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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Climb for a Cause: Mt. Pulag

Start:     May 20, '11 10:00p
End:     May 22, '11
Location:     Bokod, Benguet, Philippines
Climb for A Cause PULAG -
c/o Anywhere Philippines
May 20-22 weekend


To benefit the students of Kamaggaan Elementary School in Tikey, Bokod, Benguet.




Using: Ambangeg Trail




49 comments:

  1. Major jump-off: Ambangeg Ranger Stn, Bokod, Benguet

    LLA: 16°34'58"N 120°53'15"E, 2922 MASL (#3)

    Hours to summit / Days required: 4-5 hours / 2 days

    Specs: Major Climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-2

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  2. Enjoy your trip, its my birthday that day.
    lol.

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  3. I shall say, "this one is for John!" when I reach the summit :-)

    Advance Happy birthday John!

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  4. notes from site -

    TO BRING:

    1. Clothing & Footwear
    - thick jackets ( fleece jackets, etc ), rainproof jacket & thermals
    - overnight clothes only ( pack light )
    - gloves & bonnet, 3 pairs of socks
    - trekking shoes/ rubber shoes ( no open toes )
    - light trekking bag

    2. Others
    - water bottle & snack
    - sleeping bags ( one sleeping bag per tent, additional sleeping bags are available for rent. Please let us know in advance if interested)
    - small blankets.
    - flashlight/headlights, off lotion, sunblock, camera
    - bringing of personal camping plates, spoon and fork are encouraged. If none, we will provide.
    - personal medicine and other personal effects

    3. Your sense of humour, open mind and thirst for adventure!

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  5. A Swiss knife (or equivalent) may come in handy.

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  6. thanks Chito..tucked in na yan sa box ko...and yung headlamp and batteries

    suggestions most welcome, yung checklist ko for trekking di ko kc na post..nasa excel pa...hehehe..baka after the climb na siguro (cross fingers)

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  7. May cellphone signal kaya dun? Bring an extra cellphone battery (if you have one, or borrow one). You never know when you might need to communicate.

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  8. ang problema ko ngang naisip is pano ang charger for camera....wala namang koryente siguro kc nag camp sa ground

    but I may have to conserve my battery for the camera by bringing other cams not as good tapos yung LX5 ko (na walang backup, at may problema pa, don't batteries discharge faster in the cold?) pang view shots lang...

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  9. Again I suggest you borrow extra batteries (if may time pa and may mahihiraman ka). Otherwise, just bring two or three cameras.

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  10. unfortunately, there is nobody I know who has extra batteries which I can borrow for the LX5 :-)
    I tried buying it before, pero walang stock sa mga tinanungan ko...

    hay, sayang dapat bahala na if mas mahal yung sinabi ni Doc Philip sa Singapore...kinuha ko na lang sana...who'd have expected mahirap to get batteries for this kind of cam...

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  11. TIPS for prolonging life or optimizing use of battery - turn-off LCD viewer; minimize use of flash; use zoom/macro functions sparingly; fight tendency to take more than one shot of the same subject or scene (compose mentally then shoot).

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  12. na notice ko lately that with the LX5, either super light touch lang kailangan or those who I ask to take a picture of me has a heavy hand..

    many times I asked a picture to be taken (either ako or with a group) and I get 3 or 4 shots of me (with little increments of difference if we move a bit)...

    ok, to be fair, sometimes ako when i take a picture of people naging 2 shots..haha!

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  13. may kasalanan ako nyan...I don't compose before I shoot..I usually just base on what my eyes like when I look at the viewfinder or screen....but this is a good tip na dapat gamitin ko (though, may tendency pa rin ako na spare with my shots, parang nasa-"film" mode pa rin hehehe)

    consequently, I grimace at those who ask to review the shots I have on my cam kc gusto tingnan ang hitsura nila...LOL...(kc nasasayangan ako sa battery)

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  14. check you may be on BURST Mode...you can choose how many multiple shots, usually switched on if you want to do HDR(w/c i don't know how)...& to capture the right exposure.

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  15. i may order batts thru Amazon, but i don't know when i'm getting it ...baka thru B.bayan box or if my friend comes home July.

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  16. Doc Philip!!

    *bats eyelashes like a cute dog with matching wagging tail*

    pwede po pasama ng LX5 batt ko? huhuhu...eto nga nangangayayat ako nag-think about my battery going clunk on me while in Mt. Pulag...*sad cat*

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  17. di po sya naka burst mode....weird nga po eh...or baka sometimes my cam just likes me to be the one to take the picture (hehehe, only obeys its master este mistress)...

    funny, pati yung sa Fuji cam ko, pag ibang tao mag click, blurry usually...whereas ako even if no tripod ok naman....ayayay!

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  18. sige para isang order na lang, will get details of batts & will forward it to you...will ask my friend what will get here sooner, baka na padala na yung box :(

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  19. I can't find it here kc...I tried Digital Walker wala daw silang stock..nakupo..thanks heaps!

