Hello, Hive!
I can’t believe I am writing here again after five months of hiatus. I thought I’d never get to log into this account for the remainder of 2024. You see, it’s been really a tough year — mentally, emotionally, spiritually, physically, financially.
But I won’t bore you with my personal life. Let’s have some good vibes!
For this long-overdue post, I’m taking you back four months into the past when my friends and I found ourselves flying back to Panay Islands in search of another adventure.
Zigzagging through the Kangaranan River
Our adventure began in the town of Valderrama where we met with our head guide, sir Ben Pagayonan. After signing the required waiver and securing permission at the municipal police station, we headed straight to our destination: Mt. Baloy Daku.  Mt. Baloy Daku is located within the Central Panay Mountain Range, bordering the provinces of Antique and Iloilo. While it only ranks third in height at 1958 MASL, next to Mt. Madjaas (2117 Masl) and Mt. Nangtud (2073 MASL), Mt. Baloy Daku is said to be the toughest among the famed Panay Trilogy in terms of difficulty to climb. There are several trails from which one can access Mt. Baloy Daku in Antique: via San Agustin Trail or Busog Trail. Meanwhile, other daredevils choose the much-harder San Agustin-Busog Traverse option. Obviously, after the tragedy of our first Mt. Madjaas, we decided not to take risk. The team opted for a 4D3N (four days, three nights) climb via Busog Trail.  Day 1 consisted of a grueling 16-kilometer (Strava record varies) river trekking. But unlike most hikers who start with motorcycles ride, we actually rode a dump truck to our surprise.  We drove through the river, passing the barangays of Punsod and Manlacbo, until we reached the jump off at Brgy. Lublub. It was 2:40 PM.
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We started down the river, all excited and full of energy. Personally, this one reminded me of our Mt. Pinatubo hike back in 2019. The long stretch of uneven stones, the sound of rushing water, the endless cycle getting our feet wet and dry, again and again.
As we walked along the riverbed, our eyes feasted with the scenic views. The tall mountains on either side of the river dwarfed our presence, reminding us that we were but a speck of dust in the greater in the grand scheme of nature.
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Every now and then, my friends and I couldn’t help but take our phones and capture those moments for memory’s sake.
It was all smile and laughter until distance took its toll. After hours of zigzagging the Kangaranan River on full packs, navigating over rocks and shallow water, fatigue set in. Complains and moodiness followed. I’m pretty sure by this time, all of us just wanted to get it over with.
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The sight of the second hanging bridge indicated that we’ve reached the end of this tiresome section. *Imagine our relief.* It was already 6 PM and from here, there’s still an additional six-kilometer hike going to the community in Brgy. Busog where we would stay for the night.
One last hour — we held on to this glimmer of hope. But what we did not expect was it would be an hour of walking on an inhumanly steep cemented road. And when I say inhumanly, it is not an exaggeration. After a monotonous trek on flat riverbed, we found ourselves dumbfounded by the trail going to our homestay. WTH was that abrupt incline?!
With tired shoulders and aching feet, we marched on, taking one step forward and two steps back. At this point, its was literally “to each their own” for us. Some upped their pacing to quickly end the hike, while some took their time. As for me, there was no choice for slow or fast pace left. I was already walking on autopilot with no control of my feet and legs. LOL!
It was 7:22 PM when we reached the community. More than hungry, we were beat. So after taking a well-deserved shower *and haplas*, we all went straight to bed to regain the energy we would be needing the next day. 😊
Related blogs in this series:
📍 Mt. Baloy-Daku: Our hiking highs and river dipping delights 📍 Mt. Baloy-Daku: The never-ending “three-hour” hike to the summit
Maria is a hopeless romantic who travels in pages and places. She is an INFP who loves sunrises and moonlight nights and reading books in between. On weekdays, she works for a self-publishing company as a copywriter. On weekends, she lives her life as a poet or hiker. She hopes to share her love for words and the world with you here on HIVE.
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