26/12/2025
๐ ๐ง. ๐๐ฃ๐ข
|2,954 masl|
Sta. Cruz Backtrail
It all started with winning a free climb to Mt. Apo. No work season. No fixed plans.Just a quiet decision to climb to refresh my mind, not just my body.
I left our hometown with just enough cash, trusting the road more than the map. Picked up around 7 a.m., a quick rush to the airport to meet strangers who would soon feel familiar.
From Davao, we headed to Kapatagan, the drop-off point where comfort ends and the real journey begins. One step at a time, up the mountain. We rested for the night at Tinikaran Campsite, then rose before the world woke up.
At 3 a.m., we pushed through the dark, assaulting the boulders, chasing the sunrise and the peaks of Mt. Apo. Along the trail, I talked about life with people seasoned by mountains and time.
Stories shared, lessons exchanged,
silence understood. And somewhere between exhaustion and awe,
I learned this: I started the climb alone, but the mountain filled the silence with stories from strangers.
Ps.: Thank you guys and to our tour organizer Kuya Johnmark Rafols and Jane Ylanan@
![[Mt. Apo circa 2024]From office halls to mountain calls, EMBC made it to the top.](https://img5.schoolandcollegelistings.com/815/707/1173227498157076.jpg)
