MT. PAMITINAN

For those who know me really well... I AM RIDICULOUSLY AFRAID OF HEIGHTS. And when I say ridiculous, I mean sobrang-sobrang takot talaga. No joke.

My palms get all sweaty, my heart starts racing, and I literally panic whenever I'm somewhere high. So hiking a mountain? That was a huge challenge for me.

Shoutout to my high school friend, AJ, for joining me on this hike and for having the patience of a saint. Inabot kami ng 3 hours sa pag-akyat pa lang because I kept stopping every few minutes. 😂

March 5, 2019 AJ and I met at the Sandiganbayan terminal, where we rode a jeep going to Rizal. Once we arrived, we paid the necessary fees, including the environmental and hiking fees, before starting our climb.

Man, I honestly thought this hike would be easy because my friend told me it was beginner-friendly. But from the moment we started climbing those long man-made stairs, I was already out of breath. 😂 I have really weak lungs, and being terrified of heights definitely didn't help.

The entire hike was honestly scary for me. While everyone else seemed to enjoy climbing rocks and walking along the trails, I was constantly thinking I might lose my balance and fall off a cliff. Every steep section made me even more nervous.

There were so many times when I wanted to give up, but I kept reminding myself that I had already come this far. So I pushed through.

After three long hours of hiking, I finally reached the summit of Mt. Pamitinan. The view was worth it, but more than that, it felt like a personal victory. I never imagined I'd actually make it to the top, especially after thinking about quitting more than once.

Looking back, I'm really proud of myself for finishing something that genuinely scared me. It wasn't just about reaching the summit, it was about proving to myself that fear doesn't always have to win.