I remember a news article several years ago about building a 16,000 step stairway up to Mount Apo, our country’s highest mountain.
Nothing could be worse than that, except maybe, if they decide to make a zipline on the way back down.
And although 16,000 steps certainly seem exhausting, who would ever attempt to do it?
We wouldn’t. We’re quite sure nobody else, except a mountaineer, would dare scale such a height, but certainly not along concrete steps.
But of course, as it turns out, I tried to trek up to Mount Kabuyao, the nearest mountain to Baguio City, along a road so well paved that me and my companions were able to take turns kicking a stone on the way up.
So much for wearing trekking shoes. We could have worn slippers and it would have been fine. The entire route was paved, but whether that is good or bad news, depends entirely on who looks at it.
If I tried hard enough, I’d probably be able to churn out more justifications for this but only one stands: this peak has a community around it, which explains the road all the way up.
You could actually drive to the radar station there, and walk for another two minutes to get nearer, if only for the sake of walking.
This is not to say though that it had been a walk in the park. It was tiring enough, but not to the point of our muscles aching until the day after. And although we didn’t make it to the peak for the sunrise, we did have sweeping views of Baguio City down below along the way.
During our trek for the first few kilometers, we were lucky enough to catch what remained of the sunrise and of the fog receding to the valleys.
We continued our hike, stopping every few meters because of the gorgeous view of Baguio a few kilometers away and down below.
We would have liked to see the city flicker to life from complete darkness, which was our original plan, but didn’t stay too long up there.
We were blessed with fine weather that day, so no complaints there.
For most of us, who are Roman Catholics, we would drive all the way up here during Holy Week for the traditional Stations of the Cross. Those in Mount Kabuyao are life-sized stone sculptures, the last one located at the boundary of the 4.3 hectare Panglao property, which lies near the base of the radar station.
We came here for the sunrise and for the views from the summit. We got the former along the way, the latter not at all, at least not from the peak.
Hopefully it won’t be this foggy when we go back, and we’d make sure to go in time for the strawberry harvest.
Mount Kabuyao was more than a long uphill trek for me. It was a reminder of the simpler times when my dad would drive us to the top where we picked strawberries and enjoyed the view of Baguio and the nearby mountains from the top.
It’s now easily accessible by cars, but climbing it by foot gives you a better appreciation of the view not only from the top, but also along the climb.
This was not my first time to climb up to the Mount Kabuyao radar station. It’s about an 8 kilometer climb until Mt. Kabuyao, and maybe another 3 to 4 more kilometers, if you want to go to the peak of nearby Mount. Santo Tomas.
Many mistake the two mountain peaks with each other, maybe because although Mount Santo Tomas is the higher peak, it is further from Baguio and not physically visible itself from the city.
This area has also become a tourist haven lately with the site of the ABS-CBN teleserye, Forevermore, which was dubbed Sitio La Presa, located between the two peaks.
From some parts of Baguio City, Mount Kabuyao is the visible peak, as you can see the two radar discs at the top.
We joke about it at times as Baguio’s twin air conditioners that makes the weather cold in our city.
Since the area is becoming popular now, there are more cars navigating this route, and the spectacular views from there made up for the level of difficulty in climbing.
I realized that the beauty of walking or running to the top is that you can slow down when the view is amazing.
There, you would enjoy a combination of mountains, the lush green forest and fog all around the place.
It was a foggy view to the top, but slowly seeing the radar station becoming larger felt that the goal was nearer.
I also came to realize that this was not just a test of physical endurance but it was a test of mental toughness.
Approaching the top, you can see the Stations of the Cross along the way. This is a popular site for Holy Week too as some people do their stations of the cross here, which I say has a really nice backdrop.
Most people go to this point by car, but I suggest people explore it by foot. It’s good for your fitness and your eyes would be treated to the views of the area longer.
May we all have a solemn Holy Week.