Pinoy Mountaineer

MEXICO CITY – I arrived here in early April 2021 primarily to pursue research and independent studies, but of course the mountains are never far from my mind. In 2018, when I first visited Mexico, I knew that the country had so much hiking possibilities – but I arrived in July, at the height of the rainy season, and I wasn’t even able to hike a single mountain. But now, coming from a pandemic-fueled regular fitness routine and with the opportunity to stay in Mexico City, which at 2250 MASL is a great place to acclimatize, I realized that I had the opportunity to finally climb the mountains – with the goal of reaching the summit of Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico, on or before my birthday on May 6!

To start with, after spending a few days maintaining my 10k runs in Chapultepec Park, I hiked up Cerro Ajusco (Mt. Ajusco) within Mexico City, on April 13, an Uber ride away from the city proper. At 3930 MASL, this volcano holds the respectable place of being Mexico’s 11th highest major mountain, and I wanted to do start from a relatively easy mountain. I was guided by a guide named Jesus, who offered the hike in AirBnb experiences; I would eventually do solo hikes but for my first hike I wanted to have a feel of the mountains first.

There are several trails up Cerro Ajusco but the classic route is a semi-traverse, going up from the parking lot of the El Abrevadero restaurant and going down via the Albergue (Hostel) Alpino Ajusco, and this is what we did. The trail started off with a pine forest and eventually the pines receded into grassy slopes and finally into the scenic, rocky peaks that characterized the volcano. We visited the two peaks – 40 minutes or so – apart: Pico del Águila (3880m) and Cruz del Marqués (3930m).

Overall the hike took just over 10 km and less than 5 hours with an altitude gain of 880m. What a great way to start my adventures in Mexico!

MOUNTAIN CLIMBING IN MEXICO 2021
Hiking matters #647: Cerro Ajusco (3930m)
Hiking matters #648: Volcán Cilcuayo (3584m)
Hiking matters #649: Monte Tlaloc (4100m)
Hiking matters #650: Volcán Iztaccihuatl (5220m)
Hiking matters #651: Volcán Sierra Negra (4600m)
Hiking matters #652: Pico de Orizaba (5640m)
Hiking matters #653: Cerro San Miguel (3785m)
Hiking matters #654: Volcán La Malinche (4435m)
Hiking matters #655: Cofre de Perote (4282m)

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MEXICO CITY – Three days after hiking up Cerro Ajusco, still eager to train as much as I could for higher altitudes, I joined trail runner Eder Belmont on a loop hike involving Volcan Cilcuayo (3584m), still within Mexico City but already in the outskirts of Santa Ana Tlacotenco southeast of the city. Tapulao-like, the trail featured wide rough roads in pine forests and open woodland.

The loop hike involved approaching the slopes of nearby Volcan Tlaloc, which is not to be confused with Monte Tlaloc – the 9th highest mountain in Mexico and a famous archeological site. The former has practically no trail going up to its peak and we decided to forego since, anyway, the hike was already 27 kms, taking the whole day! A celebration of tacos and pulque at the Mirador Santa Ana Tlacotenco more than made up for the challenging trek! Grateful that a dog joined us part of the way:

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MEXICO CITY – For my third hike in Mexico, after Ajusco and Cilcuayo, I decided to aim for Monte Tlaloc (4120m), the sacred Aztec peak located within the State of Mexico, in the municipalities of Ixtapaluca and Texcoco. Located just over an hour away from Mexico City by bus, Tlaloc is the 9th highest peak in the country and would thus serve as an excellent acclimatization for my dream to reach the summit of Pico de Orizaba on or before my birthday on May 6. What’s more, Tlaloc has a fairly straightforward trail and I could reasonably do it as a solo dayhike.

And so on April 20, 2021, I went to the bus station to catch a bus to Rio Frio, one of the major trailheads of Monte Tlaloc. From the highway where the elevation is just over 2900 MASL, I walked to the town and, heading further north, found my way to the winding, 11-km trail that led to the summit. The trail was mostly coniferous woodland, somewhat reminiscent of the Cordillera trails back home – but with the twin peaks of Iztaccíhuatl and Popōcatepētl towering above.

The ascent was quite gradual, and it took me over 4 hours to negotiate the 1200 meter altitude gain and be in the ruins that marked the summit, at around 1400H. Thankfully, the weather remained sunny with Izta and Popo ever visible and majestic. As I still had to descend and return to Mexico City I didn’t stay long at the summit but still found time to marvel at the Aztec ruins at the summit where important rituals were once performed.

The descent was quite straightforward – the only fun moment being a snake sighting – and I returned to my apartment feeling more and more confident about reaching higher peaks!

