OFF THE BUCKETLIST: MT. APO

5/18/2018



April 20-23, 2018
Entry Point: Brgy. Bolonganon, Magpet, North Cotabato
Exit Point: Mandarangan, Kidapawan City


I still couldn't contain the kind of high that reaching the Philippines' highest mountain gave me. Finally, after years of staring at the majestic Mt. Apo almost every morning, I can now say that I've done something bold and extraordinary in my life. Towering over Southern Mindanao with an elevation of 2956 MASL, Mt. Apo is named as the Grandfather of all Philippine Mountains and is considered to be every Filipino mountaineer's dream mountain. Though I'm far from being hailed as a mountaineer, conquering Mt. Apo is the top item in my single bucket list - a list of things I needed to accomplish before I decide to settle down. Gone were the days I'm wishing to set foot because this year, even after a series of unexpected events, I finally made my Mt. Apo dream a reality. 



Ever since I came back, I've been bombarded with a lot of questions about my experience, so for the benefit of their curious minds, I'll be sharing information and pictures through a series of posts you can use as future reference on your next adventure, most especially if you decide to climb Mt. Apo.

I consider this itinerary as a fun climb which means that our pacing is dependent on what we can keep up with for the day. We are not experienced climbers - most of ours were first timers to climb Mt. Apo, with some considering this adventure as their first major climb. Hence, the 4D/3N itinerary was enough for us to really make the most out of our climb with sufficient amount of rest and ample time to truly enjoy the views and scenery that Mt. Apo has to offer, maximizing all the time we have for this adventure. But with the beauty we have witnessed and fun we have experienced, four days weren't enough that we're craving so much to extend and even after many weeks, I still couldn't get over. 

4D/3N ITINERARY (APRIL 20-23, 2018)

APRIL 20: FRIDAY
12:00 MN Travel to Digos via private car. Stopped over for some balut and penoy as midnight snack.
02:00 AM Travel from Digos to Kidapawan.
03:00 AM Travel from Kidapawan to Magpet. Stopped over to buy food for breakfast and lunch and other necessary things.
05:00 AM Arrival in Magpet. Early breakfast and orientation.
06:00 AM Departure from Tawsuvan Falls in Brgy. Bongolanon. The journey begins here.
08:30 AM Reached Camp Anos
11:30 AM Lunch in the middle of the forest
02:00 PM Reached Camp Bob’bong.
05:30 PM Early dinner
06:30 PM Lights off


APRIL 21: SATURDAY
05:30 AM Morning coffee and breakfast
08:00 AM Departure from Camp Bob’bong
11:00 AM Stopover for Lunch at Kawayanon
03:00 PM Reached Lake Venado
06:00 PM Opening Lord’s Day Celebration and Dinner
07:30 PM Lights off (in preparation for the early morning assault to the summit)


APRIL 22: SUNDAY
02:00 AM Wake up
02:30 AM Start summit assault
06:00 AM Reached Summit
06:30 AM Reached the highest peak!
08:00 AM Breakfast at summit campsite
09:00 AM Start descent to Lake Venado
11:30 AM Arrival at Lake Venado
12:00 NN Lunch
06:30 PM Post-climb evaluation / Fellowship
07:00 PM Closing Lord’s Day Celebration and Dinner
09:00 PM Lights Off

APRIL 23: MONDAY
05:30 AM Morning coffee
06:30 AM Breakfast / Break out camp
08:00 AM Start descent trek via Kidapawan Trail
10:30 AM Arrived at Camp Koong / Rest and Early Lunch
03:30 PM Arrived at Lake Agco – Mud pack and Hot Spring Sauna
06:00 PM Departure from Kidapawan / dropped by for some lechon for dinner
10:00 PM Arrival in Davao



This adventure wouldn't be fun-filled and toxic-free if not for the people we were with during the 4-day sojourn. Indeed, the impact of an adventure does not solely rely on the destination alone but most importantly with the people you're journeying with. I could not have wished for another set of people to enjoy this experience with, believing for sure that God has all of this planned out and I am truly thankful that God blessed this trip with a company who went beyond expectations in terms of laughter, craziness and chill. Although coming from different charismatic communities, our faith practices were almost similar so injecting praise and worship as intended was a breeze. It turned out, we even got more than what we prayed for.


Our team of guides were also highly commendable and I couldn't thank JB and Thirdy enough for being so trustworthy and dependable, and their team of porters, Tonton, Anoy, Lino and Recar, and Dave for the superb service and assistance they extended to us. We were treated like VIPs, and all the things we needed were provided and well-taken care of. Their efforts made our Mt. Apo adventure more enjoyable and memorable, so if you want your climb to be hassle-free, fun-filled and well-organized, send them a message thru their pages below.

Guides: 
JB Gian - https://www.facebook.com/jb.gian


No amount of words can ever measure the amount of joy I've been feeling since I've taken Mt. Apo off my bucket list that I'm already thinking of scheduling another climb. Maybe this time, on a different trail, but still looking forward to the same immensity of fulfillment this climb has given me.

Stay tuned for my next posts! 

For your travel and tours needs, contact:

TRIP AROUND TRAVEL SERVICES
CM Recto St. Davao City
2241989 / 09294728181
https://www.facebook.com/triparoundtravelservices

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