Journey to Mt. Apo via Kapatagan Santa cruz Davao 2007
©Andi K - High altitude @ Mt. Apo peak
Most of my free time spendingin the nature camping,climbing,swimming and sleeping in the forest.
Not all people enjoy climbing the mountains, but for mountaineers, climbing mountains are achieving goals. It requires total physical, intellectual and psychological commitment. One of my unforgettable climbs was Mt Apo, the highest mountain of the Philippines archipelago.
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.
(Right side) Nap time ( Left side) Century tree
( Photo:©Markus S. )
Mt. Apo - Highest mountain and volcano in the Philippines
elevation of 3, 144 meter above sea level .
Travelling around the world to discover different cultures climbing in the mountains, and walking in the forests are few of my favorite hobbies. Walking in the forests since a young age influenced me to walk 12 hours a week in the mountains. This experience led me to love and embrace all living things in the nature especially native tribes.
( Photo: ©Andi K ) 20 minutes before arrive at Mt. Apo peak
Mt. Apo is a volcanic mountain with several peaks located between the provinces of Davao del Sur, North and South Cotabato, West Bukidnon in Southern Mindanao. It has an elevation of 3,148 meters above sea level, latitude north 7.00 883 and longitude 127.276. It is 72,796 hectares wide and consisting many different kinds of forests including mossy tropical forests, inhibited by hundreds of different endemic animal species, plants, waterfalls, lakes and sulfur vents.
( Photo: ©Andi K ) Mt. Makiling View from peak & 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.
( Photo: ©Andi K ) 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 ) 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.
( Photo:©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
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
Boiling lake of vulkan sorrounded by many wild animals
More updates coming soon well be right back