Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave

We prepare for the Sumaguing Cave right before we had our lunch. It was around 1:30PM. It was a bit gloomy when we left the camp. So ayun na nga it was raining na when we arrived at the entrance of the cave, it was a 5-minute drive from our camp.

Entrance.

While the guides were preparing for our guiding light, the lampara… picture picture muna..

Guides preparing the lampara

After short briefing from the guide, we start to enter the cave. It was so dark (without the lampara) and cold inside. First instruction, don’t look up and don’t open your mouth or else…. Ehehe.. There is lot of bats at the ceiling of the cave. So magttry ka pa na tumingin sa taas? And when something drops on you, like warm liquid… alam mo na yun.. eheheheh.

The first stage was sharp and slippery rocks, you just have to be very careful and follow the steps aof the person in front of you, hawak hawak na lang sa mga bato bato, kahit medyo eeewww yung hahawakan mo. Mas gugustuhin mo sigurong madumihan ang kamay kesa naman maslide ka at tumama ang ulo sa bato bato… ehehe..

Going down.

 

 

Trail going down was steep, it’s 80deg inclined, there are parts that’s 90deg inclined. Slowly but surely, I’m glad I used my trekking shoes instead of slippers. It’s too slippery inside. And then we stop at the, what they called elephant cage, and then we saw these two guys who are so putikan and wet. Sabi nila galing daw sila sa crystal cave, so connected din pala ang crystal cave sa sumaguing cave. Then someone ask from our group kung mahirap and kung pwede sa kids, and they said, its difficult and wag nyo na subukan isama ang kiddos… Aside from putik, me mga scratches din sila.. Now I’m picturing them on a difficult path inside the crystal cave. Hmmm, gusto ko yung, challenging.. ehehhe…

Then we proceed with our Sumaguing exploration.. Merong part dun na pinagtanggal lahat ng sapatos at tsinelas, kase madulas masyado. Ayaw ko sana magtanggal kaso they insist, madulas daw kase ang mga bato.. and yes madulas nga, specially the white na bato, super dulas, so iwasan ang maputing bato.

As we go down, heto na ang aming nakita…

 

 

And then when we reached the bottom, hmm I don’t know if it’s the last part, wherein you can see a rock formation that looks like the rice terraces and it was so nice… parang inukit lang ng tao.. Pero aside sa part na ito, may makikita ka pa na mga maliliit na lagusan, I don’t know kung where it leads but since I was focusing on the formation, and the beauty of the cave, hindi ko na natanong kung may mahirap na daan.. kase bumalik na kami from where we enter. Sabi nga ng isang guide if you want na mas mahirap na way meron pa, but the group didn’t push thru..Ok na daw sila don.. ehehhe..

And then me, I was like, really? Tapos na.. yun na yun? Ahahah I was expecting a more challenging path.. ahahahha… ako kase yung mas nahihirapan mas masaya… ahahahha But to sum it up, it was a nice, moderate adventure… We finished spelunking at around 430PM, and it’s still raining outside. Hah, ang lamig… eheheheh

And ang pinaka pagsubok sa lahat? Ang maligo after magcave. Since we’re just staying on the camp, at walang hot and cold shower, wow super lamig maligo ng 5pm.. Halos hindi na nga ako nakabanlaw ng maayos sa lamig, at sumasakit na rin tenga ko.. Hindi naman pwedeng hindi maligo, kamusta naman..

 

Let’s go to Sagada, meeting MESAU group (My 36th province)

Another last minute preparation for Sagada trip, but this time I’m not the spearhead for this trip. I was invited by my Sister in law sister, naguguluhan nga ako nun una kung paano ang  set-up ng trip na ito, that’s why I don’t really take it seriously. Then 3days before, ako na yung nag ask kung tuloy ba o hindi kase I never heard about the activities na. Finally last Monday na confirmed ko rin at medyo naintindihan ang set up (pero Malabo pa rin ehehhe.)

Meeting place: Victory Liner Pasay, 10PM.. medyo malayo sa manila area, at 8PM nasa house pa ako packing my things. Around 8:45PM nakaalis na ako ng bahay, good thing walang traffic along Quirino and Osmena that time, in 20min I arrived at the terminal.. (Just in time). J

 

Exactly 10PM umalis ang bus namin, then we arrived at Baguio around 445AM. Sumalubong ulit ang malamig na weather ng Baguio, pero mas malamig last March noong nagpunta kami ng Mt. Pulag. From Victory Liner nag taxi kami papuntang Dangwa bus station, kung  saan sasakay kami ng Bus papuntang Sagada. Pila pila ang mode, wala din pala kaseng reservation ng ticket dito. 5:45 umalis na ang bus namin.

 

Non-air na bus, at goodluck nasa pinakadulo kami ng Bus. It was a long and winding road… ahaha napakanta na lang ako. Ang hirap ng nasa dulo ng bus, wala kang pag lagyan, wala yata akong nakitang straight lang ang daan, puro sharp turn.. to the left to the right ang peg ng katawan ko. Plus ang dalawa kong katabi byahilo.. Yung moment na gusto mo na lang itali ang katawan mo sa upuan para hindi mag slide. Si ate coleen na nasa left side ko, hilong hilo na.. Si Oreanne naman na nasa right ko suka bag ang laging hanap. Halos mahawa na ako sa hilo nila..  Pahirap. Ahaha..  Pero ganun pa man, bawing bawi ka na sa view na makikita mo along the way.

Hindi naman halatang hilong hilo na kami. :)

11:35AM finally nakarating kami sa Sagada. Here’s my first sight of Sagada.

First thing we do is to register at MFPI (Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines, Inc.)
So yun pala yun, annual congress ng mga mountaineers.. ahahaha.. kaloka, walang kaalam alam sa mga mangyayari. So ayun pala yun. MFPI pala yung nag organized for this event and the 20th SEGA anniversary.

 

Nag pitch kami ng tent after registration. Then lunch after. Then we’re ready for the first activity. Sumaguing cave.