Mt. Maculot Traverse

Its our climb to Guiting-guiting next week (holyweek) and as a part of our training regimen, we need to do a training climb. We decided to take a dayhike in Mt. Maculot but with a twist, well gonna do a traverse (my first time doing this).
The start of the trek of course does'nt start on the traditional route. For one you have to start at the trail that will take you to the pilgrimage site of the 'Grotto'. The locals were very adamant to let us proceed, one reason is that a rescue operation is going on. For 5 days rescuers are trying to find a lost 71 year old man who climb Mt. Maculot alone. Also, eventhough its summer its raining for several days in Cuenca. They are discouraging us, saying the path is slippery, we have to pass a very narrow trail and that there are women in our group (if they only knew what my women colleagues have already been to!). To make the story short we were able to go on but opted to take two guides, since this trail is the one less traveled.
The trail to grotto is exposed and occasionally have cemented stairs. A few meters from the Actual Grotto site are huts of merchants who are taking advantage of the influx of pilgrims for the holyweek. Here is were we took our lunch.


At the Grotto, with our French friend Louis

After Grotto, you will greeted by a steep ascent in a densely covered forrest. There are two locations were you need to use the stationed ropes. Its a good thing that rain came after this area or else its going to be difficult to climb. After a few more hours you will reach the summit. Mind you that the summit is also densely covered so there is no view at all. We stayed here for a few minutes then we decided to go down to the rockies. The descent is also steep and very muddy, then you will reach the grassland (kugon-an) saddle that will take you to the huts that sell halo-halo. From here its on to the rockies. We took some pictures and then we decided to head back down going the traditional route. We reach the traditional route jumpoff (mountaineers store) at around 7:00pm.


(sorry, blurry pics. madilim eh)


wet de la summit!

Mt. Maculot is one of the easiest to climb but is also one of the most rewarding because of the view from the rockies, the reason that this is a must for beginners. But for those who want to take Maculot to next level, traversing is a very good idea.
And BTW, as expected the locals were over describing the trail. Yep, its true that its muddy, steep and you indeed a rope is some parts. But not as difficult as they were saying.


taal lake at the background (almost slipped here. wet rocks. )


UPDATE : We left Cuenca, Batangas with still no word of the lost 71 year old man. Hoping he can still be found and nothing bad/serious happened to him.

Mt. Malasimbo

February 28, 2009. Its my second time to go to Puerto Galera, but this time its not for beach or nightlife but to climb the mountain beside it. Mt. Malasimbo. The jumpoff of Mt. Malasimbo is just a tricycle away from the white beach. First thing I wonder about the trail is that why is it so steep, slippery and directly straight. Upon examining, this is not just the trail for hikers for also for logs! Yes, illegally cut logs that are slided down on this path. Its kindda silly since theres a big sign at the jumpoff that illegal loggers are not welcome. sus! Trapo talaga!
I've read from blogs that this mountain is also infested by limatiks. Ive encountered some, but not as many as the one in Makiling. Along the trail, we were also able to meet a few locals of this mountain, the Mangyans.
The trail is mostly the same along the way upto the campsite. Campsite is very exposed, and since its near the ocean, the wind is blowing very hard. From this place, you have a complete view of the beach and the islands nearby. Our plan is to summit after arriving at the campsite but since we missed our schedule and its getting dark, we shelved the plan for early tommorow morning. As night went on the wind was blowing harder, worst, look like its going to rain. The wind was blowing so hard the my buddys tent (our tent) was flattened. It turned out that his pole bended. We cut our 'socials' short and opted to sleep. And then it rain. The flapping of the flysheet and rain woke me up several times.
Sadly, we woke up to the sound of rain. We decided to cancel our summit assault to due bad weather. If the climb was very steep, imagine the descent with rain. Very very slippery. There are also expose parts were we need to cover our face coz it hurts when the raging rain hits you. In the middle of our descent rain stops, it turns out that its only raining on top of the mountain.
We reach the beach around noon time. Some of us took a dip, then clean up. After which we decided to head back home.

MSR 4L Dromedary bag.

