I jumped into the idea of rock climbing the moment I heard about it from the dudes of the Rickson’s bar, now this was something I haven’t done in my life. And this is something I definitely want to do, right here in El Nido. I didn't even have a slightest worry even when the guys jokingly tried to scare me, telling me about the people who fell during the climb. I guess I’m pretty much determined to do this since rock climbing is in my buckelist. I was pretty excited to get to the peak of Taraw cliff and curious as to what El Nido is like from above.
My rock climbing guide is a young fella who is patient enough to guide me all the way to the top. Equipment was not needed as there are some ways around the cliff that can be climbed without ropes. I was a little bit scared during the early part of the climb, and I found myself crawling and doing some baby steps. But that didn't last long, and soon I got the hang of it. Moreover, I was consistently commended for every unassisted step, that was my guide being a motivational coach! He told me of his experiences with people who had to be instructed every step of the way. I wanted to make his job easy and I certainly didn't want to be a pain in the ass. It was a good thing that Kayaking became my initial warm up for this. And I'm glad that I'm at least fit enough to do the climb, and adventurous enough to do something dangerous.
I have to grasp several pointy and sharp rocks on my way to the top. I have to use my instinct as to where to put my foot forward and which rocks to hold on to that are stable enough to keep my balance. I didn't want to be instructed every step of the way. As you go higher, you won’t catch a glimpse of the view yet as you’ll only see everything once you are the top. This made me more excited, it’s like unwrapping a gift.
I admired the technique of my guide. He was telling me about his love life and past affairs with some Dutch girls while I was up there cliff-hanging. The multitasking did help a bit as it made me oblivious to my aching muscles and my stinging palms. Almost an hour had passed, and we were already at the top, around 200 meters above sea level. Even with a huge drop behind me, I was busy getting impressed than getting scared. Oh what can I say, I was speechless. It was amazing up there, and the photo above says it all. It was an incredible experience seeing El Nido from above, the hard work was all worth it. High-five to nature!
I travel as some kind of reward for myself. It’s something that I don’t get to do every day, and so when I get to that moment, I’m completely filled with pleasure and overwhelmed with emotion. That explains why I exaggerate myself as I describe every bit of the world I see, nothing really makes me happier than being up close with nature.
The descent was not as difficult, I was taught do the backward climb as an easy technique when I find myself in some steep area. I was happy to know that we did the climb in less time as expected, not bad for the first timer eh? I think rock climbing is a rewarding activity that I find enjoyable, and I’m certainly going to do it again and again . . . .
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