Conquering Mt. Tarak

It stands at 1,130 ft. above sea level. Also known as the "Blue Mountain", as it is fondly called, is an ideal site for mountain trekking, climbing and exploration. A 5-6 hours of mountain climbing from Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan to its peak. With a little dose of stupidity, I conquered Mt. Tarak the hard way.

Lessons learned:

1. Get enough rest the night before a climb. I woke through it all, attended a friend's birthday and attended a friend's dad's funeral... how ironic.

2. Pack smart and pack light. My backpack weighed a ton because I shoved in 4 sets of clothes instead 2 and dumped in a hammock that I didn't even use. I also carried 3 additional liters of water for a climb buddy.

3. Don't wear sandals! This is probably the stupidest thing I did. My feet didn't get a good grip so I slipped a dozen times nearly plucking my toe nails. Sandals stresses your feet more than normal, thus I got cramps all the way to the summit, literally I crawled just to through the agony.

4. Bring enough trail food. Not only does it gives you something to munch on while trekking, it also gives you warmth and prevents your body from shivering. Along the way to the summit, heavy rain and strong wind robbed my body heat. Good thing others brought extra trail food to sustain everyone.

Through it all, it was hard yet exciting. A lot of bad experience but I welcome them all with open arms. In the end, you wake up early morning and get captivated by the view. You are on top of the world. It was worth it all.