Since I decided to go LightPacking, I need to free-up as much space as possible to my bag. This is one of the reason I bought this hydration equipment. The main benifit of this bag is that its a space saver. It normally molds to the space inside the backpack where you put it, unlike water bottles that create gaps. It is also very durable, abration resistant. I have tried putting hot water, cold water, used it as a pillow and even hanged it in a tree, still no problem was encountered. You can even interchange the cap of a Nalgene 1L water bottle with this one.
One downside though is that when new, water has a plastic after taste. But there is a remedy, I ask MSR customer service and they emailed me the simple procedure. But it could have been better if this was included in the manual.

PROS
- Very Durable
- Space Saver
- Frees space in your bag as water is consumed
- Light

CONS
- Water has plastic after taste when new

Mt. Pundaquit traverse to Anawangin

I had been longing to go to the fast becoming popular backpacking haven beach called Anawangin. The place is located in San Antonio, Zambales. And I guess the best way to do it is to bring some of my officemates who are also into nature.I know its difficult to organize a climb, but we should always share the experience.
Since its just gonna be on a weekend and to maximize the time we have, we left on a friday night. The bus left Manila at around 11pm, and arrived in San Antonio early in the morning of Saturday (4am). There are two ways to go to Anawangin beach, one is by via boat, the other is by trekking and traversing Mt. Pundaquit. We decided to take the latter. I could consider the trek easy. We started still dark and opted to take a guide. According to the blogs I saw on the net, the traverse would take 6-7 hours. It took us 5 hours, not bad.





Arriving at the beach, you will be greeted by pine trees. The sand (which is actually lahar) is very white and fine. The beach is very nice and the water is warm. You can go far into the water and is still not too deep. The pine trees are situated close to each other that you can place a hammock. There are also several bamboo tables you can use for preparing food. The beach is perfect for pitching tents, swimming/dipping, and even bonfire during the night.






The next morning we went to a hill beside the beach to have a birds eyeview of the place, very good place for taking pictures. Theres also a river beside the hill, also a perfect place for dipping. The water is crystal clear and is surrounded by pine trees too.




We break camp around noon and for the last leg of our trip, we dropped by Capones Island. This island has an old lighthouse that I believe was created during the spanish era. After spending some time travel, we went back to San Antonio then back to Manila.






Our trip is tiring but is very much satisfying. Compressing three major points (trek, beach and lighthouse) in just two days is already feat. Already looking forward to our next trip.

Lowe Alpine Beartooth 45

After spending some time in Limbo, I finally gotten hold of this bag. I was a bit reluctant about this bag, but after using it once, it exceeds my expectations. The bag is very good built, just what we should expect of a Lowe Alpine quality. The bag has two main features, the first one is the Centro Adjustment System, which is a very easy adjustment of the back length of the bag depending on the torso of user. It is color coded and is very easy to understand. The other one is the Pure AirZone back ventilation, unlike other bags which has mesh to ventilate your back, this bag has a complete gap with the users back that keeps the airflow continous for less sweat and heat. The space is just enough for light packing. I used to own 60 liter bag which is made locally, I could say that moving to a smaller bag is quite hard at the beginning but later on will give you lots of benefits. Light packing is now the way to go.
The hip belt and shoulder strap is comfortable yet very sturdy, when worn properly is just like the bag is hugging my back. The top cover has an outside and inside pocket for keeping things that you need quick access to. It has two side pockets that can be compressed to lessen the space of the bag for shorter trips. The wand pockets are small but can be use for trekking poles or tent poles. It also comes with a raincover that is durable. The strap in front is only for one trekking pole but can handle two. It also comes with a hydration pocket(but I dont use those, I prefer drinking in bottes)
So far I can give this bag 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Pros
- well built
- easy to adjust torso length
- space is just right
- good back ventilation
- good back support, very comfortable
- compared to my previous bag, Im less tired after a trek.


Cons
- a bit heavy for a lighpacking bag (3lbs according to net)
- side pockets when use may interfere with wand pockets

Columbia Storm Dry Jacket.

