Traversing Mt. Amuyao
Achieving a Sense of Accomplishment in a
Climb
Traversing Mt. Amuyao an adventure that brought
us trekking from Makalama, a sitio of Barlig, Ifugao up to Mount Amuyao at
2,628 Meters ASL down to the Bangaan and Batad junction in 20 walking hours in
3 days.
This expedition was simply a result of a
whim to go on a trek this Labor Day during the MFPI Wednesday socials. So many choices were presented with no
particular destination selected until the last moment. There was Kanlaon, Talinis, Napulauan. Only that Thursday night 28 April did I learn
that it will be a weekend at the mainland Luzon.
This 3-day weekend turned out historical and
an enriching one.
While pitching our tents at the cemented
grounds of the summit, hard objects from the sky hit our backs and heads. They turned out to be hail shower in the form
of small pellets. We had to seek
protection as the shower ran for about 5 minutes. It caused a deafening noise while hitting the
galvanized roofing at the summit. Too
bad we had no video camera to record the moment. (We found later on that Mt. Pulag had a
similar incidence that late Saturday afternoon.)
That was just the start of a fascinating
experience. The sun set its radiating
glow amidst the layers of mountain ranges at the West side past 6:00 PM. Its disappearance brought down the
temperature level to less than 10ºC. The
rainfall and the wind gave us permission to bring out the fleece, thermals, and
gloves, headgear and those high profile jackets. Its appearance the following colder morning
was even more dramatic. Rising up
several thousand kilometers away from our viewpoint, it radiated its glow in
several layers of mountain and in the floating clouds. The newbies among us were silenced. The rest including the students said, like
yesterday, it was the start of another day.
What else were exposed? Laid bare before us were the picture perfect
sight of a river, sight of rice terraces forming an amphitheater, waterfalls
cascading from a terrace, the view from Simon's door, balcony with the rice
terraces as the backdrop. Reaching each
destination was a fascination: the village of Cambulo from the top, view of
Batad from the viewpoint, reaching the rest stop from Batad. All these sights would make a thick coffee
table book.
The trek made us look back. Stepping into history, we got involved with
architectural brilliance of the Ifugaos even if we were no architects. Walking in the wall of rice terraces, we
noted that the nearer were to a sitio, the more secure the steps were and the
less chances of falling and slipping. We
walked through the well-maintained trail from Barlig to Amuyao shifting to the
wilderness trail from Amuyao to Pat-yay, leading to the challenging steps from
Pat-yay to Cambulo.
Butch lectured on History, his. There was a rewind on Kanlaon when the students
died, Pulag via Tawangan without water for several days, equipment in the early
days, trek to Nepal, outbound seminar in Oregon. Further on, we heard encounters with the NPA,
early experiences with the UPM, PAL MC, Negros Mountaineering, relief operations
in Vizcaya after a landslide, drinking, giving drink to Boy Siojo, climbs with
Buboy Francisco, Fred Jamili, Chang Guzman and other illustrious climbers.
We lost things and perspective but we found
them again. Regie lost his Nokia phone
at the van but found it before the trek.
Mike lost his sandals at Batad and found it at the Bangaan
junction. Justin lost his vegetarian
diet to a gamy duck but gained his energy. He lost his American nationality and found a new personality
(momentarily that is.) Regie lost his
missing trail to Cambulo from Pat-yay but found confidence and company the next
morning. Butch lost his liquor flask,
which made Manong find his bearing. Butch lost his listeners and audience but found new contacts. Mike's lost his GPS waypoints and his topo
map but found a new destination. Chito
missed the groups' company from 5 to 15 minutes each destination point but
still found them waiting. Jong lost his
climbers for a day, but found his self.
We picked up Tony Boy's penchant for
cleanliness. We appreciated his raw
culinary skills and role as a “housewife.”
We too listened to Mike's never ending stories on gear and the tragedy
of his back and tummy. We were all eyes on
Justin's vegetarian and health diet and his Asian treks made more animated
after round of stainless. Regie always
guided us to be on track with our schedule while Butch saw to it that we reach
our destination. Chito was of course appreciated
for just being present and staying quiet.
We saw a Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde in Manong,
another one in Simon. Extraordinary
events happened: A flask that would have turned into a bolo. A red rice that turned into risotto. An American with a Philippine made
equipment. Filipinos with American
equipment. The P 100.00 Gin Bilog from
another sitio. A P 800.00 luncheon at
Cambulo. Raining every 3:00 PM. Simon in every sitio: in Pat-yay, Cambulo.
