ADTREK Preparing for Mt. Halcon

Pagpasensyahan nyo na yung mga pics ha, di kasi ako marunong gumawa ng collage e....

Mt. Halcon.... sabi ng maraming pinoy mawteynirs, ito ang pinakamahirap akyatin sa 'pinas. mas mahirap pa sa Mt. Apo, na syang pinakamataas, sa Mt. Napulauan, makiling, banahaw, etsetera etsetera. kaya ng magplano ang ADTREK, na dating angas daw mawnteyniring, na akyatin ito, marami ang nag-isip kung sasama ba sila. hindi ito dey hayk o parang piknik lang na akyat. kakailanganin mo ng dalawang araw paakyat at dalawang araw din pababa. dito mo masusubukan ang halos lahat na ng klase ng treyl ng bundok. reyn at mowsi porest, mabato, maputik, masukal, at higit sa lahat... malimatik, kaya maghanda ka TUOD. isama mo na rin ang malamig na kapaligiran lalo na sa sumeyt, kaya yung mga ginawin dyan, ihanda nyo na sarili nyo.

Maraming ginawang paghahanda ang grupo, at ito ang kwento ng bawat isa...

BMC - bagama't dekada na ang binibilang ng ilan sa kanila sa pag-akyat, ngayon lang nakapag-BMC ang grupo. masaya ang bawat araw ng lektyur, maraming natutunan. nalaman ang mga kapalpakang nagawa na nya sa pag-akyat.dalawang sunud na linggo rin ang isinakripisyo ng bawat isa upang makuha lamang ito. (day1 and day2)

Mt. Makiling - ito ang naging BMC klaymb ng grupo. dito na nai-applay ang natutunan sa lektyur. nakakatuwang isipin na ang bawat isa ay isinasapuso ang kanyang natutunan...damn!!!... ang lalim non ah...

Dyaging - sa BMC, sinabi ng treynor namin na kung desido daw talaga kaming umakyat ng Halcon, kailangan daw na handang handa ang aming mga katawan...kailangan daw e yung may itatagal. at pag daw sila ang umaakyat dun, apat na buwan ang prepareysyon nila... at dahil nga likas na maangas ang ADTREK, dalawang buwan lang ang sa atin, di pa araw araw yun a. kaya naisipan ng karamihan ang mag dyaging sa paikot sa GBP, 2-3 beses isang linggo at hindi bababa sa 30 minits bawat araw. tuwing hapon ay makakakita ka ng mga nagtatakbuhan sa paligid. ito daw ang kailangan para sa endyurans at istamina.

Pico de Loro - merong umakyat ng pico para mapraktis sa pag-akyat. at masubukan na rin siguro ang epekto ng pagtakbo nila. sa kasamaang palad, yung isa sa umakyat dito ay di pinayagang mag-lib ng bisor nyo...waaaahhh!!! pasalubungan ka na lang namin...

Makulot - apat na nilalang ang umakyat dito at nag-trabers. ang dahilan, ito kasing si angas1, medyo nagdududa sa kakayahan nya kaya kailangan daw nya ng praktis. tamang tama naman, nagsorbey na rin sila para sa gaganaping mas maangas na pag-akyat dito... ang dobol trabers in les dan 9 ars.

Makulot(dobol trabers) - ito na yata ang pinakamaangas na nagawa ng grupo. ikutin ang makulot ng dalawang ulit sa luob ng 9 na oras, kasama na dito ang 1 oras para sa tanghalian. lahat ng nakarinig ng plano ng grupo ay nagtataka at wari'y nalilito. "naghahanap ba ng sakit ng katawan ang mga taong ito". maging ang mga residente sa magkabilang dulo ng bundok ay di makapaniwala. pero sa tulong ng bawat isa, sa determinasyon at sa pagnanais na marating ang halcon...nagawa ng grupo ang para sa ilan ay kahibangan, kahit na nga halos isumpa ang organayser nito...ang dobol trabers.