When I was in Minnesota, my second month was the start of winter. Coming from a tropical country, I dont have any insulation clothes for this kind of weather. Thats the reason I decided to buy this gear. There are lots of winter clothing available in the stores, but I want something I can still use when I go back to the Philippines. As a primer this jacket is 3-in-1, it can be use as fleece, rain jacket and when you combine the two, it turns into a winter jacket. As a fleece its very warm and comfy, as a winter jacket it also serves its purpose well. The pocket is even insulated that will make your hands warm. I havent tried as a rain gear yet. But so far I think it also good on this part, when I was washing it the water over the jacket turns into beads. So far I think this is a good buy.

Pros
- very warm as a winter jacket
- easy to set up
- comfortable
- good built

Cons
- a bit heavy
- As with any 3in1 jacket its bulky, might take a lot of space of your bag

Columbia Pagora

I'm not really a big fan of Columbia shoes, but after seeing the discounted price. I decided to buy this one. But of course the shoes is also of good quality. Its a breathable but not water proof (im not a fan of goretex shoes), light and cushion trekking shoes. Its so comfy that it doesnt need breaking in. It has the new techlite midsole technology. The main sole is columbia omni-grip. In the two recent climbs that I used this shoe, so far it meets my expections. I just hope it will the same for my upcoming major climb. If theres one thing I want more is that the sole was made of Vibram.

Pros
-light
-cushioned and comfy -breathable, so you feet always stay cool.
-nice shoe string adjusment, hugs your feet well.

Cons
-sole is a bit soft, might encountered problems on hard ground.

-sole has tendency to slip on was floors, might also slide on wet rocks.

Hiking Minnesota

The Weather here in Minnesota had been going down tremendously as the winter approaches. But last sunday miraculously it was sunny and the temperature was about 20C. So I decided to take my long planned hike to a nature trail found here in Eden Prairie(purgatory creek). Long planned but I was not that prepared, I was thinking I might not be able to do this anymore because of the weather and logistics. So hurriedly I logon to google earth and took my directions and note everything I could find, prepared my stuff and began my hike/walk. It took me almost 2 hours just to reach the site, passing by main roads intersections and village houses. There was even a time I went under the bridge to pass the main highway.
Upon reaching the place first thing I notice was there are lots of birds, lots of birds means lots of trees. I was expecting a place were there is an establish trail. But to my surprise, its a very thick forrest with lots of tall bushes and grass. It was just like Im doing an exploration of a mountain in the Philippines, theres no clear path and you can easily get lost (kindda like the forrest in Blair Witch movie). As I enter and went deep into the place I got several bruises on my left arm. I usually bend on small paths that can be found on several bushes. I think these are paths of animals that roam here, coz I can see their tracks and droppings on this trail. I was able to see two squirrels eating tree flowers. I also see a Doe, but thinking it was a wolf I was caught by surprise ( I also saw paw prints, maybe from a dog or wolf). The Doe ran and jump so fast I was not able to take a picture of it. I also reach the brook that was all along this trail. Water is clear but the look is not that pretty. Just like a small river in the province in our country. As the sun started to set, I decided to go back. Its a good thing I have my compass watch which help find my way back.
Though Im not that fulfilled as I was not able to fully explore the place, my curiosity was quench as how is it to do a Hiking Minnesota.
If I may add, arriving home and looking at the pdf file on the website was dated 2005. Hence the change in the place, maybe not to many locals are accesing this place.
More pictures here Passing a lake on my way


Blair Witch Forrest

Squirrels getting food


Deer tracks

Mt. Batulao

I had been invited several times to climb Mt. Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas. I always refused due to one simple reason, its hot in there. There are no trees and the trail is very exposed to the sun. After my scorching climb experience in Mt. Talamitan (the summit registered 36 deg. Celcius), I realized 'desert' mountains is not for me. An invitation came again last weekend but since that trek will start late in the afternoon and will leave early the next day (to avoid the sun ofcourse) I opted to join. I will be joining the climb with my longtime climb buddy marlon and a bunch of newbies that he invited.

