At about 6, 243 ft above sea level, conquering Mount Cuernos de Negros (Talinis Peak) was no easy feat for a neophyte mountaineer. But what push me to pursue such a venture? The reasons were forgotten…what remains is a sweet triumph of being able to endure an almost 18 hours walk in the rain, the one day extension at the mountains and more hardships that (maybe) every mountaineer has to experience.
It was supposed 2 be just a 2 days and 1 night adventure. But in the mountains, time is always an enemy. On the way down at 4 hours away from the end of the trail, the sun was preparing to set, forcing us on a night trek. It was our first major climb and most were not prepared of the dangers of night trekking so when the guide suggest we set up camp, we agreed. The issues and concerns came after.
How do we survive another night? The foods were running out. What would we ate for dinner and breakfast the next day? Our families expects us to be home on a Sunday night, wouldn’t they panic if we’re not home as scheduled? More and more issues came…and then resolved.
From that setback, we’ve learned how important it is to always have an extra. In the mountains, often assumed that the worst will happen. It is not being pessimistic. It is just a way to survive.
This climb was an initiation to the mountaineering world. It was a first major climb so I didn’t know what to expect. Didn’t want to be caught of guard so here are things I did to prepare myself. It might be worth a read if you are interested to be part of this world. 🙂
- READ what you are going into. There’s a whole world of information in WWW. You can’t just jumped into the water without knowing how deep it is right? Well, maybe you can if you know how to swim. But even so, knowing how to swim wouldn’t save you from the sharks that lurk in the water. Haha!
- PREPARE. If you read things about mountaineering, there are suggestion on what to do to prepare. Follow it. Be physically and mentally prepared. Schedule jogging sessions. Enroll in the gym. Do the yoga. Do everything that will make your body fit for the strenuous activity.
- ANTICIPATE. Get excited. Get into the mood. Being excited at something radiates a good aura in you. The more you think that doing a climb is FUN, it will really be FUN. Think of the things you will see when you reached the top. Think of the views of the trail. Think of how nice it is to be with friends.
And aside from the 3 above…no matter what happens on the trail, accept it as part of the adventure. Also, don’t bring TOO MUCH stuffs. Bring only the once that you will need. No more lipsticks for me…and powder…and mirror. Haha! Even seemingly weightless things may weigh more than you think when you are going uphill.
So now…let me tell you the story with the collages I have of the climb…
Please stay with me on my adventures towards conquering as many mountains as I can. Let me know your thoughts on the comments below. 🙂
Talinis Series: Prologue, First 4 Hours, Next 4 Hours, The Summit, The Leech Saga
The WANDER (FULL) LIFE 
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