So I’m packing my bags for the Misty Mountains, where the spirits go now/
Over the hills where the spirits fly – Led Zeppelin
Ah, it just feels great to be away from the city, far from the chaos — what with all the traffic and pollution that crush your lungs like some sort of a bug. Sometimes it feels like a state of emergency, just as stated in Björk’s Joga song. And misery is the last thing you’d want to endure.
The prescription is to renew one’s relationship with Mother Nature, to visit a lush, green place with emotional landscapes and blue skies for a breath of fresh air. You could get your nature fix at Mount Daguldol in San Juan, Batangas, set up camp on top of the 670 meter mountain, and enjoy the natural spring water, nature at its finest with goats, wild horses, cows, crickets and fireflies — enough to give you a rush of blood to the soul.
Columbia Sportswear Company recently invited a few members of the press including my sculptor friend Nina Laurel. We were given the opportunity to hike our way up to Mount Dagulgol, which according to the old folks means “thunder and lightning” as this is the place where lightning and thunder “dance.”
“Outdoor adventure is meant to be fun and can be achieved by anyone despite the harsh environment,” Dino de Leon, brand manager of Columbia Sportswear. “With the advent of Global Warming, Columbia’s gear isn’t considered a luxury anymore. It’s become more of a need for anyone to enjoy outdoors much longer, whether you’re a hiker or an adventure traveler.”
Being technology-driven, Columbia gear boasts cool features perfect for the outdoor lifestyle. Just like the Omni-Dry, which is like a sponge that absorbs sweat and makes it evaporate quickly, making your clothes more comfy to wear.
Another great thing is that there is no other brand that has Omni-shade UPF Ultra-Violet Protection Factor. This blocks out harmful UV rays that can penetrate through the skin, unlike ordinary cotton materials. Just like sunscreen for the body, it comes in UPF 50, UPF 30 and UPF 15, which block 93 to 97.5 percent of UV rays for utmost sun protection. Then, there’s the Techlite technology for shoes that’s engineered to provide superior comfort and cushioning during rocky and slippery trails.
“Columbia is a brand that consumers can feel smart for buying. Since our products are loaded with features, expect more value for money,” explains De Leon. “We are a brand with gear that can be used for outdoors. It doesn’t matter if you’re an athlete or an amateur — whatever outdoor activity you intend to do, Columbia has the product for you.”
So, on to our long and winding journey. It took a couple of hours driving to reach Laiya, Batangas. Climbers have to register and pay a fee of P40 per head; you can get a guide for P350 to P400. After a hearty lunch at Tita Pilar’s, Dino purposely wanted the gang of nine to start climbing when the sun was shining at its peak (1 p.m. that is) in order for us to experience the kick-ass features of Columbia Sportswear.
In my backpack, I had two liters of water, a bottle of Pocari sweat, a micro-fiber towel, a flashlight, Tupperware and a few clothes. As much as possible, I tried to limit my beauty arsenal, which included Herban Essentials Peppermint wipes, Johnson’s baby powder, Alcogel, soap, tissue, toothbrush and toothpaste. Plus, I stuffed Nina’s sleeping bag in it, too. The big challenge was to carry all my stuff. No room to be a diva with porters.
Before climbing, we did stretching exercises to avoid injuries. And so the trail started near the beach that leads to the forest. The first hour was crazy hot and I just felt like passing out. But I didn’t want to be a wuss and give up right there and then. But I was so happy to reach nipa stop and chill for a few minutes.
It’s a good thing that I quit smoking because my lungs got beat. After huffing and puffing on the way up, my face turned so red. Good thing was that there was another pit stop with a stream and wooden benches.
Dino, the leader of the pack, advised us not to down a whole bottle of water but to take sips instead. As we were halfway through, I realized that hiking and trekking our way through nature requires strategically thinking to avoid falling.
But sometimes you just can’t help but slide down the slippery slopes. I must have fallen dozens of times and it wasn’t bad at all. Your pack will help you get through the tough bits and will definitely not chuckle during embarrassing situations.
We all enjoyed the native halo-halo and buko stops before reaching the top. After whining “Are we there yet?” for four hours, we finally reached the Niyugan campsite. The awesome surroundings included a few cows and coconut trees. Oh, there was also a hose with water from the stream.
Then, we had to set up camp like in the cartoon Race For Your Life, Charlie Brown. For dinner, Ricky Reynera manager of Columbia’s Cagayan de Oro branch, cooked pasta with mushroom and Vienna sausages. Our snooze fest started early because we were just so dead tired, but we enjoyed the misty view.
The morning after, we climbed to the “almost-summit” except for a few who shouted to the top. There was a cool view of Batangas Strait and the high mountains of Mindoro Island. But after our two-hour journey down, I realized that mountaineering is like walking into a labyrinth where the journey becomes a path to enlightenment — because you will learn a lot about yourself like how far you can go. Oh, you can even take a dip in Laiya’s beach while you’re at it.
De Leon concludes, “Everything Columbia creates is designed to take on the elements and keep humans comfortable and happy. And we can’t help it if our stuff happens to look good when it’s doing what it does so well.”
Although I was never a Girl Scout, I learned to be a survivor this time by conquering the unknown. Nothing can top that feeling for now — away from the city and being close to nature and all.
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Columbia Sportswear Company branches are located at Gateway Mall, The Podium, Festival Mall, SM Mall of Asia, The Block at SM North Edsa, SM Megamall and Lim Ket Kai Mall in Cagayan de Oro.