photo courtesy by j. nazareth

Sa lahat ng paghahandang ito ay masasabing handa na ang bawat isa, pisikali at emowsyonali...at kung anu ano pang li... anuman ang dahilan ng bawat isa upang sumama sa halcon, isa ang tiyak na masusubok sa kanila, ang lakas ng kanilang isipan. ang lakas ng katawan ay balewala kung hindi kakayaning kontrolin ito ng iyong isipan... lalo na sa panahong ika'y hirap na hirap na

sabi ng iba, pwede ka ng mag-angas pag naakyat mo na ang halcon... pwede mo ng tawagin ang sarili mong ganap na mawnteynir... ngunit sa ganang akin, di kailangang akyatin ito upang maging ganap na mawnteynir, basta't pinangangalagaan mo ang kapaligiran at sinusunod ang LNT prinsipol, maituturing mo ng isa ka ngang mawnteynir. wala ring dapat ipag-angas kapag nagawa mong akyatin ito, bagkus, ibahagi ang magandang alaalang iyong makukuha sa pag-akyat. ang ipakita sa karamihan ang magandang likha ng nasa itaas, at ihanda ang ilang kasamahan upang maging sila ay marating ang isang lugar na sadyang mailap sa karamihan...

kaya sa mga sasama, gud lak, at laging iisiping : "height has nothing to do with it. it's your strength that counts..."

Officemates

Pahinga muna sa work and mountaineering, konting pasaway muna.... forwarded lang po...

Sa mata ng isang boss, may isang dosenang klase lang ng empleyado.

CLOWNS - ang official kenkoy ng office. May mga one-liner na gumigising sa lahat kapag nagkakaantukan na. Sabi ng ilang boss, eto raw yung mga KSP sa office na dahil hindi naman matalino, o kadalasang matalino na tamad lang, eh dinadaan na lang sa patawa ang pagpapapansin. Pero aaminin ko, walang opisinang walang ganito, at kung meron man, magigigng malaking sakripisyo ang pagpasok sa work araw-araw.

GEEKS - mga taong walang pakialam sa mundo. Papel, boss, at computer lang ang iniintindi. Kahit na mainit na ang ulo ng boss at bad trip, ang mga geeks ang walang takot na lumalapit sa boss at nagtatanong kung mag-iiba ang result ng entry kung isa-substitute ang value ng debit sa credit.

HOLLOW MAN - may 2 uri ng H.M. virus, ang Type A at Type B. Ang type A ay ang empleyado na madalas na invisible sa office, bakante ang upuan, madalas absent. Ang type B naman ang pumapasok sa office bagamat present eh inivisible naman ang work, at hollow ang utak.

SPICE GIRLS - barkadahan ng mga magkaka-ibigang babae mahilig gumimik, sabay-sabay pero laging late na pumapasok. Madalas na may hawak na hairbrush at songhits [ngiyeh! how jologs!-gbs]. Pag pinagawan mo ng group works, sila ang madalas na magkaka-grupo.

DA GWAPINGS - ang male counterpart ng Spice Girls, isinilang para magpa-cute. Konti lang ang members nito, 2-3 lang para mas pansin ang bawat isa. Tulad ng Spice Girls, kadalasang puro Hair Gel lang ang laman ng utak ng mga Da Gwapings.

CELEBRITIES - Politicians, Athletes, Performers. Politician ang mga palaban na empleyado na mas nag-aalala pa sa kalagayan ng kompanya at mga kapwa empleyado kesa sa performance. Athletes ang ilang 'varsitarians' na kung gaano kabilis pumasok eh ganon kabagal mag-work. Performers naman ang mga empleyado na kaya lang yata pumapasok eh para makasayaw, kumanta, at makatula sa stage kapag organizational day. Sa pangkalahatan, ang mga celebs ay matindi ang PR, pero mababa ang IQ.

GUINESS - mga record holders pagdating sa persistence. Pilit pinupunan ang mga kakulangan sa katalinuhan. Sila ang mga kadalasang nagtatagumpay sa buhay. Masinop sa work. Mabilis mag-work, kahit na laging mali.

LEATHER GOODS - mga empleyadong maling uri ng determinasyon meron. Laging determinado ang mga ito sa harapang pangungupit, bulgarang pandaraya, at palagiang pagpapalapad ng papel sa boss. Talo ang mga buwaya sa pakapalan.

WEIRDOS - mga problematic employee, misunderstood daw, kadalasang tinatawag na black sheep ng office. May kanya-kanya silang katangian, konti ang kaibigan, madalas mapaaway, mababa ang evaluation, at boss's enemy.

MGA ANAK NI RIZAL - Ang mga Endangered Species kumbaga. Straight 'A' employees pero well rounded at hindi geeks. Boss's pet pero hindi sipsip. Busy sa work pero may oras pa rin sa extra-curricular activities, at gimiks.. Hanep!

