In the hype of adventures and #TravelGoals, more and more people wanted to feel the intoxicating touch of freedom to see the rest of the world. The best way to see the wonders below and the beautiful horizon is to climb mountains.
Last February 2017 My best friend propose the idea to go hiking for a change since we always plan for beach trips. I was hesitant at first because I was thinking I’m not physically fit for hiking and a bookworm who chills on cafe shops like me is not really adventurous. Just by thinking of walking on a long tricky path is already exhausting and scary but the other part of me wants to experience hiking and to overcome my fear of heights. So she booked us a day-trip to Mt. Napulak together with her co-workers.
Mt. Napulak is one of the popular and oldest hiking destination in Panay. We arrived early at the Igbaras police station to register our names and to pay for environmental fees. We hitched a motorcycle ride to get to the house of our Guide who is also one of the local resident in area.
The first part of the trek was easy and we mostly saw farmlands and few houses in the area. Along the way we saw some Rafflesia flowers and stop by in one of the water sources to drink water in bamboo sprouts that came from mountain springs.
The other half of the trek became challenging and needs more physical effort to keep going. It took us 4-5 hours to reach the the top which we can see the iconic “nipple” rock that marks the vey summit of Napulak.
The cross represents the faith of the people in Igbaras. We ate our packed lunch while enjoying the fresh air and spectacular views of mountain sceneries.
To climb the rock we need to use the very tricky wooden staircase. I was so scared to make a wrong move and hurt myself in the process so I asked our Guide to help me get to the top of the rock. We are all very careful with our actions because a fall can cause fatal injury.
After a long (not easy) journey and a lot of short breaks, we finally saw the 360 degrees view of Panay region. I was awestruck by how impressively beautiful it was.
I felt a sense of accomplishment. Now I know why it was called the “mountain for beginners” even though the trail isn’t really for beginners but the experience for the first time hikers will definitely light up the desire to hike more mountains and awakens the adventurer within.
Do you also have plans to hike Mt. Napulak but you don’t know who to contact and how to get there? Visit areaspacefinder.com for booking and other services.
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