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MEXICO CITY – For my 4th hike in Mexico, I joined an organized, two-day climb up Iztaccíhuatl, at 5230 MASL, the 3rd highest mountain in Mexico. With its long treks and high altitude, the climb offered a fantastic final training hike before I embarked on a bid to climb Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in the country. But with beautiful volcanic trails, the Izta climb was an end in itself, and in fact many Mexican mountaineers rate it as highly as Pico de Orizaba. (Unfortunately, the 2nd highest mountain, Popocatepetl, has been closed to mountaineers due to volcanic activity for more than a decade now)

Day 1 of the trip involved registering at the visitor center at Paso de Cortes and proceeding to the campsite in La Joya, just below 4000 MASL. After pitching tents we did a short acclimatisation hike on some of the hills near the campsite, reaching around 4100 MASL. But it was really on Day 2 that the hike began in earnest. We woke up at midnight and started the hike at 0100H, marching on to the Grupo de los Cien hut (4750m) and beyond. Thankfully it wasn’t too cold and my newly-purchased La Sportiva Karakorum boots seemed to hold up well.

Still, the altitude proved quite challenging for me especially as this would be my first 5000-meter peak since 2019, when I made it past 5600 but ultimately failed to reach the summit of El Misti in Arequipa, Peru. Thankfully, we made it to the primary summit past Las Rodillas, called Monte Venus, reaching more than 5100 MASL, but we decided not to go past the glacier anymore to “Los Pechos, which is the main summit.

The descent back to La Joya proved quite long and painful! If I had the chance to return to Izta I would camp in Grupo de los Cien hut, or take another route altogether. But even so, it was a great training climb that would allow me to fulfill what would turn out to be, in post-pandemic standards, a fairytale birthday celebration – up the summit of Pico de Orizaba! To be continued in Hiking matters #651 and 652.

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MEXICO CITY – As part of my birthday expedition up Pico de Orizaba, the highest mountain in Mexico, I hiked up Volcan Sierra Negra, which is accessible from the same campsite where one can commence Pico de Orizaba’s Ruta Sur (South Route). We had traveled from Mexico City the night before, set up camp in the cabins that we had all to ourselves (me plus my guides), and the following day, early in the morning on May 5, 2021, we set off for Volcan Sierra Negra.

Literally “black mountains”, Sierra Negra’s dark profile is in stark opposite to Pico de Orizaba which is mostly snowcapped and majestic in its white slopes. At 4,580 MASL, it is a high peak in its own right – fifth highest in Mexico – though it is understandable dwarfed by its 5610-meter neighbor.

It was mostly grassland slopes and gravel paths – fairly easy – on the way up to the summit of Sierra Negra, but thankfully we had amazing views of Pico de Orizaba on the way up. And at the summit we were able to see the famous Large Millimeter Telescope (LMT), with an impressive diameter of 50m.

Altogether, it took us less than 4 hours to complete the hike – my 5th in Mexico since I arrived on April 8 – and we returned to the cabin feeling energized and enthused for the exciting adventure to come: the ascent up Pico de Orizaba!

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MEXICO CITY – On the morning of May 6 – on my birthday – I stood at the summit of Pico de Orizaba, at 5610 MASL the highest mountain in Mexico. It wasn’t easy – I struggled at the final, 45-degree sections of Ruta Sur (South Route) – but, with the support of my guide Ivan and with the help of favorable snow conditions, I made it, reaching the summit at 0918H local time in fantastic weather, with a full view of Sierra Negra (see Hiking matters #651), Iztaccíhuatl (see Hiking matters #650), Popocatepetl, La Malinche, Cofre de Perote, and other nearby peaks.

We started the hike at around 0145H at just over 4600 MASL – taking a 4×4 vehicle to gain some additional altitude from the cabins before commencing the hike proper. The ascent was quite straightforward, mostly on rocky trail, and we managed to march slowly but steadily. The acclimatization hikes, and living in Mexico City for almost a month, seemed to have helped, and I had no altitude issues.

As we went higher and higher, however, the gravel slopes became more slippery, and this was especially true past the 5200-meter mark. At some point, I was on the verge of giving up, because one had to move fast so as not to slip, but moving faster at that altitude made me gasp for breath. Thankfully, the decision to wear crampons paid off and I was able to move more securely and steadily. And although the trail never seemed to end, we made it to the summit at 0918H!

This was an extra special moment for me, with all that I – and the world – had gone through amid the pandemic. Adding to the suspense was the fact that our summiting was by no means guaranteed with some bleak weather forecast the day before, and some reports that the last group to make an attempt failed to make it. My guide Ivan turned out to be feeling the same way: it had been his first time to reach the summit since the pandemic started. It also renewed my hopes that maybe, in the future, I could aim for higher peaks and renew my mountaineering dreams!

