TREASURE HUNTING IN TALINIS

August 26-27, 2010

It was good that the our friend's uncle house is just beside Magsaysay Elementary School which is half-way the jump-off area. Magsaysay is sometimes called as Bediao. For this exploration, we will be taking the Bediao-Apolong traverse route. On the night, we talked to our local guides who will be monitoring us during the climb. The aura of some locals there is that we are treasure hunters who will be surveying the area for gold bars hidden underneath the mountain. The story of Japanese hidden treasures is still alive in their thoughts.

For the longest time, this is actually my first time to hike at dawn on the alpha day. We were greeted with early assault until we arrived on the first view deck where you can feel the ocean breeze and seeing the islands of Apo, Siquijor and parts of Cebu.

After three hours, we saw the simple beauty of Lake Yagumgum. In documents, there are many peaks in Mount Talinis, as per his uncle which has work in the area as forester said that the original peak is this side of the lake. There is another peak which is higher situated near the second lake. So we decided to battle the two-hour uphill assault to this peak and it was a grueling one. We stayed on the top to revitalize ourselves with the cold breeze and tantalize our eyes with the garden-like environment. The numbness of our hands signaled us to start the downhill approach which is more knee-dropping. It was noon time when we reached the lake and there we took our lunch.

The view transformed from open lake to forest trees before we entered a big hole going into a flat rest area. After a quick time, we creep into the darker zone which you will feel you are really in a virgin forest. It seems there is no trail, the trails signs are not visible. There is where the importance of getting local guides to navigate the team in to the right path. We are amazed as they walked on bare foot instead of using their slippers.

The terrain changed into slippery branches and stones. After one-hundred fifty minutes, we are sneaking into two beautiful lakes which are Lake Mabilog and finally Lake Nailig which is our intended campsite. It was really a good feeling that we push ourselves to make the pace faster. We adored the calmness and cleanliness of the lake as well the camp ground. Also we embraced the chilling wind as it breezed from the mountain sides. On that day, we were only the campers in the area, it was like we owned the place. Our night was shadowed with light from the hovering full moon above us.

Again, this is the my first to take the bed at an early time. This is because there is still a big task ahead of us tomorrow. We recharged ourselves with our cooked Arrozcaldo and then we start dragging ourselves back to the main trail. The next event corresponds to uphill and downhill passages. On the last note, you will be seeing the sulfuric river below but it was still a long steep ladder walk. In the so-called dead river, we took our rest and lunch.

it was our first time to see a clear open-field in the forested terrain. The lunch was great and the power nap was even greater. For now, we are walking into the lush green, rolled into the side of the river until we got to the point to do again an assault which is the last and you will be now working in the ridges going to Casaroro Falls.

After four-and-half hours, we realized that we are already in falls entrance point unfortunately it was already closed. There we enlisted to our minds that we have completed the trial.

This hiking exploration I can say is one the memorable events in my mountain climbing experience. The slides, duck-walks, crawling, jumping, not the mention the cuts and bruises is the manifestation that preparation is the key to believe that there is a treasure beneath this land.

As for now, we are planning again to visit again this part of Negros to cuddle the pristine woodlands and water spots and this will be a three-day itinerary. There are numerous trails which anyone can take and it will entail different levels of excitement and challenge.

On my last note, we cannot argue to those people in believing that there is still Japanese hidden treasures in the area nor we cannot justify their faith on the folk-stories. I can say and I will say, Mount Talinis had a lot to offer to the locals and also to adventurers like us. The majestic blessing and untouched areas is worthy of preservation.

Our encounter with Cuernos De Negros is truly inspiring and it will serve as a treasure in our heart and minds. The hidden treasure had been uncovered. :-)