My First Hiking Experience at Mt. Talamitam Nasugbu Batangas

Photo (c) Khat Condez

If there's one common description on how my friends will describe me, they will say that I'm their "Y.O.L.O. friend". Whenever they ask my opinion about something that needs to be decided I'll always say "Just do it!". Life is too short to spend so much time deciding for a lot of things, you just have to pick one and go for it -- Fuck it. That mentality brought me to my little adventure last weekend.

If I'm the Y.O.L.O. friend, Khat Condez of Diary of an Outdoor Girl is probably the most adventurous person I know. Luckily, she happened to be my office mate since 2011. She invited me and Migs to this Mt. Talamitam Day-hike last Saturday. Unfortunately, Migs had a short-notice US business trip so we cancelled this hiking invite. After weeks of Khat convincing me to join the hike so I can finally experience it, my Y.O.L.O. alter-ego flipped a coin and just decided to go for it! So here I was with my burning lungs and all on top of Mt. Talamitam!

  

Photo (c) Casey Catanyag

Photo (c) Casey Catanyag

Climbing a mountain is NOT A JOKE. You have to be mentally and physically prepared -- which I wasn't that day. I didn't get enough amount of sleep and my cardio is at its worst. I also didn't eat my breakfast, good thing I have a bar of Mars with me which at least kept me going.

I accidentally took this sweaty picture of mine and found it on my phone when I got home. I actually think it's an interesting photograph because it makes me remember the angst and all the mixed emotions that I felt while climbing the mountain. It's the climb -- I can't believe I'm quoting Miley Cyrus now.

Photo (c) Carlo Buentipo

HA! Finally, after all the heavy-breathing, air-gasping, rock-hugging and pounding head and heart, I reached the summit! YAAAAAAY! Seriously, I can compare my emotions here with my birthing experience. Climbing is probably the labor and seeing the view on top of the summit is like seeing my first born. The exhaustion automatically fades when you see the view on top of the mountain. Bliss! :)

Lippie Monster with NO Powder, NO Makeup, NO LIPSTICK. NOTHING! just Sunblock (I guess?)

Well, I don't know how to describe these. I just can't stop laughing every time I see it. People always see me with my hair down, makeup done and everything. This is a special case of exception and well, I guess there's always a first.

This is the most appreciated ice cream in my entire human life. Sidney kept on telling me that there's an ice cream on top of the summit and that it's really really cold whenever he senses that I'm tired. I guess that's his form of encouragement. (Thanks so much Sid!) I kept the Popsicle stick as a remembrance and maybe someday as a form of encouragement for myself as well. 

Photo (c) Elvis Pimentel

with Khat and my new found friend Riza -- Thanks Migs for the outfit suggestion: shorts + leggings. It's the most practical outfit in hiking for girls. I should wear a white top next time though.

Photo (c) Marlon Calolot

Photo (c) Marlon Calolot

Achievement Unlocked! So that was my first hiking experience. I met a lot of new awesome and adventurous people and I can't believe I just did this now. Though I want to punch myself for not taking cardio seriously, I'm so proud of myself that I did it! I just surprised myself that day and hell yeah I can climb a mountain. Literally.