Samal Island Trail Run

This is one of my favorite playground in the country, the Island Garden City of Samal, Philippines. I still remember the secluded highlights and beaches of this island. Mostly are foot trails, you need to ride a (habal-habal) motorcycle and hike before you reach the spot. 

I always visit this island for some trail run. I always do this every weekend. This is some sort of my training or hobby, 'cause I always run, hehe! 

Last Sunday (October 20, 2013) I made a route on this island.

Here is the map from Google Earth, using WGS 84 Datum. Honestly I don't have the exact distance because I don't have the gadgets right now (so poor, haha!) but it was approximately 50kms run if I count this point to point with coordinates. 

Route: Babak Barge (Start) - Penaplata - Hagimit Falls - Mt. Puting Bato Summit - Canibad Beach then traverse round trek and run.

I always come to this place for my endurance run. Not only to train my self but to know my self even more. For me when it comes to ultra running nobody can help you but yourself. You must know every inch of your strength and weakness. The capacity of your body and muscle to perform. It is not helpful to follow and apply what you've read on the internet. You must have your own way to train and practice. People are not the same, we're like roosters. Different breed, different food to take, and different conditioning when it comes to running and other sports. 

Check out youtube detailed video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PcBy64dnRE for further view of the route.

Thanks! ;)

From Ocean to Summit to Sea II

The second batch of Samal Island get away from TAPOK Outdoor Club Philippines... August 2-5, 2013

The Itinerary...

Route:

Davao City – Crocodile Farm – Garden of Eden – Jack Ridge - Samal Island – Monfort Bat Cave – Hagimit Falls – Mt. Puting Bato – APO Cave – Canibad Beach – Talikod Island

Day 1 – Friday

1200    -Davao City Airport                             - ETA

            -Lunch @ the House of Host

            -Food Preparation

1300    -Crocodile Farm

            -Witness Tribu Mindanawan

            -House of Butterflies

            -And Crocodile Show

1400    -Magsaysay Boulevard

            -(Habhab Durian & Mangosten)

1500    -Garden Of Eden

            -Experience Sky Rider

            -Fishing Village

            -Horse Back Riding

1900    -Jack Ridge

            -Dinner with Overlooking View

2100    -Bar Hopping @ MTS

            -Drinks & Beautiful Creatures ;)

2300    -Visit APHIO House

            -Drinks & Chika2

0400    -Back to the House of Host

            -Food Preparation

            -Proper Back Packing

            -Short Briefing

            -Take Power Nap

             or continue drinking, haha!

Day 2 – Saturday

0500    -Wake-up Call

            -House of Host to Sasa Wharf             - ETD

0530    -Sasa Wharf, Davao City                     - ETA

            -Buy fresh from the Sea

            -(lab-as na isda)

0600    -Davao to Samal Island                       - ETD

0630    -Babak Wharf, Samal Island                - ETA

            -Ride Habal2 to Monfort Bat Cave

0700    -Monfort Bat Cave

            -Explore 5 Cave Openings

            -Buy Souvenir

            -Witness the Guinness White Bat

0830    -Monfort to Hagimit Falls                       - ETD

0900    -Hagimit Falls                                       - ETA

            -Food Preparation

            -(Sugba2 ug Kilaw)

            -Coffee Break para huwas, haha!

            -Swimming & Photo Shoot

            -Breakfast to Lunch

            -(Unlimited Habhab)

            -Short Briefing

1200    -Hagimit to Mt. Puting Bato                   - Jump-off

1530    -Shoulder                                              - ETA

            -Water Refill @ Cold Spring

            -Take snacks and rest

1600    -Shoulder to Summit                            - Continue Assault

1700    -Park Ranger House                             - ETA

            -(Camp 2)

            -Picture2 & Logbook

1715    -Camp 2 to Camp 1                              - Power Ascend

1730    -Mt. Puting Bato Peak                           - ETA

            -Capture the Summit Sunset  

            -Experience the 360 Degrees View

1830    -Pitch-up Tent

            -Food Preparation

            -(ihaw ta bisaya manok)

            -Dinner

            -Programs & Drinks

2400    -Lights-off

Day 3 – Sunday

0500    -Wake-up Call

            -Coffee para pahuwas napud, haha!

