Trek to Everest Base Camp Spring (Holy Week) 2018 - 17 days (12 hiking days)

More and more Pinoys are finding their way to the foothills of the highest mountains of the world. Don't be left behind!

Our partner, Dream Himalaya Adventures Pvt. Ltd, has a special offer for Filipino teams planning to go to EBC. DHA has been guiding Pinoys since the 2006 Filipino Mt. Everest expeditions. Email me to book your slot!

Independence Day Rock Trip

June 12 - It's been a week since I came back from that not-so-secret 10-day trip. The one that left me sprained and gashes all around; making me miss out on a rock trip in Wawa the day after my return. Those who did get to climb told me that the route they took at the Uling wall was not the easier ones in the area (looking at the old guidebook, there is a scarcity of routes below 5.8). I told the guys that, weather permitting, I'll take them to the Rook area for a proper intro on the crags of Wawa.

Bridge leading to the limestone walls

A Typical Workout Week

With the traffic and all the big and small problems in the country not going away any time soon, having a routine that de-stresses you is becoming more and more important. Without physical exertion, all that pressure inside you will slowly crush you until you get sick. 

As October gets closer and closer, making sure that I'm in peak form is a priority. Good thing I can rely on the U.P. Mountaineers for some motivation. My typical week is segmented into a) domestic duties and taking care of the dog; b) work and trying not to get fired, and c) physical training.

Tuesdays. Mountain rockstar training (MRT) is going well. Master Thumbie celebrated (in advance) his birthday with us with a lung- and gut-busting workout. Two days after the workout, I could still feel the burn on my obliques, which I hope would translate to a stronger core. 

A Day of UPM-SAR Wilderness Training

(Having a puppy sure does take a lot of my time. I meant to post this a week ago, but after work, training and taking out doggie poop, sleep time is what's left - D)

Two Saturdays ago, I finally stepped into a forest setting, after months of mostly urban activities. This is the third session for the UPM-SAR Team 3, and we were in Alfonso, Cavite for their training on mountain search and rescue. Where better to learn about patient extraction and transport than in an actual wilderness, right?

how to rig a safe Tyrolean traverse line

Go Climb A Rock!

Last Saturday I put my training to the test and joined a "novice" and "fun" competition in Power Up Tandang Sora (or TS). I've been going to TS regularly now for the past month (plus the occasional mountain rockstar sessions), and I can feel some progress on my overall strength. Besides, they said it's a fun event, so no pressure to win (as if I would!).

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)

[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.)

Hot humid climb day

So many missed opportunities for rock climbing happened in the last year. I've used plenty of excuses, and all of them seems lame (buzzword of the moment) in hindsight. Just to be different last weekend, I took on the invite of Ian to go to Wawa and feel the rocks again, despite still nursing a nasty sprain I got two weeks ago.

Back to wasak. #Wawa #AngHeat #noupperbodystrength

A photo posted by Dennis Lopez (@dencius) on May 8, 2015 at 9:17pm PDT

New Gear Tuesday!

Thanks to Yanna, I got my new runners!

Independence Day Climb - Plan B

It was an overcast and rainy Independence Day morning. Our plan to go to Wawa for a intro session to outdoor climbing was effectively cancelled on Wednesday afternoon, when it started to rain hard. 

To save our day from the disappointment of having wet crags, Jojo suggested we go indoor climbing instead. Power Up Centro was their gym of choice.

Close Calls

(another retro-post from 2008)

Tragedy makes for a good screenplay; unless the tragedy is yours, then it sucks.

When disaster hits, it sometimes comes from the most unlikely places. The recent unfortunate incident in Pundaquit reminded me of some close calls I've had in "fairly simple/easy" destinations that I (we) underestimated.