Mt. Apo

Trip: Mt. Apo

Hikers: Group 1> Ate Jhobee's Aunt (GMO workers, including a doctor); Group >2 Kelly, Eva, Hannah, Ruth, Annabelle, Ate Jhobee, and Kuya John
Duration: 3 days, two days up and one day down.

L to R: Hannah, Annabelle, Ruth, Eva, and Kelly

Finally, I have a few pictures to share with you from our trip.  Oh, it was sooo worth it.  Although it was hard (our complications included loosing soles on shoes...someone becoming hypothermic...loosing a camera that had to be retrieved, arriving after the last bus, which had left early) we were so refreshed from it and are the better for it now!

We had area of the trail that were 90 degrees (or straight up), but the park has built ladders...mostly helpful, but a little sketchy.  There were skinny trails with drop offs on the far side.  Mud pits that seemed to desire your shoes as there newest tenants.  Plants that had prickers, but are apparently a type of poison ivy, with a sting so severe it feels like hundreds of needles have been stuck into you. Our tent, wonderful though it was had a leak, so our last night each of us experienced having water drop, unexpectedly, on a sleeping head, which always responded in drowsy confusing.

Yet, we were blessed.  We had a wonderful time with each other, we had three days of quiet in the "jungle", we saw the locals who passed us by on the trails so fast it put us to shame that we were about 20 years younger than they were!  We drank fresh spring water (was it infected??  we don't know, but it tasted good...)  We had wonderfully simple meals of granola or rice and canned meat (corned beef anyone?  how about seasoned corned tuna?  Mmmm)  and we had an armory of drink mixes to replace electrolytes and bring a little variety to our meals.  

Oh, and the people who we were with.  So, it's a little confusing, but we were one group consisting of two teams.  The other team we spent a minimal amount of time with because they hiked faster.  We did all camp together, but due to no bon fires begin allowed in the park (on the mountain) we didn't spend too much time outside at night.  It would get cold, but it was nice and toasty in the tent!  One gal stood out in particular though.  She is from Switzerland and is wanting to do more GMO work as a doctor.  In order to that, she is traveling and volunteering in many capacities just here in the Philippines.  Even while we were on the trail one of the locals approached her and she supplied them with Paracetamol (Tylenol) and gave them some instructions for helping their son who had a fever.  Wow!  Reaching people isn't a complicated business.  

Bullet and Eva after retrieving Eva's camera.

Our guide.  Somehow through the course of hiking our guide became our right hand man.  Due to our slow pace he would often insist on carrying one of our bags!  And, when he wasn't doing that (well, even if he was) he would have some motivational chant. "Go-go-go get it!" or "Give me an A... and so forth"  Although his English was good it certainly wasn't perfect, so sometimes he couldn't think of a word, which would result in a long pause of silence, then laughter when it wasn't filled with a corresponding word.  He heard the Gospel on more than one occasion and although he wasn't willing to engage too much you could see the wheels in his head turning.  He works as a guide for Mt. Apo now, but that is only part time.  He hikes only about twice a month.  Otherwise, he has a variety of jobs that he has done and is definitely searching, although he says that he is half catholic and half muslim (family heritage).  If you'd like, you can pray for Bullet.  He was a great guide, but doesn't know Jesus as His Savior.

And, of course, no hike to the top of a mountain is complete without saying that the Scriptures just bubble over with comparisons that use mountains or how we have to persevere in this race (we were often racing a time deadline).  These mountains, although covered in green, not like the rock faces of the West Coast, do remind us that we are on a hard journey called life and we often don't have a perfect view, but we do have a goal.  And, there is nothing that quite compares to the view at the top.  

"For his anger lasts only a moment, 

   but his favor lasts a lifetime; 
weeping may stay for the night, 
   but rejoicing comes in the morning."

-Psalm 30:5

hiking down from the top...barefoot for some!

One of 5 bridges we crossed coming and going.

At our camp site with the peak in the background. Gorgeous

Almost canned...our lunch on the mountain.

Ruth, Eva and Hannah on the PEAK!

Just soaking up the view along the way.