The trek starts at evercrest golf course in Batangas. Half of the trek is passing by barangay roads which is very muddy because its also the route of their livestocks animals (cow, horses etc). After this is the climb proper. Mt Batulao is a series of mountain ranges a smaller version of the mountain ranges in the north. There are two trails now, one is passing by the side of the mountains and the other one on their ridges. We decided to take the new trail (ridge). I had been praying for a not so sunny weather and I think I overdo it. The weather was so gloomy and foggy that it actually rained hard early in the morning.
We climb to the summit early in the morning, the summit is about 30min to an hour from the campsite. As expected there is very little to no view on the summit. But if ever there is a clearing I think there is a 360 view of the whole area. O well, this only means that theres gonna be a part 2 for Mt. Batulao for me.

Mt. Mariveles (Tarak Ridge)

It was raining cats and dogs last weekend, two low pressure areas was reported around the Philippine sea with a chance to be a tropical storm. Because of this, we were already on the brink of cancelling our trip to Mt. Mariveles (Tarak Ridge). But when one of my friends friend who lives in Balanga reported that there was no to minimal rain there. We decided to proceed.

We took the Genesis bus bound to Mariveles Bataan. The trip was about 3-4 hours depending on traffic. Jump-off starts at Barangay Alas-asin. Here, registration is required and you need to pay P40 at the barangay hall. A bit expensive but this includes a bath before going back to manila after climbing.
I had been hearing good reviews of tarak ridge from the mountaineering coummunity, and even from my friends. And I guess it didnt just lived to my expectations but exceeds it. After getting through barangay Alas-asin you enter the reforested part of the mountain. Here you will see big eucalyptus trees that had been planted maybe around the late 90's. A few minutes of walking and you will arrived at the 'kubo' of two old couples who was responsible for the tree replanting. The old woman has a long story to tell about their struggle (which took a lot of our time) to stay in that place. The next part of the trek you will be greeted with rich and maybe untouched forest. Large trees, several insects and you can even hear monkeys howling maybe to mate or mark their territories. We were even able to see a huge waterfall from a distance. After a few hours you will rich papaya river. You may opt to camp here and go for the summit early morning the next day. But we decided to camp at the summit. Its really is nice to dip at the crystal clear water, but we decided to do it coming down.
After papaya, the hard part. 1-2 hours of complete assualt. Its a good thing that tree roots are plenty on the trail, or else its really is gonna be slippery. We reached the summit almost dark, luckily there is a campsite were the trees are blocking the winds. Tarak ridge is well known for its strong winds in the summit, I had a friend who broke his tent pole here. During our cooking it started to rain, and it was on/off until morning. We had only one chance of clearing to have view of the entire area.
We woke up early to a not too good weather. Rain was still on/off. We reached papaya and to my suprise the water was not discolored from the rain. We had a very nice dipping. We were even able to see small waterfalls that was created by the rain on our way down.
I was very happy with this climb that I promise myself to comeback again but with a different weather. Ill say it again, this mountain didnt just lived to my expectations but exceeds it. =)


find the errors? =)






surfing time

Mt. Palong (Exploration)

I went to Initao, Misamis Oriental (capital of misamis is Cagayan de Oro, btw) last weekend to attend a wake. After the interment we still have 2 days left before heading back to manila. After checking our schedule, we noticed that the afternoon of Saturday was free. We decided to go to the farm and do a little bit of hiking. A series of mountain ranges (not so high) can be seen when you reached the farm. According to our companions this mountain can be climb and had been climbed by the locals. Although no offical exploration has been done and no name was given. Since we still have a few hours left before it gets dark, we decided to climb it.
This mountain is similar to Mt. Batulao, less to no trees can be seen. Its a good thing we climbed late in the afternoon plus there is lots of cloud or else its really gonna be like Mt. Batulao which is very very hot during the day. Considering its rarely been climbed, there is no established trail. You have to pass through knee to waist deep cogon grass along the way. The ground is composed of loose soil and small rocks, this made the trek a bit difficult.
My watch registered 450 masl upon reaching the summit. We name the summit Lilang's peak ( the name of the deceased). And the mountain ranges Mt. Palong which is the name of the farm. Since the trek up is very steep, going down, our guide brought us to a different trail. Its a bit of a rolling trail but of course is much longer than the way up. It would be much harder to go down the same way we went up, it will really hurt our knees.
We reached back at the jump off after more than 2 hours of trekking. Its a bit fast because we are carrying less to almost no load.
If Im just living near this place, maybe I could established this mountain as a hiking destination. More like of Mt. Daguldol setup. Guides are mandatory so that the locals will earn a living and since they earn they will protect the mountain. More like a symbiosis between man and nature. There is less impact on the environment and everyone is happy.




