Rock Climbing is not a famous activity/sport here in our place. Back then, only a few locals knew about this wall of limestone which was also considered as the "rock climbing haven" for the local "pro" rock climbers. Who knew Cebu has a dope rock climbing location? This was on my mind during my first rock climbing experience. And I would never imagine being able to do this if not for my climbing crew back then who invited me to go with them. Our friend was celebrating her birthday and she wanted to do something fun on her special day.
Getting there is pretty much simple and easy. Take a bus or a private vehicle, head to Toledo, Cebu, and stop at Barangay Cantabaco, just before the Barangay Hall. Ask locals for further directions and they will be happy to show you. Then you'll have a 10-15 minutes hike to get to the limestone cliff.
When I and my friends got there in the morning, there were already other rock climbers making their way to the top. I was in awe of this huge vertical wall of rock! In all honesty, I got a little bit nervous because I don't know a thing or two about this sport. And they say Rock Climbing is an extreme sport!
Anyways, our local guide prep us up with what to do, safety procedures, and the dos and don'ts. They also brought some spare climbing shoes for us to use. We were supposed to have a buddy system. When one climbs, the other spots/belays. So I had my close friend Dale as my spotter/belayer and vice versa. Our lives are basically in the hands of our buddies.
The vertical wall of limestone or simply what they call "crag" has about 60 climbing routes with different difficulty levels. It's divided into five areas starting off with Area 1 suited for beginners and as the area number progresses so does the level of difficulty. Area 5 is well suited for those with expert skills in rock climbing. Besides this massive wall, the place was surrounded by huge trees so there was shade to protect us from the afternoon heat.
As beginners to this activity, we started with the easiest route there was (obviously). We all then waited for our turn to conquer Area 1! After seeing how my friends did it taking note of where they placed their feet and which spots they grab onto, I followed suit. I was so nervous and yet excited at the same time when it was finally my turn. I wore my belt and attached the rope and when my belayer was ready as too, I started my ascent.
All my nervousness went away as I slowly pushed myself up. The lower part was pretty much easy but once I got to the middle part, there were lesser spots to grab on and I had to be more careful. I guess I took much more time during my first round. On my second round, I already had the hang of it so I was more relaxed and enjoyed the whole experience better.
Once everyone was able to do their second round, we went for another round of climbing but this time we started from the top and descended down on Area 5! This would have made our whole experience complete. This was a lot harder compared to going up! It was scary for me since I couldn't see anything from below because there were some branches hindering the view. However, we weren't rushed by the local guide so I just really took my time.
Dangling that high from the cliff, all I could do was trust my belayer and the local guide who were handling the ropes. Once there were no more rocks to put my feet on, I let my fears go, and let myself be dangled. I then took in the view from above and slowly relaxed. My belayer then guided the rope for me to safely land on the ground.
My friend Dale making his way down.
Yes, Dale was no longer visible after a few meters.
View from the top
Area 5 where we descended.
Well, we all safely got home in one piece and we didn't forget about this amazing adventure!
Thank you for making it this far! Enjoy the rest of the photos which consists of my other friends rock climbing!
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