The month of July has finally rolled around, and the powers-that-be has declared that, yes, the rainy season is finally upon us. During this latter half of the year, there is a smaller chance of going on treks and hikes, because there is always the rain to ruin even the best-laid plans. But we take what we can get, and we are lucky that we have the nearby Mt. Jumbo of La Trinidad to tide us over, at least until we can find another hike-worthy spot to explore.
Mt. Jumbo. Mt. Yangbo. Mt. Yangbaw. It is a mountain that goes by several names. But, more importantly, it is a mountain right here in La Trinidad where you can enjoy the thrills of a short hike, the exhilaration brought on by a fantastic view when you reach the top, and the pleasure of sitting around with a group of friends – old and new – swapping stories and sharing inanities (and insanities).
Most of my friends have already gone to this mountain repeatedly over the past year, and I somehow felt wretched that I was never able to, considering how it is practically around one or two kilometers from our house. A few weeks ago, I was finally able to tag along for a late afternoon trek to, and overnight camping at, Mt. Jumbo.
Our group converged at our friend’s place in Upper Tomay (where the trail starts) at half past 4 in the afternoon. Laden with our sleeping bags, tents, campfire foods and drinks (and loads of anticipation), we set off at 5pm because we wanted to see the sun set.
Going up, however, we had a feeling that we won’t be able to witness a clear sunset, because there is a fog coming in. You’d have to pass some houses and gardens along the way, then you will find yourself walking up the side of the mountain. The trail was very easy, a 2 or 3 on a scale of 1 to 10.
Depending on your pace, it would take around 30 minutes to an hour until you get to the campsite area. When we got there, we could only see a silhouette of the sun hidden behind the thick evening clouds. And, the lack of clear sunset notwithstanding, we had some fiery moments, albeit fleeting.
We pitched our tents, and started lighting a fire. Soon afterwards, the rest of our group arrived with more of our supplies and firewood.
Oh, we also had a camp-crasher, in the form of this nosy (and hungry-for-chips) cow. She was repeatedly led off, only for her to retrace her steps to bother us again. She was going around the campsite the whole time, and there were moments when you’d nearly jump out of your skin as you realize she is right beside you, an arm’s length away. When we slept, she finally sauntered off…
…only to come back in the morning, with another calf in tow. Tsk tsk.
Oh, and did you know that cows LOOOOOOVE Clover Chips? Yes, you learn something new everyday. 🙂
Camping won’t be complete without some meat, so our resident “griller” (at the time) made not-so-short work of the meat we brought along. As for the rest of us? We also made quick work of the two bags of marshmallows we had, and made s’mores!!
We then played rounds of silly games (Pinoy Henyo, anyone?) and basically let out our silly sides. It feels so… freeing, to let go sometimes.
Some things you discover in random situations like these:
> some people have no idea what on earth “Maruya” is;
> the extent of knowledge of some people about Philippine television is limited to “Forevermore”;
> Pinoy Henyo looks so much easier when you’re not the one on the hot seat.
Oh, and the whole time, the valley of La Trinidad was within sight.
When you’re in a situation like this, and there are seasoned and experienced photographers who oh-so-kindly lugged their unbelievably heavy contraptions with them, some photo opportunities should not be missed. Oh, and light painting, anyone?
At around midnight, we decided to call it a night, but we still did not feel like going into our tents. So we brought out our sleeping bags, lay down beside the fire, and slept.
Of course, I was woken up at around 2:30am when dew and cold were finally seeping in. I discovered most of us have already crawled inside where it is dry (and not really all that warm but, still, warmer.) There we resumed our slumber….
…only to be stirred awake by the sound of the early morning breeze flipping and flapping against the sides of the tent. At 5am, we rose and made that short walk back up the knoll to witness the sunrise.
When we got to the huge rock which also serves as a viewdeck of sorts, there were other people there already, most likely early morning hikers, who also want to witness the same thing.
The wind was quite ruthless, whipping at us. But, in a not so odd way, it was very refreshing. Invigorating.
And there she is.
By the way, from here, you can also spot Mt. Kalugong “next door”.
When the sun has already fully risen and we had quite enough of the whipping morning wind, we went back to the campsite for morning coffee and light breakfast. Flew kites while we’re at it, then eventually broke camp.
I’ve said this before, and I say it again. I feel truly blessed to be living where I am right now. I feel like we, in La Trinidad, are perfectly situated between the modernities of urban living, the sensibilities of rural life, and the timeless beauty of nature.
More info:
I’ve been told that you can get to the top of Mt. Jumbo through more than one point of entry.
– via Km. 4, La Trinidad. Take a jeepney and get off at the trail’s jump-off point in sitio Banig, Tawang.
– via Tomay, just a little past the turning point of jeepneys plying the Baguio-Upper Tomay route. This is the trail we took, since the jump-off point is conveniently where our friend’s house is. 🙂
You’ll have to pay Php20.00 environmental fee, I think. In the morning, we were told that lighting a campfire is not allowed. We didn’t know. Honest.
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