It’s been several days since my SoKor2017 adventure wrapped up, and I still feel like it has been a whirlwind of a week. Which it was. One heck of a fun whirlwind. I still haven’t touched the folder where I saved all the photos and videos I took during that trip, knowing I’m in for quite a challenge. A fun one, I hope. Before all that, however, let me talk about another fun day spent right in my own backyard: when we tried out the Tree Top Adventure at Camp John Hay. Good timing, too, since Baguio City is in the thick of its charter anniversary month this September.
(Don’t forget to watch the short video clip of some of the highlights of this adventure at the end of this post.)
If Filipinos look up online various lists of things that are a “must-do”, you’d probably find Tree Top Adventure Baguio on most of them. As time went on, it got kinda frustrating how more and more people from other parts of the country have experienced it when I, who was basically living in the same province, and working in the same city, still had not checked it out.
So it came as a blessing in disguise of sorts when Metro Deals offered a day ticket to the place for Php250, easily cutting the total cost in half. We booked, got the ticket, and went on one shiny Saturday last January.
There are several activities you can do at Tree Top. If you’re not into anything close to being extreme, going trekking or on a walking/hiking spree on the Skywalk is probably the best fit for you.
Early on, we decided to try their Superman (zipline) and Silver Surfer. We decided to sit out on the Canopy one (pun intended) because… well, you’ll just be sitting down anyway.
On a freefall on the Tree Drop
It wasn’t originally planned, but as we entered, the first activity we immediately came to was the Tree Drop.
For some reason, we ended up deciding to do it.
Because… ya noe… it looked kinda… fun….?
The waiting area for those who are taking the Canopy is just beside the area for the Tree Drop, so… you’d have spectators when you are sent into a freefall, haha!
Generally, I’m not afraid of heights (if you’ve been reading this blog and my past entries involving mountains, you’d have figured that out by now). But the thought of being plunged from a great height straight down, on a freefall, FACE-freaking-DOWN, is somewhat terrifying to me.
But you know what I took comfort in?
One: the fact that I will be strapped on to something.
Two: there are going to be staff members to “handle” us.
And three (the most important one): no one has died from it. Yet. That has been presented in the news, at least.
So how was it, you asked?
It took barely a few seconds. But dang if it didn’t suck the breath out of me. Halfway down, I kinda forgot to scream. It was like, while I was being strapped on, and told to climb off to the other side of rail, there was this scream slowly and steadily forming and building up behind my throat, in my throat….
….and then I was plunged, and that scream? A squeak came out and just… cut off. Haha!
What I remember vividly, however, was the exhilarating rush I felt in those few moments as I saw the ground rushing up to meet me when, in truth, I was the one rushing FACE-DOWN towards it.
Going natural in a semi-urban jungle…
For those who just fancy having a relaxing time walking along easy trails while breathing in the fresh cool mountain air and feeling that cool breeze whip around you, trekking is highly recommended. For those who are into walking, this won’t qualify much as trekking, to be honest. Which is good, because it means that even those with difficulty walking up slopes and uneven terrain will still be able to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.
And there are several inspiring quotes along the way, as well as informative ones. Way to remind you exactly where you are, what you’re doing, and what you’d have been missing if you didn’t at least try to check it out.
Go high on the Skywalk…
Short of clambering and scaling up those tall pine trees, you can get your fix of high places on the Skywalk, which is basically a steel platform constructed in such a way that will allow one to walk around above a ravine on the side of the mountain.
Any fear of heights or mild cases of vertigo aside, the Skywalk does afford a great view down below, and of the other mountains of the highlands off in the distance once you get to the end of the walkway.
If you want a spot where you can experience the full brunt of that cool, fresh mountain breeze, then I suggest you claim a spot on the end of the walkway.
Time to fly a la Superman
I’ve always known about the Tree Top Adventure in Camp John Hay having a zipline, but considering the previous ziplines I’ve tried, it sounded a bit tame.
Another moral lesson learned: don’t be too presumptuous and judge right away.
There was quite a queue when we got there, but since it’s a tandem zipline, where two can go at once, the wait didn’t take as long as we’d feared. Of course, we probably could not say the same for those who arrived after us. When we looked back, the queue went all the way back up the stairs to the entrance of the Superman area,
Finally, it was our turn! There were four of us, so in the spirit of “ladies first”, us ladies decided that the gentlemen should go first, haha!
Finally, it’s our turn! It is somehow refreshing to take a zipline in a place where the staff speak your dialect, that’s for sure. So there was a certain level of comfort in our banter as they strapped us on and gave the instructions.
I was holding on, not for dear life, but for my dear-phone-on-a-stick, praying it won’t fall off mid-flight. Buwis-phone, haha!
The Superman pose will have you hanging on cables with your arms and lower legs supported by these triangular thingies. For some it might look a bit precarious but, surprisingly, I felt safe and secure.
So you will be pulled back, so you’re basically zipping backwards, away from the launch pad, with the tops of the trees (tree top, get it?) right below you. You’d move back, back, back, further back…. then slowing down until you come to a complete stop….
….and then zip forward, this time at a faster clip.
You’d be zipping 150 meters above the ground, and by “ground”, I mean an actual ravine covered by pine trees. The zipline is motorized, so any fear that it might stop halfway because of your weight – or lack thereof – is irrelevant.
The zipline is 200 meters long, but since it’s a back-and-forth ride, you’re basically doing 400 meters.
The best part of the ride was that moment when you stopped going backward, there was a short pause, as if you’re gearing up for the forward rush, then you just… go. That was quite a heady feeling.
Surf in the air!
It’s time for something completely new to me, the Silver Surfer.
It’s another tandem ride where you and your partner will be strapped around the waist and stand face to face on a platform-for-two that is suspended high up. Then the platform will swing this way and that while moving down the ravine, then back up.
The point is that you’ll feel like you are surfing, but on air.
It was definitely more thrilling than the Superman, at least in my opinion. To make the most of the experience, I suggest you let go of the bar halfway through, just lean back and let your weight support you, and surf.
Don’t worry, you’re strapped securely.
I can’t believe it took us this long to check out this place, and I’m glad we finally did. I can also finally tick that off my mental list of places to visit close to home.
You can allot an entire morning at Tree Top Adventure. Unless you walk like a snail, or you simply want to savor every step, it’d probably take you the entire day, but a whole morning or a whole afternoon would suffice.
Entrance to the Tree Top Adventure is Php 100.00, consumable which, if I’m not mistaken, would be enough to cover the trekking/hiking. It is when you try the different activities that there will be additional rates to be paid.
You also have to consider the crowd. It was a Saturday when we got there, and we were there on their opening, which meant we were among the first ones. If you come in the middle of the day, there’d probably be longer waiting times in the queues. After all, it seems to be popular among tourists and visitors.
I wouldn’t say it was an exhausting jaunt inside Tree Top Adventure, but we found ourselves at the Ayala Technohub for a late lunch, where we grabbed some grub at Army Navy, because it was the only place with available tables. Yep.
Then we dropped by Moonleaf for some tea. I found that small place so charming, I’m going to devote another separate post on it.
Hopefully we’ll have more explore-your-own-backyard adventures in the future. It’s been fun!
As promised, here’s the vlog featuring this adventure.
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