Standing atop a small rock at the summit of Mt. Kapigpiglatan, I scanned the intimidating length of the six mountains forming the Cawag range of Zambales. And all I could think of were the temporary things in life.

“Tingin ka dito, kunan kita ng pic,” Clarisse called out to me when she saw me having my moment. I bonded with her, along with her companion and the sweeper guide, as we took the tail end of the group that hiked Mt. Kapigpiglatan on that Chinese New Year holiday.

No one gets left behind

A few kilometers into the hike, I heard someone behind me say, “rest muna tayo. Kaya mo yan.” As a slow hiker, I chose to stay with them rather than try to keep pace with the faster hikers in front of me.

It was still dark and we were in the forest trail. We took a couple more stops, and I could tell that the poor guy was seriously tired, but trying. He said he was okay, “just tired.” He’s been living a sedentary life for two years, mostly sitting behind a desk during the day for work. I felt his struggle. My only concern at this point is that we might get caught under the heat of the sun halfway through the hike. The open trails going to the summit of Mt. Kapigpiglatan is notorious for the heat, with only about three or four trees to offer shade along the way.

At one point, he was slumped on the ground, trying to catch his breath. We asked him not to squat so he doesn’t get dizzy getting up. When he got up, I saw his pale face. Our sweeper said that we’re only a few minutes to “7/11” (a resting spot with benches and a small store) where he can sleep on a bench if he decides not to push through.

There was already daylight when we reached 7/11. We spent a few minutes here and unfortunately, there was no one selling food and water at the store since it was a holiday. He looked better, though still slow and weak. A few minutes of rest, some snacks and water, and words of encouragement gave him enough fuel to proceed to the view deck just a few meters farther.

The sun was already up, but clouds would cover it every now and then. The wind was also still cool when we got to the view deck. This spot is the turning point for any hiker who has a decision to make whether to finish the hike or not. He decided to finish with us, and I decided to stick with them and see him through.

The impermanence of struggles

He got his second wind, probably after seeing the beauty of Mt. Kapigpiglatan from the view deck. But the sun has gotten higher and the heat, more serious. Halfway through, our water was beginning to run out.

When we finally got to the summit, I raised his hand in triumph. He and Clarisse were all smiles. The six hikers who went before us were already in their respective spots, taking pictures or lying under the lone tree. There were no other groups at the summit, so we had the summit all to ourselves.

As we headed back to the jump off, all we could think about was the tinolang manok that we pre-ordered for lunch. We ran out of water, so we were exhausted, hot, and dehydrated. I don’t drink soft drinks regularly, but I had Pepsi in mind the rest of the way back.

Pain. Exhaustion. Even the thought of surrendering. These are all temporary feelings that mess with your head when you’re taking on a challenge like mountain hiking. What lasts is the memory of how you took the challenge, reached the summit, and who you were with. I don’t know these three people that I temporarily bonded with on this hike, and I don’t expect to be friends with them after this. But this impermanent friendship will be tucked in the folds of my memories as something worth remembering when the time comes that I can no longer hike.