Where to go next? This is the question running in my mind a day before of this climb, I want to spend my holiday feeding my outdoor passion, in a productive and budget-friendly way. Then... viola! I decided to climb the nearest peak from my residence --- the Mt. Manghilao. I already climbed Mt. Manghilao two times, so for the third time, I want it different. How about Climb + Clean up, Yay! Let's do this!
About Mt. Manghilao
Mt. Manghilao/Mt. Manghilaw is the highest peak of Danao City standing at a height of 600 MASL and is located at Brgy. Masaba, Danao City. It is renowned of its folklore stories and also of its peak where a huge black cross is erected. Mt. Manghilao also has superimposition resemblance of a "sleeping giant" when you look it from a distance.
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| Mt. Manghilao peak |
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Photography and Digital Art by: Sir Joel F. Almerez
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For this climb, I am accompanied by my beautiful Ate in the community --- Ate Mitchele (one call away). We met up at 7 Eleven Danao to buy trail foods and trash bags for the cleanup climb. In spite of the threatening rain we rushed to the "habal-habal" parking area and started our trip to Mt. Manghilao.
With less than an hour we arrived at the jump-off, we started with a prayer and then... TO THE PEAK WE GO! We caught by surprise because the usual trail of Mt. Manghilao got changed, from a bushy narrow trail, it became a wide and cleaned trail. We took some pictures and we enjoyed the foggy background hoping that we will encounter White Walkers along the traiL...HAHAHA.. Only GOT fan will understand.....
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| White Walkers are Coming! LOL :D |
As we reach more closer to the peak we started seeing trashes along the trail and decided to start picking it up. We believed that those trashes are left during Holy Week since Mt. Manghilao is renowned for their Station of the Cross and a lot of pilgrims visit the peak during Holy Week. Look what we got!
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| Candidate #21982 heheh |
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| Lets get it on! |
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| Plastic wrappers and cups |
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| Bottles |
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| Before |
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| After |
Finally, we reached the peak..Woahhhh.., we saw people working for a shelter-like tent in front of the black cross of Mt. Manghilao. We have a conversation with one of the people we saw and we found out that he is the Barangay Captain of the barangay where Mt. Manghilao belongs, they are preparing for a shelter tent that would cover the pilgrims from the heat of the sun and possible rain during the Holy Mass to be held for the upcoming fiesta celebration for their patron Sta. Cruz. And he added that the reason for widening and cleaning the trail is for the ease of pilgrims who have difficulty in climbing the peak due to their body sickness and old age.AHHHHHH... After the conversation, we continued our clean up and after we got three trash bags full of trashes we decided to take a rest, taking our trail foods and have #pinablogger pose at the peak.
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| What's going on? |
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| The Black Cross |
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| View from Mt. Manghilao's peak |
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| Slow down: Kuya at work! |
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| Smile of Success! :) |
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| Ate Mitch's #blogger pose :P |
After enjoying the experience at the peak we decided to descend, which is more difficult than ascending the peak due to the three bags full of trashes. My Superman hidden strength got activated as I took the two trash bags while Ate Mitchele activated her Wonderwoman skills as she gracefully took the other trash bag way down back to the jump-off.
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| Ginusto mo yan! |
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| Ngiting Tagumpay! |
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| Shade! |
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| Goodbye Mt. Manghilao Peak |
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| Bags of Trashes |
We decided to have a walk down to the San Pedro Calungsod Parish which is a few minutes away from Mt. Manhilao jump off. We offered prayers at the church and took a rest while enjoying the panoramic view of a neighbor mountain of Mt. Manghilao, locals called the mountain as Lantaw/Lantawan peak, a beautiful mountain that I want to visit on my next mountain climbing journey. We then, took a "habal-habal" ride back to Danao City to culminate our Labor day experience.
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| San Pedro Calungsod Parish Altar |
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| Ate Mit Chele on her Asian Squat |
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| Lantawan/Lantouan peak |
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| We're going Home |
Mt. Manghilao is just one of the many peaks that experienced the carelessness of irresponsible climbers and visitors. It is so sad hearing and witnessing abusive acts like this to our mother nature. May we take part in caring for our nature and do it as if it is part of our daily routine. Be responsible of your trash!
Practice the 7 Leave No Trace Principles:
1. Plan ahead and prepare
2. Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3. Dispose of waste properly
4. Leave what you find
5. Minimize campfire impacts
6. Respect Wildlife
7. Be considerate of other visitors
Leave Nothing but Footprints. Take Nothing but Pictures. Kill Nothing but Time. Bring Nothing but Memories.
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