BOB ONGS - Mga medjo matino na may sayad...

COMMONERS - mga generic na member ng class. Kulang sa individuality, at katangiang umuukit sa isipan. Hindi sila agad napapansin ng boss pag absent, at sa paglipas ng panahon, sila ang mga taong nakakalimutan ng mga boss at co-employees nila.

Stoves

After a long day of trekking through the mountains and having pitched your tent, nothing else is more wholesome than a hot cup of tea with a nice cooked meal. A good stove is therefore necessary camping equipment. Of course you can cook on an open fire, but due to the environmental impact, fire risk, inefficiency, and uncontrollability of it - the best method to cook is to use some sort of stove.

Stove Types
When you buy a stove, you should be aware of the different types of stoves. These types can be divided according to the type of fuel they burn.

Solid Fuel Stoves

This type of stove use fuel like e.g. alcohol gel or 'hex' blocks. The advantages of this fuel are that they are cheap to run, very safe, very easy to use, simple and reliable, have nearly no maintenance and the fuel cannot spill or leak. Disadvantages are that the fuel is inefficient, burns quite slowly and is not widely available. In addition you have almost no control over the heat output.

This type of stove is cheap, but should only be used in emergencies or for very few occasions.

Unpressurized Liquid Stoves

Mainly methanol is used by these type of stoves. It requires very little maintenance and is easy to use. Its drawbacks are that it is inefficient, slow, that the fuel can leak easily and that the fuel is difficult to buy overseas.

But for those who want a simple, relatively safe, and low maintenance stove and who want a stove and pan set all-in-one it is a popular choice. Especially youth groups, schools, scout groups choose this particular stove.

Gas Stoves

These stoves use gas fuel from brand names like Go-Gas, Primus or MSR butane/propane mix. These stoves are very efficient, very easy to use, clean and very controllable. Disadvantages are that they are relatively expensive to run and the fuel canister are only available in developed countries.

This type of stove is a good choice for those who go on shorter trips and where weight is an important factor.

Pressurized Liquid Stoves

Typical pressurized fuel liquids are Coleman fuel, unleaded petrol and paraffin. This type of stove is fast, efficient and chape to run. The fuel is relatively widely available (although this depends on the model of the stove). Large disadvantage is the high maintenance - it requires priming and regular cleaning. In addition the fuel is dirty, smelly can leak and can flare up while you are cooking.

A good choice for those who want a powerful stove with widely available fuel, that is cheaper to run than gas, and who don't mind the extra maintenance and hassle. Ideal for those travelling to developing countries or undertaking longer expeditions.

What you should know more before you buy

• Stoves with a separate burner and fuel bottle/canister are much more stable - especially with bigger pans or on rough ground.
• Gas stoves with a generator tube give better cold weather performance and will not flare if knocked over.
• Pressurised liquid stoves (e.g. MSR XGK II) give by far the best performance in extreme cold and/or at high altitude.
• Many gas stoves are available with built-in igniters, making them even easier and quicker to use.
  Ensure that any pressurised liquid stove is as easy to take apart/repair/maintain as possible.
  
  

Example Stoves

MSR WhisperLite Shaker Jet Stove

Snow Peak GigaPower Stove

MSR DragonFly Stove

Tips when using the stove

• A windshield will greatly improve the performance of any stove.
• For short trips, gas is the lightest and least bulky option. On longer trips however, a pressurised liquid stove and fuel can work out lighter for the heating power it produces.
• Be careful when buying fuel from unknown vendors in some developing countries as they sometimes fill or top-up gas canisters with water.

Tents

If you would like to buy a tent then you should know the answers on the following questions before you head off:

• How many people are going to sleep in it?
• Is weight and bulk an important issue?
• What weather conditions will you be using it in?

Size versus Weight

The importance of the first two questions will be covered in this section.A major consideration for anyone who will be carrying their tent is the internal space the tent offers versus it's weight. Tents that are, let's say designed for 2 persons, do have different sizes. That is because some provide a way of storage space for gear or 'living room' for changing clothes, cooking, sitting out bad weather, etc. Other do not. Some tents offer larger porches, or a porch on each side/end (therefore giving double the storage space), with only a marginal increase in weight. It is therefore important for you to decide whether increased comfort and convenience of carrying a lightweight (but cramped) tent outweighs the comfort and convenience of a more spacious (but heavier) tent.

