I will not go into details about the cause to protect the identity of the child and her family, but when our organizer Kim of KimpoyAdv asked me to join them on a hike to help raise a fund for a young lady’s hospitalization, saying “yes” felt right. (UPDATE: I was told that she passed away 9 days after our hike).

You see, I haven’t done any hiking for two months since my Independence Day hike in Mt. Makiling, and that is a long time for this soon-to-be-sexagenarian whose best physical activity is walking 30-45 minutes on a walking pad 3x a week. But on the day before our Malarayat traverse hike, I felt good. I didn’t feel anxious as I normally would before every hike especially since this particular mountain range in Batangas is not popular among hikers of this generation. Kim assured me that I could take it when I asked him (twice!), and I trusted him. Apparently, he based his opinion after seeing my post about my adventure in Mt. Makiling.

But Mt. Makiling is nowhere near as difficult as the Malarayat mountain range. At least, not for me. Halfway through toward the first peak, our guide Rhuel told me that this was actually a major hike. I have to admit I didn’t think of backing out after that because it was too early in the hike. And we’re doing a traverse hike, so going back is out of the question. I just reminded myself why I do this despite my physical limitations: every hike for me is a prayer to the Lord to give my suffering loved ones more strength and less pain. This time, a special prayer goes out to the girl who needed help from strangers like us.

What I love about this mountain range is the lushness of the forests that reminded me of Mt. Makiling. The trails for this one, though, are barely established. There are parts where you could hardly recognize the path. Heavily bent bamboo plants and fallen tree trunks big and small are strewn here and there. All of these obstacles combined made the hike more difficult and challenging for me, making me fall way back of the pack. I did manage to keep up on the first three peaks that included the summit of Mt. Malepunyo, but I got slower and slower from there.

The descent was so tough throughout that it took its toll on my aging knees and leaky heart. I was running out of breath every few meters during assaults. I was never alone, though, as Rhuel kept close watch on me and the four other hikers who were tackling their first “real” mountain.

We still managed to catch up with the lead group until the 4th peak (Balete peak) and the tree house. It was the ascent to the 5th peak (Biak na Bundok) that really sapped my energy dry. It was around 2PM, the sun was already high up, and we were out of the shade of the forest. It was an open trail going up Biak na Bundok, and I found myself running low on water despite refilling from the water source in Balete Peak. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t even get up to take pictures and videos for myself. I had to ask Rhuel to take them for me.

Biak na Bundok, called as such because it was sliced in the middle to make way for a future concrete road, offers a good view of nearby mountains like Mount Susong Dalaga, Mt. Manabu, and Mt. Malepunyo where we came from, as well as Mt. Arayat. You could also get a glimpse of Mt. Makiling, Mt. Cristobal and Mt. Banahaw from here on a clear day.

By the time we reached the foot of Biak na Bundok on the way to Mt. Manabu, I knew I had to take an exit. I had wanted to finish the hike all the way to Mt. Manabu, but I was already going much slower. I felt I still had enough energy left to complete the traverse if I would take five, but it was almost 5 in the afternoon (we started at 4am) and I was falling farther behind. I didn’t want to slow the whole team down any further, and we were already way behind schedule. So when I caught up with the lead group by the junction going up to Mt. Manabu, I told Kim that I would exit from there. To my surprise, the other four who were with me in the sweeper group decided to join me in foregoing Mt. Manabu.

I may not have completed the Malarayat traverse hike that I set out to do, but I felt fulfilled knowing I pushed myself to my limits. As an afterthought, I should have taken a nap at the summit of Mt. Malepunyo the way the others did. Maybe that could’ve given me the extra energy I needed. Or maybe not. The important thing is, I’ve said my AMEN to the best of my ability and capability.

For those who are suffering from any kind of health condition, I understand how easy it is to be in despair and lose hope. Let’s fight together, in ways we can, and know how. Circumstances may not happen the way we want them to, but the Lord’s plan is much better than we expect.

We’ve heard it before: failure is a setup for success. The Bible has several versions of this, but I particularly like 1 Peter 5:10 that says, “In his kindness, God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” He may not have given me extra energy on the day that I had wanted to, but faith has given me the will to come back, even if it’s only to scale “just” Mt. Manabu. For by then, I know that I will be restored, supported and strengthened by the Lord.

As for the young lady we set out to help, heaven wanted her more. She may not have reached the peak of her life, but I’d like to think she’s now at the ultimate summit in the afterlife where there’s an endless sea of clouds, calming sunrises and sunsets, and vibrant forests.