‘Ano bang pinaglalaban mo?’ What are you fighting for? When the excitement subsides and exhaustion takes over, every hiker is doomed to face this daunting question. Why am I doing this to myself? Ako pa nagbayad, ako pa ang nahihirapan! Behind all the smiles and perfectly captured panoramic shots of the summits are struggles made … More The cost of Mt. Hamiguitan
Every adventure starts with curiosity. What’s in there? What’s on top of that mountain? What awaits for us on the other side? Had it not been for curiosity, many discoveries and explorations wouldn’t have come to fruition. And without curious minds who ask questions and defy odds, we would have to continue believing the truths … More Why keep Lake Bensis a Secret
The more you experience the outdoors, the more you’ll crave for more – more challenges, more adventure. As if long dayhikes are not enough, Epifanio came up with another crazy idea over the weekday: to hike at night our beloved Spartan Trail. Though I have been familiar with such trail and have experience three days … More The Real Horrors of Night Trekking
Ah, it’s that time of the year again – time to rephrase the resolutions that failed for several years. Another attempt to make oneself better. But if we looked back on how we used to, aren’t we all getting better, if not wiser, thanks to all the failures we made? Do we really need a … More Pursue what you feel like doing, No Resolutions needed
I should have posted this on or before Christmas. I should have pressed my brain juices to come up with something special for this holiday season. Come to think of it, I have been doing nothing productive this vacation. But I choose not to. I opted to wait until my mind is clear for this … More What is Christmas at this point of your life?
I didn’t like my first major climb. No clearing. No proper camping gear. No meal planning. No proper orientation on what to do and how things should be done. I could have chronicled years back how awful being left behind by the pack, getting drenched under the heavy down pour, meeting a snake along the … More Mt. Talinis (Nacolon): Maybe love is sweeter the second time around
There are two questions that have been obsessively asked by many that whenever I hear them, my ears bleed: when will I get married and why didn’t I get slimmer even after several years of hiking. It’s easy to get used to snubbing these off, but there are days when the weather’s not good and … More Better quit, hiking won’t make you sexy
After our year end hike to Mt. Apo last year, I took a few months hiatus from hiking. Suddenly, the thought of getting toasted by the sun and tracing new trails no longer did interest me. In short, I got tired of hiking. I mean, what’s there’s more to do? I’ve been to Pulag, Kanlaon, … More Argao: Back where it all Started (Mt. Lantoy, Bugasok Falls, and Balay sa Agta)
Nature has a way of arriving unannounced. Either you take it as a great surprise or transgressed demise would highly depend on the way you perceive the unexpected. In the end, whatever is meant to happen, will happen; we only need a deeper means of understanding that everything laid out is for the good. And … More Lake Holon: A Proof that Faith can indeed move Mountains
The driver. When commuting, I usually sit behind the driver’s seat for this sacred space allows me to peacefully fall into slumber while the rest of the population complain about traffic. Yesterday, I wasn’t able to sleep though. I saw something magical. While most of us have encountered reckless drivers whose skills would pass for … More Mt. Mandalagan: The Plight of Limatiks against Stereotyping