            -Witness the Summit Sunrise

            -Photo Shoot

0730     -Break Camp

            -Food Preparation

            -Breakfast

            -Short Briefing

0830    -Peak to Canibad Beach                      - Start Traverse

1130    -Multiple Cold Springs                         - ETA

            -Water Refill and Snacks

1145    -Shoreline Trekking                             - Continue Traverse

1230    -Canibad Beach                                   - ETA

            -Food Preparation

            -Lunch & Drinks

            -Swimming & Photo Shoot

            -Jump to the Highest Cliff

1500    -Canibad to Penaplata                        - ETD  

            -Ride bus to Kaputian District

1630    -Kaputian Pier                        

            -Take Bangka to Talikod Island

1700    -Dayang Beach Resort, TI                   - ETA

            -Pitch-up Tent

            -Snacks & Photo Shoot

            -Capture the Sunset

            -Food Preparation

1900    -Dinner

            -Night Swimming

            -Programs & Drinks

0100    -Lights-off

Day 4 - Monday

0500    -Wake-up Call

            -Swimming para pahuwas, hehe!

            -Coffee or milk

            -Break Camp

0700    -Talikod Island to Davao                     - ETD

1000    -Sta Ana Port, Davao City                   - ETA

            -Buy Souvenir & Pasalubong

            -(Suroy2 sa Sugbo)

1600    -Ciudad to Airport                               - ETD

1700    -Davao City Airport                             - ETA

         ***The next hour Home Sweet Home***

                            -End of Journey-

The arrival at the house of flies, hehe!

At the crocodile farm...

Visit the APHIO house...

Eat first before drink, hehe!

The gatherings ;)

Jump-off from the house of host...

With Jairus at Hagimit Falls...

At camp 2...

At the tent...

The campsite...

Capture the sunrise at the peak...

You are GOD!

Start our traverse to Canibad Beach...

Canibad beach resort, cooking our lunch...

Talikod Island

Going Back to Davao...

Lunch at Penong's before buying souvenirs and delicacies... 

Snacks at Ice Giants prior to my friends departure...

I'm in a hurry. So this is it, enjoy my latest blog. Thanks, ciao....

Seven Mistakes of New Hikers and Mountaineers Make

(A useful blog from http://www.emsexploration.com)

1. Failure to Prepare

Working out in a gym, running, biking, and many other forms of exercise is definitely beneficial to your well being, but it won’t get you in “hiking shape”. The “incline” feature on a treadmill doesn't come close to simulating the experience of hiking in New England’s rocky terrain for six or more hours. The only way to really get in shape for hiking is to hike. Start out small and work your way up to your goal.

2. Improper Clothing and Supplies

Most people know the basics about what to wear and carry while hiking. At times I see people hiking with sneakers or (seriously) flip flops on a 4000-footer peak, but most of the time people are wearing boots, dressed in layers, wearing sunscreen, and have plenty of water.

Unfortunately, many take it too far. Terrified of leaving something behind, some carry a day pack stuffed with so much extra clothing and food to last a week and carry every gimmicky hiking gadget out there.

When you prepare for a hike, take reasonable precautions. For day hikes, dress in light layers and carry the water and food you need. Do carry some extra. With experience you will figure out how much you will need. Minimize what else you carry to the necessities. If you recently purchased or plan to purchase a pack, wear it on a few short trails to familiarize yourself with how it feels to hike with it.

3. Poor Choice of Trail

It almost goes without saying that hikers should consider the length, time, and difficulty level of a trail in deciding whether to try it. Hiking a trail that is too long or strenuous for you will sap you of your energy, frustrate you and your hiking companions, and leave you with very sore muscles the next day. Don’t get too caught up in hiking the highest peaks or doing the “must hike mountains” because of the view.

You can avoid this by (once again) starting small and working your way up. Cut your teeth on short, easy trails, then gradually increase the length and difficulty level of your hikes. Before long, you’ll be able to enjoy full day hikes or overnight trips. In the meantime, those longer and more strenuous trails aren't going anywhere.

4. Not Taking Time to Adjust

You’re almost to the summit, only a couple steep sections to go and you’ll be there. You start to sweat more, but decide to continue on as you’re so close. Big mistake. When you begin to overheat, especially on a winter hike, it is crucial to delayer. All the sweat you’re trapping in will freeze once you are exposed to wind and could cause hypothermia. Don’t forget to take time to add layers a little before you’ll really need them. An exposed summit in 50 mph winds is not the place to try to put a jacket on.

