I climbed the Philippine’s highest! Before the coffee gets cold

Mt. Apo’s name is believed to have come from the word “Apo,” which means “grandfather” or “ancestor” in several indigenous Philippine languages. According to one legend, the mountain was named after Apo Sandawa, a great ancestral spirit revered by the indigenous Manobo people. Another version of the story tells of a fierce chieftain named Apo, whose death prompted the naming of the mountain in his honor. The mountain holds deep cultural and spiritual significance for the indigenous tribes of Mindanao, including the Manobo, Bagobo, and other Lumad groups, who consider it a sacred place and a home to powerful spirits.

I never planned on climbing Mt. Apo. It wasn’t something I had been training for or even something I thought I was ready to do. But when the opportunity presented itself, I thought about my health scare the year before and how there was a time when I could barely walk. I wasn’t sure why I was signing up for something this difficult when I knew I wasn’t physically prepared, but then I remembered a phrase I had come across: “Later, the coffee gets cold.” I kept thinking, if not now, then when? Last year, I could barely walk. Who knows what’s going to happen next? Only time can tell.

So I signed up. Mt. Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines, and we were doing the Bansalan Traverse to Sta. Cruz over three days. I knew it was going to be difficult. I just didn’t realise how difficult it would be for me.

Day 1: The Ascent.

The Bansalan trail wasn’t as buwis-buhay as the Sta. Cruz trail, but the continuous ascent made it brutal in its own way. There were barely any flat sections where I could properly catch my breath. The trail took us through the forest, with massive tree roots crossing the path and moss covering the trees around us. It was beautiful, but at that point, I was mostly focused on getting one foot in front of the other. My legs were already struggling, my back hurt, and my hyperacidity made everything worse.

At some point, my body started giving up before my mind did. Kuya Randy, our organiser, must have seen it on my face because he offered to carry my trail bag. I hesitated because part of me felt like accepting help meant I couldn’t do it on my own. But honestly, I needed it. Once the weight was off my shoulders, I could finally focus on continuing the climb.

I reached the campsite last, which wasn’t a surprise considering how slowly I had been moving. I thought reaching camp would finally mean I could rest, but camping was another challenge altogether. The tent was small and cramped, there was no light and no water in the comfort room, and I had very little water with me. I managed to wash my face and change into fresh clothes inside the tent. Then the cold came. My body was exhausted, but between the hard ground, the cold and the discomfort, I barely slept. I remember lying there wondering how I was supposed to climb again the next morning when I already felt completely drained.

Day 2: The Summit, the Crater and the Boulders.

We started early. My body was stiff from barely sleeping, but we still had a summit to reach. As we climbed higher, the trail became rockier and the wind became stronger. Near the summit, the gusts were strong enough that I had to be careful with my balance.

And then, after all that struggling, I made it. I reached the summit of Mt. Apo.

Standing at the highest point in the Philippines felt surreal, especially knowing how much I had struggled just to get there. I was tired, cold and aching, but for a moment, none of that mattered. We took in the view before beginning the descent towards the crater. From there, the landscape changed completely. Then came the boulders. This was probably one of the most intimidating parts of the entire climb for me. The trail turned into huge volcanic rocks, and we had to carefully make our way across them. There were sulfur vents releasing steam along the way, and everything looked completely different from the forest we had climbed through. I moved slowly because I was scared of making one wrong step and sliding. My knees were already feeling the strain, so I took my time and concentrated on where I placed my feet. Somehow, I made it through without falling.

And just when I thought we had survived the hardest part, we entered the mossy forest on the Sta. Cruz trail. This was where things got brutal. The trail was extremely muddy and slippery, with tree roots everywhere and very little room for mistakes. At the same time, it was probably one of the most beautiful parts of the trail. Everything was covered in green, moss, ferns, trees, and mist hung between the branches. I was exhausted, but I still remember looking around and thinking how beautiful it was.

Day 3: The Final Descent.

By the third day, I was running mostly on determination. My legs hurt, my knees were sore, and I had developed blisters on my feet. Going downhill wasn’t any easier. If anything, the descent was worse on my knees. Every step put more pressure on them, and the muddy and uneven trail meant I couldn’t relax or move quickly. The blisters made every step painful too, but there wasn’t much I could do except keep walking. Eventually, we reached the end of the trail. I was exhausted, muddy and aching everywhere, but I had finished it.

What the Mountain Taught Me.

My only regret was not taking better care of my body before the climb. Mt. Apo made me realise how physically weak I had become. My legs trembled during the ascent, my knees struggled through the descent, and the blisters on my feet made an already difficult trail even harder. I wish I had trained more and strengthened my body beforehand. Not because I wanted the climb to be easy, but because I wish I had been able to enjoy more of it instead of spending so much time simply trying to survive and finish. Still, I’m grateful I went.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

To Kuya Randy, the porters, and the friends who joined and encouraged me, thank you. I know I wouldn’t have made it without your help. Looking back, I still think I could have prepared better. I wasn’t physically ready for Mt. Apo, and the climb made that very clear. But I’m also glad I didn’t wait until I felt completely ready because I don’t know when that would have been. That’s what before the coffee gets cold means to me. There will always be a reason to do something later. When I’m stronger, when I’m healthier, when I have more time, or when I feel ready. But sometimes, you just have to do it while you still can. I wasn’t ready, but I went anyway. And I made it to the top.