Cotabato City based climber witnesses start of Mt. Apo fires

OTABATO CITY – Three unidentified mountain climbers who stayed at the peak of the country’s highest peak were believed to be responsible in the bush fire that turned into forest fire at Mt. Apo, climbers said.Members of the Cotabato All-Terrain Bikers Association (CATBA) said they believed the fire actually started at the peak where there three campers who cooked food on Saturday afternoon.Tutin Sapto, CATBA member, said he personally witnessed the unfortunate incident and filmed it as he and colleagues expressed desire to help put it off. But we were prevented from going there,” Sapto, CATBA founding member, said. Instead, we were directed to use the Mandarangan trail as our exit route as the fire started to spread.”Sapto said his team of 24 climbers used the Kapatagan trail in Bansalan, Davao del Sur in reaching Mt. Apo on Good Friday and witnessed the sun rises on Saturday morning. Shortly after, Sapto’s group went to Lake Venado to set up tents until they noticed smoke billowing from the peak of Mt. Apo.
We were told there were climbers who set up tent at the peak and cooked and left not knowing there was still fire,” Sapto recalled. From Lake Venado, Sapto and his group saw the fire ranging at the peak. (From Lake Venado, it will take climbers about 3 hours to reach the peak).The morning after, Sapto recalled, his group was to climb the peak again before retracing their entrance trail back to Kapatagan.But they were told by climbing guides that they should divert their route and exit through the Mandarangan trail in Kidapawan-Makilala-Magpet eco-triangle. At the peak, the surrounding was really dry and brown, although occasionally there were fogs,” Sapto said.He said the fire from the peak has spread toward Digos City side of the mountain heading toward Kapatagan trail. How sad some climbers were irresponsible and were not careful in their acts, climbing is accompanied by responsibility,” Sapto said. (Ferdinandh Cabrera) sand//scontent.fmnl4-5.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t34.0-12/12910338_10208934822275674_1052540545_n.jpg?_nc_eui=ARgBuYutvHd8avIELr2-k-5weyDG6RCtS0AAPRH99HGVwkt_8VAUD4daXqOyandampoh=37227aa5dd26cd174b06afe89d8b90f6andampoe=56FCAD19