The Travelling Feet

January’s almost over and am still talking about Christmas presents, and this time it’s the gift of climbing Osmena Peak. Anyway, this is the last installment of my Best Christmas Gift series wherein I received the perfect gifts last Christmas of 2011. For the benefit of those who have not read the 1st two posts, I got the perfect gifts last Christmas in the form of travel adventures. I never imagined I would end the year swimming with whale sharks in Oslob or be transported back in time as my friends and I did the Boljoon Heritage walk and almost jumped off the boardwalk and swam in the town plaza of Boljoon. What’s more crazy is climbing Cebu’s highest peak, the Osmeña Peak in Mantalungon, Dalaguete, Cebu, again! And this is what this last series is all about, my second climb to Osmeña Peak.

Now that I am composing this post, I couldn’t help scratch the back of my head and chuckle as I recall what we just did last December. It was by far the most exhillirating and adventurous trip I did in my entire life. char! For a day, we visited three towns in the south of Cebu where crazy adventures awaited us. Without considering the possibility of those whale sharks in Oslob mistaking us for food, we carelessly carefully swam the seawaters of Oslob to get up close and personal with those whale sharks. Seeing the heritage sites of Boljoon allowed us the chance to get a glimpse of our past. And then the climb…

The Perfect Gift # 3

Climbing Osmeña Peak

Honestly, I have no idea what I was thinking on why I agreed to climb Osmeña Peak again. Last November 2011, my friends and I climbed the peak for the first time and I almost didn’t make it to the top due to an injury which I’ll share in another post But I guess my travelling feet are just too stubborn and never hesitated the invitation to climb the peak again

my turtle pace. care to guess who reached the peak last?

The plan was to make sure we reached the top of the peak before sunset. After doing the Boljoon heritage walk, we travelled to Mantalungon, Dalaguete using our other companion’s SUV. Free ride! Wohooo! I’m happy that we were able to save a few bucks  (P95) with that free ride up to the jump off point of the climb

L-R: moi, edcel c. and sheena, christine, cris, edcel s. and andrew

It normally takes 1.5 – 2.5 hours to reach the peak depending on your pace. But since we were dropped off half-way down the trail, we were able to cut the time in hiking to reach the top. We could have asked to be dropped off at the foot of the peak where we could reach the top in 30 minutes but some of my companions wanted to hike. I originally planned to start the trek from the foot of the peak too to avoid what happened on my first climb but since majority of the group wanted to hike, the rest of those who wanted to follow the shorter trek were led to believed that that was the start of the short climb Am just glad no one complained why it took them more than 30 minutes to reach the peak. peace!

Trivia: All cities/towns/village/barangays in the Philippines have their own basketball courts and this small village in Mantalungon, Dalaguete, Cebu is no exception

And since I’m travelling with my fellow Pinoy Travel Bloggers, we couldn’t help make unscheduled stops to take photos of the place and of themselves (me not included )

stop-overs like this extends the trek time

foot of Osmena Peak where it will take 30 minutes to reach the top

During this time, the trail was not dry. It wasn’t too muddy either but enough to make you slip in case you don’t watch your step.

Reaching Osmeña Peak

This makeshift bamboo pole gate is the entrance to the peak. You need to pay P20 per head but since this was our second time, Ed tried his haggling skills with the kids guarding the entrance and was able to get a P5 discount for each head. Besides, those kids still remembered us not because we climbed there the month before but because of my epic injury. hahaha

Lo and behold! The highest peak in Cebu, the Osmena Peak!

There are quite a number of peaks in there and one can’t help wonder which peak is really the highest. I wonder if they measured its height. If you are familiar with the Chocolate Hills of Bohol, you will notice that they looked kinda similar. The only difference is that this one’s pointed whereas the Chocolate Hills in Bohol are round-shaped. These pointed mountain ranges are also visible from Moalboal if you are on your way to Pescador Island and you can also see Cebu’s neighboring islands – Bohol and Negros from the top.

one of our death-defying stunts to climb each mini peak just to have our own spots

Osmeña Peak offers different magnificent sights for your eyes to feast on. All you need to do is make a 360-degree turn and you will witness one of God’s wonders I’m sorry if I can’t describe it properly You just have to be there to see for yourself. hehehe.

guess who took the picture…definitely not me

the reason of our choice of time to climb Osmena Peak – S-U-N-S-E-T!

Edgar levitated! (no camera trick here)

the best way to watch the sunset

group pic before the fog ate the entire peak

Tips on the descent from the Osmeña Peak

As soon as the sunset was over, the entire place was covered with fog. Some of us were shivering due to the sudden drop of the temperature. We had to collect all our stuff and hurry our way down the mountain. It was dark and foggy and not all were able to bring  a flashlight. Some of our companions had to make do with the built-in flashlights in their cellphones. Some relied on the person infront of them who’s got a  flashlight. The others had to keep up with the kid-guide who was leading the way.

