing the fast pace of urban life, that sometimes we forget to rest. People feel too comfortable inside a home with their gadgets, that they forget how liberating and exhilarating the open fields are. How the fresh air comes into your system, how it feels to be kissed by the sun, or how it feels to be hugged by the cold breeze of the morning. There are countless other reasons on why we refuse to step out of our comfort zones, but if only we are reminded how majestic the creation of God is, we will start visiting places like Kapayawan Ridge.
Trail difficulty : 4/9
Total trek time: 4 - 5 hours, depending on physical stamina and endurance
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You do not need to be rich to travel, you just got to have the guts to do it. Let me show you the world.
