All the Way Up Mt. Gulugod Baboy

Don’t let the title of this post fool you – in no way am I a mountain climber. While I am quite intrigued with hikes because of the many blog posts and pictures I’ve read and seen, I know that it’s not really in me to go up a mountain.

Although, I lived for seven years near one of the country’s highest peaks, Mt. Apo. I may have thought about climbing it and drafted a few plans here and there, but I never really got the courage to push through with any.

Here are the few reasons why:

• I have bronchial asthma. I’m not dependent on any medicines yet, thankfully, but I still bring a stash of anti-histamines and -asthma wherever I go. I also have a handy inhaler, which my friends call my choice of drug as it’s white and powdery. (It’s real medicine for quick relief for asthma attacks, promise.) I get really awful attacks once a year and these really make me feel like I’m dying. But most days, the asthma’s manageable.
• Because of the above reason, I’m in no way physically fit. The most I can do is walk long distances, but with short breaks in between. I can’t run even if my life depended on it (well maybe I can, when I get an adrenaline rush or something). I even find it hard to lift myself up to a certain height because of my poor upper body strength. I skipped PE classes that required too much running way back in elementary. (It doesn’t look like it, yeah?)

So you could probably imagine the look on my face when my friends thought of going up Mt. Gulugod Baboy on the second day of our Mabini, Batangas escapade this year. You can click on the link above for more info on this mountain that’s gaining popularity among hikers in the Philippines and tourists as well.

The typical jump-off point of most travelers is in Anilao, Batangas. However, Kuya Sande told us that there was a way from Bgy. Malimatoc II up to the mountain. I think it’s a trail opposite that of Anilao’s.

Hello Kuya Sande, Jhoann's cousin and our forever tour guide! He's actually very camera-shy. 🙂

We also asked him if the trail was okay for first-timers like us. He said it was okay, but the path would be slippery and muddy because of the recent rain showers. We said it’s okay, we’ll just be extra careful and he agreed to accompany us! So everyone got excited and decided to go up Mt. Gulugod Baboy the next day.

I didn’t tell him about my medical condition though. Wrong move on my part.