We only stayed at the summit for a few minutes as it was still freezing cold at -7 degrees Celsius. As with Iztaccíhuatl two weeks before, the descent was a struggle with never-ending snow and scree slopes – several hundreds of meters of pure descent! By the time we reached the high camp I was so exhausted but of course, the thought of having reached Mexico’s highest peak was more than enough to sustain me in the trek back to our 4×4 vehicle at 1358H. I was in my apartment in Mexico City right in time for a sashimi and chirashi-don birthday celebration!

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MEXICO CITY – What I love about Ciudad de Mexico is that the mountains are just one Uber or bus ride away. In Desierto de los Leones National Park within the city lies numerous hiking and biking trails – including several that lead to Cerro San Miguel, a peak that rises to a decent altitude of 3760 MASL. After the hike up Pico de Orizaba, I decided to go to Cerro San Miguel on May 17 as some sort of relaxing “recovery hike”. From my apartment in Condesa, took an 30-minute Uber ride to La Pluma Amarilla and started the hike in its conifer environs, making sure that I do so on a weekday to avoid the mountain bikes.

To my pleasant surprise, a deer passed right in front of me, no more than a few minutes after I started hiking! It reminded me long ago of the wild deer I saw in Mt. Sicapoo in Ilocos (Hiking matters #133). The trail was quite easy to follow, and it was also quite wide given that it’s also used by mountain bikers. At the top there was a structure that marked the top plus some scenic rocky spot and some cliffside vistas with pine trees. For some reason it reminded me of Mt. Tapulao back home!

In total, the hike took me 15 kms, with a 771-meter elevation taking taking just over 5 hours; on the return I followed the trail to the Ex-Convento where there are some eateries for a post-climb meal. I can see myself returning to this trail in the future just to maintain my hiking fitness!

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DAVAO CITY – I am so thrilled to be back in the mountains of the Philippines with a successful ascent of Mt. Apo via the Santa Cruz trail on April 24-25, 2022! This is my fifth up the country’s highest peak (2005 -Kidapawan, 2010- Kapatagan-Kidapawan, 2011- Talomo-Apo Traverse, 2014- Kapatagan, 2022-Santa Cruz), and only my first overnight hike in the Philippines since the pandemic started, given that I had been in Latin America for a year. Joining me this time were my longtime hiking buddies Jeshua Sales and Daryl Comagon, and guiding us was Clyde Gingco.

Leaving Davao at around 5:30, we headed to Kapatagan which has its own namesake trail that leads to Mt. Apo. From there we took a small truck to the trailhead below in Sitio Colan. What ensued was about an hour of trekking through there sitios (Colan to Tambis), the entering the lower montane forest that was soon surrounded by tinkaran trees.

By noontime we had arrived at Tinkaran Campsite 1, and had quick link there. This campsite is basically the major campsite of the entire Santa Cruz trail, complete with a water source and macaques aplenty. However, given that it’s the high season and the campsite promised to be packed with people, we decided to head further up for about 40 minutes to reach the smaller but much more peaceful Tinkaran Campsite 2

Our decision ultimately proved wise as we had the campsite to ourselves. Since we were already there by 1330H, we had plenty of time to relax and prepare for the early start the following day.

The next day, after quick coffee at 0200H, we began our hike up the summit. The forest line was just 10-15 minutes farther from the campsite and soon we were in the Boulders. Thankfully our guide took us to a trail that allowed us to avoid the traffic and even connect to the Kapagatan trail as it emerges from Gudi-Gudi campsite. By 0526H we were already at one of the peaks that constitute Apo’s large summit area.

We explored other peaks including of course the central peak that is the true summit of Mt. Apo. There was an option to head down to Lake Venado to complete a ‘Sta. Cruz circuit’ but our guide advised against it given the high waters of Venado; I was also not too keen to push for it as I had limited time, and I had been to Venado thrice anyway. We visited the saddle campsite in the hope of seeing the recently-famous Philippine warty pig, but to no avail.

In any case, we descended via the Boulders anew, and this time, with the benefit of sunlight we were able to appreciate its sulphuric majesty; thankfully we had blue skies and no rain throughout the hike – except when we were already inside our tents the previous afternoon. The descent was straightforward; I think that the two day itinerary works very well for those comfortable with our tropical trails.

Thank you Sir Julius R. Paner of the Sta Cruz Tourism Office for assisting us, Clyde Gingco for guiding, and my good friends Jeshua Sales and Daryl Comagon for accompanying me! Email tourism.starcruz@gmail.com for reservations/permits and other inquiries!

