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Hiking matters #647: A dayhike up Cerro Ajusco (3930m) in Mexico City
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...
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Hiking matters #648: Loop hike in Volcan Cilcuayo (3584m) in Mexico City
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...
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Hiking matters #649: Monte Tlaloc (4120m), a sacred Aztec peak in Mexico
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...
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Hiking matters #650: Iztaccíhuatl (5230m), the third highest mountain in Mexico
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...
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Hiking matters #651: Volcan Sierra Negra (4580m), Pico de Orizaba’s companion...
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...
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Hiking matters #652: The ascent up Pico de Orizaba (5610m), the highest...
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...
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Hiking matters #653: Cerro San Miguel (3760m) in Desierto de los Leones,...
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...
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Hiking matters #694: Mt. Apo via the Sta. Cruz trail
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...
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Hiking matters #700: Tarak Ridge, revisited
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...
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Hiking matters #701: My third Akiki-Ambangeg dayhike of Mt. Pulag
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...
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Hiking matters #699: Mt. Talamitam and Mt. Lantik
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...
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Hiking matters #698: Yet another Mt. Arayat dayhike
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...
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Hiking matters #707: Four-day ascent of Mt. Kazbek (5054m) from...
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...
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Hiking matters #706: Five-day climb up Mt. Ararat (5137m), the highest in Turkey
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...
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Hiking matters #708: Climbing Mt. Aragats’ Northern Summit, Armenia’s highest...
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....
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Hiking matters #709: Hiking up Greater Chimgan (3309m) in Uzbekistan
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...
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Hiking matters #710: Trekking up Kol-Tor Lake in Kyrgyzstan
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...
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Hiking matters #711: Four Peaks Hike (Furmanov Peak to Shymbulak Peak) in...
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...
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Hiking matters #750: Climbing Mt. Makaturing (1965m) in Butig, Lanao del Sur
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...
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Hiking matters #751: Majestic Mt. Kampalili (2320m) in Maragusan, Davao de Oro
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)...
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