The ever popular mountain jumpshot.

My new partner.

I own a Adidas ClimaCool running shoe that I use whenever I go to the gym and do my occasional running. But since this shoe is more than 2 years old and is on its twilight years, I think it badly needs a replacement.
I previously owned a Nike running shoe and since Im not happy with its durability, this brand is out of the picture. My friend who is into running had been suggesting I try a New Balance brand, I had never own one of this so I kept it on my radar.
Then came My Mastercard, it gave me a 3K worth of Gift Check in any Adidas outlet. I guess NB is also out of the picture. The question now is what model of Adidas running shoe to buy. After some asking and browsing of the internet, it led me to Adidas Response Cushion 16. I think this model suited me well because of the high arch of my feet and the cushioning will give less impact on my already weak knees.
I test run it the other day and Im really impress. Its way way better than my old ClimaCool. Its so light that it seems Im not wearing any on my feet. The cushioning is great. The insole of the shoe also gives good traction on my socks/feet that it gave me better leverage. I guess Im a happy camper.

Pros
- Very soft cushioned.
- Light
- Insole has good traction
- Fashionable

Cons
- Mesh body is a bit thin.

Will add more review after more of my testing.

Mt. Makiling

It had been a while since I had been to makiling. Last July 12, I decided to climb it again and see what are the changes. As a primer, Makiling is situated between Batangas and Laguna province. It stands 1000++ masl (meter above sea level). Mt. Makiling was closed after typhoon Milenyo hit the NCR area, trail became confusing after the storm and there were reports of landslides. A popular mountaineering website announced it was already opened and thats the reason we decided to climb.
Upon registering at the Ranger checkpoint we learned the mountain was still close (bummer). But they are allowing hikers if they will just go up to the mudsprings. We signed up our destination was only upto mudsprings eventhough we had another intention in mind.
One thing I've noticed is that the clear path before entering the main forest was now a rough road. I remember it was made of asphalt before. Mudsprings now look like a muddy lake unlike before it was made of several potholes with boiling mud inside.
I never thought that Limatik ( a tropical leech) was very abundant during the rainy season in Makiling. There were like 5-10 attacking each one of us at a time. Length was between 1 - 3 inches. Its my first time to encounter this insect and its really horrifying LOL. I think 5 were able to go inside my pants and bit my lower legs, good thing I bought a spray bottle with alcohol. It worked perfectly.
Unfortunately we didnt got to summit. We got lost at a part of the trail entering somewhat of a deadend. Since we were only three and all male mistakenly we decided to proceed at this wrong trail. Entering a trees and shrubs covered part of the mountain. When we decided to backtrack we lost more than 1 hour of time. After backtracking we were able to find the right way but since according to my watch there are still 200++ masl remaining, we presumed that night will be on us if we proceeded. And since we dont have any light ( i forgot my headlamp). We decided to backout.
Its is still a good experience for me. Seeing limatik for the first time and also knowing the right way now, will be back to conquer makiling. But preferably during summer so that there will be less/none limatiks.

