In the midst of the Philippine central plains looms an anomaly that seemingly sprouted out of nowhere. Where one expects to see vast stretches of plain and green rice fields, Mt. Arayat stands tall. As one plies the Northern Luzon expressway, the prominence of this towering and freestanding structure is the object of many a … Continue reading Mt. Arayat: The King of the Central Plains
September 16, 2017 The advent of the rainy season has hampered some of my climbing plans. The last “real” hike I had was Cawag Pentalogy back in August. The rainy season made me laze around. Instead of looking for more mountains to climb, I have preferred the comforts of my bed. Until one of my … Continue reading Open Trail Challenge: Mascap Seven Peaks
This is a series. Check out the other parts below: Cawag Pentalogy: The Ultimate Open Trail Challenge (Part I) Cawag Pentalogy: The Ultimate Open Trail Challenge (Part II) Mt. Bira-bira and Mt. Naulaw: Brief Respite While we were climbing down to Mt. Bira-bira, we snapped pictures on the numerous rock structures along the trail. Idyllic … Continue reading Cawag Pentalogy: The Ultimate Open Trail Challenge (Part III)
This is the second part of my Mt. Ugo adventure last July 9, 2017. To read the first part, click here. After everyone was done with their lunch, we began our descent to Tinongdan at around 12 noon. The first phase of the descent is quite challenging because it is a little steep. Moreover, the … Continue reading Endurance Test: Mt. Ugo Traverse Adventure Part II
For the fourth weekend in a row, I found myself on the trails of yet another mountain. After Mt. Damas, Daraitan, and Tarak Ridge, Mt. Ugo is the last mountain on my planned birth-month mountaineering adventure. Mt. Ugo is also my third major climb in this stretch. But as my four-week adventure is about to … Continue reading Endurance Test: Mt. Ugo Traverse Adventure Part I
This is the second part of my pre-birthday climb in Mariveles, Bataan's Tarak Ridge. For the first part, you may click here. It has been our plan to scale El Saco peak but due do the absence of clearing, the group decided not to pursue El Saco peak. However, some of us had different ideas. … Continue reading Tarak Ridge and El Saco: Blazing the Trail (Part II)
This is the continuation of my Mt. Daraitan adventure last June 25, 2017. At around 10:00 AM, and after having had our fill, the climbing group began the descent to Tinipak River. Before pushing further we stopped at campsite two to consume our late breakfast-cum-early lunch. This also serves as our rest after our morning … Continue reading Weekend Warrior Tales: Tinipak River
Mountain Profile Major jumpoff: Dueg Resettlement, San Clemente Tarlac Alternate jumpoff: Brgy. Papaac, Camiling Tarlac Elevation: 685 MASL Difficulty: 6/9, Major Climb Trail Class: 1-4 Days Required: 1-2 days Hours to Summit: 4-5 hours Source: Pinoy Mountaineer Rookie Mistakes I am no stranger to the whims of mountains but nothing prepared me for Mt. Damas. It is, incidentally, my … Continue reading Hiker Board: Mt. Damas
This is the second part of our Mt. Damas adventure last June 18, 2017. To read more about the first part of our adventure, click here. Chasing Ubod Falls Mt. Damas is surely, in spite of its height, no piece of cake. It is my 13th climb for 2017 and my first major climb. It … Continue reading Chasing Waterfalls: Ubod Falls
Through mountain climbing, I was able to push myself beyond the bounds of what I thought I was capable of. However, there is a crux that keeps weighing on the back of my mind - so far, all I've been able to climb are, in a mountaineer's parlance, just minor climbs. However, I have already … Continue reading Weekend Warrior Tales: Mt. Damas
