The Freedom Climb in Osmena Peak

         How did you celebrate your freedom this year? Many just stayed at home indifferent of this epic day of the year... For us, we did something very simple yet satisfying... We climbed a mountain, waved the Philippine Flag, and had ourselves part of history as one of the biggest number of climbers in multiple locations to ascend mountains... HELLO GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS!!!

The St. Mary's Academy contingent to the Freedom Climb 2011...

After seeking out parent's permission, together with our students, Brod. Fritz and I rode on big motorcycles for hire called Habal-habal to get to Mantalongon, the Summer Capital of Cebu... This is our jump off location to Osmena Peak...

 It was dusk when we arrived at Mantalongon Elementary School on June 11, Saturday... Lights were not yet installed so the boys have to do it... We are to stay in this old classroom for the night...

Dinner consists of roasted chicken and "puso" that we bought in the Mantalongon Public Market... We formed the desks of the kids as our long dining table...

 After dinner, we decided to sleep to save energy for the hike the next day... Again, we used the desks as our beds... The temperature is almost unbearable to us accustomed to the hot coastal nights... Tap water is like ice water direct from the faucet... 


We decided not to tell ghost stories because the place itself reeks of creepiness... 


You do not see it, but swiftlets ("sayaw," a kind of bird) which were disturbed by our presence kept on flying above our heads... We have at least five nests in the ceiling... 

The door has no lock... We turned all the lights off... and closed our eyes...

The following day, June 12, 2011 is our Independence Day... We woke up at four AM, washed up and ate some leftovers of the previous night... The sun has not risen yet when we put on our yellow official Freedom Climb shirts and hiked toward Villa Caridad to sign the register as one of those who attempt to make a record of biggest number of climbers...

After being given the go signal, we continued toward the peak under the blanket of misty fog and tall prakata trees... The sun did not mind showing up...

Up we climbed the steep, muddy, slippery, deep and dangerous terrain... (notice the overstatement)

We were one of the first batch of climbers to summit... There we had an opening prayer and the singing of the National Anthem... Sonorously! 

The peak was so crowded one could fall into the precipices on all sides... 


I can't describe the feeling of being wet with sweat yet constantly being fanned by foggy and misty cool wind... But I can say I liked it...

After planting our contingent tree, we posed by this tarp... I don't really know what kind of tree it was... It was like a Christmas Tree... If I heard it correctly, they called it "orcalla"... I do not fancy the idea of having trees planted in Osmena Peak... The view will not be complimented by it... Perhaps we should have had the tree planting somewhere else.

Since we were made to take a different way back, we passed by this cabbage patch... The owner did not seem to notice the weeds choking his crops, so I guess it was harvest time already... Some cabbages had been picked by the owner and by the climbers (with the owner's permission of course)...

 To tell you honestly, I tripped... Luckily, most of them were busy maneuvering the muddy path to notice me fall with a thud... LOL!

Another vegetable patch... Pechay???

PIG SANDWICH??? We were starving so we went right away to the public market to find a decent place to eat breakfast... It's already 9 in the morning...

MANTALONGON PUBLIC MARKET... One of our students, M. Yap, has a store that sells baked goodies on its second floor... She offered us some cakes but most of us craved for rice and meat (We're Filipinos... And Filipinos believe that a meal is not a meal without rice... Cakes are snacks not meals)... 


And even so we were accorded with hospitality by the Yaps, our genial hosts, we opted to take a bite at the quaint "carenderia" just opposite their stall... I ordered hot fish soup, sweet and sour pork, rice and a coke... BRUNCH!!!

 After satiating ourselves, we decided to climb down Mantalongon toward Poblacion ON FOOT... Imagine that... Those who had sore feet decided not to follow us in this noble chase of butterflies... Haha!


At first, there were nine of us who agreed to do it...

Then the number of us dwindled as cramps and muscle pain overtook us... Few hitched over passersby vehicles of other climbers...


Unlike climbing up, climbing down involves the muscles of your feet and knees in a brake-like movement... You are always restraining your muscles from not going too fast on a downhill... This makes  it harder... 


Those who saw us walk gave us looks of disapproval... They saw us up to no good... But their stares betrayed their hidden desire to do the same thing given the strength and the will to do what we are doing...

Who would not want to see these things close at hand??? The only way to enjoy it is on foot...


Apart from the view, I AM AFTER THE EXTRA BRAGGING RIGHTS THAT I HAVE WALKED FROM MANTALONGON TO POBLACION...  Whew! The thought itself always doubles my strength there...

In Sacsac, we passed by this vine with red round fruits... We found the fruits odd... So we picked some... The covering flesh is so hard... Inside is like bagoong (grayish and decaying) but the smell is not repulsive...

A heavy downpour caught us just as we are to have our final descent... So we rested in this small hut owned by that girl beside Brod Fritz... Nearby, police officers are fixing their service vehicle... We thought of riding with them once they fix it... We waited...

THE FRONT OF OUR FREEDOM CLIMB SHIRT... In the hut, we took pictures of our freebies... The shirt, baller and bag tag...

Back of the Shirt with the sponsors... 

Our baller with Guiness Record Number... 

Our bag tags which can also be used as discount card...


The rain stopped, it was almost 2:30... We're so hungry... The last time we ate was at 9 in the morning remember??? The police service vehicle has long been gone... They did not let us ride (Haha! Of course we did not ask them if we could... If they asked us to, we would have readily joined them... But we took it as a sign that if they do not stop and ask us, we should walk the remainder of the journey... Anyway, we're almost through...)

And so, we made it to Poblacion with only aching feet and rumbling stomachs as casualties... But all in all, pride and glory were ours to have... ONLY THE FOUR OF US!!!


WE ARE SO GREAT!!!! LOL!!!!