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Tarak Ridge in Bataan is one of the few remaining destinations where the locals don’t require guides, which is a good thing because it allows hikers to develop their navigation skills – and there’s always an option to get a guide for those who need one. I have many good memories of this Ridge, from the time I first climbed it in 2007, including a dayhike with Sky Biscocho in 2011 (see Hiking matters #187 ), a couple of Pantingan-Tarak traverse dayhikes (See Hiking matters #529 and Hiking matters #386), among others. Which is why it was great to be back in June 12, 2022 even just for a simple Tarak dayhike.

After registering at Brgy. Alas-asin, we drove our vehicles to the far end of the road which now goes past the house of the late Nanay Cording. We started trekking at around 0738H with an altitude of 213 MASL. From the start point we first entered some woodland that eventually leads to the first major stop – Papaya River; fortunately we saw a Philippine pit viper (Trimeresurus flavomaculatus) along the way!

From Papaya River, the ascent is quite steep but very much pleasant and distinctive to the region, which is why it is akin to the steep trails of Arayat or Natib. Past that forest, we emerged into Tarak Ridge at around 1100H, less windy than usual but no less beautiful, offering views of Corregidor, Manila Bay, and West Philippine Sea. As an optional mini-excursion some of us decided to go up to Tarak Peak, but we decided not to go beyond that point given the overgrowth of the talahib.

We made sure to take a dip in Papaya river in the middle of the descent, making for a great cool down even as there was still considerable distance between the river and the trailhead! We were done with the hike by 1604H, after which we proceeded to have early dinner in Mariveles before returning to Manila.

Thank you to my hiking buddies Christine, Charina, Pat, and Kevin, as well as my brods Mau, Benjie, BJ, Ellpi, Hufs, Jaime, and Karl for joining this hike!

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BAGUIO CITY – It feels super amazing to be back in Mt. Pulag – as soon as the full reopening was announced, I made plans to go. Thankfully, my hiking buddies Koi Grey, Jeshua Sales, and Daryl Comagon were on hand to join me in another Mt. Pulag dayhike via Akiki-Ambangeg, my third such climb after two great dayhikes in 2014 (also with Koi; see Hiking matters #441) and 2018 (see Hiking matters #594).

After not having seen Pulag after a full four years – and with a pandemic at that – I decided to take it easy and enjoy the hike instead of trying to beat our time in 2014. Accompanied by guide Phoebia, we started trekking at 0702H from the Akiki Ranger Station, and after a nice warm up leg, we reached the Eddet River hanging bridge by 0826H.

From that point, it was a nonstop ascent up the beautiful pine forest slopes to the ‘Marlboro Country’ which we reached at 1022H. After a generous rest stop, we continued on to the mossy forest, where, most memorably, I saw what I think was a greater dwarf cloud rat (Carpomys melanurus)!

After two hours we emerged into the grassland, and, as always, the summit felt near even though it would still take another hour – rests included – before we would reach the summit. As it was a weekday and Pulag had just reopened amid what is hopefully the tail-end of the pandemic, we had the mountain all to ourselves, and it was great to see that the saddle campsite had fully recovered, and so have the dwarf bamboo throughout the summit. It was disheartening, however, to see further encroachment of vegetable farms in the Ambangeg side – something that I will write about in my Philippine Daily Inquirer column.

Anyway, we were at the Ambangeg Ranger Station at 1645H, so the hike took a little less than 10 hours in total. Thank you to Jeshua, Daryl, and Koi for the great adventure! And thank you Ate Gina Epe and Ranger Geronimo for assisting us.

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Mt. Talamitam in Nasugbu, Batangas – very near Alfonso, Cavite – is always a nice and easy hike even if it can feel a bit far from Metro Manila especially on weekends when one has to negotiate Tagaytay’s notorious traffic. Even so, since I haven’t visited it in a very long time (see Hiking matters #617 for the last time I blogged about it), I decided to visit it, this time with my neighbor and friend Gretchen Ho – with whom I also did my last Makiling climb in January 2020 – as well as my former student Diego Salcedo. Another draw for us was the recently-established trail up Mt. Lantik, which, like Mt. Apayang (see Hiking matters #489), is a peak of the Talamitam Range.

Mt. Talamitam (left) and Mt. Lantik (right)

We arrived in Brgy. Kayrilaw, Nasugbu, at 0630H, and we promptly started trekking after registering (P40/person) and securing a guide (P500/peak – so if doing Lantik and Talamitam, they charge 100o). We walked mostly through lightly-wooded, mostly-grassy slopes until we reached the peak of Mt. Lantik, which offers nice views of Talamitam and the surrounding mountains.

From Lantik, we took the trail that connects to Mt. Talamitam proper, again mostly through talahib slopes.

