Backtrack # 4. THE FIRST PENEK BUSAY (SEPTEMBER 2007)

This climb was facilitated by Digos Active Mountaineer (DAM), a local mountaineering club in Digos City and a good club friend and neighbor of LOGSAC. The climb took place on September 22-23, 2007 in consonance to the celebration of Araw ng Digos basically aimed at promoting natural sites of the city.

Penek Busay, a Bagobo term for waterfalls climb, is an adventure river trekking and falls hopping following Digos’ major water body, Napan River. We passed through several fascinating waterfalls (approximately there were 15 of them).

Lagbong falls offered a very robust water rapids while the tallest was Magkasilin falls. The rest of the waterfalls offer distinct but lovely characteristics.

Habitually, I brought with me several clubmates Jonas and Papong to this great escapade. We tried to trek late and allowed others to go ahead of us because we enjoyed taking pictures of the river and waterfalls. Much to our surprise, we lose our trail when we were supposed to start mugging the track going to the campsite. Lesson: Follow every climb itinerary, don’t go beyond it, otherwise it will be a nightmare of consequence.

Although there was threat that the water level might rise anytime on the evening, we enjoyed our overnight stay there along with the chirping of night sekadas, forest birds and the reflecting sound of the river flows. As usual, Jonas got drunk early and had to sleep early. I and Papong went tripping from one cluster of mountaineers to another. Every cluster offered goblet of hard drinks, that’s why we love doing it.

The second day was more of a recreation. After descending in a separate trail (not a river trekking anymore), we stayed at Barangay Goma for a post-climb party.

Backtrack # 03: MT. HAMIGUITAN (June 2008)

This week’s Backtrack features Mt. Hamiguitan as a LOGSAC destination three (3) light years ago dated June 16-18, 2008. Joining me and Papong was a good friend and cousin-in-law Ian Cinco and several buddies from Digos Active Mountaineers. The climb was tinted with so many alluring waterfalls before reaching the summit. Every waterfall was a bathing stopover then.

Mt. Hamiguitan is a mountain located in the province of Davao Oriental. It has a height of 1,620 meters (5, 314.96 ft.). The mountain and its vicinity has one of the most diverse wildlife populations in the Philippines. Among the wildlife found in the area are Philippine eagles and several species of Nepenthes. Some of the latter, such as the Nepenthes peltata, are endemic to the area.

The mountain has the only protected forest in the Philippines, with an estimated area of 2,000 hectares. This forest is noted for its unique pygmy forest of century old trees in an ultramafic soil, with many endangered, endemic and rare species of flora and fauna (Courtesy of Wikipedia).

It took us one day to complete our hike to the summit (the bathing stopover had caused our delay). We camped overnight at a campsite near the summit with a very clean and palatable water source. Nestled within the highest range of Davao Oriental, Mt. Hamiguitan is very cold but its spectacle is very delightful.

On the second day we had a tour to the widest bonsai field in the Philippines. We have dwarfed all the vegetations feeling we were all Goliaths in a miniature garden. We went to a hidden lake which they locally call “Tinagong Dagat,” a hushed lagoon situated in the middle of a jungle. From Tinagong Dagat, we climbed to a hill where we saw the entire landscape of Mati City including its neighboring towns, very beautiful scenery. We also paced through their Twin Falls, an identical cascade of water and took a bath there with authority.

This climb is one of our most memorable climbs. Aside from the new acquaintances, the mountain itself and all its glory is a very nice experience.

A rare destination at that, Mt. Hamiguitan is now temporarily closed by the local government of Davao Oriental for mountaineering activities. It is currently in the process of completing the requirements to be declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Hopefully its reopening will be done sooner so that mountaineers will have another chance of seeing this God’s wonderful masterpiece.

Backtrack # 02: MT. MATUTUM AMYAK MALEH (March 2007)

With a height of 7,500 feet above sea level, Mount Matutum is the highest peak in South Cotabato area which can be scaled via the Municipalities of Tupi and Polomolok. This semi-cone mountain has a vertical gradient onward to the summit. Mt. Matutum is a technical mountain, with no water source at the peak. Before arriving at the jump off area, a huge pineapple plantation owned by DOLE Philippines is another attraction.

The Local Government of Tupi, South Cotabato is holding a yearly Linggo ng Mt. Matutum called Amyak Maleh, a conservation program of the mountain considering that it is a main watershed area supplying water to the SOCSSARGEN region. The 2007 version of Amyak Maleh had our club joining; with Chickay, Tateh and Papong backpacking this beautiful slice of Cotabato’s natural heritage on March 17-19, 2007.

The itinerary of our climb was bloody on the first day where we completed the assault in one day. Considering several psychological baggages being new in the area, I and Tateh had so much catching up to do with Papong and Chickay; both already second-timers in Matutum.

Nonetheless, the climb was pretty succesful although we experienced rainshowers in the evening and early morning of the second day.

Special thanks to the personnel of LGU Tupi (Maulvi, Nonoy and the rest of the group) who accommodated us during our stay there.