My boss just asked me if I have read the news. He told me the 3 Pinay climbers already reached the summit of Mt. Everest today, May 16, 2007. My boss knows I like to climb that’s why he asked me if I was on top of the Everest news of the 3 Pinay climbers. I’ve been so busy the past few weeks that I haven’t kept track of the news lately.

My boss further asked me if I also aim of climbing Everest. I replied to him that I dream about but I’m not sure if I’m physically fit like them and it costs millions of Pesos to climb Mt. Everest. The permit alone costs US$10,000 then add travel, food, equipment, oxygen, insurance and Sherpa fees. I think I’ll just have to dream about this

It was May 17, 2006 when the First Filipino, Leo Oracion, summitted Mt. Everest. One year after Leo Oracion, Erwin “Pastour” Emata and Romi Garduce successfully summitted Mt. Everest, it’s the women’s turn to summit the world’s tallest mountain.

I opened the Official Website of the 1st Philippine Mt. Everest Exepedition but there was no recent news there. The last news on the site was still April 17. I opened ABS-CBN’s website since they are the one sponsoring and covering the climb and the news was there – Three Pinays on top of the world!

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We’re now back in Kota Kinabalu City after we successfully summitted Low’s peak, the highest peak in Mt. Kinabalu, yesterday early morning around 6:11 am. It was more difficult than what we expected. We took the Mesilau trail and our 1st day took us 9 hrs. to get to Laban Rata where we spent the night before summitting to Low’s peak early morning yesterday.

I’ll post details of the climb as well as pictures of the climb once I get back to Cebu on Sunday.

We’ll be staying here in Kota Kinabalu city until tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 17. We’ll just probably be going around the city looking for some pasalubong to bring home as travelling around Sabah is quite expensive..costing RM 20 or around PhP270 per person to go on long distance travel by taxi.

I would like to visit Tunku Abdul Raman (TAR) Park today but it seems that my 2 other friends are not so keen anymore of going there ‘cuz of the expenses. They’re more interested in shopping and checking out the shops around KK.

We will be heading back home to the Philippines tomorrow afternoon (1420). Hopefully the weather will be great. We certainly don’t want to get stranded again as we’re running out of money here in KK…hehe!

It’s feels good to be back trekking again. My body is sore and aching from the climb but not an ounce of regret. I’ve never enjoyed hiking as much as I did last weekend. I felt I’ve been energized again.

I terribly missed trekking and going on an adventure. Like what I mentioned in my previous post it’s all been work for me the past few weeks and I was getting bored. I was itching to do some physical activity and adventure to inject some life into me.

So here’s a brief summary of the trek last weekend:

August 5, 2006 (Saturday)
1300-1400 – wait at South Bus Terminal for Freedom and the rest of the gang
1430-1640 – travel by bus from South Bus Terminal to Dalaguete
1700-1740- travel by habal-habal from Dalaguete main highway to Nong Isar’s place
1750 – started hiking from Nong Isar’s place to Osmeña peak. The sun was already setting down so I took snapshots of the sunset while hiking to the base camp.
1810 Рarrive at Osme̱a peak base camp
1920 – ate dinner
2100-2430 – Socials and party

August 6, 2006 (Sunday)
0610 – woke up
0630-0700 – took some pictures at the peak
0700-0800 – prepared breakfast and packed lunch
0800-0900 – ate breakfast
0900-1030 – break camp, group picture
1030-1230 – start trekking to 1st water source
1230-1340 – lunch at 1st water source
1340-1600 – trek to Kawasan Falls
1600 – arrive at Kawasan main source
1630-1700 – had some snacks
1700-1730 -swimming at Kawasan
1730-1745 – change clothes and prepared going home
1745-1815 – hike from Kawasan Falls to Matutinao highway
1815-1840 -wait for bus
1840-2100 – travel by bus and left for Cebu City
2130 – Home Sweet Home

Kinabalu National Park

I met with May earlier today at Ayala mall to talk about our planned climb in Mt. Kinabalu. I had already booked Laban Rata and Mesilau last May for supposedly this month’s climb but we had to cancel it as Jeovy still had problems with her lost passport. June was our best chance to climb Kinabalu as the airfare at Air Asia was very cheap at that time. We moved it back to August to give time Jeovy to process her passport. Jeovy has now got her passport but now the problem is that May can’t make it on August as she’s got a scheduled training and can’t file a vacation leave. She’s asking if we can move it back to September or next year.

