Clik here to view.
Hiking matters #371: Pico de Loro dayhike
One week after our beautiful Maculot hike (Hiking matters #369), Sheena Halili and I organized another dayhike, this time of Pico de Loro. We were joined once again by Japs Grande and Koi Grey, as well...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Open letter to parents: Allow your child to climb mountains
by Gideon LascoDear Mr. and Mrs. Cruz,I am writing this letter hoping to convince you to allow your son to climb mountains.I know where you are coming from. I have my parents too, and I remember,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Introducing Shirt no 13: "Mountains" - a souvenir shirt series for Philippine...
So far, we've released generic shirts that (re)present the beauty and the adventure of the outdoors in general, but mountains have personalities, and we have special memories not to hiking in general,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
MountainTalk #13: Romi Garduce on his book launch and future plans
Photo courtesy of Romi GarduceAMSTERDAM - October 3, 2013 saw the book launch of Romi Garduce's "Akyat", subtitled "A Filipino's Journey to the Seven Summits". This highly-anticipated book chronicles...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #372: A nature walk in Flanders, Belgium
AMSTERDAM - It's been two weeks since I left the country for Europe - where I am studying/working for my PhD in medical anthropology - and happily, I somehow managed to go on a short hike - of all the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #373: Hiking in Capri Day 1 - Monte Solaro
AMSTERDAM - The nice thing about Europe is that the countries are just close to each other and with the advent of budget airlines, traveling around the continent is as easy as flying from Luzon to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #374: Hiking in Capri Day 2 - Via Krupp to Marina Piccola
On the morning after my island walk that took me to Monte Solaro (see Hiking matters #373), I woke up early to explore the southern coast, which also had nice trails. I particularly wanted to see the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #375: The hike up Mt. Vesuvius and a visit to Pompeii, Italy
AMSTERDAM - On the last day of my short trip to Rome and Naples, after two memorable days in the island of Capri, I hiked up Mt. Vesuvius and then visited the town of Pompeii. From Napoli Centrale...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Initiatives by mountaineers and our friends to help victims of Typhoon Yolanda
I am, like every Filipino at the moment, heartbroken over the devastation wrought by Typhoon Yolanda. Amid the pain and the difficulty of making sense, dealing with, and overcoming, we always have to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #376: A loop hike up La Dôle (1677m) in the Jura Mountains,...
NEW YORK CITY - Last weekend, I went to Switzerland to meet with Iron Lady Jo Steven and Everest climber Leo Oracion; needless to say we did some hiking! It's been over two years since I last hiked...
View ArticleClik here to view.
AirAsia Zest now in Manila and Cebu with exciting destinations!
I still remember my first AirAsia flight – from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya at the start of a 10-day “ASEAN Adventure” in May 2010 that took us to five countries and several mountains. We flew AirAsia...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Calling for a "National Mountain Clean-up Day" on May 10, 2014
Inspired by the International Coastal Cleanup Day and motivated in part by the need to step up our efforts in the face of increasingly severe disasters that we face as a nation, I would like to suggest...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Gear Review: Merrell Proterra Sport Hiking shoe (Preliminary)
AMSTERDAM - I tried the Merrell Proterra Sport hiking shoe in Mt. Batulao in September, hoping to make it my replacement for my beloved La Sportiva Wildcat GTX, which has worn out after so many hikes....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #380: Cape Sounion in Greece - Mythology, beauty, and the...
Cape Sounion at the tip of Attica, Greece, with the Temple of Poseidonat the backgroundLast weekend, I went to Athens and made two very fantastic daytrips from the Greek capital: The first was to Cape...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking maters #381: Delphi, Greece - the site of ancient Oracle on the slopes...
AMSTERDAM - A day after the relaxing walk in Cape Sounion (see Hiking matters #380), Mai and I went to Delphi, the site of the ancient Oracle and one of the most important places in Ancient Greece....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #377: Hiking up Mont Salève, the "balcony of Geneva" in...
By the cliffs of Grand-Gorges in Mont SaleveCHICAGO, IL - From Leo Oracion's house in Valais, Iron Lady Jo Steven and I took the train to Geneva. We had hoped to hike up Mont Noble in Valais, but the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Christmas Day post: Famous trees in Philippine mountains
LOS BANOS, LAGUNA - Christmas trees remind me of some of the iconic trees that we encounter in some Philippine mountains. Trees are a comforting presence, not only because of their beauty, but also...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #382: A beautiful morning in Mt. Batulao
It's great to be back home -- naturally, being reunited with loved ones is the main thing, then there is tasting good adobo and rice again -- and of course, there are the mountains that I've missed....
View ArticleClik here to view.
PinoyMountaineer Top 10 Hikes of 2013
Continuing my tradition of choosing ten hikes that represents best the adventures I had in the past year, I offer this post today, New Year's Day, filled with excitement for the hikes to come but at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Hiking matters #385: The Calauit Trail to Taal Volcano and Crater Lake
For all its fame as one of the world's most notable and active volcanoes, Taal Volcano in Southern Luzon is not your usual hiking destination; it is seen, like Pinatubo, as more of a place for...
View Article