Climbing The Highest Mountain In The Philippines

Rest at Mt.Apo Peak

Climbing Mount Apo is one of the most unforgettable moments of a lifetime. It is also listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is the highest mountain in the Philippines, according to Wikipedia.
Mt. Apo is a volcanic mountain with several peaks, located between the provinces of Davao del Sur, North and South Cotabato, and West Bukidnon in Southern Mindanao. It has an elevation of 3,148 meters above sea level, with a latitude of 7.00883° N and a longitude of 127.276° E. It covers 72,796 hectares and consists of many different kinds of forests, including mossy tropical forests, inhabited by hundreds of endemic animal species, plants, waterfalls, lakes, and sulfur vents.

 

UNESCO World Heritage highest mountain

Not everyone enjoys climbing mountains, but for mountaineers, conquering peaks represents the achievement of a significant goal. It requires total physical, intellectual, and psychological commitment.

One of the most crucial life experiences is surviving in the most remote areas and climbing in the wild without proper water and food. It is unbearable to be surrounded by the most isolated mountains, taking three days to hike and putting yourself in a dangerous situation.

For first-time climbers, mountaineering is not advisable without proper knowledge and preparation.

After 30 minutes of climb we decide to  snacks we need energy

Climbing without any preparation— The first food I was offered that day, I declined, telling them I would eat later when we got back down. However, the word "later" turned into three days because I truly thought climbing Mt. Apo would only take six hours. In reality, it takes three days for the round trip. 

Horse ride

This climb was a test of survival and the most crucial one I have ever done. I had recently undergone an operation, and it was unbearable as my body had not yet fully recovered. My doctor had advised me to rest, but being young and unstoppable, I ignored the advice. At one point, I felt a bit dizzy, so a local offered me a 30-minute horse ride as they needed the money. After 30 minutes, I had to continue on foot because the road was very steep and remote, making it impossible for the horse to proceed. I didn’t want to jeopardize the horse's life.

About entering the remote wild forest

In this photo, we were at the beginning of our climb, entering this remote forest. I had no idea how long it would take to reach the peak, and I never asked my friends. I’m sure they didn’t know either, so it was better not to ask. I also didn’t ask the tour guide; for me, it was better to just keep hiking and not ask too many questions. I could feel that everyone was very tired and hungry, so it seemed best not to talk about our struggles. I didn’t have proper food with me, as I had assumed we would return the same afternoon.

                                                          Scenery behind 

While climbing, I experienced the most beautiful tropical plants. My fatigue faded a bit as I admired the stunning wild plants—the most beautiful I had ever seen. I could feel the presence of plants and animals all around me, as if they were coming alive right in front of my face. These flowers are a natural wonder of the wild forest, truly breathtaking.

Scene behind while we entering the rain-forest

Mount Apo is a protected area, and all plants and animals are strictly off-limits to human interference. Anyone who violates these rules faces consequences from the government. Additionally, mountaineers are not allowed to leave their garbage behind, as it harms the natural environment.

                    Mt. Makiling /View from peak of Mt. Apo

It is also one of the last places in the Philippine that is home to the endangered Philippines eagle.
Six indigenous groups of people, the Manobo, Bagobo, Ubos, Atas, K'lagan and Tagakäölo all living in region of Mt. Apo, they consider the mountains to be a sacred crown and places of worship. A number of genealogy of Lumads, leader of South Central Mindanao trace their roots to Mt. Apo. For the Lumads the terms Apo was coined from the name of their great grandparents Apo Sandawa.

Mt. Apo Native Tribe

Several trails lead to the summit coming from North Cotabato and Davao Provinces, arguably the easiest routes to the national park are through Kidapawan City, with average hike taking 3 to 4 days round-trip.

Starting journey

12 noon long journey Everyone were very excited, I was thinking it takes 1 day roundtrip hiking from the bottom to the peak of Mt. Apo and none of us had any idea how long it would take to hike.

Photo Andi  K / Rest lunch

Lunch time Climbing Mt Apo was one of my worst nightmares, after the first 7 hours of hiking in the wild it had already felt like a long journey, with 3 more days to go. Often you’re exhausted and then the fear appears, and you want to give up and leave, your friends especially if you develop a fever. This is what happened to me after 7 hours of climbing. The fever crept up, and it was hard to breath in high altitude.

