Guiting-guiting Exploration Day 1 - Welcome to Kabit-tubi

We arrived in Romblon, Romblon around 4 in the morning. I had some trouble sleeping past midnight, when the crew brought down the tarpaulin sheets (to protect passengers from sea spray), effectively suffocating everyone with stale, warm air. The ferry connection to Magdiwang arrives around 7 in the morning, so we had time to kill. We took advantage of the power outlets at the port terminal to recharge our phones. Levi and Bunny ventured out to buy the famous Boknoy's siopao, while I sleep and guard our things.

It was a Friday, and MV Maria Querubin was at standing-room capacity. We found a quiet and shaded corner at the top deck, and took turns dozing off. Bunny busied himself sewing the heck out of his Brooks Cascadia; a veteran of countless expeditions. The sun spoiled our quiet moments not long after the ferry left the port. We were hard-pressed to find some protection from the scorching rays as we wait for the ship to move eastward, thus bringing back the blessed shade.

Magdiwang eagerly welcomed our arrival. By the time we disembarked, half of the passengers were already on-board their land transfer to their final destination. Fortunately, we found ourselves a half-empty jeepney that will take us to Bgy. Marigondon. Sibuyan still had that quiet small island feel I experienced four years ago.

Bgy. Marigondon is somewhere in between the town centers of Magdiwang and Cajidiocan. We met with Kap. Kleto and Kap. Bibo, barangay captains of Marigondon and Sogod, respectively, and our hosts in Sibuyan. Also there were a bunch of guys from La Mesa Nature Reserve who were there helping develop a mountain bike trail. Lunch was served at Kap. Kleto's "treehouse": octopus adobo, fried fish, and tinola. 

At Kap. Kleto's tree house

A tricycle took us to Bgy. Danao, where the trail to Kabit-tubi starts. We stopped briefly at a shed to wait for Joel, the caretaker at Kabit-tubi. Looking around, I was slightly unnerved when I saw giant spiders hanging from the power lines. Food must be abundant here for them to grow that scary big and multiply into a size of an army. Yikes!

Irrigation at Sitio Agbalit. Clean enough to drink

Bunny said it was a 3-hour hike to our campsite, and with little luck, the limatiks won't be bothering us. The trail starts with a river crossing (source of drinking water and irrigation). The path was wide and rolling, used by locals in their daily goings-on. Then it becomes a bit narrower as we move inward towards the mountain. We crossed several streams along the way. I noticed the rocks have qualities similar to the marble that made Romblon Island famous. I wonder if someday this place would also become a quarry site.

We were making good progress through the old logging road (as Bunny described it). It was a bit warm for a late afternoon hike, so I was sucking on my hydration a little too aggressively.

Soon the trail became fainter still. Vegetation moved in, and the soil seemed less tramped upon. The slope became steeper as well. I began to feel the weight of my pack in each step. The pack was medium-sized, so the hipbelt doesn't land exactly on my hips where it should be transferring the weight, thus making my upper body do all the work. 

Bunny told me that the camp was only 600 meters above sea level. With the amount of work I was exerting on the trail that kept getting steeper, I was reckoning we should have readhed a height equivalent to the ridgeline of Tarak in Mariveles. That was a lot of climbing with no end in sight!

It was getting darker. My entire outfit was soaked with sweat. I still couldn't believe we were just 600 meters up. In front of us we began to hear the sound of laughter. A few minutes more, we saw from where it came. Adrian and Niel were gingerly awaiting our arrival, with a bottle of Ginebra in tow, ready to welcome us with a shot of firewater. They were near drunk by then. I thought we've arrived, but Kabit-tubi is still a few minutes away. I learned that this was the only spot they can get a phone signal so it was a logical waiting area.

Welcome drink

A few minutes, indeed. It was almost dark when I saw the huts of Kabit-tubi. Our accommodations for the night. The place is owned by Sir Jun, one of our contacts in Cajidiocan. He offered his place as he supports the move to develop a trail to Guiting-guiting 's summit from Cajidiocan. From the earlier recon trips of Bunny and Ram-mon, it became clear that this was the most ideal staging area for our exploration.

I offered the pre-cooked meat I brought to be our dinner. I was not that confident I preserved the pork properly, and it might not last a few more days. I made kare-kare with it, but I forgot to buy bagoong. Everyone had to settle for salt as substitute. 

our humble abode

Kabit-tubi is short for kabit tubig (connected to water) because of the stream that flows nearby, and its proximity to the Cantingas river. A 15-minute hike will bring you to a waterfall about 100 meters high. They were also considering setting up a rappel rig there.

Sleep was main in my agenda, so after washing up, I found a corner and lied down for the evening. We have a big day tomorrow. I don't think I'd be surviving another intense hiking day without proper sleep. The rest of the guys went on to finish a bottle of two of gin, as I struggled with the hard bedding I made. I regret leaving my Thermarest.