Never has a climb resulted in a great sense
of fulfillment. We trail blazed from
Barlig to Amuyao working on instinct how far our waypoint was to the next major
point. We relied heavily on Butch's
intuition to direct us to some semblance of civilization from Amuyao to
Pat-say. We stepped on stones created
out of architectural resourcefulness. We
were shown refreshing sites that were too much for the eyes can take. We were provided an abundance of food and
water for us to keep up with the challenging trails. We were sheltered with so much comfort. Stepping out of the Batad-Bangaan junction,
we felt good, we ventured on this expedition. Regie speculated that we might have been the first batch of trekkers to
traverse the Barlig-Battad trail. Pioneering treks like this is nothing new to Butch during his PALMC days
in the 80's or was it the 70'a.
While we were delighted on so many splendid
views, we were not that awed no matter how many and how grand. Perhaps we were asked to look at nature with
the freshness of an innocent child. To
paraphrase Edwin Bernbaum's Sacred Mountains of the World, we have to see the
mountains with "eyes bright and clear, hearts open and free, (so) we stand
once again at the beginning and source of all that is and all that may be." Then when we listen to our stories again, see
our fotos after the climb and read this article, we, Butch, Regie, Tony Boy,
Justin, Mike, Chito and Jong say thank you for showing us the grandeur your
creation both in the nature and in the people around us.
CBRazon 3 May 2000
For more details, contact Regie Pablo, for
GPS waypoints and plot contact Mike Vaca, for fotos ask for Tony Boy De Leon,
for what really happened, ask Butch Sebastian.
---------------------------------
Mount
Amuyao
Alfonso
Lista, known by the early Ifugaos as "mun-u-upag" or bubbles of from,
it was a big barangay of Mayoyao. In
1955, R. A. 1222 transformed the prosperous and vibrant barangay into a regular
municipality of Ifugao. Alfonso Lista,
named after the first mayor, continues to exude vast potential for economic
growth. Its industrious inhabitants have
developed a number of livelihood industries for income generation. These include orchid development, food
processing, cattle and goat raising, fish cage agriculture, handicrafts and
farming. Visitors to the area will be
awed to see its many attractions, among which is the Magat reservoir in Sto.
Domingo, the mysterious Stone Wall at Namillangan and Pibkan Water falls at
Dolowag.
Mount
Amuyao (Mayoyao) The 8th highest
mountain in the Philippines with an elevation of 2,628 meters (8.865 feet), the
summit provides the climber with a breathtaking panorama of the entire
Cordillera range. Wild orchids and the
elusive pitcher plant as well as other rare plants abound.
Lumawig
Stone (Mayoyao) A huge enchanted black rock held by only 3 smaller stones in
the middle of the Balangbang River, it is widely believed to hold the future of
the town. As long as the stone stands,
the Mayoyao people will stay strong and happy.
Makhaligwa
& Lebhong Burial Caves (Mayoyao)Famous for wood coffins and the remains of
the first Mayoyao, legend tells of an attentive lizard leading the people to
these 3 funeral chambers and designating each one for man, woman and child.
O’phaw
Mahencha Falls (Mayoyao) Known as the Leap of Mahencha (6 km from the town
proper), the falls feature a series of high cataracts. Local folklore says a beautiful woman named
Mahencha had to jump 13 to 15 meters into the water to retrieve her native
amber necklace, which fell while she was taking a bath. A waterfall and a natural pool represent each
of the maiden's leap. Truly a sight to
behold.
Apfo’or
Burial Tombs (Mayoyao) The tombs are large stone mausoleums containing the
bones of the town’s ancient warriors and elite. The constructions of these stone igloos reflect the resourcefulness of
the Ifugao in adapting his stoning techniques for a multitude of uses.
Akakoy
Viewpoint & Park (Mayoyao) Located
600 meters from the town hall, the site offers a good vantagepoint from where
the Alatabang rice terraces cluster as well as all of central Mayoyao and the
Isabela plateau can be viewed.
Mount
Nagchayan (Mayoyao) The site of fierce battles between the Japanese troops and
Fil-American troops in World War II, the mountain now stands as a symbol of
peace. Several grottos where the
Japanese hid as well as stonewalled trenches and foxholes dot the terrain. Someone looking hard enough will be able to
find rusty shells used in the many battles.
Tenogtog
Waterfalls (Mayoyao) Five kilometers from the town proper, 3 natural pools
rising about 12 meters from each other mark this beautiful spot. The waterfalls from the top pool cascade to
the next in fluid succession. Untouched
by human hands, these natural pools provide clear, Cool Mountain spring water
for anyone to enjoy.
From
the site http://www.tourism.gov.ph/ifugao/attract.htm
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