TOLEDO TRI-HILLS: NEW ZEALANDIC BUCAO, UDLOM, & TAGAYTAY

Can you even fathom how fast these times are?

Compared to years before 2010, It seems like the turning of days and nights is on a timelapse.

I totally agree on this quote by Valerie June:

“Sometimes when you’re in a more fast-paced place, with more to see and do, you miss out on things like nature and beautiful, God-made things.”

For 25 years, I have lived in a rural area - a booming municipality in a plain. There are pros and cons like any other place. Since we are close to the city, industrial opportunities are accessible. We are also by the sea, so fishing and beaches are kind of our thing. The main con for me is that we are far away from the highlands, so farming and plantations are hard to pass by. In fact, in our place, we don’t have a mountain, or a hill.

I was invited by one of my classmates to hike and camp for the first time, and the feeling was definitely a change of heart.

That’s how I started my hiking journey.

Witnessing my first sunrise and sunset, sleeping under a starry night sky, waking up at the top with a cup of coffee - the list of my first times goes on and on.

Camping, trail running, day hiking - every visit in the wild is a unique experience. That’s what I love about this endeavor. A fatiguing activity but you know, it keeps us calm, heals our souls, and makes us happy.

Just last Sunday, our Hike for a Cause was a pure bliss.

I love doing humanitarian work, and discovering this specific hiking group rapidly resonated my soul as it offers hiking experience while volunteering for underprivileged communities in the far-flung schools of Cebu.

How cool is that?

DHT Cebu: Dayhike Therapists is a non-profit group of outdoor enthusiasts sharing the spirit of outdoor adventures and volunteerism. We usually organize a series of day hikes here in Cebu to gather funds for building school infrastructures like canteens, libraries, and repairs for our chosen school beneficiary.

(I forgot to tell you that I am already part of the working group earlier this year and is something to celebrate!)

Our route for this hike is in Toledo, the country’s largest copper mine. Sightseeing on our way to Toledo is a bittersweet feeling; We are excited for the hike but also felt devastated as we were met by disheartening up-close view of the quarried mountains. I just swallowed the reality and went on with a hopeful thought about doing my own little ways to contribute to environmental sustainability.

This hike is recorded as one of the most joined as we were close to 40 including us, guides of DHT.

Getting to Toledo is quite a distance if you’re only relying on public vehicles. We divided the joiners into two separate groups with each van to save time from cut travels. We bought our own lunches at the Jolibee Toledo Branch and the nearby 7/11 store and arrived at the jump off point, in the Brgy. Hall of General Climaco at around 9:00am.

The sun is shining brightly and is happily showing its face. A delightful bonus welcomed us just before reaching General Climaco – the breathtaking view of Malubog Lake.

We kicked off our hike by descending to the lake for pictures. I’m lost with words but if I were to attempt a description, remember those establishing shots of Filipino movies set in provinces - longs shots of a child running through a rice field with smokes from nipa houses, or a lone tricycle moving in a long and a winding road with a green plain field on the other side. Simply stunning.

This is by far one of the largest lakes I’ve ever seen my entire life. Yes, my world may still feel small but who cares? I love this!

I can’t help but think about the locals who are fortunate enough to live here, waking up to such a paradise. What a perfect view to start and end your day.

I’m utterly captivated.

Knowing I may not have the opportunity to visit or see this again.

I took a lot of pictures, as did the other joiners who truly earned this experience.

They woke up early, attended an orientation, invested in gears, and dedicated their time to share in this adventure with us.

Photo by: James Suico

Our trek involved traversing three hills- New Bucao, Udlom Peak and Tagaytay Hills. This marked the beginning of the challenge.

A series of uphill climbs.

On a sunny day.

We resembled a group of “black-clad” bandits, covering each of ourselves to protect from the sun. Every bit of a shade we can find along the trail, be it from stores, houses, or trees, is an oasis. Heat is our main nemesis on this escapade as most parts of the trail are open fields, providing limited shade.

On the bright side, this heat proved to be a blessing. Because when it rains, it will be a different story. The trail transforms into a muddy adventure due to its mostly rough roads. Crawling to the top wouldn’t be the ideal scenario, right? Just kidding.