5. Not Checking Trail Conditions

New England weather is highly unpredictable, especially in the Mountains. You may run into some unexpected snow and ice in October or impassable stream crossings in the Spring. Always check trail conditions online several times before any hike. Be aware of the worst case weather scenario and pack the gear to deal with it. Trails NH is a great resource to look up the trail conditions for any peak as it compiles trip reports from every major blog and forum. The Mount Washington Observatory is another great resource.

6. Setting the Wrong Pace

Be cautious of how you start a hike. It is very easy to try to speed through a moderate section at the beginning of a hike to improve your overall hiking time. Setting a really fast pace at the beginning will tire you out by the time you hit your first set of switchbacks. When you arrive at a difficult climb, you’ll need to rest every couple of feet.

When you begin your hike, pace yourself; you’re not running a race. Remember, once you reach the summit, you still have to return to the trailhead. Save your energy, or you risk exhausting yourself on your hike and become too tired to enjoy it. The lower section of a hike can be as beautiful as the summit. Take some time to notice small details like interesting mushrooms or rock formations.

7. Refusing to Turn Back

When faced with a choice between continuing up a trail not suitable for you and turning back, don’t get “summit fever”. Hiking is not always about making it to the top. You should hike because you find it rewarding, not because you want to check a trail off your list. I find this difficult as I do hike lists, but I know I can always return and there is no shame in turning back if you find yourself on a hike that is too long or too tiring. Ultimately, you want to look back fondly on your hike, not cringe at the memory of how miserable you were or how much pain you were in the next day.

Have you ever found yourself on a trail you weren't prepared for? Tell us about it in the comments below.

From Ocean to Summit to Sea

Last June 21-24 in the year of the Lord 2013, hehe! My friends and brothers of APHIO visited me here in Davao City, they like to have some tour and to experience great adventure in the island of Samal. So I made a short list for them to be prepared -a four days itinerary.

First day morning we went to Bankerohan, the biggest market in town. Bought some chicken and pork, rice and seasonings, etc., and of course drinks and trail foods, trail foods for our drinks, hehe! After the food preparation in the house of flies we visit Eden Park, the largest park in town.

This park consist of 80 hectares land, they have Butterfly Garden and Horse Back Riding, etc. This picture, yeah that’s an artificial horse. I did not ride the real one ‘cause I’m like a horse and I can ride like a horse, nyahaha! Just kidding. Anyways, we did not make it the rest of the park because it’s getting dark. The best time to go there is early morning and rent a minicab so you can have a whole day tour on the entire park.

After that we went to Jack Ridge resort and restaurant. I don’t know why they called it resort; I don’t see any beaches or shoreline, joke haha! They have lots of close cottages, bars and a fine restaurant.  The place is in the top of the mountain. You can see the city lights while having a fine cuisine and great scenery of tunes and music. A nice place for lovers, family and friends, friends who are in love or friends with benefits, hikhikhik just kidding! 

This is one of Davao City’s finest tourist destination. And this mountain is one of my training grounds ;)

On our second day, we went to Samal Island. The start of our journey and adventure, we called it “From Ocean to Summit to Sea”. This is my 6^th time to visit the island and our first stop -Monfort Bat Cave. The biggest bat cave in the whole wide world, hehe!

After that we went to Hagimit Falls, our jump-off point to Mt. Puting Bato. We stayed there for 3 hours. Picture2, chika2, food preparation, swimming and site seeing, hehe!

And of course in every great adventure there is a finest man behind. I am the ocean, I am the tree, there’s a world inside of me, charoooot haha!

After swimming at Hagimit we start our trek around 1300 hours then we reach the summit of Mt. Puting Bato before 1700 hours. Then sweep the area for a nicer view, for pitch-up and sweeter meals to prepare ;)

This is the view of our campsite. We just brought two tents for the three of us and a modified lantern for a better ambiance and lights. These lanterns are made with small candles, plastic bags and bbq sticks. It came from the original mind, nyahaha! It's sturdy as oak but when it rains, I’m sorry hehe! And for our foods, we prepared marinated chicken and pork for heavy meals. Salted and mixed with soy sauce, kalamansi, vinegar, onions and garlic. It will last for several days, depends on how you cook and to your budget. And also we prepared some eggs, skinless longanisa and coffee for breakfast. These are enough for 2 days get away.

