Coinciding with the National Mountain Clean-up Day, the Skookum Mountaineers formally had its 1st Induction Climb at Mt. Ugo in Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet last May 10 to 11, 2014.
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| Mt. Ugo / Mt. Ugu |
Mt. Ugo (also regarded as Mt. Ugu) was personally chosen by the inductees due to the different challenges that the said mountain poses. Besides, being a traditional traverse climb, it is expected that the inductees will be introduced to the culture of the locals in both Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet. Of course, the highly esteemed views of the Cordillera, the cool weather even during the searing heat of summer and the famous "sea of clouds" that is prevalent in the area were some of the added perks that made it easier for the group to decide.
As the pioneer batch of Skookum, there were actually six of us, Allan, Jaime, Bogs, Lennon, Bette and me (Oliver).
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| Batch 1 |
Our bus bound for Santiago, Isabela left the Victory Liner Terminal beneath the Kamias flyover (just before you reach East Avenue on the northbound lane) at 11:00PM. Please take note that while the bus that we took went the customary route (through the different towns of Bulacan and southern Nueva Ecija), there are already trips that use the SCTEX, eventually passing through the Tarlac-Sta.Rosa Highway.
An hour and a half into the trip, we had our 1st stopover somewhere in Bulacan. It is a good chance for you to either eat some late dinner, buy additional snacks, or just answer the call of nature.
The bus shall pass through the Maharlika Highway and is expected to reach the Dalton Pass at about 4 hours and a half into the trip. It was a good thing that I was deep asleep when the bus was negotiating the dizzying twists and turns of this fabled gateway to the Cagayan Valley.
After almost 6 hours, we finally arrived at our initial destination, the CCQ Bus Stop & Restaurant in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya. This is where mountaineers planning to scale the heights of Mt. Ugo usually rendezvous with their respective rented jeepneys that will transport them up to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.
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| Waiting for the other mountaineers |
While we were already ready to go, our driver mentioned that since there were only six of us, and that they are expecting the arrival of at least 10 other mountaineers, they asked us if we can at least wait for the other group. Initially, we accommodated their request but after almost an hour of waiting, with the arrival and ensuing departure of at least 3 buses, we decided that we cannot wait for them any longer as our itinerary has already been compromised.
So on we go to the town of Kayapa at exactly 6:20AM. Since we cannot contain the excitement that persistently multiplies within us, all 6 of us decided to try top loading.
