by Lyndon Angan
I had the opportunity to scale Mount Apo, the country’s highest peak, which towers at 9,692 feet. With me was my wife Jing and shot man Biboi Ngojo, along with several Cebu- and Davao-based friends.
We flew to Davao upon the invitation of our good friend Sonny Dizon. At that time, I had no idea that we were about to embark on a journey that would change the way I look at life.
Mount Apo
We reached the summit after two days of climbing, and another day to descend taking the route of North Cotabato known as the Kidapawan trail. Our hike started at 8 a.m. upon reaching Barangay Kapatagan in Digos Davao Del Sur and traversing our first ascent through the famous rock boulders of the mountain the following day at 11 a.m. Because of the challenge posed by rock boulders with volcanic fumes all around, it was time to make the final ascent to the summit from the lake. At Botoy’s Ridge, we got a front seat view of the crater, where a small lake formed presumably after its second eruption. As we rumbled to the peak, the surroundings got colder and foggier. We had to increase our pace so we can get a glimpse of the sun up there before the thick fog covers the summit late in the afternoon.
Trekking to the top of the mountain with my best travel bud Jing is life changing.
At 3:25 p.m., I reached the top of Mt. Apo. Yes, it felt like heaven on earth. It may be an exhausting climb, even dangerous at some point, but for those who like scaling heights, here’s one that will give you an adrenaline rush.
Mount Apo has attracted a lot of attention from hikers all over the world. After all, it poses a formidable challenge—from craggy rockscapes to virgin forests, mossy swamps to volcanic structures. The mountain possesses the widest spectrum of environments and provides mountaineers an experience that lives up to their expectations… no less from the country’s highest peak.
