My Long Lost Passion: Mountaineering

    How do i begin this long story? 

    When I was in college, i used to climb mountains. Not really as an officially declared "mountaineer" but as just an ordinary girl who just loved to walk, hike, trek and enjoy fresh air and high altitude.  It was just like that before.

    However, my career and family life found me in .... of all places: Mindanao!! it was in Mindanao when my government career kangarood and had me land into a better position. I didnt expect to stay there, build my family there... grow old there in Mindanao. Unfortunately or fortunately, i did. Along with my career, i raised my kids there. and engaged my own personal self in fitness activities: gym, and bellydance. I didnt realize that i almost forgot mountainclimbing. In fact, for some time, I did.

    Who, in her right mind, would climb mountains in a place where the abusayyaf and the like would randomly kidnap just about anyone?? In other words, yes, i had to forget mountain climbing for the longest time because of safety. In the first place, one of the mountaineering rules is: "safety first", right?

    Time flies.... time flew.......... and i found myself back here in Luzon.  My youngest child and only daughter had to enroll in her preferred university here in Manila. So, the stage mom in me dictated that I had to be back here, despite my resentment against urban life.  

    As soon as we got settled here, a work colleague invited me to go with his mountaineering group to Mt. Pulag. My excitement was as tremendous as that of a child! I trained in the gym, I built my body strength, I invested in a good pair of trekking shoes and thermal jacket for a start......... and went with them to Pulag!!!

    After my reunion with the mountains, an old life came back.  I rediscovered it in Pulag and it decided to stay with me since then.  After my first official climb in January of 2013, I did two more Pulag climbs within the same year.

   One with my eldest child Kyle... and a new Comelec (work) group that i started to organize), ... and another climb with a smaller group... also coming from my work group.... 

   Within that year, I averaged one climb each month... and I promised to myself, that with the accessibility of "safe" mountains, I'd be climbing, and trekking for the rest of my life, until my legs could walk no more.

 

    I'm Helen, a grandma, a lawyer, a public servant, I am 51. Just call me Lola Bundokera.