At the summit, I was surprised to see that the old statue of Virgin Mary was replaced by a much larger one. The store that sells halo-halo is still there, and so are the rocks that make for great photos, offering views of Mt. Batulao, the Tagaytay highlands, and other nearby points of interest.

Overall, I was glad to have revisited this mountain!

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During the first year of the pandemic, Mt. Arayat was one of the few mountains outside Laguna that I climbed, and I still remember the feeling of being at the Pinnacle Peak, and seeing the expanse of the rice fields of Central Luzon – after not having seen such a view for a relatively very long time (see Hiking matters #641).

Together with my Mu Sigma Phi brods, I revisited this mountain last May 28, 2022 and was richly rewarded with the same experience: A challenging-enough dayhike in a forested mountain, with scenic views both at the Pinnacle Peak and the viewpoint at the South Peak.

The fun part, as always, is the so-called “monkey trail” between the two peaks. Mt. Arayat deserves more attention than it gets, but watch out for the mosquitoes especially during the rainy season!

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TBILISI, GEORGIA – After a successful five-day climb up Mt. Ararat in Eastern Turkey (see Hiking matters #706), I went to Georgia – flying via Istanbul to Tbilisi – to take on the greater challenge of climbing Mt. Kazbek in the Caucasus mountains that lie along the Georgia-Russia border. At 5054 MASL (some say 5033 MASL), Kazbek is lower than both Ararat and Elbrus – the highest in the Caucasus – but is said to be physically and technically more challenging. Joining me in the guided expedition was my hiking buddy Jeshua Sales, with whom I had a great summer climbing season last year in Peru (Huaraz and Arequipa); three others were in our climbing party – Caro and Hannes from Germany and Roberto from Lithuania – and we were guided by Saba and Alex.

From Tbilisi, we traveled 150 kms north to Stephansminda. The following day – Day 1 – we started the hike near the famous Gergeti Trinity Church, around 2100 MASL. The meadow-like trail was refreshing verdant in contrast to the dry environment of Ararat; the ever-looming presence of Kazbek’s glaciated summit encouraged us to keep going. As a lunch stop we reached the AltiHut around 3000 MASL, after which we crossed the Gergeti glacier to reach our basecamp – Bethlemi hut – at 3650 MASL. We were supposed to stay on tents but when given the option to stay at the hut (which was formerly a meteorological station), we did so to maximize our rest for the days ahead.

Day 2 was an easy acclimatization day to reach around 3900 MASL. Thankfully, it was entirely different from the main trail, allowing us to see a different part of the mountain. Food and drink in camp was mostly unremarkable – lots of carbs (rice, bread, pasta), some occasionally good soup, an occasional watermelon, and lots of tea.

Day 3 was the summit day and the highlight of the climb. Starting at 0300H, we were on crampons again by 0500H as we worked our way up the glacier field at around 4300-4500 MASL. The first challenge was jumping across all the crevasses of the field – and since some of the jumps were more than a meter wide -it was a bit unnerving (later, my American friend Chris would tell me that it has been the case since the early 2000s). Past the glacier field, there is a 400-meter ascent via gradual ice slopes before reaching the saddle at 4900 MASL – at times meandering past (as per Google Maps) the Russian border. From this saddle, there is the final 150-meter challenge to reach the summit, with the inclination reaching 40-45 degrees. This leg still took us a good hour, and Saba, Caro, Hannes, and I reached the summit at exactly 1000H, after 7 hours of climbing. Unfortunately, the other group led by Alex did not make it, turning back at 4700-4800 MASL.

At the summit of Mt. Kazbek, we could see the other Caucasus mountains, including a faint, partially-cloud-covered Mt. Elbrus which I summitted back in 2013. We were blessed with great weather, and there was very little wind to a point that I could actually take off my gloves at the summit (my hands can be quite sensitive to the cold). Just like in Ararat, I also didn’t have to wear my parka, with a thin Patagonia base layer plus a light down jacket sufficing for the ascent.

Of course, going down from Mt. Kazbek was still a challenge, especially since we had to negotiate the crevasse fields anew – this time with the heat of the sun. With rockfalls all over, it was once again quite unnerving to return to camp, and despite the strain of the long hours of trekking we marched down until we reached basecamp again before 1500H.

Day 4, our final day, was the most scenic as we descended to Stephansminda surrounded by mountains, including the majestic Kazbek behind us. Great was my joy when we were able to return to Tbilisi and celebrate a memorable Mt. Kazbek climb!

