Outdoor Talk

The first thing I think of when someone mentions speaking in public is "Nope!". For most of my life I feared talking in front of people. Just the prospect of seeing them looking back at you makes fills me with embarrassment and dread.

Over time I've learned to cope with this fear and somehow accept that I will find myself in front of people, talking about whatever is assigned to me. Partly because I've had more exposure to it in the past ten years teaching applicants of UPM; and also partly because with age, you care less and less of what people say about you, and more for the need to say what you need to say. So when I was asked to give not just one, but two talks over the weekend, I was not as reluctant as I would have been a decade ago.

Hiking 101 at Lagalag Store, SM City (photo: Lagalag)

Gear and Packing 101 - Lagalag Store, SM City (April 18)

Pen invited UPM to give a series of lectures at the Lagalag exhibit in SM City, which basically are simplified versions of the BMC modules we give UPM applicants. I was asked to do the second part of the series last Saturday, and it covered gear familiarization and operation. This is one of my favorite topics since I'm a bit of a gearhead myself. Aside from that, it occurs to me that a lot of hikers, beginners and experienced alike, have a lot of misconceptions about camping gear. Most people let brands rule their decision without consideration of the type of hiking/climbing they'll be doing.

Over the years of hiking regularly, I embraced the philosophy of simplicity. I've learned to shed all the unnecessary things from my pack. As such, I've been spared of the ordeal of carrying non-essential items that have never been used up the mountain. While I do still fancy myself as a gear junkie, the thought of buying gear for the heck of it, without having any immediate need for the item has all but vanished from my system. Which is good, because my bank account is not as depleted as before, and my house is less cluttered (although, I must admit that I could shed a bit more old gear).

The audience seem receptive of the idea of buying responsibly; thinking twice before finally committing to one gear. After all, camping gear is not cheap. And despite people having seemingly higher disposable income, money is still wasted if purchases are not done with a clear head. 

Lance demonstrating how to remove dirt inside your tent (photo: Lagalag)

We also covered the importance of knowing how to use and care of equipment properly. I've heard a lot of horror stories about tent poles breaking, stoves exploding, and backpacks crumbing because their owners have failed to study how to handle them the right way. Cleaning gear after a climb is the worst part of any climb, but it's the most necessary. We all need to have the discipline to check our gear before and after use, and make sure that they are stored correctly. 

The talk ended well, but I think I used a bit more time than I was allotted. Still, I was surprised that the audience held their urge to sleep in check.

Talking about leaving nothing but footprints (photo: ROX/Instagram)

Responsible Outdoorsman - R.O.X. Bonifacio High Street (April 19)

It was a hot afternoon in High Street, but a lot of people still wandered the exhibits at the first R.O.X. Outdoor Festival. The entire center garden of BHS was covered by the various booths and activity areas of R.O.X. I did have a great time looking around and chatting with friends.

Anyway, as part of their activities, we were asked to give a talk about responsible mountaineering. Normally, what we discuss here are the seven Leave No Trace Principles, which is already almost universally known to local hikers (the extent of their understanding might vary, of course). With this in mind, I thought it might be interesting to expand the topic to not just responsibly picking after yourself. With a bit more research, my presentation came to discuss areas that normally get overlooked by hikers and tourists in general. 

As a mountaineer/hiker/adventurer/traveller/etc., you have a lot of responsibility. First, you are responsible to your well-being. You are also partly responsible for the well-being of your team, most especially if you are the team leader. More importantly, you must also consider the culture and receptiveness of the local community with regard to you visiting their place. 

Why are these things important? In short, because you are answerable to your actions. And sometimes your actions can hurt other people. Take for example, someone deciding to go up a mountain alone, without informing anyone. If that person gets injured, or dies, then someone else must come after him and risk their own life saving or recovering him. Their welfare now becomes tied to your own. So by taking risks, you are also passing some of the risk to other unsuspecting people.

Regarding the local community, for far too long, tourists have regarded locals as service staff, and treating them as such. People fail to realize that beneath all the work the local are doing in their behalf, for free or in exchange for money, these men and women are the hosts, welcoming tourists to their land, their homes and culture, and therefore, must be treated with dignity. They should not be treated as servants in their own land; in the same manner that each of us should not be treated as servants in our own home. 

These sensitivities to local culture are not taught in the run-of-the-mill, fly-by-night outdoor organizations, hence a new generation of so-called mountaineers have a cast a negative image, making mountaineers in general look bad. This is what made the founders of UPM stand out during the golden years of Philippine mountaineering. They knew the value of treating people with respect, and thus to this day, those people still speak highly of them. Respect begets respect.

Too bad not a lot of people got to attend; but I really appreciated the attention of those who were there (especially the group of UPM applicants who filled the otherwise empty venue). But I feel that this topic should be discussed with wider audience--not necessarily me as the speaker. The reason why mountains and beaches are being destroyed is because those who visit them do not hold these places in high regard. People are too occupied with their selfie sticks and bucket lists to think twice about throwing their trash just anywhere. 

* * *

I am grateful to Lagalag and ROX for giving us a venue to teach people outside of UPM these important subjects. As a public speaker, I feel I still have a lot of room for improvement. But I know thatwith each opportunity to talk in front of an audience, skill and confidence grows, as long as it is given the appropriate preparation. 

Eventually, I won't feel like Ricky Bobby anymore. hehe

(For further reading, I suggest you check the article of my former teacher, Caloy Libosada, in his blog http://travelcentralph.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-to-be-responsible-tourist.html)