I'm starting to love mountain hiking/trekking again. I've always enjoyed spending time with nature. It's one of the activities that I don't easily get tired of. I can say that I'm having an ambivert type of personality. I sometimes like to socialize with people but whenever I feel the need to recharge, I tend to give the space and time that I need. I'm not sure how to really call myself an outdoorsy person but all I know is that I love nature trips. If you do too, this blog is for you.
I've been climbing mountains for months already since I got back here in Cebu. I'm not a professional hiker but as much as possible I do learn the etiquettes in climbing, may it be a minor or major hike. I've climbed a couple of mountain here in Cebu but I guess the Spartan Trail, Cebu is the major hike among them. Well, for some people, the trail isn't really considered to ba a major hike but for me the difficulty is almost major already.
Most people in Outdoor Cebu Community are very much familiar with Spartan Trail or formerly known as Pamutan Hike. The famous trail commences from Paseo Arcenas in Banawa, Cebu heading to Monterrazas de Cebu then traversing the Buhisan watershed and the journey ends at Brgy. Pamutan.
I've heard that the Spartan Trail is a training ground for hikers before attending major climbs where you can experience not just a plain mountain hike but you'll go through river trekking and steep, slippery and slopey routes before reaching the end point. Based on my experience, it's not ideal for super beginners specially if you can't endure a long and tiring hike while basking under the sun. It's really important to obtain proper hiking gears to avoid unfortunate happenings and be sure to always check the weather forecast before hiking.
I've seen posts from solo hikers completing the Pamutan trail, they must be professionals already but if you are just starting your hiking journey it would be best to join hiker community groups or hike with your friends and have a tour guide for your safety. I remember during our hike and my friend who's experienced hiking before but upon joining the Spartan trail, she barely endured and kept complaining about its difficulty.
The trail has even become tougher since the supertyphoon Odette hit the country. The routes are barely recognizable with fallen trees and distorted roads. Luckily, we have a professional hiker friend who's with us so it wasn't hard for us to go through it. At first, I was hesitant to join the trail since I had work the day before so I didn't have sleep at all but for the love of nature and weekend outdoor activities I endured the scorching heat of the sun and long walk in the middle of the forested mountain. I didn't actually mind all of it since I was enjoying the experience.
We're supposed to start the climb at around five in the morning just before the sun shines and becomes irritating but since the end of my shift was exactly at 5, we made it around six thirty instead. The journey begins at McDonald's Banawa, Cebu and that time it was already a bit hot so it was already expected that we'll be having a not so great hike as we already felt the heat of the sun.
It's really necessary to have the right gears and a backpack to lessen the burden. I made sure to bring sunscreen, food and enough water, and extra clothes. Our first stop was at Bo's Kape, it's a residential area on top of the mountain where there's a sari-sari store (mini grocery store) owned by a local. It's funny how they termed it just similarly to the famous coffee shop "Bo's Coffee." Most trailers stop by here to recharge by drinking coffee or soda and having a meal.
Then almost halfway of the trail is river trekking which I liked the most. Along the way, you'll see a lot of beautiful insects and unique flowers and plants. There's also a spot where you can go swimming and enjoy the mini pools and waterfalls. Honestly, the journey was exhausting but when you finally reach the top and hear the vehicles from the roadside, you'll feel relieved and motivated to finish the trail and just rush your feet to the nearest store to buy a super cold soda to satisfy your thirst.
That's basically it, I hope you liked this episode and I hope to interact with you in the comment section below. Everyone's glad to hear the stories of yours! Just always remember that learning is a lifetime process. You can learn from your experiences, trips and from other people. The world is so vast. Explore and Learn! Traveling isn't is as expensive as you think! There's a so called travelling on a frugal way with a purpose!
DEUCES!
Regards,
@itinerantph
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The climb looks arduous but must be worth it with all those beautiful views.
That's true. Everything is worth it when you are already on top.
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