CONQUERING MT. APO...CONQUERING MY OWN FEAR.....

          Mount Apo, considered as the highest mountain in the Philippines standing tall at 2,954 meters or 9,692 feet, is incredibly a symbol of prominence...a symbol of freedom and a symbol of greatness. Luckily, I successfully summit this magnificent symbol twice. Though those twin trips were so challenging and risky yet I made it to the top with the rest of our group. There were several challenges on our way to the top. I believed that the unity among us all members of the group helped us greatly in those two successes. 

          First and foremost among those challenges is the goal of reaching the summit with our group intact. Hence it was a conscious part of our mindset that  every member of the team has to be at the top together with the rest of us. With this goal in mind, it was our conscious effort to tag along with the group. I and my mates could not afford to be left behind since this will adversely affect the team's pace. The trip upward was so treacherous since there were many slopes and several steep points along the way. We passed the rainforest of Kidapawan and I was mesmerized to witness the richness of the forest magnified through its creatures such as the various kinds of animals we met along the way. 

          Aside from these creatures, we also trekked at the shadow and shelter of all those huge and vibrant trees which brought coldness along the way. Personally I like it to be that cold rather than traversing the mountain as well as forest on a very hot atmosphere. Yet considering the abundant and huge trees on the way to the top, it is then very natural to have a very cold weather along the way. 

          We walked for almost 8 hours including those stop overs along the way. I was filled with ecstacy when we reached Lake Binado and it was there that we rested then spent the night since we decided to finally settling the summit early the next day. Freezing and intensely quiet, the night was relatively friendly to all of us and we were all jubilant on what we achieved during the day. Wearing our suits for cold weather, we settled  during the night and the following morning, we continued our trip to the crater and to the top. 

from:www.dreamstime.com

          Recalling those twin trips to the summit, I can always declare to myself that after all, I did not just conquer Mount Apo twice but I did conquer my own fears as well. Indeed, the fear of the unknown is what sometimes hinder us to make one more step forward. However, my twin trips to Mount apo summit will constantly remind me that I can make things possible. In fact, until now, I can recall when I reached the summit and exclaimed silently, " Thanks God, I triumphed over my inner fears!"