Mt. Talamitam
Mt. Talamitam
February 6, 2010:
I've been actively climbing w/ a new set of friends recently who like me, don't have permanent affiliations w/ any mountaineering group. Freelance climbers, that's what we are. Having affinity for the same kind of activities it was inevitable that a group be formed, the Organization of Solo Mountaineers aka OrgaSM as coined by our Founder and President Rosetti, and this was our first climb carrying the group’s name.
This time around we were joined by 2 new additions to our roster, Aze (this was her first foray into climbing) and Deo (friend of Lotis). Of course the usual faces were there: Siege, Glow, Bino, Lotis, and Setti.
Mt. Talamitam is one of the mountains flagged for its alarming degradation brought about by the lack of awareness and concern (?) of the locals. “Kaingin” or slash-and-burn farming has always been the standard practice in this area, particularly on the slopes leading to the summit of Talamitam and has considerably contributed to the denudation of this mountain and surrounding foothills. It saddens me to see that in this return climb not much has improved, in fact it even worsened. My only consolation was being able to once again share this experience with like-minded friends.
The climb was easier than I remembered it to be; owing it probably to the highway-like wide trail that now leads to the foot of the summit. The weather was perfect for climbing; we received adequate cloud cover upon our ascent and were rewarded by the 360 degree view from the summit. After a brief lunch and rest we decided to descend and head back to Sitio Bayabasan.
Just when we thought the adventure was over we found ourselves waylaid on the way back. By mistake we took a right on an obscure fork when we should’ve gone left. This led to some confusing backtracking until we observed our sweeper group on the upper ridge north of our position. We knew where we need to be but how do we get there w/o unnecessarily tiring ourselves by climbing our way back on the ridge?
We found a trail south of our position but unless we backtrack up we would need to traverse the gully in front of us and contend with rocks and brambles. It seemed traversing would take less time and effort and so we did. Fortunately enough when we got to the trail we saw a local woman who pointed us to the right direction. The trail led us to the banks of the stream that feeds the local settlement. We realized though that we were at the wrong bank and the concrete bridge that fords this stream (which our sweeper group was crossing at that very moment) was beyond our reach from where we were.
We found a suitable spot to cross downstream. The current was swift and strong but we were able to safely cross (by skipping and jumping on boulders) and get ourselves back on the main trail to rest and clean up at Sir Nicky Wijangco’s house (the man's advocacy is the preservation of Mt. Talamitam). As planned we went to Tagaytay for dinner at a restaurant I fondly call Byulalo (see weekend road trip entry) where we met up with Ayisha who was in the area (unfortunately she had to sit this climb out). After a hearty dinner of bulalo (3 servings), chopsuey (2 servings), and tawilis (4 servings) we decided to call it a day and head on home. On the bus, everyone slept soundly as Lotis gave Ayisha an unabridged version of the day’s events. We arrived at the Pasay bus terminal a couple of hours later and parted ways at the MRT.
As I was walking from the Ayala station to my office (along dela Rosa near MMC) I was once again caught up in the solitude of my thoughts; pondering on the events of the day, the plight of Mt. Talamitam, and the reasons for why I climb (all the while searching for a vendo machine to get an ice cold Coke). For the most part, I admit, I climb for selfish reasons. Climbing lets me feel a sense of fulfilment; it makes me appreciate the little everyday things that I take for granted, like a glass of cool water, trees, or even waking up every morning to a new day. Each climb makes me feel alive and helps me reflect on how I’ve lived (or squandered) this life. And having my friends along to share these experiences is a bonus. For these reasons, I apologize for my selfishness.
It’s nearly Monday, you know what that means... just five days to go until my next climb!
Arwin Mathew
February 6, 2010:
I've been actively climbing w/ a new set of friends recently who like me, don't have permanent affiliations w/ any mountaineering group. Freelance climbers, that's what we are. Having affinity for the same kind of activities it was inevitable that a group be formed, the Organization of Solo Mountaineers aka OrgaSM as coined by our Founder and President Rosetti, and this was our first climb carrying the group’s name.
This time around we were joined by 2 new additions to our roster, Aze (this was her first foray into climbing) and Deo (friend of Lotis). Of course the usual faces were there: Siege, Glow, Bino, Lotis, and Setti.
Mt. Talamitam is one of the mountains flagged for its alarming degradation brought about by the lack of awareness and concern (?) of the locals. “Kaingin” or slash-and-burn farming has always been the standard practice in this area, particularly on the slopes leading to the summit of Talamitam and has considerably contributed to the denudation of this mountain and surrounding foothills. It saddens me to see that in this return climb not much has improved, in fact it even worsened. My only consolation was being able to once again share this experience with like-minded friends.
The climb was easier than I remembered it to be; owing it probably to the highway-like wide trail that now leads to the foot of the summit. The weather was perfect for climbing; we received adequate cloud cover upon our ascent and were rewarded by the 360 degree view from the summit. After a brief lunch and rest we decided to descend and head back to Sitio Bayabasan.
Just when we thought the adventure was over we found ourselves waylaid on the way back. By mistake we took a right on an obscure fork when we should’ve gone left. This led to some confusing backtracking until we observed our sweeper group on the upper ridge north of our position. We knew where we need to be but how do we get there w/o unnecessarily tiring ourselves by climbing our way back on the ridge?
We found a trail south of our position but unless we backtrack up we would need to traverse the gully in front of us and contend with rocks and brambles. It seemed traversing would take less time and effort and so we did. Fortunately enough when we got to the trail we saw a local woman who pointed us to the right direction. The trail led us to the banks of the stream that feeds the local settlement. We realized though that we were at the wrong bank and the concrete bridge that fords this stream (which our sweeper group was crossing at that very moment) was beyond our reach from where we were.
We found a suitable spot to cross downstream. The current was swift and strong but we were able to safely cross (by skipping and jumping on boulders) and get ourselves back on the main trail to rest and clean up at Sir Nicky Wijangco’s house (the man's advocacy is the preservation of Mt. Talamitam). As planned we went to Tagaytay for dinner at a restaurant I fondly call Byulalo (see weekend road trip entry) where we met up with Ayisha who was in the area (unfortunately she had to sit this climb out). After a hearty dinner of bulalo (3 servings), chopsuey (2 servings), and tawilis (4 servings) we decided to call it a day and head on home. On the bus, everyone slept soundly as Lotis gave Ayisha an unabridged version of the day’s events. We arrived at the Pasay bus terminal a couple of hours later and parted ways at the MRT.
As I was walking from the Ayala station to my office (along dela Rosa near MMC) I was once again caught up in the solitude of my thoughts; pondering on the events of the day, the plight of Mt. Talamitam, and the reasons for why I climb (all the while searching for a vendo machine to get an ice cold Coke). For the most part, I admit, I climb for selfish reasons. Climbing lets me feel a sense of fulfilment; it makes me appreciate the little everyday things that I take for granted, like a glass of cool water, trees, or even waking up every morning to a new day. Each climb makes me feel alive and helps me reflect on how I’ve lived (or squandered) this life. And having my friends along to share these experiences is a bonus. For these reasons, I apologize for my selfishness.
It’s nearly Monday, you know what that means... just five days to go until my next climb!
Arwin Mathew
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