that which does not kill me only makes me stronger
Owww… that’s my body complaining… I’m aching all over and
got bruises everywhere. It took me a while before I go out of bed this morning
and I missed my class!!! Why? I just came home last night from our climb up
Pico de Loro in Cavite.
Don’t think I’m complaining… its just the body aches that
makes me whine right now but it was all worth it! It was a challenge that I’ve
been longing for quite a while now.
Every time I climb, I’d end up whining and complaining. I
keep on asking myself why do I put myself into situations like this?! Going up
and down the trail for hours getting all sweaty and muddy while carrying an
insanely HEAVY pack on my back… What a way to spend a weekend, right?! Well,
the answer always hits me once I reach the peak…
The view up there can’t compare to anything down here.
Everything’s surreal and I get this sublime feeling that just takes all the
exhaustion away! Heaven, that’s what the mountain is for me.
This climb is going to be very memorable for me. It’s my
first climb after almost two years and a lot happened!
First, a new lesson… Instead of slippers, it’s smarter to
bring sandals for the camp just incase your hiking shoes quits on you!!! My
boots gave up on me early during the ascent and I had to wear slippers for
quite a while. After a while, I knew I couldn’t go on wearing that so I had to
find a remedy for my boots… It’s a miracle what a good piece of rope can do… =)
Second lesson, actually an old one but still I don’t know how to remedy it is to
PACK LIGHT!!! The whole trip could have been so much easier for me if only I
lessened my load. The problem is, I pack only what I need but it’s still
insanely heavy!!! I guess that’s what I get for having everything that I need.
The only solution I can think of is to bulk up more muscles and increase my
endurance.
The camp had a beautiful view of the peak itself and the
lands below us. Oh, for those who don’t know, its named Pico de Loro because
the peak is shaped like the beak of a parrot.
It was the first time that I experienced heavy rains while
up there. Luckily my tent was good enough. It had some leaks but at least it
didn’t flood inside. It was just irritating that it started raining while we
were packing up and was about to have breakfast. A lot of my stuff got wet!
Even with less than half of the water I brought up, the soaked tent made my
pack a lot heavier!!!
The trek up the peak was treacherous and a slip could leave
me rolling down and taking those below me along. The muddy ground and the pack
that disturbs my balance was such a great help in making it all the more
harder… and I almost forgot to mention the shoe that was just patched up… I was
scared like hell but I kept on going slowly but surely (sorry guys! I kinda
slowed things up). Anyway, I believe that true courage isn’t measured when you
don’t get scared, it’s when you get scared but still face your fears head on.
Death, another thing that entered my mind starting from the
trek up the peak and during the short leg going down the other way. One
miscalculation, one miss, one “oooops” will surely mean the end of my
existence. But at those moments, that short time that I was near death, I felt
truly alive! I fear death but I’d rather burn out than simply fade away. I love
life but being on the edge give life more meaning.
And as the saying goes, “that which does not kill me only
makes me stronger.” I do believe that I’m much stronger now. I endured all that
up there, what can stop me down here?
