The lure of whitewater
It was a fine morning in Cagayan de Oro, the sun was up but not scorching and the November air, crisp. The weather was perfect for whitewater rafting –an adventure I would soon learn to enjoy and cherish.
I had reservations about rafting. The prospect of paddling for two to three hours did not sound exciting. I have never used an oar and boats to me are objects of conveyance, not recreation.
I have also overeaten not just the night before but in the last few years and have packed more pounds. My only warm up exercises finger workouts on the computer. With no exercise and no pectorals, biceps and triceps to power three hours of paddling, good luck to me.
This is clearly suicide by exhaustion although our guides think we’ll make it through the obstacles. I looked at the other rafters who were not exactly members of the Philippine Rowing Team but they survived. Hence I shouldn’t pass up a chance to test the waters myself or I go home with more of a bruised ego than an injured body. So yes, I’m in!
I was with fellow journalists ending a two-day conference with a team-building activity. We were told that whitewater rafting is an exercise of leadership, coordination, goal-setting and teamwork. We fell for it, the cool waters had us at “hello.”
Our guide told us that we were to negotiate through 14 major and minor rapids spread within 12 kilometers of river. As a “by the way” the guide said survival skills may come in handy. You don’t say? So we huddled for deep prayer as many of us were just equipped with sense of humor and sun bloc – not swimming skills.
And then there was the subject of attire. Everyone should be in beach attire (whatever one perceives it to be). But since it was spur-of-the-moment many of us were inappropriately dressed. Some wore denim. I was luckier to be in walking shorts and polo. A colleague even wore just boxer shorts. Good thing the life vests draped well below the waist and the large helmets covered our heads and our shame sufficiently. After donning the gear we all looked like a team ready to conquer what lay ahead.
“Life vest and helmet can save you as you fall off the raft or when your head hits the boulders but don’t worry, you’ll float a day after,” joked our guide. So the likelihood of us falling off and hitting rocks is high. Now I understood why they earlier asked for my blood type. How reassuring.
To protect skin we were also advised to wear rash guards conveniently sold for P40 at the Beginner’s jump off point in Barangay Mambuaya – whose name by the way, makes rafting sound scarier.
There were over 25 of us split between six rafts. I was commissioned to a smaller raft for five people: two men, two women and a guide who’s a frustrated standup comedian hence we were rowing and laughing in no time. He pointed to a steep embankment carpeted by dense vegetation. “That is Monkey Rock. There used to be a lot of monkeys there. Today those monkeys work as whitewater rafting guides,” he cracked his first of many jokes.
“Do you see that small cottage? That’s a factory – a baby factory. And look at those lava rocks! That’s where people wash clothes,” our guide was on a roll.
In between laughs I realized we were not really paddling to death. The most we did were five forward or backward strokes only when the guide maneuvered through the rapids. Most of the time, we just relaxed as the strong current propelled us forward. There was ample time for jokes, photo ops, refreshing water splashes and even a boodle fight at the banks.
On calmer waters we marveled at sights such as fossilized giant clams from the island’s watery past, coves where snakes cool off in summer, or curious rock formations carved by nature through time. The best part of rafting in calm water was the chance to take a dip in the river and savor another rare “Ahhh life!” moment.
The more adrenaline-pumping maneuver came in the last stretch of the voyage where we were made to choose between the Easy Path (with minor rapids) and the Courage Path which our guide said should feel like rodeo on a roller coaster with a four-inch drop. That was a joke, right?
We chose to be thrilled, and headed for Courage. After a string of galloping twists, dizzying turns and near misses, we survived, raised our paddles and cheered woot! I can get used to this.
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Thanks to 1st Rafting Adventure, a pioneering whitewater rafting company in Cagayan de Oro City since 1995. Interested parties may contact 1st Rafting Adventure, 86 Jongko Building, Tiano-Hayes Street, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental Philippines 9000
Tel #: (088) 856-3514; (088) 857-1270
Email: riverguide95@raftingadventurephilippines.com
And to the best team in the rapids, Art, Mylene, Trini, Yasmin, Gemma, Angelo, Randy, Vilma, Jonathan, Dhobie, Darlene, Cris, Gerard, Sharon, Gracie, Waway, Joel, Sarita, Myrvic, Lerio, Roxanne, Charmane, helmets down to all of you.*
