It all started one evening as I was scrolling through Facebook. I saw an ad for a Mt. Pulag climb. At that time, I was still in Mindoro. Mt. Pulag—the highest mountain in Luzon—immediately caught my attention. Among its four trails, the Ambangeg trail is known to be the easiest. The majestic view of the mountain and the famous sea of clouds at its peak sparked my curiosity and made me want to sign up. Honestly, I was just bored. I had been stuck at home for the past two years because of the pandemic. I just wanted to let go and experience something new. Mt. Pulag isn’t just far from Manila—it’s also one of the more expensive mountains to climb. The weather during the hike was freezing. The bottled water I brought from the lodge felt like it had come straight from a cooler. Despite the cold, the hike wasn’t that difficult for me since I was used to walking long distances. Although there was no sea of clouds when I reached the summit, I still felt something profound—I felt alive. I felt ...