Photo: ©Markus S.

Some of our friends told us we two we need to make our way back down. It was a hard decision as it was 6pm already with the getting skies were getting darker and darker, and we had no flashlight. Another 7 hours of walking would have felt like a nightmare as you wouldn't see the way down clearly, it could be very dangerous, so it was not really a good idea to go back. We had to stop and setup camp to sleep there in the middle of the forest for the night.

Photo: ©Markus S.

At night time it was fogging up around us and really cold, but even though I was struggling with fever, I still enjoyed the sounds of the nature, it felt like I was in the paradise, all we could hear is just birds singing and many different types of animals around us.

(Photo: ©Andi K )

Lake Venado, Eat together our Dinner In the morning everyone woke up very late as it was 5am already as everyone was very tired from climbing. We cooked our breakfast but we didn't have enough foods for 3 days as no one expected to climb for that long.We were lucky enough our tour guide had brought emergency foods along such as noodles, rice, sardines and dried fish. Those gentlemen were very nice, even they didn't have enough they still shared with us.

Photo: ©Andi K/ Friends preparing foods

Early in the morning my fever was still interrupting with my activities but we kept on climbing, another days journey was another challenge. I didn't want to give up as I was in day 2, not far from the peak. It was paradise all around the mountains with wild mossy forests and the sounds of the nature. Many wild plants and animals all around, it's a really good feeling to see the paradise even we are very tired we were still embracing the living nature.

Photo ©Andi K 

Hot coffee for cold morning Altitude sickness or mountain sickness is the biggest risk to climbers, Even if you are very tired and weak you have to think about your goals and your strengths, and family, try not focus on weaknesses. When you’re climbing the mountain, you are constantly thinking to yourself. At that moment,you can overcome your fear.

 Right side/Nap time (Left side) Century tree ©Markus S. 

Photo: ©Andi K 

 After walking many hours I considered it a whole days walking already, as we arrived at the peak the sun was already starting to set, with night fall on its way. Everyone was fascinated by the view, we were at the peak enjoying the heights, and you could see all clouds around and above, and at the bottom amongst the clouds you could see many forests.

 Photo:©Markus S.  Century tree

The sulphur was a beautiful yellow, with active smoke coming out from the hole of Mt Apo volcano. It was not my time to enjoy to the full extent because I still had fever, but at least I still managed to survive my 3 days climb.

Photo: ©MK  Lake Venado

The volcano has a very beautiful crater at the top, a wide flat area with lava. It looks like a lake but full of grey clay and ash. In other side it was active sulphur smoke and lava venting through the hole in the rocks. It's really a miracle how this nature formed to be like that, God created all things miraculously. It was a very nice feeling to be at the top of that Mt Apo.

Photo: MK  /View from peak /Lake Venado

 We visited the lake Vinado and spent the night there. It was overlooking the below, a very beautiful house in a wild. Because we were all tired at 6pm we started to sleep already. Just 1 minute walk away was a beautiful wild little river, where we drunk from and used for cooking, it was amazing.

Photo: ©Andi K, Markus S. & MK 

In the morning, we carried on our journey to walk back down and home to Davao. This time was easier than the climb up, being a lot less tiring and time consuming. On our trek we all of us got sharp thorns in our feet and legs, which was really nasty sore, but we kept passing on through that beautiful jungle. All around the mountain was wild paradise. A lot of those trees had been growing there for centuries already.

High fever at high altitude taking nap Photo: ©Andi K 

It was a life time experienced together with all my friends,can't be erased from my memory.
Wherever you are, God bless you all!
Thank you all to be part of my journey!

The following pictures are One of my brothers and team, climbing to clean the Mt Apo where some mountaineers have left their garbages all around there.
Philippines is the second of the most dangerous country for the environmental activist.
My Brod with colleagues collecting garbage's at Mt. Apo
Photo: ©Alvin I. Friend
We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans - because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings. That's why we paint, that's why we dare to love someone - because we have the impulse to explain who we are.
2nd Journey to mt.Apo via Kidapawan 2018
Here are the following scene of the lake agco mt.Apo for the year 2018

One of the oldest native tribe descendant Manobo Apao thier ancestor lived there century.This area are very protected.

Boiling water sulfur