Levi recalled something Isong said yesterday afternoon, as we were enjoying the sight of the rainbow:
Isong: Sabi ng matatanda sa amin noon. Kapag may lumalabas na ganyan (rainbow) sa hapon, masama ang panahon kinabukasan.
Levi smiled politely, thinking to himself: Diba dapat maganda ang panahon? Kasi yun yung promise kay Noah? (then decided not to pursue the issue).
Late last night it started to rain. It was different from the drizzle the night before. This was a legitimate rain shower. It rained again after breakfast, and it appeared no to be ending anytime soon. Manong Isong was right.
We've been monitoring the weather even before we left Quezon City. By the time we got to Sibuyan, tropical storm Peipah (Domeng) has fizzled out into a low pressure area. The problem is ex-storm Domeng decided to linger in the eastern Visayas, remaining almost stationary in the past few days, then decided to inch northward before heading west. We're smack in the middle of its path.
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| storm trajectory (www.weather.com.ph) |
The weather was still relative fine when we asked the guides to start ahead while we prepare the rest of the supplies we'll need. We hoped, if all goes well, the three of us (me, Levi and Bunny) would be staying somewhere at Peak 1, make it our forward camp, then finish off the rest of the teeth from there. Hopeful was the key word.
It was raining when Bunny left. Levi followed an hour after. Ram-mon was also on his way down back to Kabit-tubi. A change in the plan required him to go and head to Mayo's Peak, where he will join the team of Punks, Drei and Twylah (on their way up today. Yesterday was Pacquiao day. Everyone in Magdiwang was glued to the TV), and will be our technical support (being the person with the most experience with single rope technique besides Levi). I have to wait for the water re-supply before heading out to follow.
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| All packed and ready to go |
Predictions for the day is light to moderate rains. I thought of taking advantage of the situation and collect rainwater in the blue jug left at camp. It wasn't raining hard just yet. I didn't mind watching and adjusting the jug to maximize the collection. Soon after, though, it started to pour.
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| Xplo tarp prototype, turned rain collector |
The jug was half full when I heard from the radio that the guides are turning back and heading straight down (to Kabit-tubi). The windy whiteout conditions and the rains are making the ridge dangerous, and they are chilled to the bones. They'll head back up once the weather turns for the better. Bunny and Levi are somewhere in the middle of the trail, hoping that the rains will ease up so they can push on a bit further. In the end, just like Isong and Binoy, they turned back. I boiled water for coffee.
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| Bunny and Lakai. soaked to the bones. |
Jowen arrived with another 4 gallon jug not long after Bunny and Levi came back (we realized we were calling him Joel all this time by mistake). In the frenzy of making coffee, fixing up our tent, and checking up on the weather, the water jug toppled! Half a day's effort gone! All that water wasted.
We heard the voices of Adrian and Niel singing in the rain. I was surprised that they were still in good spirits despite the bad weather. I feel bad for them, though. The first time Adrian was up here, it was also whiteout with near-zero visibility. Niel haven't even seen the summit up close! On the other hand, we also think they're the ones who brought the clouds and rains in.
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| rain gods? |
Good thing they brought a few bottles of firewater to warm our clammy situation. Dinner was spaghetti in Pinoy-style (i.e. birthday party) sauce.
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| dinner's served |
Bunny caught a small frog wandering about inside our tent. We learned that this cute little croaker was the source of the chirping sound I thought came from small birds nesting around ABC.
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| tiny Kermit |
The latest weather update from Cece brought bad news. The LPA is expected to bring more rains tomorrow. We radioed the teams in Kabit-tubi and Mayo's Peak to wait the weather out.
All we can do right now is sit and hope the sun comes out on Wednesday and that our tents hold up to the onslaught of precipitation. It's gonna be a long night.
Note to self: never again wish for a rainbow up in the mountains.
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