Conquering ‘Mountain of Thunder’

‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.’

My first major day hike was in the nearby province of Zambales. The mountain is notorious for its assault and open trail. Prior to the climb, I was repeatedly told that it was hot - extremely hot - there because of its barren landscape. Hence, there were constant reminders to bring lots of water and anything that will serve as protection from the heat of the sun. Given that caution, I didn’t know what got into me to accept the invitation for a dayhike in this mountain. Perhaps I was out of my mind or simply it was destiny calling me when I decided to do a traverse climb of Mt. Balingkilat or better known as the Mountain of Thunder.

It was a relief that for this particular climb I had the option to go to Cubao or just meet the group in Pampanga on their way to Zambales. I chose the latter which meant that I had extra time for me to rest and sleep at home considering that I have work on Saturdays. I made arrangements that I will wait for the group in Dau in Mabalacat since they will be passing that area. I travelled from Tarlac to Dau on Saturday evening. I arrived in Dau earlier than I expected and decided to go inside a fast food store and wait there. It was past midnight when the van finally arrived to fetch me. The travel to Zambales was very quiet because everyone was asleep. Unfortunately, I hardly closed my eyes because I was sitting uncomfortably inside the van. Since it was early morning, the travel went smoothly until we exited the expressway and began entering Subic.

Upon entering Subic, our driver somehow lost his way out of the former American military base. It’s not after numerous attempts that we finally made our way out and continued our travel to Cawag Settlement. We made a stopover along the way to fetch some participants in Olongapo City. It was still dark when we arrived at the jump-off point a few minutes later.

We unloaded the van after sorting our things out, deciding what things to bring and what to leave inside the van. Since this was a traverse climb, our van was supposed to be waiting for us in Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales. The van left us there minutes later. We proceeded to the house just beside the road. It seemed that the place was the jump-off point; it as also where our guides were waiting. We settled our things in the makeshift benches there and made preparations before the trek commenced. We started attending to our individual necessities. Others changed into their hiking gear while others ate their breakfast. I opted to eat crackers while others drank coffee. I was uneasy during that time as I was attentively scrutinizing my fellow hikers’ every move. It was my first major dayhike and I was full of anticipation about this particular climb. I was anxious and I was repeatedly asking myself if I can do this.

After consuming a reasonable amount of time preparing, we began the trek. It was four in the morning and the darkness is eminent. We let the others go first and decided to trail behind them. I was cautious with my every step considering that it was very dark. The trek started on mostly flat terrain then we passed a rocky path with overgrown cogon grass. There were instances that I deduced that we were passing on what used to be a river bed.  It was nearing summer so the place was dry. I was a bit uneasy following the trail because of my poor eyesight. I really can’t cope with certain situations given that my surroundings were in total darkness except for the light provided by our head lamps and flash lights. It was really a struggle on my part but I had to continue and catch up with the group. 

It was not long before the sun started rising, during that time we were already halfway to the summit. The assault was a burden due to the presence of cogon grass and sharp boulders. There were instances where we were supposed to pass a narrow trail wherein one wrong step would have made you fall into a deep ravine. I was anticipating the extreme heat of the sun that day but fortunately it was only unusually warm. It seems that there was a summer monsoon and that explains the warmer atmosphere that day. As we got near the summit, the strong wind became apparent. We stopped in an area prior to the final assault to the summit. There were huge boulders scattered all around the open area. After consuming considerable amount of time for some photo-ops we decided to take our lunch there. The weather was very promising at that moment. Imagine us sitting on huge boulders while eating our packed lunches, fully exposed to everything with only the mountains in the background.

After lunch, we all made our way to the summit where others from the group were already waiting. It was a steep assault but it was still manageable. It took us only a few minutes to reach the summit. From the summit you can see Mt. Bira-Bira, Mt. Dayungan, the five peaks of Cinco Picos and even Mt. Pinatubo from a distance. You can also catch a glimpse of the four coves of Zambales. The weather continued to bless us. It was windy and drab at the summit. There was even a sea of clouds which was blocking the view of the West Philippine Sea. We did some individual and group photo shoots and after that, we made our way down. Others from the group did trail run which I found absurd considering the danger it poses. Again, I was being cautious so I decided to stay behind as the sweeper of the group.

We traversed to Nagsasa Cove. It looked like it was going to be a long trek and it was going to be difficult. The initial descent was a struggle because we had to go down huge boulders and there were instances that we go down while facing the rocks just so that we can grab them for support. After that the journey continued by trekking along mountain ridges all the way to Mount Bira-Bira. We stopped from time to time to rest and capture pictures. Wherever we lay our eyes on, all we can see were mountains – bare mountains. The trek seemed to go on forever. I constantly gazed below to our ultimate destination. Seeing it from where we were, Nagsasa seemed to be just a few kilometers away but it took us more than two hours before finally reaching it. I can’t remember how many rivers we passed before arriving at the white sand beach of Nagsasa.

We were dead tired upon arrival and immediately took comfort on one of the bamboo benches there. While taking a breather, we rewarded ourselves with ice cold soda bought from a nearby store. After feeling rejuvenated, some grabbed the opportunity to take a plunge into the clear waters of Nagsasa. I contented myself with just sitting on its pristine white sand along the shore watching the calm sea in front of me. Nagsasa is a beauty in itself despite being not well known compared to Anawangin, which was the most accessible among the four hidden coves of this town. The place seemed raw and still free from commercialization. There were only a few visitors there and some were also fellow hikers.

It was five when we start preparing to board the boat that will bring us to Pundaquit where our vans were waiting for us.  We boarded two motorized boats. On our way to Pundaquit, we passed the other Coves of Zambales – Talisayen and Anawangin Coves. It was a scary journey by sea as giant waves continuously hit our boat. It seemed hard to maneuver the boat given that there were at least fifteen people inside. I was anxious even if we were all wearing life vests because I wouldn’t be able to swim in case the boat capsized. Pardon my morbidity but this experience is not for the faint hearted.

The travel by boat took us more than an hour. It was already dark when we arrived at the fishing village of Pundaquit. Pundaquit is the gate way to other remote and unspoiled islands and coves of Zambales. We immediately went to our van to retrieve our clothes and bathroom essentials. Then we lined up to the bathroom to take a shower and change clothes. There were at least four shower rooms available in the resort so there was no long queue to the bathrooms. I was done in about 30 minutes. After that, we went back to our cottage. We took the opportunity to rest and enjoy a light snack. After all the participants were done and ready, we headed back to our van. We left Pundaquit feeling refreshed although a bit exhausted. Before finally leaving Olongapo City, we made a stop over at the town proper to have dinner. Soon after, we were on our way back to Cubao. 

I will always remember Balingkilat as a mountain that was too intimidating to climb but had a lot to offer. Scaling it would put you to the test of whether you have the ability to hike or not. It will take a lot of guts to brave the elements and physical challenges in conquering a mountain like Balingkilat. Although more than that, you must also have the passion to love and enjoy what you are doing. It is the only way you can continue with your journey and end up triumphant. After the climb, it looked like I did not only conquer Balingkilat but I also overcame my insecurities and self-doubt. I accomplished the climb with much pride and until this moment it remains to be one of my best climbs ever. When I look back at what happened in this first major climb, it’s not the danger and struggle I recall but the discoveries and memories I’ve made in the ‘Mountain of Thunder'.