Mountain climbers stranded by bad weather on Mt. Apo now safe

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato -– All 13 mountain climbers who were stranded for several hours near the peak of Mt. Apo on Monday are safe and are heading for home, the city government announced here Tuesday.

Psalmer Bernalte, Kidapawan City’s information officer who was in charge of the Rescue 911 unit, said the mountaineers were on their way to Davao after spending the night at Camp Agco on the Kidapawan trail.

The city is hosting the “October Trek” to the country’s highest peak with local and foreign tourists in attendance.

“They are all safe,” Bernalte said. “Some had minor bruises but that is normal in mountain climbing.”

He identified the climbers as Abigail Gomez, Kirbie Ian Villanueva, Marizon Javierto, Fritz Nina Ocampo, Leticia Cubillo, Leah Lubiano, Rochelle Montero, Paplo Yufs Dumalo, Thea Grace Almora, Eldrich Cloyd Garcia, Bryan Tenorio, Earl Garcia and Wilbert Laranas.

Three of them are from Surigao, one from Manila and the rest are from Davao City.

Bernalte said the climbers were stranded for a few hours Monday when the Marbol River overflowed.

“We provided them life vests and lifeline ropes so they safely crossed the Marbol River amid rampaging waters,” Bernalte said.

Joey Remecillo, the city’s tourism chief, said that when the Marbol River overflows, climbers normally stay at the Matiao camp and “wait for the water to subside before they cross, using lifeline ropes.”

“This is a normal occurrence among Mt. Apo climbers… when water rises along the river  they have to wait for several hours and then cross when the rampaging water is gone,” he said.

Despite the incident, which Remecillo described as “minor and normal” among climbers, the October Trek continues.