Mt. Pico de Loro

It was my second time to climb Mt. Pico de Loro. Other than I couldnt resist an invitation from a friend, i took the chance to bring a fellow hiker, I also remember there were parts of the mountain I hadnt been to.
As with most mountains you start at the DENR station and registered there. As we trek along I notice that the vegetation was greener, this maybe due to the reason that its the rainy season. The last time I climb it was nearing summer. The trail was bigger and wider (and of course more beaten) than before, hmmmnn.. maybe its true that mountaineering is now more popular in the PI.
To those who havent been to Mt. Pico de Loro, the trek is about 2-3 hours for a fit hiker. The elevation is about 600-700 meters. The trail is rolling, the uphill part is when your nearing the summit, with about 100 meters of assault almost to the top. The last time I've been here we didnt climb the 'parrots beak' as they call it. Its a 100 foot rock located on the summit. To climb it you need to go to the side of the rock and use the stationed ropes. The funny thing is its only tied to a small tree (like a bonsai tree), youll only notice this whe your already on top. The good thing is it can hold he he. BTW, Pico de Loro is a DENR protected site.
Going down we decide to pass by the waterfalls. The waterfalls here is more like a creek, not like the one we usually see on pictures. Water is abundant only when it rained, and the water is not crystal clear.
Since we started late, we hurried back going back to the jumpoff. Being so quick on our walking and its getting dark, we made a wrong turn in one of the trail(actually we did not made the turn) were there was a 'T' like intersection. We noticed that the surrounding was unfamiliar, this is the time we decided to backtrack and luckily (or maybe due to experience) we find our way. We made it to the basecamp at around 7pm. =)

Mt. Gulugod Baboy

Since its not a secret in our office that I frequent mountains, I decided to organize a fun climb to mt. gulugod baboy in Anilao Batangas. The group is composed of newbies to beginner hikers. This is the first time that I will officialy be an EL (expedition lead). On the early parts of planning sixteen showed interest in the climb, on the day itself only half were actually joining.

DAY 1

We left the bus station in buendia lrt a bit late, we should be boarding our bus at 6:30AM, but for some circumtances that the cause is not our own we were delayed ( its a long story to tell). We arrived at diversion road of Batangas city at around 11:00am, its a good thing that after SLEX there is no/less traffic, even with the delay we are still on schedule. We took a jeep to mabini town proper and ate our lunch there. We decided to chartered the same jeep to philpan in anilao. This is the jump off.
The time is 12:30 and the sun is shining very hot at the jump off, its also very humid. After some preparations and last minute instructions we proceeded with our trek. Some of us had a hard time on the early parts of the trek, since the area is near the sea (anilao is a dive resort) the humidity has taken a big toll on the climbing condition. One of our companion even experience dizzyness, we just gave him some first aid and lessen his load. We distribute it to the rest of the group who are willing (his load is very heavy btw, another long story). We met some Loyala mountaineers along the way, there is also a place in the middle of the trek that servers halo-halo. Very resheshing.
At around 4:00PM we arrived at the campsite/summit. Its quite fast actually, I budgeted four hours for hour trek just to make sure but we arrived one hour early. To describe the summit, you will have a 360 degrees view of Batangas. The seas are everywhere and you can also have a view of Sepok and sumbrero island. The hill beside the summit is like the windows XP wallpaper, but my othere officemate said is more like a tellitubbies intro mtv.
After some rest and time spending at the summit, we set camp and started cooking. I under estimated the winds here, even though Im using a windscreen on my stove somehow the wind is still able to penetrate. This made our cooking a bit difficult. Worst my companion brought stainless pots and this is a no-no since stainless is less conductor of heat which will make the heat not to reach the top of the pot. And halfway to his cooking he ran out of gas. But I do not blame him, he just borrowed it from a friend. Luckily my cookset was able to cook our rice for dinner and only half of the fuel is consumed. For our viand we brought pre-cooked adobo which only needs less heating.
Temperature on my watch is just 23C, but wind is making it colder. Very nice to drink brandy when it very cold hehehe. After our socials we slept, the time is around 11pm.












DAY2

We woke up very early to see sunrise. But fog is everywhere (which lasted up to 10am). My fuel barely made it to cook our breakfast, thanks to good budgeting. After eating and resting and enjoying the mountain for a while we break camp, we took our last pictures of the summit and headed down. On our way we met some newbies going up being guided by beginner trekkers(my guess). Going down is much much easier but humidity is greater than yesterday. We arrived around 12pm, our plan is to go to Sepok island after our dinner. We made arrangements to hire a boat. While were eating is starter to rain very hard, I could only hope the people we met were ready for this. If not all of their things specially electronic device will be broken. As rain continue to pour, we decided to cancel our boat ride to the island. Safety is always first, there is always a next time anyway. The same jeepney we chartered yesterday will be the one to bring us back to the bus station, its a good thing I took his number yesterday. We arrived at the bus station at around 4PM and then headed back to manila.