Types of Tents

What weather conditions you will be using your tents for as well what type of camping you are planning to do is the next you should know. Dependent on the answers you can choose between the following types of tents:

3-Season Camping Tents

If you camp and backpack in mild or hot weather, then you should buy a 3-season tent. They are manufacturered with lighter weight fabrics and poles. They are also less ridged and have a stable structure. They will cope with heavy rain and moderately strong winds. Because the inner is well vented, the tent can be made cooler in hot weather. These are often the cheapest type of tent.Example:


Sierra Designs' Meteor Light


Mountain Hardwear's Hammerhead 3


Marmot's Equinox

4-Season Backpacking Tents

If you backpack and camp all year round, you need a stronger tent. 4-Season tents are made of stronger fabrics and poles than the 3-season tents. They also have a more stable structure. It will cope equally well with hot and cold temperatures through use of adjustable vents on inner and outer. Because you want to use the tent also in rainy and winter conditions, it will withstand heavy rain, strong winds and some snow.Recommended:


Mountain Hardwear's Night View


The North Face Talus 23


Marmot's Fortress

Expedition Tents

These type of tents are the strongest: they are made of the strongest fabrics, poles and have the most stable structure. They are especially useful if the main activity you use your tent for is mountaineering, high altitude trekking and camping in exposed location in winter conditions. These tents are dedicated to cope with gale force winds and heavy snow. For summer camping these tents do have a disadvantage. Because they have smaller entrances (to reduce the amount of snow blown in severe weather) and is less vented (to increase warmth of tent) it is rather uncomfortable in hot weather conditions.Example:


Mountain Hardwear's Trango 3.1


The North Face VE-25


The North Face Mountain 25

Other criteria

Condensation

All tents that are waterproof will allow condensation to form on the inside surface of the flysheet - most notable first thing in the morning. To avoid that you or your gear become wet inside the tent, a well designed tent will have a good airspace between the inner and flysheet. This will reduce the amount of condensation and reduce the chance of the inner touching the outer and getting wet. The 2 main methods of pitching a tent that have an inner and an outertent are: inner first or inner and outer together. Pitching the innertent first offers the benefit of extra strength and stability and it also offers a larger ventilation gap between the inner and outertent which reduces condensation. If tents are designed to pitch the inner and outer together, then these are quicker to put up put up and it will keep the inner tent drier if you pitch the tent in rainy windy conditions.

Cooking in tents

Beware that all most of the tents are made of fabrics that do burn very easily and rapidly. Therefore, if you have a choice, never use a stove inside your tent. However, in some situations this can not be avoided. Then do take care that the tent is adequately ventilated, and that the stove is well away from sidewalls of the tent. If you use liquid fuel stoves, then watch out for flares that can occur occasionally if you are cooking.

Maintenance of your Tent

• Always let your tent dry thoroughly before packing away for storage. If you don't then they will grow mildew, which is smelly, unsightly and impossible to remove.
• After you have dried your tent always clean all the dirt and grit from the zips, as it greatly accelerates wear. Lubricate zips when necessary with a silicon spray.
• Inners and flysheets can be machine washed with a product dedicated to clean tents.
  After some time, you might want to waterproof your flysheets again. There are several special products on the market that can be used for this purpose.
• Check the tent for small holes and rips in the flysheet or ground sheet. If you found some, then you can easily repair these with sealant products.
• If there are larger holes, rips or other damage then the tent can be returned to its manufacturer. They will repair it with care. Do make sure that the tent is clean and dry before you return them.

What you can see on top of Mt. Makiling

It's a little bit foggy when I took these pictures and we're on a tight schedule to wait for a clearing. Hope you still like it...

Sto. Tomas, Batangas (I think)

Calamba, Laguna

Taal Lake/Volcano

Mt. Banahaw

Mt. Maculot

Backpacks

Buying a backpack is quite a large investment; not only you want to know that your money is wel spent, but also that the backpack does what it needs to do. This backpack gear guide will tell you everthing you need to know before you buy a backpack.

Different types of BackpackPacks can be roughly divided into 4 main types, depending on their size/volume, design and intended use.

