Mt. Pamitinan in Rodriguez, Rizal stands at 426+ MASL and is categorized with a 3/9 level of difficulty (source: Pinoy Mountaineer). I dare say that it is perfect for beginners until I experienced the jagged rocks along the trail. Sure, it’s not very high as we reached the summit after two hours, but aside from the excruciating heat, the sharp limestones made the climb extra difficult. There were times when I needed to walk with my hands and feet. It’s why we were required to use hand gloves. It’s also a good thing that our guide is very efficient as he made the hike more bearable. He knows when and where to assist us and is good at taking pictures.
We were made to use a rope in our final ascent to the summit, which was hard and scary to get to because of its steepness. The area at the summit is small and narrow and only a few people can fit on it at a given time. Hikers needed to queue and wait for their turn to climb.
Everything was all worth it when I finally laid eyes on the view from the summit. I literally stopped for a while and just admired everything that I was seeing.
A side trip to the Wawa Dam is recommended as it is just at the foot of the mountain. Hikers could take advantage of the refreshing waters to soothe their tired bodies. I initially wanted to do so but when I saw the throng of people, I decided to just head home.
And that's it!
As a first-time climber, I think I have done pretty well. There were times when I was asking myself why I was doing it — I could have just stayed at home, watched movies, and slept. During the buwis-buhay moments, I even thought that I still have a lot of dreams to pursue and goals to fulfill. Darn, I still dream of getting a Ph.D. degree. I need to survive! LOL. That is over the top but those were actually my thoughts when I was struggling to finish the climb. Modesty aside, our guide said that it didn’t seem like my first time conquering a mountain. I guess I did a good job hiding my trembling knees – caused by both fear and fatigue. My “mother mountain” surely gave me a challenging yet rewarding experience. I can’t wait for more.
