Back at Sandari

my Mt. Batulao experience reinforced my obsession to roam and explore. i've gone to a number of places already but most of them were work-related and side-trips (taking advantage of the work-related trip to roam the vicinity). for this year, the forest trekking adventure organized by Sandari Batulao is my second non-work-related and non-side-trip escapade :)

schedules were checked and cousins were rounded up to join so i could share the outdoor experience with them.

and what better way to road test my new kicks! ;P

there were two batches scheduled for the trek and my group was included in the 2nd batch at 1:00pm. we left the house by around 9am to avoid the hassles of being stuck in traffic caused by road widening projects, pipeline repair projects, etc. plus, we planned to have lunch at Picnic Grove as a side-trip.

then again, traffic has now become part of living wherever in the Philippines so we did not escape the inevitable. it also rained a little upon reaching Tagaytay so lunch at Picnic Grove was crossed out. we worried about coming in late.

but the heavens were smiling upon us as we reached our destination a couple of minutes before our schedule. plus, the first batch haven't returned from the forest yet, so we still had time to eat lunch and shoot some pictures :) talk about being lucky :D

pre-trek photo-op at the marketing/sales office of Sandari Batulao

after our hearty lunch, we filled up some forms and after the orientation, two vans transported us to the forest reserve.

never go outdoors without this

some lovely 'shrooms

downhill towards a footbridge

take five with bro on the giant roots of the balete tree

photo op with our official photographer ;)

signed on the big tarp at the end of the trek

the Forest Trek gets our thumbs up!

climbing Mt. Batulao

when i was younger (so much younger than today! hehehe!), i made a mental bucket list--a list of what i wanted to do and/or where i wanted to go. one of them is to climb a mountain. i have always wanted to do that and vowed that i must fulfill it on or before i reach the big 3-0.

21 months after my deadline, just when i thought it will never happen, i finally got the chance.

the climb was organized by Sandari Batulao and was conducted on April 16, 2011.

unfortunately, i wasn't able to reach the summit because my shoes gave up on me halfway through the climb. i had no choice but to stay and wait at peak 8 while my siblings and friends continue to peak 10 (the summit).

nevertheless, the climb was an enriching experience. though my body got tired, my spirit was refreshed. being outdoors, high up the mountain and seeing God's creations felt so great.

thanks to all the people at Sandari Batulao for organizing the climb, thanks to all my fellow climbers, thank God for the good weather. maybe next time, and with sturdier shoes, i will reach your summit, Mt. Batulao. 'til next time :)