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ISTANBUL, TURKEY – I have always wanted to climb Mt. Ararat, not so much because of its Biblical significance, but because of its prominence – 5137 MASL – as the highest peak in Turkey, as well as the opportunity to visit a part of the world that I have not been to. Thankfully, I realized that I can actually combine it with a climb up Kazbek, using it is a “training climb” to improve my chances. And so in August 2022 I embarked on a five-day climb up Mt. Ararat (known in Turkey as Ağrı Dağı), flying from Manila to Igdir via Istanbul, and being brought to the town of Doğubayazıt which served as the base for the hike. I joined a guided expedition by Ararat Trip and there were over 10 of us in the party – mostly from Germany, Poland, Norway, and Turkey itself.

Day 1 was a march up rocky, dusty slopes from 2200 MASL to reach Camp 1, at 3200 MASL. This was actually a beautiful camp, with views of Ararat and of the surrounding towns. We were given tea in abundance, fruits and nuts; the latrines were descent. When you are doing a multi-day hike, these things matter! My only regret was not being able to bring a book, or even a Kindle, that would have allowed me to kill time while spending several hours just in the camp.

Day 2 was an acclimatization day to around 3900 MASL, with essentially the same rocky switchbacks. It was really quite unremarkable, because the terrain looks pretty much the same. Back at the campsite, we were once again given lots of food and tea.

Day 3 involved hiking to Camp 2, at around 4200 MASL. Again, the trail is very similar – scree-like, mostly rock and gravel, dusty and dry. The campsite, moreover, was situated perilously in relation to the rocky slopes; thankfully we didn’t have to stay there for long as we woke up very early the next day for the summit bid.

On Day 4, we woke up at 0100H and started climbing at 0200H. By then, we knew that the weather would be great, with the Milky Way in full view as well as a throng of other stars. Likewise, we saw the lights in the towns of Eastern Turkey as well as nearby Iran. I was able to make do with just light gloves, although I did feel a bit cold as we went higher.

Another great landmark we saw was Lesser Ararat, the sister peak of Mt. Ararat (Greater Ararat). At 3925 MASL, this is the sixth-tallest peak in Turkey.

We started wearing crampons at around 4900 MASL – just as the sun was rising. It was very straightforward, and we did not need to be roped in, nor use ice axes; just trekking poles. At 0700H, we reached the beautiful summit of Mt. Ararat – with views of Turkey, Iran, Armenia, and Azerbaijan.

From that point it will still be quite a long day – back to Camp 2 then Camp 1. And then, finally, on Day 5, the short descent from Camp 1 to the trailhead. A side trip to Ishak Pasha Palace completed the same afternoon completed the adventure, followed by another great dinner of kabab, and of course, a trip to the local hammam. Mt. Kazbek in Georgia awaits (see Hiking matters #707)! Thank you to our organizer Agnes, our guides, and all the hikers I met along the way!

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YEREVAN, ARMENIA – Armenia and Georgia are so close to each other that it would have been a pity to skip the former in my Eurasia expedition. Likewise, it would have been a shame to miss out on Mt. Aragats, at 4090 MASL the highest mountain in Armenia, after reaching the summits of Ararat (Hiking matters #706) and Kazbek (Hiking matters #707). As it turned out, although my hiking buddy Jeshua Sales and I did it as a dayhike from Yerevan, it was a worthy challenge in itself.

Leaving Yerevan at 0620H with our guide Gar from Armenian Geographic, we arrived at Lake Kari (around 3200 MASL) over an hour later and started the trek at 0745H. From that point it was a gradual ascent through gravel and rock trails to reach the Saddle between the Southern and Western Summits, which we did at 1015H.

It is the Saddle when one realizes the enormity of the task ahead, with the Northern Summit of Mt. Aragats looking a still-very-distant and quite intimidating tower, flanked by the Eastern Summit to its right. Indeed, even before we got to climb it, we had to make a 200-meter descent to the crater of Aragats.

The ascent from the crater was a balancing act; a test of finding one’s center of gravity as we scrambled our way up scree slopes. Finally, at 1335H, we reached the summit of Mt. Aragats, rewarded with views of Mt. Ararat, Armenia’s national symbol, as well as the surrounding cities and towns.

Thankfully descending was a breeze as we used a rock slide to rapidly lose altitude. Even so, we had to climb the Saddle anew, and it felt as though we were trekking up our third mountain of the day. Steadily but surely however we worked our way back to the lake and the climb was finished by 1905H – after almost 12 hours of trekking!

With its intensity reminding me of El Misti in Peru or the Tongariro Crossing in New Zealand, Aragats will surely be a cherished memory, and I hope I can come back to Armenia for more hikes!

