My Adventure Playlist

After 3 months of mountain climbing hiatus, I am finally seeing the mountains again! I will be on Mt. Ulap this Sunday and I am planning to create my very 1st video documentation of our climb which I will upload on YouTube and share here on my blog.

Eager to create an awesome video documentation, I tried searching for songs that I can use as background music for my vid. I really cannot decide which song to use since there are lots of songs that are suitable for my vid. So I just decided to create a playlist (of sorts) para hindi naman sayang yung mga itatapon kong songs. LOL

So what is my basis for my adventure playlist? Well, if you will google "adventure playlist", most of the suggested songs are about travelling, places, etc. But adventure playlist should not just or only be like that. For me, an adventure playlist does not have to be about places but must be something that makes you feel upbeat and energetic, makes you sing along and sway your head while still keeping a relaxed feel.

So here are the songs that made it to my playlist (in no particular order):

Owl City - To The Sky

"Travel light, let the sun eclipse you

'Cause your flight is about to leave

And there's more to this brave adventure

Than you'd ever believe"

Timeflies - Once In A While

"But once in a while, I catch myself

Once in a while, I ask myself

What am I doing?

Once in a while, I need your help

But once in a while I feel like

I just wanna dance

I feel good, I feel good

I feel good, I feel good"

Panic! At The Disco - Ready To Go

"So tell me right now

You think you're ready for it

I wanna know 

Why you got me going

So let's go

We'll take it out of here

I think I'm ready to leap

I'm ready to live"

KYKO - Animals

"Maybe we're like animals

Running wild through this fire

Wanna take off

From the night

Let's get it all wrong"

Simple Plan - Singing in the Rain

"I’ve got a song in my heart and I’m bulletproof

There’s nothing in the world that’s gonna kill this mood

No matter what life wants to throw my way

I’ll be singing, I’ll be singing in the rain"

Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (Radio edit by Jonas Blue featuring Dakota)

"So remember when we were driving driving in your car
Speed so fast I felt like I was drunk
City lights lay out before us
And your arm felt nice wrapped 'round my shoulder
And I had a feeling that I belonged
I had a feeling I could be someone, be someone, be someone"

John Mayer - No Such Thing

"I want to run through the halls of my high school
I want to scream at the top of my lungs
I just found out there's no such thing as the real world
Just a lie you've got to rise above"

Will update this once I found another song that suits my taste. :)

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Admin Team Goes to Puting Buhangin Beach and Kwebang Lampas

Puting Buhangin Beach and Kwebang Lampas located at Brgy. Ibabang Polo, Pagbilao, Quezon Province.

Summer definitely started early for the CNX Admin Team. I am not supposed to go with the team because my wallet is already crying. Blame it on my Mt. Pulag and Batangas trip plus I just recently bought a watch. But I got some colleagues who, on the very last hour, persuaded me to join them. My heart, my mind, and my wallet has a firm stand of not going but my itchy feet prevailed. My feet are easy to be cajoled.

Going there

Since we are 18 in the group, we decided to rent a van. From Eastwood QC, we took the Manila East route (passing through Rizal, Laguna and Quezon) instead of the usual SLEX route. This route, though loaded with zigzags, is a good venue for roadtrip and side trips as well. You may stop off at Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal, take a picture beside the Lumban, Laguna's marker and have a pancit habhab feast at Luisiana, Laguna.

For those who will commute... (source)

Bus Option To Lucena 
Take a bus en route to Lucena (either from Buendia or Cubao) and get off at Lucena Grand Central Terminal. From the terminal there are vans and jeepneys going to Pagbilao. Manila to Lucena Bus fare is around Php 209.00, one-way fare.
Second Route is to take a bus going directly to SM Lucena.
You may want drop by SM Lucena to buy supplies before heading to Pagbilao.
There are jeepneys from SM Lucena Going to Pagbilao Market terminal. Fare is 15.00.
You can also buy supplies at a public market near the terminal.


