A senior citizen's guide to climbing Mt. Apo

On the wall of my living room is a memento of my latest achievement – a certificate of climb awarded “for successfully conquering the highest mountain in the Philippines, the Mt. Apo using the Kidapawan City Trail, Mandarangan, Barangay Ilomavis.”

My friend Salvador Sebastian Sr. and I took the challenge of climbing Mt. Apo, majestic at 9,692 feet above sea level, as our ultimate adventure.

On the way from Davao City to Kidapawan City, we coordinated our trek with local officials through Marie Fe Geronga-Pamie, acting investment promotion officer, who gave us an orientation on what to do and what not to do during our first journey to Mt. Apo.

We paid the entrance fee of P400, having availed of the senior citizen’s discount. We were issued climber ID nos. 286 and 287, and hired a guide/porter named Benjie. We bought food, medicine, and other provisions for the climb.

At 10 a.m., we started out. We felt good as we started to inch our way through the jungle. The thick forest and heavy foliage served as our umbrella to protect us from summer heat. A cool breeze offered refreshing respite.

Half a kilometer on, we saw a phalanx of big stones, giant log debris, and steep, slippery ravines. As we went along, things started to get more difficult. We made improvised canes out of fallen branches to keep our balance and avoid accidents.

The trek to Lake Venado, about 19 kilometers away, took us 12 hours from the starting point, a trek that takes six hours for seasoned mountaineers.

We moved like snails as we crawled, literally, towards the top. We had to hold on to protruding roots and branches, lest we slide down and fall either to injury or death. We crossed a 20-foot ravine inclined at an 86-degree angle, slowly and carefully, holding tightly to an improvised ladder to reach the upper level.

We reached Lake Venado after camping for two nights. The lake sits beside a mountain area that leads to Mt. Apo’s peak, and words are just not enough to describe its majestic beauty.

At Lake Venado, our guide told us that washing our clothes in the water, especially with soap, not only desecrated the area, but was also considered bad luck. Taking their words seriously, we took a dip in the lake to freshen up without soaping ourselves.

The following day, the sunrise and clear skies greeted us, but we felt pain in our legs and lower back. Unsure if we were suffering from rheumatism or just muscle pain, we prayed for more strength to fulfill our dream to conquer Mt. Apo.

The ascent to the apex took us another eight hours, rather than the usual four. It seemed that this was the longest walk in our lives, but we knew that it would be worth it. As we crawled upwards, we slid down a number of times because of the slippery trail. Mud and dirt filled our bodies, but we just laughed it off. We prayed as we gasped for breath during the long hours of trekking. There were times we even imagined that the spirits of the forest were following us.

When we reached the top, we saw God smiling at us and felt ten feet tall.  We shouted at the top of our voices, telling whoever could hear that we had we conquered the country’s highest peak.

Seeing the greenery below, everything appearing very small, we were overwhelmed with the realization that we had accomplished this feat despite our “jurassic” age.

We rested and slept the rest of the day, in preparation for the journey back. The guide showed us the short and easy trail using the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC) route. We had to ask permission from the PNOC management to pass, because climbers are not allowed to take that route. Seeing our physical condition – we almost could not lift our feet – PNOC granted our request.

After walking for six more hours, we finally reached the area where a PNOC vehicle waited to take us on the last five-kilometer stretch towards Kidapawan City. Along the way, humming birds serenaded us and gentle winds soothed our tired bodies.

A feeling of great relief hit us, for at last we were back in the city where the comfort of drinks and food awaited us. Hunger had particularly hampered our trek as we ran out of food in our last two days. It was a relief to be back in the city.

Editor’s note: This Mt. Apo adventure, staged by two old men – aged 65 and 76 – remains unequaled. Kidapawan City’s Marie Fe Geronga-Pame confirmed that Sebastian and Mendez are the oldest and second oldest Filipinos to reach Mt. Apo’s peak.

“As per records, they are the oldest climbers to reach Mt. Apo’s peak using the Kidapawan trail. I use their experience as an example to encourage local and foreign tourists to pursue their goal to reach the top,” she told STARweek in an interview.

They used the Kidapawan City trail, Mandarangan in Barangay Ilomavis on their way to the top, said to be the most difficult of all trails up to Mt. Apo’s peak.

“Their feat is on our records,” Pame said.