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After the series of hikes in Turkey’s Mt. Ararat (see Hiking matters #706), Georgia’s Kazbek (see Hiking matters #707), and Armenia’s Aragats (Hiking matters #708), I was prepared to rest while touring the Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan. However, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to do a hike in this Central Asian country, especially when I found out that one of the local favorites – the 3309-meter Greater Chimgan or Mt. Big Chimgan is accessible is a daytrip from Tashkent. Fortunately I found an agency who was willing to arrange the logistics, including finding someone to guide me.

It took 2 hours to reach the trailhead, which was located at Ugam-Chatkal National Park, north of Tashkent and very near the border with Kazakhstan. As we left Tashkent a little after 4am, we arrived and started trekking at 0610H, at 1621 MASL – which meant that we had to ascend almost 1700 meters that day (making it a little like Tapulao).

The trail was immediately steep, rocky, and devoid of vegetation – somewhat reminiscent of Aragats or even some of the volcanoes in Peru. It was very cold when we started but as soon as it the sun rose it became immediately very hot.

We marched continuously, reaching various sub-peaks amid the coming into view of the mountains of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, as well as the Charvak Reservoir, an artificial lake created as part of a Soviet-era dam project.

At around 2800 MASL, we passed by a cave with several epitaphs apparently commemorating those who died while hiking the mountain: a grim reminder of its dangers. Indeed, the final ascent towards the summit was quite dangerous given that, due to the constant erosion, there is no actual trail and one must find a way depending on the circumstances. Thankfully, I recently honed my balancing skills amid such slippery rock slopes in Aragats, and managed to do well; by 1126 MASL we had reached the metal pyramid that marks the summit.

The descent was still quite tricky, given the precarious rock slopes, but – partly motivated by the desire to reach Tashkent in time for another plov dinner, I plodded steadily and the hike was finished by 1520H. Really happy to have done this unique dayhike in a most fascinating country!

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Of late, I’ve favored spending more time in fewer countries rather than visiting a lot of countries without really experiencing what it’s like to live there – at least for a while. This is why I had planned on going directly to Kazakhstan after Uzbekistan. However, since Bishkek was very near Almaty (my final stop in the Eurasia trek that started in Turkey last month), I thought that I might as well drop by for a few days – mindful that I can take a much longer trip in the future, perhaps attempting some of the high mountains there. And so I found myself in Bishkek a day after climbing Greater Chimgan (see Hiking matters #709), and decided to trek up Kol-Tor Lake – one of the popular daytrips from the Kyrgyz capital. Joining me in the trek was Christine Fernandez, who was also traveling through the Silk Road.

It was already past 10 when we arrived at the trailhead. The first part of the hike – from 1700 to 2150 MASL – involved walking on a rough road then trekking along the banks of a river, shaded by evergreens including some nice coniferous trees. From 2150 MASL to 2400 MASL, it gets somewhat steep, but still mostly surrounded by trees. The slope then becomes more gradual until the final 100 meters when it becomes steep again, but after overcoming that last ascent, you’ll be rewarded with views of a most scenic lake, perched 2733 MASL and surrounded by high mountains. An easy but most rewarding dayhike!

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ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN – After all the hikes I’ve done in the past few weeks, I think I deserve to rest but I also don’t want to miss the opportunity to climb in a new country, which is why when I arrived in Almaty, Kazakhstan, I lost no time in researching what mountains I can do here. Fortunately, I saw one highly-recommended hike – one that I could easily do on my own: the ‘Four Peaks Trail’ or the Small Almaty Round-the-World., which basically involves going to Medeu sports complex (easily reachable by public bus 112 or Yandex taxi from Almaty) then climbing four peaks: Furmanov Peak (3053m) , Panorama Peak (3260m), Bashut Peak (3355m), and finally Shymbulak Peak (3450m) before heading down to Shymbulak via the cable car station in Talgar Pass.

Given that Medeu is at just over 1600 MASL, this hike – although well-marked and well-maintained – will still require some considerable effort if one is hoping to comfortably manage it within a day. Thankfully, despite my relatively late start (0819H), I managed to pick up my pace and was averaging 400 meters altitude gain per hour, reaching the famous swing just a bit over 2 hours later; by then, the views of Almaty’s skyline including the distinctive, 371-meter Almaty Tower, were visible.

By 1154H I had reached the first peak – Furmanov Peak, followed by Panorama Peak at 1245H and Bashut Peak at 1325H.

The crux, however, was the final scramble – up some scree slopes – to reach Shymbulak Peak, which I attained by 1430H, or a little over 6 hours of trekking, gaining over 1700 meters in the process. With a view of the snowcapped Western Tien Shan Mountains, it was very lovely to be there, and I’m glad I decided to do all of the four peaks.

