Rough Groove

Mt. Tapulao - on being a sweeper, 3

Around 39 climbers headed for Mt. Tapulao and we were grouped. I volunteered as the sweeper for group 4, a role that I haven’t done before. Hmmm. Sweeper. He who has to adjust to the pace of the last man. He who should have a heavy dose of patience. My role started when a lady member was behind the rest and I accompanied her, stopping when she stops, resting when she’s resting… its really a no brainer and it also allowed me to rest from time to time. After the first rest, another heavier member started to lag. Okay, I’ll have to leave the lady and be with the other. It was already sunny and at first I welcomed the constant rests we did every few dozen steps. But I soon realized that the other groups were already ahead of us while we were getting behind and behind that in an hour, we were already at the tailend together with the trek group’s overall sweeper. I just said to myself, that being the sweeper, I have to do my role.

After lunch, the downpour was quite welcoming but with the length of the trail, I started to get tired. I wanted to arrive at the campsite as fast as possible but couldn’t since I’ll have to ensure that the group’s last man is accounted for. Because of this, we arrived hours after the first batch. The next day was no different. My target was to arrive as early as 1700H but then, another lady member was now lagging behind, suffering from a sprained ankle as she fell four times while trying to catch up with a faster member in wet, muddy and slippery slopes under driving rain! Add to the fact that the trail’s last few kilometers was stony that further slowed us down.

1800H and the two of us were still at the stony trail. With no headlamp, I used my K700i mobile phone’s photolight to light the way while she used my penlight. I kept watching my phone’s clock. It was just so exasperating. I was very impatient already and silently cursing at that time, wanting to reach our destination the soonest as my feet already hurt but just can’t! But then, I’m the sweeper.

A little past 2000H and our pacing started to pick up when we passed by the first house. Then a couple of minutes more and we passed another and another. We were near! 2030H and two other trekkers showed up with their headlamps met us and in a few minutes later reached the store at Dampay Salasa. What a relief!

From the above experience, I guess, I’ll pass up of being a sweeper in the next trek sometime in August.

Scratches on my shins caused by the razor sharp leaves of talahib, a kind of grass that is abundant in more than half of the trail. I’m not really used to wearing pants when trekking since I find it hot and have just been used to it.