We embraced the heat and persevered with the course. Every step is a stairway to a higher vantage point. We get to see the Malubog Lake from a far.

Still awe-inspiring.

I took a couple shots from the joiners in this vantage point, as it seemed to offer the best for frames. Adhering to the basic rule of a frustrated photographer of the day; to keep their memories in photographs. It is indeed a great pleasure to make them smile during hikes, even if it means sacrificing a photo for myself.

It’s not really a big deal for me because, for one, I lack confidence in front of the camera. Additionally, I prefer capturing natural views alone, and lastly, I am quite meticulous when it comes to pictures of myself.

We encountered kids playing basketball as we pass by an open court. It felt like a throwback to the old times when there was no internet, and every child would go out to play. It took me down memory lane, reminiscing about how fun it is to be a kid.

Up and up and up.

In the back of my mind, that’s what the joiners seemed to convey just by glancing at their faces. The series of ascents here in Toledo is no walk in the park. The heat attempts to hypnotize us into stopping, but we know we are stronger than the heat itself. We combat it by sensibly listening to our bodies, taking rests, sharing laughs about why we even engage in this challenging pursuit, and exchanging stories about the world of hiking. Without knowing, we are already forging connections, bound by the spirits of our adventurous souls.

NEW BUCAO

It was past 11:00 o'clock when we reached New Bucao. This location probably offers the highest and most perfect viewpoint of Malubog Lake, similar to the iconic scene from Kimi no Nawa. Yes, I got a perfect shot of myself in this perfect backdrop.

Our journey continued in a roller coaster ride as we went down and then up, eventually reaching New Bucao Elementary School for our lunch. Unfortunately, some parts of the school remain unrepaired since Typhoon Odette struck two years ago. This is actually one of the reasons being slapped in our faces of why we are doing this in the first place. There are still settlements and communities have not been included in the list, worst being forgotten by the government.

Photo by: James Suico

Photo by: James Suico

UDLOM PEAK

Perhaps you’re wondering why I mentioned about New Zealand in the title of this story. Well, here’s the connection. Most of the hills bear a striking resemblance to the landscapes of New Zealand, particularly those seen in the pictures of Hobbiton minus the hobbit houses. You know, the place where hobbits live in the movies, also known-as Middle Earth for Tolkien fans.

Of course, Toledo is certainly far from the actual filming locations but hey, you can at least feel a bit of a magic with its golden plains, towering mountains and enchanting valleys – all at a very affordable price!

TAGAYTAY HILLS

Tagaytay Hills also known as a Navaja Heights serves as the established camping ground. If you plan to spend a night here, please do more research about the updated fees and directions. We wouldn’t recommend camping at New Bucao and Udlom Peak for safety reasons. Tagaytay provides more security in comparison. You may spot some huts in the distance, perhaps one of the caretaker’s houses where you can inquire about this area.

We spent nearly half an hour just sitting, allowing the Vitamin D and fresh air shower our exhausted bodies. It was a day filled with fun, laughter and connections. We cherished every minute of it that we don’t want to go down yet.

Photo by: James Suico

Photo by: James Suico

Photo by: James Suico

This is one of the perks of joining a hiking group. It differs significantly from other societal groups in various aspects. If we meet in the trail, everyone becomes friends regardless of whether know each other yet. The trait of being hospitable seems to come naturally.

I also admire DHT because they are so inclusive. Beginners don’t feel left behind and elites don’t feel like they’re bragging. Everyone meets in between. I think DHT is wired this way and it’s something truly special.

Now comes the bittersweet part. We began our descent at 4:00 pm, just as the sun was about to go down. On a typical workday, time would pass in fleeting seconds, with not much of interest beyond the fatigue of work.

However, on a day like this, you get to walk with time. You glimpse into what will happen every minute of your day, witness the sun both rise and set, feel the air in a way different from where you live, encounter new faces and exchange smiles, savor different foods, and achieve things for yourself that you didn't know you could.

Perhaps one realization behind the perception of these days being so abrupt is that we are often too busy doing the same thing, enclosed in a trapdoor of routine.

So, try to go out sometimes.

Feel the need for a difference.

You'll discover that there's still so much to see.

DHT CEBU: DAYHIKE THERAPISTS