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  20. sleeping bag - check

    earth pad - hmm...thinking it over, I don't want to buy anymore, perhaps I can just roll on my clothes so I wont' feel the ground

    travel towel - check

    socks and gloves and scarf - check (or maybe I should get a balaclava?)

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  21. ok na po ako non..even before mga USD 50 yung nakita ko sa Amazon...

    yung USD 53..may tax na po iyon?

    checking my batt it says DMW-BCJ13PP

    however, am cool...maybe may ibang meaning lang yang may PP...as long as it lasts longer than 50 shots..hehehe

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  22. maliit lang naman ang tax, and you get to save kasi hindi separate delivery...i think
    anyway i just emailed my friend, kung OK sa kanya, either he will order it himself(usually) what he does but using my cards.
    i'll get an answer tomorrow.

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  23. ear muffs...it maybe very cold...alcogel...walang wash wash sa Babadak(that maybe your base before summiting)...well that was in '79.

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  24. maraming salamat po...

    if wala pa rin, I urge you to go back to Singapore..hahaha....joke lang po...

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  25. aha! I should have brought a hat (what is their term for that limpy looking hat which has ear flaps hanging?) like that as I don't have ear muffs...(add to note: bring wool scarf)

    for now am considering just bringing my cashmere sweater and two windbreakers for when I sleep..

    I tried hefting my thick coat with some fleece inside...ayayay!
    I am dismayed at the idea of its weight and climbing with its weight on my back so I will forego it..and just try with layers and trust cashmere (I actually sweated inside it when in NYC, sabi ni Bong abnormal daw ako yata..hehe)

    eto, stocking up on some wet ones or wipes...maligo ako don nakaganon...hahaha...but we can take a bath naman daw after the trek the following day...
    personally I like cold weather, and as long as its not windy lang, I can tolerate even 15 degrees in a long sleeve tshirt...pero we will see! I might just wear my sleeping bag na!

    another thing I will not buy anymore is an earth pad...again, trying to pack light and concentrate on stuff which will keep me warm plus my precious water

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  26. bakit parang by the way lang ang camera?

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  27. I think kc this is not more of a photogroup :-)

    more of a camping mindset ...hehe!

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  28. Be AWARE of your surroundings, THINK before you act and be SAFE. GOOD LUCK and HAVE FUN!! GOD BLESS Cat!! Kuya Rom

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  29. what I wasn't able to use which I packed -

    thick jogging pants - too tired to change into this gear when the pants I used for travelling sufficed.
    Normally I'm a bit finicky about that what I wear to bed is different from what I used in the day, but in this case it couldn't be helped, I just determined to wash my sleeping bag when I would come back home as I preferred sleep

    long sleeve cashmere sweater - turns out, my two windbreakers kept me warm. Maybe I got lucky it wasn't super cold in Mt. Pulag although my companions said it was and were shivering (and even drinking alcohol)

    extra pair of thick socks - my dri-fit socks which I wore sufficed but before going to sleep I just used my knee-high ones as extra cover and left my thick, fluffy bedroom socks back in my bag - easier to put my feet in my shoes if I had to go to the latrine quickly instead of fumbling in panic upon waking up

    swiss knife - lucky that the organizers did the cooking etc. so no need really even if I had bought it

    (weird ba? my metabolism is said to be fast, but I don't get cold quickly?)

    tip for those who stay one night and who want to travel light -

    don't lug up many change of clothes if you really want to travel light and will not be using a porter...chances are when you go back down the next day, the cold will keep you from smelling bad..hehehe

    just bring a good coat or coats to keep the chilly wind out, plus some extra pair of socks. If its noted to be the cold season in Pulag, do bring gloves (didn't need one in this trip). Also if you are like me who sweat easily, bring maybe an extra pair of shirt to change into - I got wet in my shirt and so had to change quickly because of the sudden rain just as it was the last few steps up

    and a bonnet is a must so you avoid getting colds...cover your head as much as possible when the afternoon strikes...

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  30. Very important which I cannot stress enough and which I say saved me a lot of hassles -

    * Water!

    Hydrate yourself as much as possible. Bahala na if you have to pee on the trail (which I actually did *sheepish grin* in the last climb to the summit, because I finished up the 500 ml I took with me to the summit).

    For a first timer major trek mountain climber - the only thing I suffered from was the headache I got when I arrived at camp - this I attribute to the cigarettes that people kept smoking (its actually my usual reaction when I smell smoke); that and my toes which I stubbed twice and had to knock against the hard upper tip of my hiking shoes. It pinched on my bruised toes when I went down as I had to fight against gravity.

    * Vitamin C and B - also helped, drank more of these than the usual the last week before I left for the trip. Jeng emailed to eat bananas daw para walang pulikat (on the week before the trip). I don't know what pulikat was, but fresh fruits are something I usually really like eating..so no problemo.

    * Inhale deep breaths which go into your lungs and not into your stomach :-)

    When you take deep breaths that inflate your lungs it allows for more oxygen to get into your system (remember the air here is thinner and you are exerting yourself). So while you might find yourself out of breath, maybe its because you are just panting with your mouth open.

    * Don't panic. Stick to the trail.

