Mt. Manabu v2 (Solo Climb)

It is one of those days when you're itching to go out and you don't have anyone to go out with because they're either in school or just plain busy. In my case, my climb buddy wasn't available that day when I was so in the mood for a dayhike. It was a Friday, August 19th, and life had been so good that I wanted to shed that extra energy I had in me the whole week; more so, I wanted to celebrate by doing something that I love best. Because the previous night proved futile in looking for someone to climb with, I woke up quite late the following morning. It was already around 9:30 AM when I logged in to Facebook and hoped to find a hiking buddy...

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Mt. Maculot's Garbage Problems

Mt. Maculot's campsite, as I mentioned in my recent post titled Mt. Maculot: A Not-So-Pleasant-Surprise, has a big problem on waste management. It wouldn't have reached that point if all of us "mountaineers" are disciplined enough to "Leave No Trace" and if we really care about the environment. Judging by the pile of liquor bottles, I think that some (if not most) of the hikers go up Mt. Maculot just to drink and party. Have the mountains become the new venue of Friday/Saturday/long weekend night-outs? Perhaps some would argue, "What are the registration fees for?" Do you think P10.00 is enough to let the locals chase our garbage in the...

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Mt. Maculot: A Not-So-Pleasant Surprise

Last week of July, I learned that my young friends in MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club (MSOC) were planning to do a Mt. Maculot hike on the first weekend of August. I get invited to MSOC climbs most of the time so it was kinda automatic (especially with these young members) that I would be joining them on this one. No one among those climbing that time had been to Mt. Maculot before, while I already did a traverse of the mountain September last year with my friend Danilo. So I was immediately appointed as the guide. It was my first time to ever guide a group of climbers in the mountains, but as they say, there's always a first time for everything....

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E-Games' Domination V

I was at the e-Games Domination V last April 2. I arrived at SMX around 4:00 PM while the Shure Band was performing. The band was the 2nd place winner of the battle of the bands during the R2D5 NCR leg. The event was hosted by Eri Neeman and two other girls I didn't get the names of. SMX was packed but I think there were more attendees last year. Well, correct me if I'm wrong but I could barely roam around last year. Or was it just the floor plan this year that made it seem more maluwang? There were computers for free play but the line was oh-so-long. I just busied myself with watching Ran Online's "Flip Top" challenge in the game's booth....

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Mt. Pulag – Toploading to the Clouds

I love traveling alone, even climbing mountains with just a guide, but I know there are some places I cannot go to alone for two reasons – it's so remote it's not safe to go alone; and it would cost me a fortune if I don't go with a group. Mt. Pulag in Benguet, Luzon's highest peak, is one of those places. That's why I felt so lucky when the MLQU Stallions Outdoor Club invited me to join them for their Mt. Pulag climb. It was originally planned for December 2010, but because of the cold weather, it was moved numerous times until it became February 18-20, 2011. I don't really have the gears, much more for a high-altitude climb. I have a tent,...

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The 2nd Philippine International Pyromusical Competition – Korea and Spain

It was late January when my friend Danilo told me about the 2nd Pyromusical Competition. I immediately made a mental note to watch it alone. Either that, or my going shouldn't depend on someone else's decision to go or not. You see I bought two VIP tickets last year for me and a friend. I still wasn't open to going out alone in those days so when he cancelled at the last minute, I didn't go as well, wasting the precious 2 pieces of VIP tix. I was only able to watch last year's Pyromusical on its last day with my sis and nephew, and the fun that night made me regret not using the VIP ticket on the previous show. But going out alone because...

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MakTrav with MSOC

The last mountain that I climbed was Mt. Pundaquit when I went with the MSOC to Anawangin Cove. It was November last year. My friend K also invited me to their Batulao climb last January 9 (Sunday) but he texted me January 8th while I was already in Calapan. I couldn't actually go home Saturday night from an out-of-town trip and leave again the following morning for a mountain climb. Yea, pwede, but my Nanay would fume mad and Princess would feel depressed two days in a row and that's bad. Then some of the MSOC applicants invited me for a MakTrav the following Sunday, January 16th, and I immediately said yes. It would be my first major climb...

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Is It Possible to Daytrip Calapan City? (Part 2)

Click here to read Is It Possible to Daytrip Calapan City? (Part 1). Since Nazis told me I could go to Harka Piloto, Tamaraw Falls, Puerto Gallera, and even visit my relatives in Victoria all in one day, I got all the more excited. I could go to all the places in my list plus do the favor my Nanay asked of me - to go introduce myself to our relatives in Bongabon, Victoria. I decided to first go to Victoria since all the rest of the places in my list was in Calapan. Nazis said it would only take us about half an hour to reach Bongabon so after having coffee, we immediately boarded a van and by 8 AM, we were on the road to my relatives I haven't...

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