Bundokera Notes: Mountain Dreams

Mountains have certain unique ways of reaching out to climbers. It could take the form of dreams, visions, or signs. Sometime in 2010, I have documented 4 dreams (there were more, but not transcribed) involving mountains in a span of 8 days.  Below were 4 original/unedited entries that I have posted in my Multiply blog.

Dead snake on Mt. Talamitam

#1: Snakes and the Mountains

Not a week pass that I don't dream of the mountains. So I decided to chronicle it to keep tabs.

I am climbing a mountain with a female friend when she suddenly said don't move. That's when I heard a hissing sound and found a snake on the trail right in front of me. I didn't move and placed a plastic bag in front of it, to which it bit and bit until I scared it away. So we continue the journey. I forgot how I came out with the next scene but this time we encountered a snake threatening to bite us but can be easily scared away.

Last last week I dreamt of Mt. Manabu. I guess it is calling out on me.

May 29, 2010

Mt. Malipunyo range as viewed from Manabu Peak

#2: Mt. Malipunyo and the Endless Clouds

Mt. Malipunyo shaped like Mt. Matutum, and forever surrounded by clouds. I find it curious that there is a force down in our village spraying clouds to Mt.Malipunyo’s summit, and that my hopes of having a clearing died down.

In this dream I am still at the plains, waiting for the proper time to ascend, and it is also odd that my family resides on the village at the foot of Mt. Malipunyo.

Family house scenes ensued, then by the doorway a man in a motorcycle entered without warning.

There is blood on the door, we checked if any of us were injured. Gladly none.

Then a crime scene investigation follows, taking samples of the blood on the doorway, probably from the tires of the motorcycle.

Weird. I never get to climb.

June 2, 2010

Pantingan Peak

#3: Mt. Pantingan and the Fun Run

I dreamt about this Bataan mountain, and the fun run that is being held on its spacious trail.

I specifically remembered my friend Liz wearing an all blue jersey, lying on the ground resting just before the run.

Then I deliberated whether what mountain it is, and I remembered that I compared the 3, Natib, Pantingan and Tarak.

It doesn’t feel like Natib, nor Tarak. So I concluded the mountain must be Pantingan.

This also might be because June 5 is the date of our Company Fun Run in the Grove near Tiendesitas.

June 4, 2010

Mt. Makiling Los Banos side

#4: Mt. Makiling, Bovines, Snake Bites and Me

This is as fresh as it gets. I just woke up, after a bottle of booze and dinner pasta, and a nightmare.

The scenes that I can remember well started with before mountain climbing is a conversation with an acquaintance Avhet about Dannish’ new guy whom I just saw in Facebook earlier in my sober state. Then came the mall scenes where it is raining hard and I have no umbrella so I was forced to stay outside with minimal protection from the rain, standing on an area with a teeny weeny shelter hence my feet and all the strangers with me in that area are dripping wet. The rain receded and I braved an alley which looks like a hillside road… steep and concreted. Upper parts have broken concrete with little water pools which in my sober state, one of my pet peeve. A vehicle behind honked at me.

For some unknown reason… I found myself on my way to Mt. Makiling. I’ve met several kids beforehand, all of them alike in appearance. The first part of the trail is mountain of sand to which I struggle only to find that to the right of me there is a rope and a concrete step trail, with minimal sand on the steps. I traversed towards it… climbed until I got to another concreted alley trail with metal fence railings to the left. Road was enough for one vehicle to pass. I contracted a kid as a guide, and he merrily agreed for a price of Php150.

So I proceeded, worried that I started a bit late, and that if I ever have spare torch for my kid guide. Then I found myself climbing a flight of stairs, just going round and round and up and up. Then I saw some climbers behind me scrambling to get a colleague up. They took a rest outside the rounding staircase, and I took a rest too on the steps. I conversed with Jasper who is with the resting group outside, in a store. A girl overtook me. She doesn’t have any packs with her. I called on to my kid guide but he was nowhere to be found.

I decided to move on without my kid guide. I endured the stairs, and overtook the girl who previously overtook me. I ended up in a concrete alley again with metal railings, third time, this time it is almost dark. But I can see the silhouette of the mountain. It is still far. I got worried because of my seeming lack of provisions and my daypack and the oncoming night. I thought I should have checked my things before I went to trek.

So I walked on, with the dying lights in my headlamp. A vehicle whirred past me without honking, and a chilling voice whispered something in my ear as the vehicle passed me by. The voice is cold and it made me shudder, the vehicle slows down a bit. I figured it was a truck with a person on the back, and I got my hopes that they will invite me to hitch a ride. This will save my lights, so I thought. I asked them what did the guy in the passenger seat whispered to me, if they are inviting me for a ride. Then they just left.

So I walked on, with my dying lights. I saw that behind me were farmers going home after a hard days work. They were with their cows and buffaloes. I stopped to let them pass. One buffalo got curious and tried coming near me. I screamed at the farmers to get them away from me. I realized that the one who went near me was in a rope that I myself must have dragged it closer.

So I let them pass, standing on the side until a farmer who turned on his lights with presumably yellow bulbs, which shone ever so bright, noticed my dying light and tried to exchange his with mine. Before the exchange can happen, I felt a strange pain at the back of my legs, knee level. Then I noticed that I was standing near a pond with vegetation and that my pants is zipped open on the legs (the one that can be converted to a short, with zippers). When I took a peak, I saw the head of a small green snake bobbing, inside my leg pants. I don’t know what to do so I lay down, took the convertible part of my pants away, covered the opening of my upper shorts to prevent it  from entering, and there the snake goes to the ground, slithering towards me who is on the floor. It crawled beneath my back, as I was transcended back to reality. There is a smooth transition between dreams and as I woke up. No abrupt interruption which often held me perplexed upon awakening.

That was a right leg by the way.

June 5, 2010