From the Lucena Grand Central Terminal 
Take a jeep ride bound for Brgy. Polo for Php 35.00.
Tell the driver that you are going to Lukang Beach (Lukang Beach is the old name of Kwebang Lampas).
Once in Brgy Polo, you can hire tricycle going to the Kwebang Lampas Registration area.
Tricycle drivers are charging around Php 200-250.00 one way, to bring you to the registration area.
We met a Tricycle driver, name is Tolits (will send his number, if you need it) and his asking price is Php 150.00.
Price of course depends on number of pax and camping gears and supply you are bringing.

Three options on going to the Beach from the Registration Area.
Walk all the way to the beach.
Boat ride to cross the lake, Php 20.00 Round Trip. Short hike to beach, approximately 15-30 mins.
Boat ride to cross the lake and rent a boat to take you and all your camping gears, food, water, etc to the beach. Prices vary, depends on your negotiation skill with the boatman.

 The option we chose is the boat ride + hike.

Tips

• You must bring a tent. But if you do not have one, caretakers offer tent rental.
• There is no electricity so make sure that you charged your phones and you have power banks as back up.
• Buy all your necessities before reaching the island. Although there is a store at the island, items cost a pretty penny. Like for example, a 355 ml C2 green tea costs 45php. Mahal!
• A pail of water costs *tumataginting* 50 php. So practice conservation of water. lol.

The Experience

A roughly 5-minute boat ride from the registration area to the beach.

Vitamin sea!

Tents along the beach strip.

Upon entering Kwebang Lampas.

Groufie at the other side of the cave.

Explore the other side of the cave and you'll see this beauty.

Lots of small fishes even on the shallow parts of the sea.

A night full of fun and drunk individuals. lol

Honestly, Puting Buhangin failed to impress me. Maybe because I already have a high standard due to lots of beaches I've been. But pwede na din for a quick escape from manila. But as what they say, it's not the place but the company. I really did enjoy because of my officemates' funny antics. There was no dull moment. This became an unforgettable trip because of them. :)

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Mt. Daraitan (with Tinipak River and Cave Side Trip)

MT. DARAITAN

Overview

Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Daraitan (village centre), Tanay
Minor jumpoff: Sitio Cablao Brgy. Pagsangahan, General Nakar
LLA: 14°36′48.5′′N 121°26′19.5′′ E, 739 MASL (+600)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2.5-4 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Tropical forest, limestone formations, river trek

Info by Pinoy Mountaineer.

Itinerary

03:30 meetup Cubao Farmers

04:00 ETD Cubao to Tanay

07:00 ETA Daraitan River

07:30 ETA Daraitan jumpoff

08:30 Start Trek

11:30 Summit

12:30 Start descent, traverse to Tinipak river

14:30 ETA Tinipak river

15:30 ETA Tinpak cave

17:00 ETA jumpoff, tidy up

18:00 Headback to Cubao

20:00 ETA Cubao

Since Mt. Daraitan is tagged as "mother of all assaults", we made this our pre-climb mountain for our Mt. Pulag "expedition".

Although it is a minor climb and can still be hiked by beginners, climbing Mt. Daraitan is a no joke. Expect a lot of steep trails that can challenge your cardiorespiratory endurance.

Not to brag, but I did not have a hard time climbing Mt. Daraitan because I am well-prepared. I followed the tips by sir Gideon Lasco aka Pinoy Mountaineer - running, walking on a steep slope, and carbohydrate loading specifically. Also, thanks to the vines and man-made "railings" for not letting us slip. *wink emoticon*

River crossing

View from Daraitan Brgy Hall

If you see this signage, it means your close to the summit

See that heart-shaped river? That's Tinipak river.

De kwatro pa more!

After this, we went to Tinipak river and cave. One word to describe: breathtaking!

Heading to Tinipak river and cave

See! No filter needed!

Look at that, crystal clear waters!

Inside Tinipak cave. Water is ice cold but YOLO, so we dipped ourselves into it. Note: You need to bring flashlight or headlamps - you cannot see anything without it.

Ahon salute!

