Mount Pinatubo, the long road to redemption

MOUNT PINATUBO first entered my life when I was just a kid.  It was a lazy Saturday afternoon in June when me and my younger brother, then young and carefree, were holed up in our room busy beating up baddies in our video games.  At around 3 PM without warning, the world around us suddenly …

What have I realized (so far) during this lockdown?

Owing to this involuntary confinement I have to endure because of Covid-19 pandemic, I am now free to do the things I had always wanted to do "if only I had more time", and now I'm still unable to do so which means all ten fingers point towards me.  Oh well.  This is the opportunity …

Lessons from the Mountain

As I wind down by running another lap here at the penthouse of the building where I live, I couldn’t help but marvel at the beautiful setting sun in the now smog free Manila.  This is my reality right now as we grapple with a nationwide lock down due to COVID-19 pandemic.  Our world is …

I’m Learning Mandarin and Hokkien

Hi, everyone.  Since we are looking forward to a considerable amount of time without being able to travel outside Metro Manila, we may as well use our time to do productive things, such as cooking, playing a musical instrument or learning a new language. Speaking of which, Stephen had long encouraged me to learn Mandarin, …

A message to all the adventurous souls out there in light of COVID-19

Dear readers!  As much as it pains for us to put our adventurous spirit on a hiatus, we at Adventurous Herbivore acknowledges that now is not the best time to travel while a worldwide pandemic is ongoing.  In this difficult times, the best and the right thing we should do is to follow the advice …

Mount 387, take 3

I woke up about five hours late for our intended time to wake up for the trip? I was wondering if this would be a good sign or not.  At the back of my mind I guess I was reluctant to camp on that particular date in that chosen destination. Stephen and I wanted to …

Six of my favorite summit views in the Philippines

There is nothing in the world that can parallel the experience you get through hiking.  It’s not every day that you would slog a heavy backpack that feels like the weight of the world is on your shoulder (and back) while laboring on a seemingly endless ascending trail undergoing through heat, cold, rain, thirst and …

Mount Pulag-a Journey to the Clouds

Once again I’m here at DENR Visitor’s Center Pulag leading a group of twenty one souls hoping to fulfill every Filipino mountaineer’s dream of journeying to the top of Luzon.  For most of us it would be our first time to climb the third highest and probably the most famous mountain in the Philippines.  As …

The Kibungan Circuit Diary

Day 1- I shouldn’t be back here so soon.  In fact I shouldn’t be back here at all. And here I am back in Kibungan after last setting foot here two months ago in order to do a traverse hike to Santol La Union.  Stepping out of our van in Tanap jump off point after …

The Much Needed Journey to the Twin Mountains in La Trinidad, Benguet.

I had again grown weary and tired of the routine activities here in the city so I longed for a respite from the stress and pollution that goes along with living in Manila.  I had not hiked for 4 months so my best friend Stephen brought up the idea for us to hike again.  Also, …