Daypack (15-35 litres)

These are small packs designed for day use. It carries all you may need for a days walking, trekking, sight-seeing, or climbing. A 20 to 25 litres daypack is large enough to carry food, drink, spare clothing, and other small items like a camera and first-aid kit. However for climbers or mountaineers a larger daypack of around 35 litres may be necessary as a rope and other climbing equipment should go in the daypack as well. Another thing you should look for before you buy your daypack is how the daypack opens. Some daypacks have a zip entry and other have a lid pocket that is used to close the daypack. A zip entry daypack is quick and easy to access, but less weather-tight as the lid pocket daypacks. Lid pocket daypacks allow more flexibility with the volume than zip entry daypacks. After the volume of the daypack and how the daypack opens, the choice is very much personal and based on design, color, number of pockets etc. Examples:

Trekking Pack (55-75 litres)

To carry enough clothing, food and camping equipment for multid-day walks or trekking trips, you will need a trekking pack. Because the load is heavier, the fit and the harness system of the trekking pack should be carefully designed. Features you should be looking for in a trekking pack are:
2 Compartement design: To keep things separate from other things, a 2 compartment system comes in very handy. You can use this by packing your sleeping bag in the lower compartment separate.
Straps on the sides and the base of the pack: These straps are useful to compress the air out of your clothes or you could also use them to attach a sleeping mat or your dirty boots on the outside of the bag.
Large lid pocket: This pocket is used to keep things separate but easy accessible. Think of day time essentials like emergency kit, sunburn cream etc.
Side pockets or front pockets: These are for further organization of your small items.Examples:

Travelpack (65 - 95 litres)

This backpack is similar in volume as the trekking pack, but the type of activity it is used for is very different. As the name already tells this backpack is used for travelling between multiple points as well, but with another mode of transport: planes, trains, buses and a bit on foot (whereby the trekking pack is mostly used for on foot trekking). The travelpack is therefore in that aspect quite different from the trekking pack. It is more userfriendly for travellers: It has a large zip/panel opening that allow access to the whole contents of the pack (like a suitcase). Most of the packs also have a large front pocket that can be zipped off to become a handy daypack. Example:

Mountaineering packs (40 to 65 litres)

Mountaineering packs are mostly very simple, robust and streamlined packs, with a single compartment and single lid pocket. Special features designed particular for mountaineering will include the ability to securely attach ice tools and crampons to the outside of the pack with possibly other simple details like gear loops on the hipbelt and haul loops on front and back of pack. Examples:

Harness Systems Design

When you buy a bagpack to carry loads heavy loads, then a properly fitting harness system with a padded load-bearing hipbelt and adjustable shoulder straps is vital for comfort and carrying efficiency. An important thing to note is that the hips are much better at supporting weight than the shoulders and back, therefore a good harness system will allow about 70% of the weight of the packto be transferred onto the pelvis. The shoulder straps only act as a means of keeping the pack on your back. An internal frame assists in the transfer of weight and helps maintain the shape and stability of the pack. Manufacturers have designed a couple of different designs to match these criteria - there are 4 main types:

One-size fixed

This type of harness system is cheap, light and simple, with little to got wrong or less to potentially break. One big disadvantage though is that there is no flexibility in the system, this means that it is entirely down to luck whether it fits or not.

One-size adjustable

This harness system only allows the shoulder straps to be raised and lowered to accommodate the differing lengths of people's backs. This is not ideal either as the pack will either stick way up people's heads (for the ones with a short back) or that it the pack hangs too low on their back (for the ones with a long back).

Multi-size fixed

These type of backpacks come in a choice of fixed back lengths, offering the advantages of a fixed back system (simplicity and low weight). Here you have a much better chance of finding a good fit, both in terms of back length and pack size.

Multi-size adjustable

Offers the greatest chance of getting a good fit, by allowing the selection of a correctly sized and proportioned pack, then the ability to fine tune the back length by moving the shoulder straps up or down.

Women Only Backpacks

Nowadays manufacturers also offer backpacks that are especially designed for women. These harnesses feature reshaped hipbelts (proportionally larger and more cupped, redesigned shoulder straps (positioned closer together at the neck and shaped away from the chest) and a pack shape that is keeping with the proportions of the harness. Example:

Tips for choosing your backpack

Although the fabrics the backpack is made of is waterproof or waterresistant, no pack is really waterproof. That is because water will find its way through all the seams, stitching and openings. If you really want to keep the insides of your backpack dry, either pack these type of items in a waterproof back or buy a waterproof backpack cover.

To keep items dry inside your backpack do not use dustbin liners as they rip very easily. Use rubble bags these are much stronger.

Proper packing of your backpack is essential and makes a great difference in carrying comfort. Pack the heavier items as high as possible and near to your back as possible.