Photos by my colleagues from Ahon Mountaineering Club

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Mt. Ayaas and Mt. Sipit Ulang Twin Day Hike

View from the summit of Mt. Ayaas

Mt. Sipit Ulang Summit

MT. AYAAS
Rodriguez, Rizal
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Wawa, Rodriguez, Rizal
Minor jumpoff: Brgy. Mascap, Rodriguez, Rizal
LLA: 14°45′3.38′′ N, 121°12′27.5′ 627 MASL (+570)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 3-4 hours
Specs: Minor, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

MT. SIPIT ULANG
Rodriguez, Rizal
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Mascap, Rodriguez, Rizal
LLA: 14°45′20.7′′ N, 121°10′38.2′ 252 MASL (+210m)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-3.5 hours
Specs: Minor, Difficulty 3/9 (Paniki Trail), Trail class 1-4

above information from pinoymountaineer.com


After 1 and a half month, I am finally going to the mountains again! But this climb is special becuse it is my first time to try twin day hike. I have always been wanting to try twin day hike but got no time. Thanks to my colleagues from Ahon Mountaineering Group, they invited me to their biglaang climb. And because it is unplanned, I did not have the time to train and prepare myself so I am expecting numerous times that I will take rest in between the trek so I could catch my breath. LOL


Our Group's Itinerary:

0430H Meet up at Jollibee Centris, Quezon Ave.
0500H ETD Quezon Ave.
0630H ETA Brgy. Mascap Rodriguez, Rizal. Register at Barangay Hall. Preparations
0700H Start trek up Mt. Ayaas
0930H ETA Mt. Ayaas Summit
1030H Start descent
1300H Back at Mascap Barangay Hall. Late Lunch. Rest.
1400H Start trek up Mt. Sipit Ulang via Paniki Trail
1630H ETA Mt. Sipit Ulang Summit
1730H Start descent via Banayad Trail
1900H Back at Mascap Barangay Hall. Clean up. Dinner.
2000H ETD Brgy. Mascap Rodriguez, Rizal
2130H ETA Quezon Ave.

1/4 of the gang

Groufie at Mascap Barangay Hall

Final assault before reaching the summit of Mt. Ayaas

Summit with my colleagues

RAINBOW!

The obligatory summit jump shot

Descent from Mt. Ayaas Summit

One of the many bamboo ladders at Mt. Sipit Ulang via Paniki trail

At one of the bamboo bridges

We're like bats clustering on the rocks

Showcasing my rock climbing skills. LOL

One of the huge rock formations at Mt. Sipit Ulang

Summit!

The rock we are on seemed low on the picture but this is actually high. Maybe as high as 5-storey building.

Rocks all over

It's almost 6PM when we started descent via Banayad trail. It's already dark and we need to use our flashlights. We did not feel scared until we heard a creepy sound of a weeping woman. Based on the tone of her cry, she seems to be helpless. (Listen to the clip below. The sound is almost the same as what we heard that night.) At first we tried to ignore the sound but it does not stop so we prayed and whispered tabi tabi po. Our colleagues taking the lead however did not hear the cry but they did encounter two women both carrying an umbrella on one hand and a baby on the other. My colleagues even asked them if they are on the right track and one of the women answered yes. Upon parting ways, my other colleagues looked back to lighten the way of the unknown women. But to their surprise, the two have disappeared. Creepy right?

Tip: I suggest that you must wear gloves, arm sleeves, trekking pants (instead of shorts or leggings), and trekking shoes specially for Mt. Sipit Ulang. Rocks are very sharp and it can cut your skin.

Photo credits to Malen, Ma'am Gin and Sir Christian.

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Mt. Pico de Loro

©Ryan Racca of Kamusta Magazine

Overview:

PICO DE LORO

Maragondon, Cavite and Nasugbu, Batangas 

Jump-off point: DENR Station, Magnetic Hill, Ternate, Cavite/Sitio Fronda, Brgy. Papaya, Ternate-Nasugbu Highway, Nasugbu, Batangas

LLA: 14° 12.855 N; 120° 38.785 E; 664 MASL

Days required: 1-2 days

Hours to summit: 2-5 hours

Specs: Minor climb

Difficulty: 3/9

Trail class: 1-3

---------------------

It's been more than a year since my last hike (at Mt. Batulao). I'm really itching to hike again - I think “The Mountains Are Calling, and I Must Go…”  -John Muir. *wink emoticon*

Since I still tag myself as a "beginner", I joined mountaineering groups on FB and looked for their hiking events. Fortunately, I found Ahon Mountaineering Club offering a dayhike at Mt. Pico de Loro.

