Little
did I know that it would also become the setting for what I consider my first
“professional photoshoot”— alas, minus the professional fee!—of former
officemates, a group of bubbly, wannabe cover girls (isn’t it too late, ladies?
LOL!) who were craving to be snapped with the majestic mountain at the
background. Although I wanted to see the place, I never expected it to happen
so soon. But the eager beavers at my previous office found a way to fix
everyone’s schedule so there we were during one weekend, having the time of our
lives in the highlands of Kapatagan in Digos City.
The
visit to Sabros presented opportunities for each one of us to realize what we
had long wanted to do. On my part, it would enable me to accomplish at least
four things: one, make up for some “broken promises” I made to the women; two,
do my homework on nature photography; third, gaze anew at Apo’s grandeur (which
I haven’t seen up close for about five years since climbing it in 2005); and
lastly, try the resort’s zip lines, which, I got to see for the first time on a
TV show (Sports Unlimited, if I’m not
mistaken). So, I gave in to the “request” (or was it a “demand”?) for a late
summer shoot in the uplands.
After
picking up my models from all over Davao City, we went on with the trip to
nearby Davao del Sur. I felt nostalgic as I caught a glimpse of the many
familiar sights in the progressive town of Sta. Cruz which I haven’t seen in a
long time. A few kilometers before reaching downtown Digos, we turned right and
headed straight towards Kapatagan. As we trod the narrow zigzagging road that
reminded me of Baguio, the journey treated us to charming vistas of the
countryside, leaving everyone gushing over the magnificence of God’s creations
in that part of the country.
That
left us with three options to get to our destination: go on foot, ride any habal-habal plying the route, or hop on any of the horses. Jay, our driver, and I opted to hike all the
way to the camp. Mabel, Tess and Bing joined us while Cynthia and Pris rode the
horses. Halfway through the trek, however, the three got on the first horse they
could find when the going got toughest.
An
overcast sky hovered above us as we continued treading towards the camp. The
featureless white sky somewhat worried me because I wanted so much to take my
subjects’ snaps with the rustic beauty of Kapatagan’s terrain—gently rolling
knolls, pine tree-lined paths and verdant grasslands—and the formidable
presence of Mt. Apo at the background.
I
shot a glance at the mountain but couldn’t see a trace of it as thick clouds
shrouded it. Maybe it’ll show up later, I thought. But if it doesn’t (and it
didn’t!), then I’ll have to consider some options. At that point, I also became
anxious over the glaring brightness overpowering the other elements in my frame.
So, I started cracking my head for alternatives. I may have to narrow my focus
on smaller scenes and close-up shots that wouldn’t depend on an overcast sky. I
may have to block much of the light with trees and foliage. Or, I may have to
leave the vanilla sky out of the frame entirely.
After
some time, we chanced upon a few locals every now and then whom I bothered with
the same question: “How far are we from Camp Sabros?” Their standard reply was:
“It’s just around the corner”. But as we trod further, the trail seemed to get
longer, the air colder, the terrain steeper. The whole stretch, I found out
later, turned out to be over a kilometer away from the highway!
By
the time I reached the entrance to the camp, I was already breathing heavily
and sweating profusely. I haven’t hiked on rugged elevations for ages so it
felt like my lungs would burst. Geez, that made me realize that lowlanders
who hardly leave their comfort zones—that
includes me!—ought to re-examine their understanding of distances if they are to
survive the mountains.
It
was past chow time when we arrived so everyone was eager to find a place to
eat. The women immediately found us a table near the camp’s viewing deck,
placing all the food they prepared. The hearty lunch turned out to be one of
best meals I ever had with old friends, spiced up by occasional pauses for
photo ops and humorous banter as we talked about anything under the sun.
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After eating, the models got ready for the shoot while I roamed around Camp Sabros in search for perfect backdrops. But I didn’t meander too far because every nook and cranny of the resort is a photographer’s delight. When my models came in, a golden blaze of sunlight began to fill the camp’s surroundings.
It was the moment I’ve been waiting for. I had to shoot fast before it’s gone. In minutes, my shutter started to work. Flushed
with excitement, the wannabe cover girls displayed their picture-perfect poses.
Like convent girls who’ve seen the outside world for the first time, they
smiled, shrieked, snickered and shuffled to their hearts’ content as we went
shooting around the camp. Hours later, they felt they had enough and called off
the shoot. Except for Pris and Cynthia, the rest went back to our quiet corner
at the viewing deck to rest.
Meanwhile,
the three of us headed for the zip lines. When we got there, a fairly large
crowd was already at the staging area for the 400-meter zip. I was amazed to
see a diverse assemblage of people who’ve been infected by the zipping “virus”—men,
women, parents, children, teens, adults, singles, couples, families—all wanting
to experience what it feels to fly.
Like
the zip lines in Lake Sebu, “zippers” were made to wear safety helmets and
fastened to a harness that was hooked to a cable wire. They were also asked to
fall into a lying position as they slid into the air. But unlike my Lake Sebu
experience where I flew with a buddy, I went solo this time. While waiting for
my turn, I felt giddy knowing that I was out on my own crossing the great
divide. But I psyched myself up to just enjoy the trip through the wire. After
all, I’ve done it before—at a much higher elevation at that. So before the crew
released me into mid-air, I was already in a ready-for-take-off mode. 
Soon,
I was flying over lush conifers, shrubs and vegetation. No word comes close to
describing what I felt during those few seconds in mid-air. I wanted to shout
but no sound came out of my mouth; I was tongued-tied with wonder as I gazed at
the beauty all around me. Geez, Clark Kent must have felt that way when he
learned he had the gift of flight.
While
waiting for the jeep that would take me and the others to our return flight, I
killed time taking snaps at the awesome foothills of Mt. Apo which appeared
nearer from where I stood. Later, I joined a band of vivacious zippers, who
came all the way from Cebu just to experience the flight of fancy at Sabros, as
we headed for the staging area of the 380-meter zip where we had another great
flying experience.
All
told, the shooting and sliding at Sabros were among the most exciting and
daring things I’ve done in years. It was
one weekend well spent to accomplish so many in one sitting. But there are two
things I missed doing when I was there. One is riding aboard the cable lift
(which I’ve tried once in Singapore) and trying out one of the camp’s more
recent attractions—the treetop rappel. Hmmm…I think I know what I’m going to do
the next time I visit that mountain haven in Kapatagan. :D
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