Puray Ride with Team Bikers Ng Pasay – Accidental Trail Guiding Duties or they call this ride as the official hash tag or handler #NaPaoloMerDre epic adventure #uphell #ahonpamore ride.
What I am thinking before writing this blog?
To blog or not to blog this concluded event is what I’ve been asking myself because I am not sure if this is something that I am proud of or I am too afraid that those peeps that I am with or guided that day going to Puray Falls might hate me forever or doesn’t want me to guide them anymore because the said ride does not go according to their plans and you are wondering why, continue reading and I will tell you why. There is one thing that you should know though. I am a natural climber or should I say I prefer riding hills, mountain passes and I am not the sprinter type of cyclist, so, if I like turning my pedals when riding and your with me you should try to keep up and you will love the way I climb believe me. I trained and ride with beginners already that in return they are much more stronger climber than me now.
Meeting with BNP & OBF Biking Groups for the first time.
I first met and joined BNP or Bikers ng Pasay and OBF or Organisasyon ng Bikers Filipinas biking groups one day when I happened volunteer to guide them when a certain Angelo of Timberland bikers group invited me to join them and asked me if I know the route going to Puray Falls because they are looking for a guide or knows the route going to the said falls this happened some time last year.
That day I said that I will just tell them which way to go to but when I actually see them I was overwhelm because I am expecting 10 riders but to my surprise it was more I think more or less 35 riders are assembled at Puregold San Mateo. Coming from shift that day is tough to ride my bike but my excitement and endorphins pushed me to go with them and I ride with them indeed. I showed them my playground. When we reached Kaytitinga Falls I swam with them and I will not forget the Go Pro moments I had with Sir Michael, Leandro and others.
It was a woooooh and oh noooooo moments because Michael’s Go Pro action cam fell down in the deep water, it took us almost 30 minutes to search for it and good thing it was recovered by Yoshi, it is his fault anyway that it fell down hahaha. After that, I had to leave early because I need to rest because I still have work that day at night.
Meeting with the BNP again the 2nd time round is sweater, this time Puray Falls it is.
After a year, BNP group created an event going to Puray and this time during the early Summer, this is sometime in March. I thought I can join the Audax 200KM in Subic Bay the said day but I had to cancel because I had no budget to pay for the registration and cannot afford to buy nutrition etc. So I decided to join this event and they are sending me personal messages anyway asking me if I can guide them. For the last minute, I said yes.
I got my plus One, Jap Lobina a native mountain biker from home town Laoac, Pangasinan.
It happened that Jap my not so distant relative from Pangasinan is here in Manila that time and was looking forward to ride with me and so I suggest that we join BNP folks to their Puray adventure. Jap is so early that I was able to met with him in Marikina so I had to call him or he called me I can’t remember to proceed to Puregold San Mateo.
Here comes the BNP boys with their Princess Marge.
They are little bit late and it was already hot so I planned to make the pace between 20-25KPh on the flats because we will be having a long day for this ride. When they arrive Aran one of their leader/ride organizer asked me if I know the wet route, I honestly replied and said No I don’t an that I only done the dry route going to Puray. Good thing there is another rider that knows that said wet route and again I don’t know. There are some minor hassles along the way and some decided to eat lunch first because it is already past 11am that time.
Sir Ute’s decision to have Batch 1 and Batch 2.
It was a long wait at the resto, some are done eating their lunch while those who just arrived are still waiting for their orders. Sir Ute suggested to have 2 batches since they had 2 guides, that’s me and the other guide. I volunteered to be the guide for Batch 1 because we are done with our lunch. Batch 1 composed of 19 riders that come with me. The plan is to way after the bridge before the wet route but some are eager to go on. So, we didn’t wait for the Batch 2 and we proceed, good thing there is a 2 way radio because I am pretty aware that there is no signal at the top of the mountain so communication will be our concern. I asked for the 2 way radio so that I can keep track of the Batch 2 of their location.
The Dry Route epic NaPaolomer moments.
This is it, after the bridge somewhere in Barangay Mascap, others don’t want to wait any further because they wanted to get back home early. So it is decided that we go, only to find out that instead of taking the wet route or river crossings, we are now doing the uphill climbs or should I say steep climbs or dry route going to Puray. They called this naPaolomer Dre’ moment. I am sorry about that, I’ve been honest with your leaders I don’t know wet route and it was an disadvantage to me because I don’t want to have a broken bottom bracket and I wanted to get revenge of this uphills because I couldn’t pedal all the way this when we did it twice before. For the 3rd time I was able to ride this fucking upHell non-stop and I am so satisfied but the dilemma is this, all of them did the same route. Though there is someone on the group knows the wet route, he also didn’t dare to tell the group because he doesn’t want river crossings because it might harm his bike.
The Meet up of Batch 1 and Batch 2.
Finally at the end of each wet and dry route batch 1 composed of 19 riders and batch 2 composed of 11 riders met and proceed to Puray Falls. We had to replenish by drinking Palamig, Sago’t Gulaman, some Softdrinks and others ate Halo-halo. I can sense some tension on the group because they are really expecting the wet route but unfortunately I mislead them and it was really an honest mistake I don’t know that route but this time I know. We arrived at the jump off of Puray, we left our bikes near the store where there is bike parking made of bamboos.
The Puray Falls is empty. Such a disappointment moment!
Unfortunately it is hot summer so the water coming down is like a pee. The falls that we are expecting is almost dry, that’s why we had to climb again at the top to enjoy the water left at the peak. Some swam with the algae green color water of the falls and some didn’t bother because they wanted to take a rest or sleep after we eat our baons.
The accident with the drunkard motorcyclist.
After that, we packed up and hid home. Hoping that everything is fine the group met an accident. On our way going down in Sitio Bangkal still part of San Isidro, a drunkard motorcyclist hit 2 of our riders that sent of them unconciously knocked out while the other scratches all over his body. Good thing they are alive and no broken bones just a normal bike crash scratches. We file a police or incident report in San Isidro Barangay Hall to inform the local officials and then they we bid good byes.
See you again BNP Folks. Thanks for the ride! Until our next adventure ride.