Here's the target itinerary:

0230 - meetup at Jollibee Cubao farmers

0300 - ETD Cubao

0630 - Start Trekking

1030 - Summit

1200 - Lunch/Photo ops

1400 - Back to Jumpoff

1700 - bath time

1800 - ETD Cubao

"Target" itinerary because changes are expected due to rainy weather on the day of hike.

Rain, strong wind, heavy fog and muddy trail welcomed us. Those factors made an "easy climb" a tough one for me especially I am not wearing hiking shoes *scratches her head*. Muddy trail is a stuggle and made me stumble and fall several times. Oh well... Lesson learned... *scratches her head again*

PHOTOS! (sorry for the lowres)

Here's us, preparing at the jump-off.

Groupie! What a huge group it is?!

At the summit. Look how muddy my shoes have become. (This is Adidas Climacool Fresh 2. Don't use this as hiking shoes because it is definitely not hiking shoes. However, you may wear rubber shoes with good grip.)

Zero visibility *cries an ocean* This mountain deserves a revenge climb!

This is the clearest view of the monolith I can capture. I was not able to climb the monolith because I am not confident with my shoes. Safety first as what they say.

The obligatory mountain top photo.

Ahon salute!

Bagtag

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Our Very First Out-of-town Trip After Graduation and Board Exams (Thank God for This!)

After so many plans and drawings, finally we decided to turn all these to reality. Last April 26 - 27, 2014 we found time to escape from our stressful work. Our group headed to Kamantigue Beach and Diving Resort in Brgy. Pagkilatan, Batangas City. We chose Kamantigue for its cheap rates yet stunningly beautiful sceneries and crystal clear waters.

Our Itineraries:

20140426

0400 ETD Marilao, Bulacan

0750 ETA Kamantigue Beach and Diving Resort, rested at the Family Room 1 of the resort

0830 Breakfast

0900 Started exploring the beach

1040 Got out of the water, rinsed at the shower station

1100 Returned to our room to take a bath

1200 Lunch

1300 NAP TIME!

1500 Selfie mode at the seashore

1700 Bonding time

2000 Prepared our dinner

2030 Dinner

2130 Bonding time

2300 Lights out

20140427

0600 Wake up call

0715 Breakfast

0800 ETD Kamantigue Beach and Diving Resort

1300 ETA Marilao, Bulacan

As you can see we were like we went here just to sleep (LOL) for we only swim in less than 2 hours. It is not that we did not like the beach. It is because we were all tired and lacking sleep when we all trooped here.

For those people planning a family outing, barkada outing, this resort is really perfect. Imagine an air-conditioned room for 6 pax with kitchen, toilet and bath is valued for only 3500 php for 24 hours stay. And that 3500 php is their rate for peak season. How low will the cost go if it is off season. And in that 3500 you can use the function hall together with all the facilities inside (refrigerator, water dispenser, television with cable channels, chairs, and tables). You can cook foods using gas stove for FREE! Plus, all the staffs of Kamantigue who assisted us were all nice and friendly. All in all, our money is really worth it.

Here are our photos on the said trip:

We passed through this scenic view of Isla Verde Passage as we head to Kamantigue.

View of the beach from the function room.

Stairway towards the beach.

"That's all they really want, is some fun. When the working day is done, oh girls, they wanna have fun. OH GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE FUN!"

Enjoying the beach with life vest on.

That building at the upper right corner of the photo is where the rooms are located.

The picturesque view of Isla Verde.

Seashore scattered with coral rocks and pebbles.

A cross on top of a rock formation.

My feet soaked in the crystal clear beach water.

Dusk in Kamantigue.

For more information about Kamantigue Beach and Diving Resort, visit their official website  and Facebook account.

Original photos courtesy of author's friends. Photos were all edited by the author.

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