From Shymbulak Peak, the descent to the cable car station at Talgar Pass still took some 40 minutes, and I ended the trek at 1516, after almost 7 hours since I started. What a challenging but very convenient and rewarding dayhike – especially considering the convenience of going there from Almaty!

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On July 30-31, 2023, I had the golden opportunity to climb Mt. Makaturing (1965m) in Butig, Lanao del Sur. Featuring a dense jungle, volcanic features, as well as stunning views of Lake Lanao, a partially obscured Lake Makaturing, and nearby mountains, climbing Makaturing was is a unique adventure and it was an absolute joy to spend a night in the campsite. Coming ten years after my ascent of Mt. Ragang, this is only my second hike in Lanao del Sur and, Inshallah, I look forward to more.

Day 0 involved traveling from Marawi to Butig and spending the night thanks to the hospitality of one of the families in the area. As a pescatarian, I was glad to see the labas (smoked bariles) that we bought along the way and became our dinner on that night. The following day, after a courtesy call with the MILF satellite office in Brgy. Sandab, Butig (where, thankfully, our climb was given blessing to proceed), we continued with the hike, trekking from the trailhead in the same barangay at around 1120H and reaching the campsite (Hunters’ Camp), around 1300 MASL, before 1800H. Highlights of Day 1 include trekking through a limatik-infested forest to reach magma galleys with black sand.

The following day, after a very restful sleep at the campsite, we started trekking at 0706H, and, after a steep ascent, reached the cogon area by 0839H, and thereafter, the first peak at 0945H and then the highest point at around 1010H. It was a most unique sight, surrounded by the mountainous landscapes of Lanao and Maguindanao, and of course Lake Lanao itself – a vast expanse in the north. It was a bit cloudy but the outlines of Mt. Latukan (2320m) to the east, and of course, the Piapayungan Range, can also be appreciated from its summit.

We had allotted three days for the hike, but with favorable conditions and a relatively fast pace, we were back at the campsite by late morning and decided to head down to Butig that same day, traveling at night to Marawi, where I spent the night, thankful for another adventure in the Bangasamoro heartland. Many thanks to MSU Mountaineering Club, Inc. especially Rodgen Rosco – an explorer of hard-to-reach peaks – who led the hike, and two young Maranao hikers, Osama Punguinagina Adiong and Abdulhaq EL Poncê, who not only joined our sojourn but also introduced us to their culture. Special thanks as well to my good friend Tina Corpuz for initiating this plan, and for Kuys Tupe, Nim Rod Briones, and Troimz F. Vince for completing the team alongside our guides Pao and Kumair.

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On August 5-6, 2023 I climbed Mt. Kampalili via Sitio Kaluyapi in Maragusan, Davao de Oro, finally completing the three great peaks of Davao de Oro, alongside Mt. Candalaga (which I climbed in 2016) and White Peak (which I climbed last year). Once elusive and inaccessible, Kampalili features mossy forests reminscent of Talomo as well as – uniquely for a Mindanao mountain – limestone cliffs akin to those of Mantalingajan. I was joining a team organized by Ms. Tina Corpuz who also spearheaded the successful Makaturing hike just days before (see Hiking matters #750), and ably led by Paken (who I also hiked with in White Peak).

Even before the hike proper, we had to hurdle the challenge of riding a ‘katig’ (or ‘Skylab’) to Sitio Kalayupi, the hike’s trailhead (The rest of the team had gone ahead of us and were treated to a mesmerizing evening of firelfies). It was already 0900H when we managed to start hiking, from around 1162 MASL. What followed as a sequence of abaca slopes and an increasingly-mossy forest; past 2100 meters above sea level we were no longer gaining elevation but following the course of a meandering trail along the high slopes of the mountain, finally reaching the campsite exactly 5 hours later, at around 1400H.

The following day, we started trekking at 0330H in the hopes of reaching the sunrise at the summit. Again, the trail meandered through mossy forests, but this time the steepness and intensity were of a higher level than the previous day.

At the break of dawn we had reached the limestone cliffs that characterized the summit area, but it would take 30 more minutes before we reached the summit, at 0600H. At first we were surrounded by fog but eventually the clouds parted to give way to a beautiful view of the nearby mountains incluidng White Peak, Candalaga, and Hamiguitan.

As with Makaturing, we had allotted three days for the hike, but finding ourselves back in the campsite by 1000H, we decided to push for a two-day hike, even managing to make a detour to a beautiful lagoon en route to Sitio Kaluyapi, just before the abaca slopes. The trek was made perilous by noxious alingatong but there were plenty of flora and fauna for the biologists and nature enthusiasts, and the trail was mostly pleasant throughout the Difficulty 7/9 hike.

Many thanks to everyone who organized and joined this unforgettable hike!

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