Figuring the Figure 8 Pool

To sum up my mountain climbing journey in 2015, I reached 7 summits and did 6 treks along rivers and beaches. It was a very outdoorsy year for me and I wish to continue this hobby in 2016. To celebrate my 6^th month in Australia, my family and I decided to all go to the famous Figure 8 Pool…okay, maybe not THAT famous but someone suggested we do the trek and the photos looked stunning. It would be a wonderful day trip outside Sydney with your whole family.

Last Hurrah in Mt. Apo

6 months have passed since my Mt. Apo climb and I haven’t written about it. If you don’t know yet, I moved to Sydney, Australia exactly 5 months ago so you can understand how hectic moving to a new place can be, thus, the delay and the silence in my blog. I’ve a lot of catching up to do.

I started my mountain climbing craze in January 2015. To sum it all up, I’ve gone up 9 summits this year – Mt. Pulag, Mt Kanlaon and Osmena Peak to name a few. I wanted to prove to myself (and my muscles) that I am capable of hiking the highest peak of the country. I thought it would be a great way to say aurevoir to the Philippines before I leave it indefinitely. How better to shout goodbye to the place I’ve lived my entire life than 2,954 meters above sea level? I thought it was a pretty breath-taking gesture – literally.

This was by far the longest climbing trip I have ever done. To prepare my body for this trip, I had to enrol in a wall climbing class, I biked every morning and instead of taking the elevator to my office, I took the stairs up 10 floors (Repeat everyday for 3 weeks).

Mt. Kanlaon: Highest Peak in Visayas

I’m getting pretty addicted to climbing mountains. I question myself why I never thought of doing this before. Now, I have an endless list of mountains to climb. I have conquered the highest peak in Luzon and though it rained on us the entire time, I still reached the summit. (Mt. Pulag, I will have my vengeance!) Next stop on my list was the highest peak in Visayas which is Mt. Kanlaon.

Fun Facts about this mountain:

*It’s the third most active volcano in the Philippines – yes! It is active and can erupt anytime!

*It’s 2,435 meters above sea level

*It’s the highest peak in the Visayas region but 28^th highest in the country

Mt. Pulag: What to Expect

Ever since the day my cousin showed me a picture of Mt. Pulag 2 years ago, it has been part of my Bucket List. Little did I know I was scratching it off my list sooner than expected. This trip was a spur of the moment decision. When I found out my brother and his mountaineering friends were going, without second thoughts, I signed up for it as well. The trip was in less than two weeks and there was no time for preparation. I looked at my wardrobe frustrated because I did not own a single thing that can be used for the trek. Not to mention I have never gone on a major camping/trekking trip in my life. I didn’t know what to expect but I was going with a big group and most of them were pros which I found comfort in. I also dragged my adventure junkie bestfriend with me. So here’s how my 3-day Mt. Pulag adventure was like.

Cinque Terre Walk: The Mother of All Trails

In 2010, my family and I went to Italy for 3 weeks. One of the highlights of that trip was the Cinque Terre – 5 lands in English; it’s called so literally because of the 5 towns that compose it namely: Monterosso, Vernazza, Cornigla, Manarola and Riomaggiore. These 5 villages cling to the Italian Riviera coastline and embrace the Mediterranean Sea. The villages of the Cinque Terre in a bird’s eye view are somewhat the same in a sense that they all have pastel colored little buildings; they’re famous for their pesto; they are all built on cliffs and they have their own beach fronts (except for Corniglia). However, each town is unique in its own way; they have their own personality that differs them from one another. The primary attraction of the Cinque Terre is the trail that connects each village together that is being maintained by the UNESCO World Heritage. This is why the Cinque Terre is a famous destination for back packers and adventurous tourists, although not as popular as the big cities, but it’s slowly getting there.

#1 Riomaggiore

#2 Manarola

#3 Corniglia

#4 Monterosso

#5 Vernazza