I would rather be climbing this mountain with anyone who cares to know it more intimately, than be writing about it. That would have been far easier and more rewarding. But, like the author of the preceding article, I had also been “volunteered†to hash out something “for the purpose of informing the hypothetical climber about its salient featuresâ€. So be it.
Talinis. In the
dialect, the word means “sharpâ€. That fact is evident from the jagged profile
of its peaks as it rises up from under a carpet of coconut trees in the vast
southern coastal plains of Negros Oriental. Officially, in maps and geography
books, these peaks are referred to as Cuernos de Negros. It’s a rather small
mountain, even by our standards. Talinis Dauin, its highest peak, is only 1800
meters (5,900 feet) above sea level. But what it lacks in height, it more than
makes up for in its various “salient featuresâ€.
Its lee northern slopes and ridges are generally wet, humid, and lush. Thermometers can drop to the low 10s at night, if you’re lucky, so come prepared. Its southern exposures, on the other hand, are hotter and drier.
Hidden in the lower folds
of the Campisa Ridge is the Casiroro Falls, thundering down in two major
vertical drops. In Sabang, the site of a fierce battle in World War II, is the
Army Shrine – the object of yearly pilgrimages by Japanese, American, and
Filipino veterans. Talinis was one of the last Japanese strongholds of the War
and this fact, plus the extensive network of tunnels that they left behind,
still draws occasional treasure hunters seeking out Yamashita’s elusive cache.
Kaipohan – in the
distance, a white cauterized scar on the mountain’s green mantle; up close, an
alien landscape of charred tree trunks dead for seventy five years but still
standing, sulfur coated rocks and stream, and gushing springs. All, evidence
of volcanic activity. There will be other places in Talinis where you can fill
your lungs with crisp mountain air and your cup with cool spring water but NOT
HERE.
However, the magic of
Talinis, the one thing that I hope it will be remembered for long after the
climb are its misty mountain lakes. Malinging… Nailig… Halawig… and Yagumyum. Musical
names to soothe the ears. Sight for tired eyes. Refuge for weary souls. Home to
the spotted deer, the wild boar, and the civet cat.
A few words about
lake camping is helpful since we will be camping out on the shores of Nailig
and Yagumyum. Answer Nature’s call and do all washing involving detergents at
least ten meters* away from the water line so as to give these liquids enough
time to filter into the ground before they find their way back into your Sierra
cup.
Have a good time but,
please, clean up afterwards.
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from the 11th NMFP Congress & Climb souvenir program
18 to 22 April 1990
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* - EDITOR'S NOTE: The Leave No Trace Code of Outdoor Ethics currently (2011) recommends a distance of about 60 meters.