Years before the CPU Mountaineering Society was formed, “mountaineers” already exist at CPU. And from there came the idea of organizing a group of student mountaineers. It was in the school year of 1989-90 that the group was formally organized through the efforts of Mr. James Peter Trasporto, who was then a faculty member of the CPU Development High School and a member of the Iloilo Mountaineering Club, Inc. He used his influence to form a group of student mountaineers. Eventually, enthusiasts from both College level and High School department showed up. Jonas Delleva (the first president), Peter Irving Corvera, Jonas Jutare, Napol Jutare, Ian Posadas, Earl Candido Doromal, Paul Chenne Maravilla, Gali Delfin, and Michael Tayo were the pioneer members of the organization, and Mr. Trasporto serve as their adviser. They opted to call it “Society” over a Club, which is an overused term as far as student organization is concerned. This group has a unique nature, so they decided to come-up with somewhat a matching name for their identity.The CPU Mountaineering Society lives and exists by the mountaineer’s motto:“TAKE NOTHING BUT PICTURES. KILL NOTHING BUT TIME. LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS.”
Like the earth’s terrain of valleys and peaks, CPUMS had its own: Mt. Manaphag, Mt. Madja-as, Mt. Baloy, Mt. Nangtud, Mt. Inaman, Mt. Tigum, Mt. Napulak, Mt. Kanlaon, Mt. Pulog, Mt. Mayon, Mt. Apo, Mt. Mitchitew, are but a few where the members of the society has set foot. Awestruck, ecstasy, release, jubilation, triumph – are not enough to describe peak experiences.
Yet, setbacks do happen. Pain of mountain-load of questions fills the mind of everyone when Mt. Kanlaon claimed the life of then a CPUMS member, Allison Villaruel, in October 1992. Anger and frustration were everywhere when lost of command rebels refused to let the members of the society pass through the territory at Mt. Apo in 1989.
Nevertheless, the spirit still lives on for it could never be quenched. Storms, rebels, blood-sucking leeches, physical ailments, uncertainty: such cannot turn us back. We climbed, we climb, and we will still be climbing… “BECAUSE IT’S THERE!”
