FAMY ADVENTURE

(MT. ROMELO)

www.akamug.com

Siniloan, Laguna

July 10-11, 2004

By: McMike_Angel@akamug.com

Mt. Romelo , Better known as Famy, is a famous destination in the province of Laguna . Some of my former classmates in college had already been here. They said that the waterfalls will take my breath away. I wasn't that interested. You know, I just thought that it's a mess in there. When people flock in a certain area for so long, one can expect the worst impact on the environment. However, as always action speaks louder than voice. It's time to check it out and see with my very own eyes. Akamug hit the road bound for Famy.

Famy came to our attention when AMA Mountaineers from Quezon City invited us to join their climb. Basic Mountaineering Course and Clean-up were part of the activities. The current President is Sir Ace. He organized this climb to welcome at least 20 college students wanting to join their organization. We responded, 3 Akamugs and Sir Paul are all set to go. We haven't met any AMOC yet, this is a chance to get to know all them!

Sir Paul is a surfer. Riding the waves is his passion. He could be spotted in Baler, Quezon with his surf board. Sir Paul, Welcome to the Family!

The rendezvous point is at Edsa Crossing. I came from Cavite and arrived @ 0500. The information said that there would be at least 30 AMOC's expected to participate. A few minutes later, they arrived one by one. Sir Alex and Sir DjXpact arrived together. The majority of the participants were freshmen if not sophomores. All excited. Smiling.

Sir Paul introduced us to the members and applicants. Had some exchange of words. Handshake.

Two chartered jeepneys were already on standby to bring us to the jump-off point located in Siniloan, Laguna, approximately 2 hours from manila. Buses bound for Infanta, Quezon is also a good way to reach it. We arrived at the j.o.p around 0900, then registered to a small nipa hut just 300 meters from the highway. This is the official registration area designated by barangay officials. The group rested for a while. Took photos, and then proceed to the briefing conducted by AMOC Alumni. All matters regarding the conduct of the climb were explained.

Sir DjXpact and I had a chat with a local. We learned some stories and information about famy. She said that there was a time when at least 2000 visitors flock during the weekends and holidays. Whew! I don't know for sure if this is true. Fortunately, there were only a hundred climbers already on the trail this morning. She added that few mountaineers had lost their lives here, flash floods killed them. The water on the river could suddenly rise to an alarming level during typhoons or heavy rains.

The itinerary allotted 2 hours to reach the campsite. The ascend started at 1000. As a courtesy to the organizers, we decided to post as sweepers so as not to affect the pacing of the climb. The four of us was so lazy that day. Sir DjXpact was joking about going back to the resort we passed by to sing Karaoke all day!

Along the way, we met a group of mountaineers accompanied by a little boy. The boy's name is Darius, a 6 year old kid. They met Darius at the registration area. They were asking Darius if he will come all the way to the campsite. The little boy talked like a grown-up! We couldn't believe that at his early age, he knows plenty of things that a normal kid shouldn't learn.

The trek was very easy. However, the sun kept us company all day. After an hour, a small nipa hut appeared out of nowhere. Two little girls patiently wait for mountaineers to sell softdrinks, Fresh Buko juice and Iced Candy. Sir Alex gave them a little entertainment. It's magic time! The two children couldn't believe their eyes. They said that sir Alex is not a human. Ha ha ha! They wanted us to stay a bit longer, but we have to get going because the majority of the group was already few minutes ahead. They promised us that they would reserve Iced Candy and Buko for us when we get down tomorrow.

The next hour of the trek was so smooth. No incidents whatsoever. On the other hand, we started to felt that we were not ascending. Instead we were descending down to a river. Akamug had no idea that we were actually approaching the campsite. It's in the river!! How about Mt. Romelo ? Is there any peak that we could spend the night? The answers were uncertain; a local said that all visitors camp here.

AMOC had already started to pitch tent when the four of us arrived. The time is 1530; we set camp at the river bed. It's a good time to explore the waterfalls or the river itself. Batya-batya, buruwisan, Lanzones and Sampaloc waterfalls are just few minutes away. “Manong”, a store owner at the campsite mentioned several incidents like overcrowding, improper waste disposal and sometimes “Drunken Mountaineers” fighting each other. In fairness, the river was not polluted. Still retained its freshness over the years despite of constant threat of contamination. The locals did a good job preserving and taking care of the place. . . And the Mountaineers too!!

The night came in silently. Sir Ace informed us that there will be a short program courtesy of the applicants. They were divided into groups which then prepared songs, dance or any talent that they could present. A make shift stage together with our flashing headlamps were already set. Some preferred to danced like Britney Spears, sung like Paolo Santos and act like Mike Enriquez? A guy also took his turn to show his magic. The night was filled with laughter just like a comedy bar!

After a brief social with AMOC's Alumni, the four of us had our own. Sir Paul compared mountaineering with surfing. He said the “two” have significant similarities, but their differences are much more interesting. Of course it's up to you to find out what are those. We continued the discussion until the splash of the river lulls us to sleep.. . . . . . . . . . .

Good morning Sir! After a short breakfast, the exploration started towards Batya-batya falls.It was amazing! To tell you the truth, it was my first to get really close to a water falls. I tell you, it's very relaxing. The rumbling water massaged my body, instantly took out all my worries. But be careful, the water underneath any waterfall is very deep so one should take the necessary precaution. We enjoyed the serenity of the place for two hours then went back to the campsite. Break camp started at around 1300 to make it early to the resort that Sir DjXpact is talking about. Akamug plan is to get there first and wait for AMOC's while singing our favorite Karaoke songs…. Guess what happened. . . . . .