Hiking matters #803: Climbing Mt. Palhi (Babaeng Bukid) in Dinagat Island
SAN JOSE, DINAGAT ISLAND – The Philippines’ island mountains make for the most fascinating hikes in the country; think Mt. Guiting-Guiting in Sibuyan, Mt. Hibok-Hibok in Camiguin, or the otherworldly...
View Article30th ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL FEATURE: A first-hand account of the 1994 Mt. Halcon...
by Dominic Rover Ocampo, Sialdang Mountaineering Club (SMC) edited by Eunice Novio, honorary member, SMC Blogger’s note: In October 1994, a tragedy took place in Mt. Halcon that was described in our...
View ArticleHiking matters #804: Trekking up the bonsai forests of Mt. Redondo in Dinagat...
SAN JOSE, DINAGAT ISLAND – From Mt. Palhi (see Hiking matters #803), we took the pump boat back to Brgy. Llanera and rushed to the town hall of Loreto, where the 4×4 pick up truck – a Ford Conquest –...
View ArticleHiking matters #802: Climbing Bud Dajo (620m), the historic mountain in Sulu
JOLO, SULU – The day after our successful hike up Bud Tumantangis (see Hiking matters #801), we went on another hike, this time up Bud Dajo (also spelled Daho), a mountain that is sacred to the...
View ArticleHiking matters #801: An ascent of Bud Tumantangis (811m), the highest peak in...
JOLO, SULU – What a great experience, climbing up Sulu’s highest peak! I first saw Bud Tumantangis back in 2006, as we were on that unforgettable way to Tawi-Tawi that led to my hike up Bud Bongao; I...
View ArticleBud Tumantangis in Sulu (811+)
BUD TUMANTANGIS Indanan, Sulu Major jumpoff: Brgy. Tumantangis, Indanan, Sulu LLA: 5°59’50” N, 120°57’45” E, 811 MASL (+556) Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 3-4 hours Specs: Minor;...
View ArticleMt. Palhi (Babaeng Bukid) in Libjo, Dinagat Islands (730+)
MT. PALHI (BABAENG BUKID) Libjo, Dinagat Islands Major jumpoff: Sitio Maytubig, Brgy. Bayanihan, Libjo LLA: 10.20263410 N, 125.63748827, 730 MASL (+730) Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 3-5...
View ArticleOpinion: Beyond ‘Leave No Trace’, mountaineers should help fight against the...
SAN JOSE, DINAGAT ISLANDS – For decades, the Leave No Trace (LNT) principles have served as guiding tenets for mountaineers. These seven principles, namely (1) Plan ahead and prepare; (2) Travel and...
View ArticleHiking matters #740: Mt. Aso, the fabled volcano in Kyushu
The pandemic interrupted my hiking journeys, including my quest to climb the Hyakumeizan or the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan, leaving my count stuck at 33 from November 2019. Fortunately, I was able...
View ArticleHiking matters #741: Mt. Sobo (祖母山), forested mountain in Kyushu
Continued from Hiking matters #740: From Mt. Aso, we headed to a very nice guesthouse called LAMP at the foot of Mt. Sobo, ready to climb the formidable mountain. The travel was formidable in itself...
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