MT. TAPULAOIba, Zambales
Major jump-off: Brgy. Damapay-Salaza
LLA: 15.4833 N, 120.1166 E, 2037 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 2-3 days / 14 hours
Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail class 3
This Climb was more difficult than the AMBANGEG TRAIL on MT.PULAG, using the existing trail being use by the miner's it was a very strenuous trail as in BIG TIME! Two of my co mountaineers & I climb at exactly 4:30 am Feb 7, 09 it was super early but it was just right for the climb, we don't want the scorching heat of the sun get us on our way up, because there was no covering from the suns heat. It's widely open, before we had begun to walk the KAGAWAD informed us to be careful because there were Military troops sleeping at the admin, while ascending at the entry point we saw a flashlight facing towards us so my team greeted whoever it was with a GOOD MORNING PO, The 3 of us registered our names at the entry point at the outpost, hahaha the guard was amaze to see that only 3 persons were climbing Tapulao :) it was last month they had a group climb up as the guard said, this mountain was infrequently climb because of the difficult terrain but what the heck, so we went along our way, my goodness it’s true what they say on this mountain it’s a difficult one it was 6 am but it was still dark at about 6:30 am the glimpse of the sky showed up to shed some light 30 minutes after we decided to have breakfast and so we did, while eating we heard voices below us, Art said maybe it was the locals so I replied” maybe it’s the locals” it was almost 8 am we heard the voices getting louder and saw a group of mountaineers ascending, “mali kame hindi locals”
The 3 of us were happy to see them, earlier the one with the flashlight was ERIC he said to us “I saw you guys and heard you greeted me but you ascended quickly and I had to call my group he said”, what a relief it was good to know that we were not the only trekkers on that day.
The Second group continued trekking, at about 9:15 am my team & I saw the second group again we advanced and waited for them before reaching the 3 ascending part of the mountain, at about 10 am we were ascending again and continued until we arrived 1:15 pm at the Pines now we kept on ascending taking a few breaks as needed, it was getting colder as we ascended to higher grounds we passed by the 2 land slides good thing it was already cleared, it was almost 4 pm we were now at 1,900 + MASL and my fellow mountaineer RENAN was showing a minor symptoms of hypothermia at exactly 4pm we arrived at the small kubo, we took refuge and rested, RENAN was shaking, head is aching, so I gave him CHUBBY it’s a choco bar for him to eat and made him coffee to heat up his body, on that point PULAG was COLDER, I was thinking what if he was on PULAG ouch! Anyway everything was ok although we were all shivering I called ALVIN my fellow mountaineer because I was wanting to ask him the location of the real bunker, I was so glad to have contacted him, he said we were only 15 to 20 minutes away, so my team & I continued trekking and finally seeing the BUNKERS.
Two Miners’s greeted us and told us that if we want to set up our tents, he said as we please and also he told us if we wanted to use the bunkers, it was ok because all the miners were not working anymore, the mining was stop a year ago he said, so Art, Renan & I decided to take the offer a few minutes more the group of ERIC arrived it was cold the wind was blowing rapidly “hahahaha kaka nginig” so now all of us decided to stay at the bunker, afterwards we prepared our dinner it’s almost 5:30 pm, after eating our dinner it was time for our SOCIALS. After the socials it was time to sleep, about 3 in the morning the coldness was like a cold needle striking our bodies, at about 5 am I woke up and still the winds are blowing wildly outside the bunker, it was like the wind wanted to take out the roof of the bunker, hahaha CREEPY.
7 am the 4 of us decided to take the summit of MT.TAPULAO art, renan, eric & I, after 10 minutes we arrived at the base camp on the entry point of the mossy forest going to the summit continued trekking after 47 minutes we arrived at the summits crater, zero visibility but it was ok we didn’t mind at all, after taking some few pictures I’ve notice a blood leeched was trying to get inside my jacket, GRRRR….. So I removed it I was joking ERIC that it would take its revenge “mag tatawag yun tol kase pinitik ko” so a few minutes more we started descending, Eric was moving on a fast pace because he hates limatic, so he’s gone real fast hahahaha, but the 3 of us were exploring the mountain taking pictures and enjoying the view that the mountain has to offer, on our descend we took a U turn and headed at the kubo, after 45 minutes the sight of the BUNKERS again, arriving at the bunker we prepared our breakfast, the second group decided to go up the summit because they wanted to see the summit, Eric then again joined them “TIBAY NG LOLO MO”
11 am Art, Renan & I started descending the higher grounds estimated time in reaching the outpost was 4 hours, the heat of the sun was really HOT!!! But we continued walking on the half of the trail Renan already felt his knee cap was tiring already because of the long walk; about Art he was just ok. Art & I told Renan to Advance because of his condition before I was leading the trail now I’m sweeping the trail, an hour again pass a felt the tiring of my right leg, it was not usual for me, so I ignored it and went along my way, it was 4 pm I arrived at the outpost and I was happy to see Art nyahahaha, kapagod I told him, 5 minutes after we headed at the DENR admin, but still my right leg was numb, we waited for the water to arrive Renan was the first one to take a bath, followed by me & afterwards Art, while I was taking my bath I was applying soap on my body then all of a sudden when I applied soap on my right leg ouch there it was GRRRR…… the revenge!!!! Limatic “mataba na sya” I removed it, and my blood gashing out my right leg BAD TRIP, now I know why my leg was numb, anyway andun na yun what can I do?
The group of Eric arrived again, and as usual we had to say goodbye again because we will be advancing, after 40 minutes riding the tricycle we arrived at the hi-way and it was very bad NO BUSES WHERE at hand!!!! We waited almost 30 minutes for an Olongapo bus to arrive, at the IBA TERMINAL “stop over” hahahaha Eric’s group were next to us again so finally meeting again, the more the merrier but we were stranded at the terminal until 11:30 pm because the buses earlier are to damn occupied, so we waited for the 11:30 pm bus for Pasay. Finally at the bus all of us rested. The pictures will tell you the story.
7 STRONG SOUL SCALING MT.TAPULAO
xave
art
renan
eric
angel
arwin
jason
February 6-9 2009
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