Sicaba-Diotay First Ascent

            Regarded as the toughest mountain in the Philippines, Mount Halcon (8,482 ft.) can be climbed in four days. In contrast, the relatively obscure Sicaba-Diotay Peak, standing at a measly elevation of 5,039 ft., requires at least five days of climbing.
             The Singarong Backpackers (SB), the first mountaineers to take an interest of Sicaba-Diotay, learned that this peak could be accessed from Gawahon for at least two days. Tucked in the interior of the wilderness of the Northern Negros Forest Reserve (NNFR), Sicaba-Diotay still flaunts of a primary-growth forest on its upper slopes and second-growth on its lower slopes. Not frequented even by the mangunguway (rattan-gatherer), Sicaba-Diotay, according to the testimonies of the few who have come to know it, is still inhabited by pythons, the large snake that, because of human fear, sees a gradual demise in its contact with man.

                                                                 First Approach by Mountaineers
               Four members of the SB reached the West Slopes of Sicaba-Diotay on August 14, 2000 in the third day of a trek from Bo. Gawahon, the easternmost barrio in Victorias City, Negros Occidental. On that day, this party set up a a Final Assault Camp by a creek and, immediately, pursued the climb by hacking a trail to the crest of the West Ridge. Mariebelle Porras, still reeling from the trauman of the Sewahon ascent in 1999, withdrew in the ensuing traverse across the narrow ridge-section. Left to pursue the climb, the three climbers came upon a rock-wall blocking their way further up the ridge. About 1,700 ft. below the summit, the base of the 30-foot wall of loose rocks turned as the highest point the climbers could reach having ascertained that they could no longer continue the climb without technical climbing equipment.

                                                                      The Forest Calls the Shot
                A month later, the SB returned to Gawahon for a six-day climb of Mount Silay. On record, this was the fifth attempt of this mountain by the SB since September 1998 when it formed the Messner Team to practice nonguided climbing.
                 Without Roger Sildres, only three remained from the Sicaba-Diotay climbing party. They are Dennis Ella (Climb Leader) and Mariebelle Porras (Base Camp Manager), who both came from a successful guided climb of Mt. Madja-as in Antique a couple of weeks earlier. The third member, Pedro Palabrica (Climber) is an ardent climber who has joined in all previous Messner Team climbs.
                 September 13, 2000: From the barrio early in the afternoon, the party trudged the uphill logging road for the first bivouac in the col of Dinamlagan and Gawahon - the spot named by the SB as Ridge Camp. Under downcast skies that relieved them from the searing heat of the sun in the cogonal sections, the party encountered three snakes, two of which had nearly been stepped over by the leader.
                 September 14, 2000: Lack of sleep and the extremely cold morning, plus the prevailing visibility to ten meters, disheatened the party members to get up for their morning chores. With the rain pouring all night, Pedro hardly got a sleep in his soggy tent. Meanwhile, Dennis and Belle got drenched in their on their hammocks as the shower get through the tarp overhead them as it flaps upward in the gust of wind. By the time they broke camp, they were already far behind schedule.
                 11:00 a.m.: Hacking a trail across a forested ridge, the party decided to to get down to a creek over a 300-foot steep bank of the ravine. Without any map except on their imagination and hampered by the narrow perspective in the forest at the souther base of Mount Silay, they relied on hunches to aim for their target. They figured that the ridge across the creek is their target, the access route to Nagabusay Col (the depression which separates Dinamlagan from Mt. Silay proper). Known to them with a spring, Nagabusay could serve as a high base for any repeated sully for the summit attempt.
                3:00 p.m.: Clambering up a steep slope with a section that required a fixed line, they eventually struck upon a familiar trail. In disbelief, they found themselves in the West Slopes of Sicaba-Diotay peak! (In maps, Sicaba-Diotay Peak is merely 1.4 kms SE of the official summit of Mt. Silay. While moving southward, they had exceeded their target ridge.)

                                                                           The First Ascent
               September 15, 2000: Yesterday, they decided to bivouac in the camp they used in the previous month and mulled over for new option to their shattered plan. Readily, they agreed to take a second shot for the proximate peak -Sicaba-Diotay Peak, instead of Mt. Silay.
                With Belle opting to stay in the camp, Dennis and Pedro took the task for the final assault - a one-day lightload push to the summit with a turnaround time at 2:00 p.m.
               11:01 a.m.: Less than an hour after leaving the camp, the two climbers approached the rock-wall. With their hunch justified, they found the key around the rock-wall for the upper ridge. It is a short length of narrow ledge in the sheer northern face,. Gingerly, they executed an unprotected wall-traverse and, coming across a runnel, they scrambled over it for the crest.
               12:00 p.m.: Going out of the woods on the ridge, where they had hacked a trail, they saw their first pine tree in the middle of a dense scrub common in peaks considerably higher than Sicaba-Diotay. Despite of hunger and fatigue, they deferred taking a long rest and their lunch. A full stomach would surely hamper them from doing any strenuous scrambling afterwards.
                1:00 p.m.: Before this time, they could no longer see any sign of human encroachment like s hacking mark or a slashed twig. With these signs, they saw the prospect for a first ascent. While this discovery boosted their sagging enegry, Dennis was already entertaining the thought that their chance to summit is becoming dim as the cut-off time is fast approaching. Without any emergency shelter equipment or a headlamp for nocturnal navigation, they would have had a difficult night when they would be stranded on the ridge. Besides, Belle would surely be in panic if they could not return by 5:00 p.m..
               1:42 p.m.: In jubilation, Dennis and Pedro finally summitted. Unfortunately for them, the for that had hovered on the peak since noon offered them a visibility to 5 meters only. In relief, the fog vanished for barely two minutes, allowing them a glimpse of the mountain to the West.
               3:45 p.m.: On the descent, they had their tense moment when they temporarily lost their trail-signs as they got near the runnel, their sole route downhill.
               September 16, 2000: Going back to Gawahon along a familiar trail freed them from such upsetting situations like finding no water-source for an extended period of time and coming into contact with an unexpected obstacle to prolong a stay in the mountain beyond the schedule. At any rate, they experienced a novelty when it rained hard across Ubak Valley. In the rain and fog, they were regaled by the panorama of a veritable Amazon jungle.
              September 17, 2000: Their prolonged exposure to water took its toll on both Dennis and Pedro who were afflicted with lan-ag, a fungal skin infection affecting the foot immersed constantly in water or moisture.
              Moreover, another setback waited them when they arrived in the barrio to find out that the Canter didn't show up for its schedule. In recourse, they hiked downhill for 12 kms under the searing heat of the sun to catch a tricycle ride to the city proper.