I checked Air Asia’s website and the fares for September is much expensive compared to July or August flight schedules.

It makes me sad and a li’l depressed thinking that we might not push through with the climb this year. I’m definitely all set to go no matter what it takes. This is one of things I’m really looking forward this year and I really hate getting disappointed.

I don’t mind if I don’t get to buy a new DSLR camera this year as long as I get to climb Mt. Kinabalu this year. I dunno I hope I’ll get to talk to Jeovy soon so we can sort and plan this out again.

First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition official website

Today is a great day for Filipino mountaineers as well as for the entire Filipino nation. A Filipino finally reached the summit of Mt. Everest, the highest peak in the world at 8,848m (29,028 ft.). Leo reached the summit today, May 17, 2006 at 3:30 PM Nepal time (5:30 PM Phil. time). I definitely didn’t had any doubt in my mind that he was gonna make on top. I still remember Leo when he joined the 2nd Visayas National Orienteering Competition which we organized and hosted last 2000. He was just starting out then in the adventure racing circuit. Partnering with Rob Greville they won the race and since then he has been winning adventure races one after the other.

During the 3rd Visayas Mountain Festival held last March in Patag, Silay, Art Valdez, Expedition Leader of the 1st Philippine Mount Everest Expedition informed MFPI members about the status and plans of the Expedition.

The RP Everest Team was set to climb Mt. Everest in 2007 but after Garduce announced his plans to climb Mt. Everest May of this year there has been a change of plans and FPMEE team decided to send out two of their best climbers, Leo Oracion and Pastor Emata to the summit of Everest as a “reconnaissance” climb before next year’s First Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition dubbed as the “Unity climb”.

The goal is still half-way done. I wish Leo a safe journey back to base camp.

Last April 5 I wrote in my other blog the following:

Speaking of climbing Mt. Everest, it would be interesting to see who would really get to climb there first. Would it be Romy Garduce or Leo and Pastor of the RP Everest Team. It’s quite unfortunate that their expedition has become a network war of GMA7 and ABS-CBN. It doesn’t matter who gets there first. Whoever it is, Filipinos should be proud about it. Although, honestly speaking as a member of the MFPI I would like to see Leo and Pastor of the RP Everest team get there first. I’m looking forward to see who’s going to get there first.

Links to the Summit news:

http://www.mounteverest.net/news.php?id=2011

http://news.inq7.net/top/index.php?index=1&story_id=76078

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/topofthehour.aspx?StoryId=39008

Our Kitanglad hike is one of the most memorable climbs I’ve ever had. It was the first time I was climbing in all-women’s group and we were only 3 who summited Mt. Kitanglad. It was definitely an adventure.

More pictures at Flickr

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The 3rd Visayas Mountain Festival was a success. I definitely had a great time. It was nice meeting new friends and acquaintances who share the same passion for the outdoors. It’s an experience I’ll never forget again.

More pictures in my Flickr site

I’m pretty much excited for next week’s 3rd Visayas Mountain Festival which will be held in Sitio Patag, Silay City, Negros Occidental.

I already got my vacation leave approved but I still have to ask the other club members as to who will be going to the festival. My dilemma is that no club member will be climbing as the club is already having it’s 2nd Major climb this weekend in Leyte. I’m just really crossing my fingers another club member will be joining the climb in Tinagong Dagat. I can’t afford wasting my vacation leave doing nothing exciting. I know before the weekend ends I should have things sorted out already.

Checking on the 3rd Visayas Mountain Festival’s website I found out there’s going to be 3 routes to choose from. I’ve been to Tinagong Dagat twice (in 1999 and 2002) and both times we took the Campuestohan route. I would like to try the Agang-ang route as it sounds pretty interesting. The route is only limited to 15 climbers so I hope there are still slots available. If not then I’de like to take the Patag route which is the reverse of the route we took before.

What makes the climb and trip all the more exciting for me now is that I won’t just be going there to trek but to shoot pictures as well. Flickr has definitely given me more reasons to climb and travel these days.

I can’t wait for Wednesday to come. In the meantime I gotta sleep and enjoy tomorrow’s photoshoot (or I should say later this morning as it’s already 2am) with Farl and rest of the Cebu Flickr group in the Northern towns of Cebu.