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[av_heading heading=’Another active volcano in Bicol’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY JOHNNY NOVERA
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January 31, 2018
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WE WROTE last week of our experience as a personal witness way back in 1968 to Mayon’s volcanic eruption while residing at Naga City in the neighboring province of Camarines Sur at the time.
Now we would like to share with you another experience we had of climbing to the peak of a volcano in Bicol, the Mt. Isarog.
Mt. Isarog is the highest mountain peak in Camarines Sur.
When a friend of ours, Fr. William from the Ateneo, announced that they were organizing a team to climb Mt. Isarog and asked if we would join, we readily accepted his invitation because this is the volcano that we see every morning on a clear day from the window our house in the subdivision.
D-day came and we started the climb, bringing along our back packs and tents, food stuff, and of course a flashlight and the reliable all-purpose jungle knife by our side.
There were seven of us in one VW combi that stopped at the foot of Mt. Isarog in Tigaon town very early one Saturday morning.
With two native guides that carried some packs for Fr. William, we started the climb at 6 a.m. We stayed overnight midway, witnessing a beautiful sunset as the sun disappeared from the western sky. It was shivering cold up there with a slight drizzle.
We pitched tent by the mountain side under thick foliage. Tired, we slept well.
After some six hours of walking next day, we finally reached the peak on a bright Sunday morning but the weather was cold and breezy up there. In thanksgiving for our successful climb without untoward incident happening to anyone, Fr. William celebrated mass at the peak.
We were lucky to have a clear sky and had a panoramic view of the entire province of Camarines Sur, as well as Albay province with the beautiful Mayon Volcano to the East. We have never seen such a beauty of nature before.
Mt. Isarog is a volcano with a crater of about 400 meters in diameter, but already with some vegetation cover. But they say it was still “active.”
While Fr. Wiliam was saying mass, in a low voice we briefed our native guide to take a picture from an angle that will include the group and a view of the wide crater at the background.
On Monday morning in the city, we were excited to have the film developed. Later, when we claimed the print from the studio, we cannot remember that the peak of the mountain or the crater was barren, but it appeared so. It turned out that it was Fr. William’s bald head that was taken in the picture and it blocked the view of the crater!
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Historical Quote of the Week: “Iloilo is the first city outside Manila where a foreign business house (Loney & Company) was established, and also the first one to have a foreign vice consul.”(For comments or re-actions, please-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
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