The descent is not really that scary unless the trail is muddy. In our case, it wasn’t. But the ground was not dry too so there were some parts of the trail where it was really slippery.

You just have to be careful and watch where your foot lands. It is also best to remember the trail when climbing up as you will need that memory when descending from the peak. If you are not sure where your feet lands or how stable the soil is, it’s best to just sit and glide to avoid any accidents.

Also make sure you have a buddy with you when you descend since you will be needing each other’s support in case either one slips. Your buddy will also come in handy when showing you the pathway or letting you know the sudden change in the trail.

our thankful faces after reaching the foot of the peak unscathed awoooooo!

Although I just climbed oPeak a month ago, the trek to the top still did not fail to make me say “huwaw!”, “nice!” or silently smile at the beauty that unfolded in front of me. What’s more fulfilling was hearing my companion’s, who were also first-timers to climb the peak, positive remarks about the whole climb, the whole trip for that matter. It made my heart glow with joy and made me more proud to be a Cebuano as they witnessed the majesty of one of my province’ hidden gems.

Travel Essentials to Climb Osmeña Peak

• drinking water (there’s a fresh water at the foot of the mountain where you can refill your water bottles if you want to)
• flashlight – a must if you are descending at night
• jacket or sweater
• food in case you get hungry (ie. bread, chips, banana, biscuits)
• change clothes (optional)
• sunblock to protect you from the sun’s rays (optional depending on how OC you are. LOL. )

What to Wear

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This is Part 3 of my Best Christmas Gift series where me and a couple of my friends from my Pinoy Travel Bloggers group went on a day trip to the south of Cebu to experience 3 amazing adventures. To checkout Part 1 and Part 2 of this series, visit the link below 

Part I: The Best Christmas Present: Swimming with Whale Sharks
Part II: The Best Christmas Present: Boljoon Heritage Walk

For more photos of the Osmena Peak climb, check out the FB Page here.

The hardest part about a great travel adventure is to get back into reality, perhaps think twice then retrace your steps, gather your thoughts and make sure you are right on schedule and move on to the next adventure on the list. This was what I felt when I left those whale sharks in Oslob. 40 minutes was not enough! I still wanted to swim with them even if it meant paying P200 more. But I knew there’s always gonna be a next time so with a heavy heart and a grumbling stomach seeking to break the fast, we had to leave Oslob and headed to the next town on our list – Boljoon, where we saw their historical landmarks and enjoyed the Boljoon Heritage Walk.

This wasn’t my 1st time in Boljoon. Just a month ago, me and my fellow travel buddies Ed, Edwin and Dom accidentally crashed their town’s fiesta. We were not that lucky though in getting invited to dine at one of the houses that celebrated the feast of the town’s patron saint. We never knew there were other things we could have done and seen in Boljoon. Luckily, on the eve of Christmas Eve my travelling feet found its way back to this town again.

The Perfect Gift # 2

Boljoon Heritage Walk and Jumping off the Boardwalk

Boljo-on, pronounced as Bol-ho-on, is the 2nd to the last town located south of Cebu. The beautiful street lamps that decorates the coastal area of this town is what you’ll notice the first time you’ll lay your eyes on her. As you get nearer, you will see an arch at the right side where 3 angel statues stands as if trumpeting your arrival. The arch is the gateway to Cebu’s oldest remaining original stone church, the Patrocinio de Maria (Boljoon Church).

Artifacts have been discovered in the area linking Cebuanos to their heritage. These artifacts, together with the town’s relics and other important historical items are well-preserved in their museum and is available for the public’s viewing.

The town of Boljo-on is not only famous for those structures within the Church Complex – the Rectory, Belfry, Plaza Cemetery, Escuela Catolica, El Grande Baluarte and the Gates and Walls. This town has much more to offer.

After touring the Boljoon Church Complex, we decided to check out the platform in the town plaza. Although we just finished swimming with the whale sharks in Oslob, the perfect weather couldn’t stop my travel buddies from getting excited at the sight of that platform. They immediately tested the depth of the waters and were soon jumping off the boardwalk. They looked like kids who were unleashed from their cages playpens as they took turns in jumping off the shallow waters.

I was so tempted to join my friends but the tide wasn’t that high. Some of them even had bruises after their jumps but they never paid attention to the pain as the thrill and fun jumping off the boardwalk of Boljoon was enough to keep them pumped up from the semi-dangerous stunts they were doing