One year ago, I took two weeks off from work to do a soul searching journey. One of my destinations was Mt. Batulao.
Mt. Batulao is nestled in Nasugbu, Batangas. It is a two to three hour drive from Manila. There are two ways to trek the mountain, via the old trail or new trail. If you’re looking for more excitement, like my friends and I, you can trek the old trail going up and new trail going down. Or vice versa. The old trail is so much more challenging than the new trail as it involves a lot of climbing on steep rocks with only a thin rope sans harness. It’s terrifying especially when you know that if you slip or even for a bit let go of the rope, you will drop dead in one of those rock formations.
We started trekking the mountain at noon. Though it was my first climb, I can tell you that it was not the best time to go. The sun was prickling our heads and backs as we trek. We took plenty of breaks in between to rest, hydrate, and hide under the trees and kubos.
By the time we reached the peak, Camp 10, the sun was starting to set. It was a wonderful sight to behold. There are no words to describe it, honestly. It was just magnificent.
While savoring the view, we surprised my bestfriend a mini birthday celebration with balloons, cupcakes, and coconut juice! It got a little festive up there.
After half an hour or so, we started descending. And like us, the sun was also descending while the moon was starting to show. Our trek down was harder because it was pitch black and we couldn’t see the paved path.
We were so close to the moon and the stars that somehow I wanted to lie down and just stargaze. I’ve never seen so many stars in my life! Up there, in the mountain, without life’s drama and the city’s noise, was the best place to feel and see light and magic of nature. It was the best time to pause reality and recharge my depleted positive and happy energy.
We conquered a challenging trail and pushed our bodies to what seems to be its limits but seeing that majestic view at the summit…I know in my heart it was all worth it. My eyes reveled in the raw beauty of nature and my heart was wild with adrenaline and excitement.
This is the most physically exhausting thing I’ve done in my life but I certainly don’t regret an ounce of it. Just pure awe and wonder.