38th UP Mountaineers Anniversary

There was a whole lot of running last weekend, as we celebrated the 38th year since the UP Mountaineers was founded. Six individuals got together during the summer of 1977 and decided to start an outdoor organization based in the UP Diliman campus. Despite being at the height of Martial Law--where going up the mountains mean something else--their application for university recognition was approved, much to their surprise. The rest is mountaineering history.

UPM-SAR Training at ROX

Last night's quick but heavy downpour nearly put Metro Manila into a standstill. Lucky for us, the stretch of C5 on the way to ROX High Street was surprisingly clear of vehicles, so I made it to the UPM-Search and Rescue (UPM-SAR) training (I found out that Katipunan was knee-deep in flood so very few cars could pass all the way to C5).

Rainy season is upon us, and what happened last night is a clear sign that Metro Manila is f**ked once a major disaster happens. If a brief rain shower like that could cause chaos, what more a massive typhoon or worse, a major earthquake? Which is why the SAR training is even more relevant than ever.

new recruits for the UPM-SAR Team (photo: Ninoy Leyran)

Let's Get Physical

October is fast approaching, and the Dream Climb is 80% sure. Time to panic. 

A lot of things have to happen before October. The biggest one behind money matters and making sure personal matters are in order, is to get fit. I've harbored the illusion that I'm fit enough to catch my dream. But if the past two weeks is any indication, I'm miles away from my required level of fitness.

Amping our core muscles (photo: Cleve Mallari)

Thoughts on Gunung Kinabalu

It's turning out to be a devastating year for mountaineering. After the deadly quake in Nepal that killed thousands of people and scores of mountain climbers, Sabah was shaken by a magnitude 6 tremor, which caused massive rockfalls and landslides in Mt. Kinabalu, killing at least 19 hikers, including several children from Singapore. Hundreds of people were trapped near the summit as the trail down got swept away.

Stranded climbers, awaiting rescue (photo from Zuma Press)

[Plan C] Saturday Climb in Atimonan

It was a warm, mostly sunny day at the walls of Tinandog in Atimonan. The first chance I got, I took off my clean shirt and changed to my climbing singlet. I wouldn't want to get my only shirt soaking in sweat on the bus ride home.

Cece and I weren't supposed to be there that weekend, but the universe has other plans for us. Out plans got cancelled. But I don't regret it. I've been longing to go back here since last year. As always, Pastor Noel is there to welcome us warmly to his playground.

Cece at Yema

[New Gear] New shoes, enough motivation?

Last weekend, while nursing my bruises, I got a package which I hope would rekindle my training fire. Inside were a new pair of Five-Ten MoccAsyms and a set of Omega Pacific quickdraws. The whole weekend I've toyed with these items in every way, most eager to try them out. (Atimonan was waiting for me. That would have been a great first climb for these gear. But life has other plans.)

Mercury in Retrograde

Last week was particularly "un-awesome" for me. Stock market is down. Pickup nearly stalled in a busy intersection because it ran out of fuel. Later on I found someone keyed my car door, leaving very nasty scratches. To top it off, I crashed my bike to a pickup truck on my way to work. I was too battered I had to cancel our Atimonan rock trip last Saturday. While Mercury's retrograde is said to affect electronics and big decisions, I think it had some influence on my week.

It's just one of those days, I guess. #Ouch

A photo posted by Dennis Lopez (@dencius) on May 27, 2015 at 10:49pm PDT