Beyond Scrubs: Conquering the Mountains and the Seas (Part 1)

        Patients coding, double-up allocations, shifts with barely a time for bladder break, let alone to eat a proper meal. This is the erratic environment we, critical care nurses are used to. How do we cope? How can we achieve the so-called work-life balance?

        One thing we really look forward to, especially expatriates is vacation to our home country. Away from the hustles and bustles of hospital life, we long to spend time with our families and some seek rest, healing, and soul-searching trips and adventures. On this note, we want to share how four NICU nurses temporarily ditched our scrubs bonded over three weeks trotting across different destinations in the Philippines.

        Let me take you on the ride to our extraordinary quest where we communed with nature from mountain heights to volcanic disasters to the depths of the seas.

 

Hiking Mt. Pulag: A walk among the clouds and the playground of the gods

        With an elevation of 2,926 meters above sea level, Mt. Pulag is the third highest mountain in the Philippines, located in Benguet and borders provinces of Ifugao and Nueva Viscaya.

        We were the absolute beginners with no prior hiking or mountaineering experience. Hikers with us were exchanging slight worried looks. They asked us if we are certain about climbing Philippines’ third highest mountain for our first ever hiking adventure. Well, considering our workplace where we are constantly on our feet, caring for patients, doing procedures, walking around the hospital going to pharmacy, laboratory and other units, we have had practice working out our leg muscles already. Still, we made preparations to condition our body for the hike, jogging and exercising during off days. We secured our medical certificate to determine us fit for the climb which is a requirement, by the way.

        We started our climb around one in the morning. Yes, it was dark and cold. With our headlamps, flashlights and the stars in the sky and our prayers as our guide, we embarked on our journey to the mountain’s summit.

    The trail was challenging from the start. We navigated through different paths, rocky, grassy, muddy and sometimes, slippery too. We paused when feeling fatigued but continued on. The darkness added a bit of chill and danger too. At one point, the lights from headlamps went out. Good thing, they are rechargeable so we took turns charging the batteries on our powerbank. While charging our headlamps, we just trusted the one with brightest light to lead the way. It was quite funny to think now but there was a clever display of cooperation right there. 

        Marching on, we encounter steeper paths, where we need to use our hand for additional balance. We stopped every now and then to catch our breaths. Literally, we walk five steps and pause, continue for ten steps then pause again. I remember wondering how far we still need to go because our lungs and legs were on the verge of giving out. Turns out, we are actually only few inches from the summit. Later, we learned the proper hiking terminology for the steep trail was ASSAULT. It was aptly termed because it felt like a strenuous assault to our bodies.

    

        It was still dark so we took time to rest, hydrate and eat while we wait for the daybreak. Light slowly overcame the darkness and nothing prepared us for the breathtaking view around us. The exhaustion from our struggles in the trail drained away. Everything was worth it. Witnessing with own eyes the most stunning sunrise is priceless. Then there is the magnificent sea of clouds from the distance.  Feeling the cold mountain breeze against our faces and a 360 degree view of pure beauty was overwhelming. In that moment, our souls truly felt one with nature. One can only gaze and marvel at the beauty of God’s creation. It is as close to heaven as it can get, literally and figuratively.

        After about 2 hours at the top, we start the descent which was equally thrilling and fun. With the daylight, we are able to appreciate the trail more. We passed through stretches of grasslands, lush enchanting mossy forest and century-old trees. Some parts of the trail were frighteningly inches away from a cliff. One wrong step will be a fatal fall. Thinking back how we passed through that very trail enveloped in darkness is spine-tingling.

                            

                                                            

        Mt. Pulag hike was truly the best experience for us, beginners; it was such a big achievement. We came and conquered the third highest mountain of the Philippines. Thanks be to God, we completed this feat without any injuries, of course our whole body felt sore but it was all worth it. Words are not enough and even photos cannot capture how beautiful the sky, the clouds, the mountain, the feeling, the sense of fulfillment but our memories will. We gained a core memory up there. One thing is for sure, we will definitely come back.

                               

(part 2 coming...)