Highest Peak in Cebu-huhu

Fresh from butanding watching, to trekking we go!

The final leg of Eytschhh's December vacation in the Visayas was in Osmena Peak in Dalaguete. I went there last August (blog post about that climb here). 

On the way to Mantalongon Market.

The trail to the peak was easy so we did not hire a guide this time. I am geographically-challenged but I was able to lead the way #AchievementUnlocked. We decided to spend the night at the peak but it just had to rain really hard by the time we reached the drop-off point. When we arrived at the peak, the fog covered the view of the hills and it was white all around. Visibility was reduced to approximately 5 feet. All we could hear was the whistling of the wind and the rustling of the leaves. 

Gray clouds in the horizon. We have been warned.

Appreciate the low visibility of this trek

Being the daredevils that we were (or perhaps foolish, but daredevils are foolish to some extent, aren't they?), we were stubborn enough to pitch our tents and endure the whole night of strong winds and cold rain. 

Pro-tip: We asked for the cellphone number of the sari-sari store attendant at the foot of OPeak in case the weather becomes too much to handle. Be a responsible daredevil. LOL.

DJ and I were helping by being tent weights!

It's actually not the first time for us to camp out together but I came really unprepared- no jacket, no blanket, no raincoat, etc. It was a good thing that Erika had this gut feeling of bringing an extra set of everything I lacked. (If you're reading this, Erika, virtual hug for you!) Another challenge was that out of two tents that we brought with us, one had three out of four pegs while the other was on the verge of collapse. The tent's rain cover did not hold very well also.

Warm smiles amidst the cold <3

We decided to put our bags together in one tent and sleep together in the other one. What followed was probably one of the longest nights of my life where we had to take turns staying awake. There was rainwater inside our tent and we had to be in fetal position to keep ourselves warm. We entertained ourselves with stories about our past, present, and future (d'awww, too cheesy but yeah.)

Story of our friendship: laughters, travels, and struggles

The strong rain somehow abated at around 7 A.M. the next day. Visibility was 20 feet at this time, still foggy and drizzling. We decided to break camp and descend before the rain decided to go full-on monster mode again.

Down we go!

Put one step in front of the other and repeat!

Almooost there!

The pro-tip of this whole trip: Check weather conditions and heed advice prior to camping out. Otherwise, be prepared for the worst. Also, keep yourself warm with the company that you keep.

Here, some comic relief with OPeak fashion c/o the blondes, Dena and DJ:

Werq it!

Until the next adventure,

Dena

Oh, it's raining. O.K. take my picture, quick! HAHAHA