    Even if you are seemingly alone (there were times I couldn't see anybody else ahead or behind me, sandwiched far between the more experienced trekkers in our group and the slightly struggling ones) - sooner or later somebody will come across you on the trail (fuera lang if its sleeping time!).

    But the day and between 4 am to sunrise, people will walk or pass you by and you can get help.

    Yes, there is cellphone signal on the camp.

    You may have to bring extra batteries for your cellphone or make sure they are fully charged while you are there. No signal from camp 2 (using Ambangeg Trail) to the summit. Somebody tried to phone me while I was ahead of them in the trail, and I didn't receive anything.

    If you have quick reflexes and sharp eyes, you can charge your cellphone at the DENR while the orientation is ongoing - i.e. if di ka maunahan ng other folks :-)

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  31. There they are..tips from our own Cat experience.BTW, pulikat means cramp. Stretching is probably most hikers "DO" first before hiking or even jogging to avoid leg cramps.

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  32. ay, thank goodness for the bananas...

    I was too busy I forgot to ask, and I don't think any of us stretched really..to think we were riding for a couple of hours to Baguio...then riding an hour or so to get to the DENR..and then sa ranger station...

    so the bananas may have worked then, coz thank goodness wala akong leg cramps, wala nga akong sakit sa tuhod after all the climbing, just the banged-up toes..hehehe

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  33. awesome picture Cat! exhillarating adventure!

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  34. yes sir!

    pero siguro I will think twice before doing any major trek again..hahaha...I've come to the conclusion that its the Cebuana in me preferring beaches, regardless of sea urchin prickles and jellyfish stings I've been a victim of :-)

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  35. Mt.Apo beckons, even Mayon was once allowing trekkers...it maybe just fine if it were a more relaxed climb...but of course these mountaineers walk really fast.

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  36. one in our group said she was amazed that Jeng and I were talking and talking on the hike up, as if we were just out for a stroll in the park...

    maybe because I just paced myself? (I don't care, its not a competition anyway) and I tried to take really deep inhalations of the air.
    For me, it would be a waste to not appreciate nature in its version at Benguet.
    My regret is that I didn't see any cloud rats, but I did enjoy very much the small flowers peeping thru some unexpected crevices, the moss-covered trees, the green pines standing tall.

    The group we joined is not one I would recommend for those who want to do photowalks.
    In fact, we were lucky that the porter who followed us became the "sweeper" because the designated sweeper of the organizers had to go quickly to camp 2.

    There are really parts of the trail, that struck me as strange...as if the air was very thin, then in some parts (not necessarily the higher part) it was ok for me to breath. Maybe just needed to acclimatize :-)

    Esep-esep pa sa Mt. Apo. Maybe Banahaw :-)
    You want to join po if we can make a group to go there? hahaha...

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  37. before the next trek happens though, I wish may extra battery ako sa LX5...huhuhu...

    I had to really be careful with my shots (parang film cam na ang labas) kc baka maubos ang battery, I'd have cried a river if I reached the summit and wala akong personal pictures of the sunrise at Mt. Pulag

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  38. talking to my buddy now, he'll make the orders now...just as long as you're not in a hurry...its either thru a bbayan box or when he comes home by July/August.

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  39. Doc Philip,

    I'm deeply indebted to you and your friend *flying hugs*

    July or August is fine as personally I don't think I can go to Mt. Apo before that...LOL.

    If the battery does arrive, let's celebrate and eat out here in Makati :-)

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  40. i ordered some camera stuff kasi nga mas mura sa Amazon...& i think the next time i will be needing it will be for Sagada in end of Oct./Nov1 to be exact.

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  41. hay, if may pera lang ako na extra, I'd order the GF2 sana thru your friend...oh well...*ipon ulit*

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  42. Cat..nasa FB ka pala!! romeolous Alcantara ang account ko sa FB. pwede ba kitang invite??

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  43. op kors Kuya Rom...ikaw pa :-)

    I don't do FB as much as I MP (golly naman sa acronyms), coz I don't like its interface, but you can catch me there once in a while if medyo stressed ako po haha!

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  44. pareho pala tayo. I spend more time here at multiply..napuna ko lang yong litrato mo sa right hand side (under the black cat) posted as FB. Anyways, multiply has been and will always be my comfort zone and besides, all my special friends are here. BTW, don't forget to post some pictures during your recent trip to Mt. Pulag..take care!! Kuya Rom

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  45. me too! eto ang aking parang safe harbor ika nga...

    sometimes though because I want to promote a place or event, nag post na rin ako sa FB, because cross-posting sometimes doesn't still seem to interest folks..kaya ayon, most reunion pics or traveling na di usual is when I put in FB..

    I will post my Mt. Pulag pics (I've grabbed some pala from some newly made friends and placed them in an album) when I've finished the Batangas trip to Gulugod Baboy para di ko na iisipin yon..hehe..oh and something also from Bicol.

    Golly, yung Ho Chi Minh ko rin medyo not yet sorted pa...

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  46. take your time..i'll keep in touch with your MP!!

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  47. of course, the MP family is one of the bestest-sest..es...yun na! hahaha!

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