I did not bring any canned goods because it’s avoidable for me, it can cause heavy backpacking and aftermath destruction to our beautiful nature. I’m a mountain person, not only naturalist or environmentalist but I was born to it. 

On our 3^rd day, a trail blaze traverse to Canibad beach. After we reach we rest and charged our phone and camera then have some snacks before leaving the island.

Late afternoon we arrived at Talikod Island. Spend overnight and have some fun. Swimming, foods and drinks, hehe! And witness the biggest full moon on earth -recorded June 23, 2013.

And on our 4^th day, last day of our itinerary. We went back to the city then visited the Crocodile Farm before ETD’s of my friends back to Cebu. 

This is the largest crocodile farm in the country, the habitat of my late friend Lolong, haha! You can find lots of animals here; it’s like a Jurassic park but no dinosaurs, hehe! They have also souvenirs made with crocodile skin like wallet, shoes, bags, key chain and also crocodile cuisine (exotic foods) served like sisig. 

So this is it. My simple way to entertained and accommodate friends. Ciao ;)

3rd Columbia Summer Kayak Fest

I was here, haha! I was invited and sponsored on this event. I enjoy the compe while I'm drinking, haha! And I've seen lots of beautiful creatures, hikhikhik!

I joined the solo men category.

The Participants.

I came from the mountain, raised in the ocean. Born to be wild and free. I'm so proud of it, hehe!

My brothers in APHIO, the one who invited me.

My friends, brothers and sisters of APHIO.

Experience that distinctive full flavour taste and extra satisfying strength of a world class premium strong beer -Red Horse Beer, hikhikhik!

The Talk 'N Text kakas! She has the cat eyes.

When the tide is high and so am I, haha! The Columbia stuff, I mean staff, haha!

I really enjoy this competition, I won new friends, lots of friends. And also wine, drink lots of wines, haha! Till next time Columbia, ciao! ;)

The North Face 100 Philippines 2013

The North Face 100 PH 2013

This picture was taken in Burnham Park upon my arrival in Baguio City -the great venue of TNF100 Philippines. I don't have rest, I just travel for more than 10 hours across the country then picture2 before the briefing starts at 3pm.

Burnham Park Landmark.

Lake at the center of the park.

The Park.

Inside briefing area with Pastour Emata, our National Climber and Expeditionist as guest speaker. 

Carbo load after the short briefing, hmmm yummy! ;)

Outside briefing area with Eric, also from Davao.

Picture2 before the run starts at 3am, with Sir Eric, Jinky and Atty. Jon. Check out official ABS-CBN Sports Unlimited video of the TNF 100k 2013 http://www.inakapatidanak.info/2013/05/sports-unlimited-abs-cbn-may-11-2013.html 03:17 (Side View), 05:06 (Front) and 05:22 (Back)

I don't have trail photos so this is it, my simple reward. 275 participants (from the Philippines and other country) join the 100kms category, only 109 Ultrans survived. 7 mountains including the famous Mt. Santo Thomas and Mt. Cabuyao. Total elevation 5,195 meters, approximately more than 28 hours run. Check official race result #69 http://www.thrillofthetrail.ph/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/TNF-100-2013-Overall-100k-rev03.pdf 

Thanks! ;)

Araw Ng Dabaw Marathon

The 2nd Phoenix Petroleum Araw ng Dabaw Marathon was celebrated March 10, 2013 at SM Lanang Davao City, Philippines. This marathon is like an opening of a long weekend celebration of Araw Ng Dabaw or the 76th Founding Anniversary of Davao City. The celebration will end next Sunday March 17, 2013, so lots of fun and gigs are more to come. Drinks, dancing and miracles, hikhikhik!

Here's my photos ;)

I took this photo when I reach the finish line for almost 6 hours.

The banana man, haha!

At the stage when I received my finisher's shirt and certificate.

With Madam Principal at Kilometer 37 and the banana in my pocket, hikhikhik!

With Miss Gilda and her comrades, she runs the 21K Category.

My Souvenir.