Introducing Tudaya’s Power Cab

The trail to Mt. Apo via the old Sibulan, Sta. Cruz trail stretches a longer trekking time as compared to the shortcut trail using sitio Baruring as the jump off point via the Kapatagan diversion route.  From Barangay Sibulan, there are two tracks that climbers need to endure before reaching Baruring; these are the Cabarisan to HEDCOR Plant A at Lower Tibolo featuring a small Sibulan river trekking and a tough assault to sitio Tudaya using the killer trail of Tingting.  

The road from the top of Tingting-Tudaya is wide, although very few single motorcycles are passing because of the hostile road condition. Aside from single motorcycles, other vehicles passing the Tingting-Tudaya-Baruring road are big dump trucks of HEDCOR plant. This route has been a major hardship for mountaineers considering that an open-road trekking amidst the heat of the sun is quite grueling.

Lately, my group is fortunate to have known Jepoy, a resident of Tudaya who owns a multicab, perhaps the only small cab transporting perishable agricultural crops from Tudaya to Kapatagan centro. For only 80 pesos per person, Jepoy will accommodate services of ferrying mountain climbers from Tingting to Baruring and vice versa. His vehicle can contain 10-12 persons (with backpack) in a single trip.  Jepoy also ferries climbers from Baruring to centro Kapatagan at 60 pesos per head.

According to one of my club mates Darwin, Jepoy’s power cab is the first of its kind in the place. The physical built might be slender but the performance is terrific.

For transport services in extreme mountain roads of Sta. Cruz trail to Mt. Apo, one may contact Jepoy through his cellphone number 09079234032.

New Corella Eco-Adventours Caving and Trekking Forum

It was a great experience joining an organized outdoor event at New Corella, Davao del Norte – a remote town situated west of Tagum City. The event was called New Corella Eco-Adventours, conducted as one of the highlights of the town’s anniversary celebration. Thanks to the invitation sent by the LGU of New Corella and their local outdoor group YAMOG. My seasoned company includes Pare Oliver “Dockie” Enot, Lito Roque, Jonas Florencondia, Noel Bartolome, Danrev Broñola, Michael Gapula and Kervi Palanca.

   

Dockie, Jonas, Papong, Tolits, Kiba, Kervi, Julpanz (Out of the picture is Pawiks who actually took this shot) 

Our first day was spent listening to some lectures on Basic Caving and then moments after, we were brought to the campsite area at New Corella Elementary School. It was not the first time that we joined a caving event but because the caves of New Corella offer extraordinary features, we were prompted to join such.

Del Monte Cave

New Corella’s karst environment is blessed with approximately seventy cave formations and not even 30 percent were explored. We were even lucky to discover the caves in Barangay Del Monte as it was the barangay assigned to our group. The two caves were Del Monte and Paradise, all having very nice underground scenery although the latter is a little bit disturbed by human activities long years ago. Del Monte cave was also very technical with some very tiny horizontal channels to pass through in getting to the exit door along a muddy cave route.

Stalactite Formations seen inside Del Monte Cave

After almost 3 hours of not seeing sunlight, we proceeded directly to an LGU-operated inland resort in New Corella called Panas Inland Resort for a wash-up activity as all of us could no longer be recognized because of the mud surrounding our respective bodies.  Panas resort is clean, beautiful and suitable for big-crowd outing. We were then ferried back to the school compound as we joined the closing program of the event.

Panas Inland Resort

 Guided by our desire to watch the Boston Celtics fall to the hands of Miami Heat and Timothy Bradley beating Manny Pacquaio, we headed back to Sta. Cruz in the morning of June 10.

Thank you so much to those who were directly and indirectly involved in making this trip possible. PAIC Office, Mayor Joel Ray Lopez, Ma’am Laids Badilla, and Hon. Oliver Enot for the vehicle.