About a month and a half ago we, the Delbros AB Normal Club headed by our President, Jose Eduardo C. Delgado (JED), started planning our Mt. Timbak Climb. We just completed our Pico De Loro Climb just when the summer season was at its hottest and we were looking forward to a much cooler climb. The high altitude mountains of the Cordilleras seemed like the perfect candidates, and so we started researching ñ and searching ñ about the notable peaks in the area.
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We wanted a relatively easy mountain to climb and one which can be completed within six to eight hours (both ways). A level three (out of a maximum difficulty level of nine in mountaineering standards) would be just right. Our two recent climbs, Mt. Batulao (March 1, 2008) and Pico De Loro (March 31, 2008), are levels three and two, respectively, according to www.pinoymountaineer.com.
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Mt. Pulag, the highest peak in Luzon and the 3rd in the Philippines at 2,922 meters above sea level (MASL), is the usual favorite in the Cordilleras. Pulag can be both an easy and a difficult climb depending on where the climb will take off. But the Delbros AB Normal Club has already done Pulag a few years back. Also, even if we take the easy route the hike to the summit (one way) will already take about six hours. Too long.
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After checking out about half a dozen candidate peaks we zeroed in on Mt. Timbak (aka Mt. Singakalsa).
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Timbak offers quite a number of attractions to us.
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First of all, it fits the profile of the mountain we are looking for: in the Cordilleras; easily accessible by private vehicles and/or public transport; a level-3 mountain; requires no more than 8 hours to hike both ways.
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Second, at 2,717+ MASL it is among the Top 10 highest peaks in the country. It is number nine, according to www.pinoymountaineer.com. It will be a real morale booster ñ and a bragging right ñ for the neophyte members of the Club like me.
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Lastly, it appears to have interesting features/attractions other than simply reaching its summit. It is also a tourist destination because of its rich cultural heritage. Specifically, it is home to the Timbak-Sabayan Mummies.
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When we were still in the planning stages, we were projecting no more than 20 participants to our Mt. Timbak Climb which, to our reckoning, is just about right considering the cost involved and the logistics requirement of such a climb.
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Today, a day before the Climb, the Delbros AB Normal contingent to Mt. Timbak is down to six: JED; myself; Gig Hagad of Delwater Operations Group; Arvin velbis of Delbros Quality Enhancement Group (QEG); Sherwin De Jesus, IT Consultant of Delwater. And Edirey Reyes, JED’s personal driver.
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We learned that we will be joined by Sophie Castillo and Derek Bonifacio of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), and a 3-member family, friends of JED, the Johannots (Daniel, wife Petty, and daughter Florence).
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And there’s John Dipasupil, our Climb Guide and Coordinator.
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That makes our Mt. Timbak Expedition a party of 12. Oh, by the way, there’s Maxi, a young Pitbull who has been JED’s regular climbing companion this summer season. So that makes our group a total of 13. Hmmm, not exactly a nice number. Seems ominous.
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We’ve been monitoring the weather forecasts for the past three days now as two low pressure areas (LPAs) are lurking within the Philippine Area of Responsibility. We now know that it will definitely be a “wet climb.” There’s a good chance that either or both of the two LPAs will become a full-blown typhoon. There’s also a good chance that either or both LPAs will hit Baguio City and the Cordilleras over the weekend.
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We are not a reckless bunch but a good number of us have a high propensity for risk taking. We weighed our odds and agreed that the probability that†the LPAs will fizzle out before or as they make their†landfall by tomorrow is acceptable.
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And so, undaunted, we went on with our respective trips, later to meet in Baguio City, where, early tomorrow we will set out some 55 kilometers deep into the high mountains of Benguet, to conquer Mt. Timbak, and find out what the Anitos of the Cordilleras have in store for us. Is it good fortune and safe adventure or the dark clouds of bad luck and unknown dangers? We’ll find out soon enough, for there is no turning back now. #
what’s next?
Pls email Daniel with ur site
Do u have his email?