Mt. Naupa is an enigmatic wonder found in the heart of Cebu and the most appropriate place to hike and have spectacular views. It is not that long ago that I was able to visit this beautiful mountain with my group of friends in order to have a tour. The trip had a nature, camaraderie and laughter as the order of the day. This blog will stand out as my hiking experience of Mt. Naupa, difficulties and what I would never forget as the great experiences I had with the difficulties. One Saturday morning we were off in the early morning and it was the beginning of our adventure. The cafe we went to in Cebu City was having an early breakfast, and we were all excited about associating with it. After we had been part of two or three hearty meals, we loaded buses and drove to the City of Naga. This was about an hour ride and we had conversed and talked about our plans of the hike and what beautiful sceneries we hoped to see on the trip.
We reached the base of Mt. Naupa and, and was now greeted with green leaves and cool mountain breeze. Others at the trailhead were also other hikers who were all eager to conquer the mountain. We scrambled together as quickly as we could with our equipment, water, snacks and our cameras and began the ascent. It is approximately 3 kilometers to the summit of Mt. Naupa and the trip is an experience that has both challenges and charms. As we started to hike, the road was highly marked and not everywhere not steep. The first part of the trail was not very difficult and we had a chance to warm up and enjoy the landscape around. The trees were so high and were providing us with shelter and the birds chirping a good accompaniment us as we walked up.
We went and gone up the trail which became more and more difficult. We were so many times on breaks to rest, but all the rests were the time to enjoy the beauty that was around us. The landscape of the nearby hills and valleys was spectacular and we could not help but take photographs of the picture. Hiking is not all about the summit view but on the journey and people you must hike with. Sharing of the stories, the jokes and laughter were present during the hiking and it created the perception of camaraderie and it made the climb even more enjoyable. Each challenge that we met brought us even closer to each other and we helped one another and motivated others to proceed.
One of my friends, who was quite an unwilling member of the hiking group, and who surprised us all with his strength of will. He never gave up during the hard times and his combatant spirit was an encouraging factor to the rest of the team. Such cases are the ones that made me remember how friendship and support could be so strong and with the help of it, one can get through. We finally reached the summit of Mt. Naupa, an hour later after a hike. I was so much impressed and taken away by the panoramic view as it was so impressive and breathtaking to its end that we were transported with it when we arrived. The landscape that we were facing appeared to be rolling with greenery and mountain in the background which made the landscape look stunning. We were at the spot standing there in amazement and we were able to see how pretty the nature was and how positive the accomplishment feeling I had when I succeeded in reaching the top.
We were provided with a nice place to sit and have some rest and we took out our knapsacks and ate the snacks that we had brought with us. As we gnashed our teeth on the snacks we shared our thoughts about the hike and how satisfying it was to be on top. We took a million pictures, we got the moment, amazing views that were surrounding us. We were there a little at the top and then we commenced to go down. The down-hill was less troublesome but more hazardous, as in certain spots the path was sharp and rough. Some of them had wildflowers and peculiar formation of rocks, and every spot was quite pleasant, which was found by the way.
On our descent down the mountain we passed by other hikers who were just starting to climb the mountain. We smiled, and we gave each other strong words, which created a sense of community between the adventurers. It was even pleasant to know that so many people saw the beauty of nature, and had the spirit of adventure.
As we arrived at the bottom we were exhausted and thrilled. The Mt. Naupa adventure did not only enable us to have a spectacular view, but also consolidated our friendships and created memories of a lifetime. We paused and reflected on the day and what we enjoyed best on the day and what we had learnt during the day. The trip had taught us not to quit, collaborate and the magnificence of nature. It taught us the importance of outgrowing our comfort zone and coming out of it to enable us to take new challenges. Being in a position to drive back to Cebu City was a satisfaction since both of us were satisfied that we have enjoyed something out of the ordinary.
You might want to chance a hike that is not only challenging, but also beautiful, and in this case I would highly recommend that you should go on a hike to Mt. Naupa. This mountain will have something to all irrespective of whether one is a professional hiker or not. The visit was a beautiful experience of reminiscence of how beautiful nature could be, and how good it is to have the ability to go out in the wild. I would also like to visit it again and create even better memories in the Cebu mountains.
