LAGATAW'S SIXTH YEAR

taken 6 years ago (on the way to Batya-Bataya)

It’s been six years and I’m still climbing. And so last weekend (August 13-14) I went back to Lagataw’s birthplace—Mt Romelo in Siniloan, Laguna. Through the years, a lot of things have changed. In me and in the world I’ve come to love! People have come and gone but the memories and the places lingered.

That’s probably the thing with us mountaineers: we meet each other one day, greet each other, and wander together for a brief moment then we say goodbye to each other as suddenly and purposelessly as we arrived.

And this is the story of Lagataw’s First Step.

Although my first four climb buddies and my mentor were not present, I was happy to celebrate my anniversary climb with some new good friends. I know this won’t last but at least it made a mark in my timeline.

my newfound friends

And this year I am sending a message to everybody. You don’t need a group to start climbing. You don’t need a group to keep climbing for six years and beyond. All you need is that genuine passion to be one with the universe and discover new things in you and in the world you are exploring.