Musings of a human trapped in the Philippines
Before I was a stalwart paragon of mountaineering and the epitome of leave no trace, I was a mere mortal who committed vile and horrendous crimes against nature during my early jaunts into the great outdoors.
So, in order to appease my conscience and maybe in some way pass on important knowledge, I shall recount all my sins against the very mountains I’ve grown to adore. Prepare your stomachs, because this journey into my fallible past is about to get really dirty.
If a person dies while climbing a mountain, is it the mountain’s fault?
Continue reading “Isip: If I die in Pulag, don’t blame the mountain”
Sunday
November 8, 2015
Hapunang Banoi, Haponang Banoy, or Hapunang Banoy, depending on who you ask, is the last mountain in the Wawa area that I haven’t climbed. So naturally, I organized a climb on the first date available. Thankfully, everything went according to plan and I was able to finish this wonderful mountain.
Christmas season is already here, as evidenced by the songs being played almost everywhere in the city. From karinderyas to grocery stores, jingles and carols are being played as people go about with their daily lives.
Christmas is also gift-giving season! So if you have some friends who are into fitness and traveling like I am, you might be thinking about what to get them this Yuletide season. Thankfully, I have compiled this short list of things that are both needs and wants for the traveling fitness buff.
I’ve been hitting the gym again after taking a break for my marathon training. After a successful completion of the 42km run, I’ve returned to the world of barbells and plates.
Ask my friends and they’ll tell you that I’ll do almost anything to find the cheapest way to do something. Walk in the Manila heat to save a few pesos instead of taking a jeep? Yep. Eating at home before a night out with friends to avoid buying expensive food? Normal routine. This attitude of mine extends up to my clothes… most of my shirts have been gifts or freebies from joining organizations and events. So when I got into running and hiking, I had a little problem. I didn’t want to buy shoes! Here’s the story of how I managed to get by and a list of my feet-gear.
I have always tried to live my life with no regrets; and up to this point, I’ve never had regrets that keep me up all night or haunt me in my nightmares and daydreams. However, there are some things that I would have done differently, given the chance. Nothing completely life-changing, but maybe just enough to set me on the right path earlier. So here goes a letter to Past-Me, after all Present-Me has experienced until today.
Saturday
October 10, 2015
I’ve been on a quest to finish all four mountains in Sitio Wawa, Montalban (Rodriguez), Rizal. It started with my first successful twin hike to Mts. Pamitinan and Binacayan, and now I’ve finished another, the not-so-gentle giant, Mt. Ayaas!
