Hiking matters #749: Mt. Tuwato (1715m) dayhike in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
8M ago
I’ve hiked countless mountains in the Philippines but with our vast and diverse archipelago, there’s always something new to discover – like Mt. Tuwato, the mountain I hiked July 23, 2023. Located in Cervantes, Ilocos Sur, this 1715-meter peak is actually part of the Cordilleras and is closer to Mountain Province than to Vigan. I first caught a glimpse of this mountain back in 2016, when I was climbing nearby Mt. Namandiraan (see Hiking matters #553); seven years later I’m glad to finally visit this peak. The ascent of the loop hike was particularly beautiful, very much reminiscent of Sicapo ..read more
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Hiking matters #751: Majestic Mt. Kampalili (2320m) in Maragusan, Davao de Oro
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
8M ago
On August 5-6, 2023 I climbed Mt. Kampalili via Sitio Kaluyapi in Maragusan, Davao de Oro, finally completing the three great peaks of Davao de Oro, alongside Mt. Candalaga (which I climbed in 2016) and White Peak (which I climbed last year). Once elusive and inaccessible, Kampalili features mossy forests reminscent of Talomo as well as – uniquely for a Mindanao mountain – limestone cliffs akin to those of Mantalingajan. I was joining a team organized by Ms. Tina Corpuz who also spearheaded the successful Makaturing hike just days before (see Hiking matters #750), and ably led by Paken (who I ..read more
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Hiking matters #750: Climbing Mt. Makaturing (1965m) in Butig, Lanao del Sur
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
8M ago
On July 30-31, 2023, I had the golden opportunity to climb Mt. Makaturing (1965m) in Butig, Lanao del Sur. Featuring a dense jungle, volcanic features, as well as stunning views of Lake Lanao, a partially obscured Lake Makaturing, and nearby mountains, climbing Makaturing was is a unique adventure and it was an absolute joy to spend a night in the campsite. Coming ten years after my ascent of Mt. Ragang, this is only my second hike in Lanao del Sur and, Inshallah, I look forward to more. Day 0 involved traveling from Marawi to Butig and spending the night thanks to the hospitality of on ..read more
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Hiking matters #708: Climbing Mt. Aragats’ Northern Summit, Armenia’s highest peak
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
YEREVAN, ARMENIA – Armenia and Georgia are so close to each other that it would have been a pity to skip the former in my Eurasia expedition. Likewise, it would have been a shame to miss out on Mt. Aragats, at 4090 MASL the highest mountain in Armenia, after reaching the summits of Ararat (Hiking matters #706) and Kazbek (Hiking matters #707). As it turned out, although my hiking buddy Jeshua Sales and I did it as a dayhike from Yerevan, it was a worthy challenge in itself. Leaving Yerevan at 0620H with our guide Gar from Armenian Geographic, we arrived at Lake Kari (around 3200 MASL) over a ..read more
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Hiking matters #710: Trekking up Kol-Tor Lake in Kyrgyzstan
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
Of late, I’ve favored spending more time in fewer countries rather than visiting a lot of countries without really experiencing what it’s like to live there – at least for a while. This is why I had planned on going directly to Kazakhstan after Uzbekistan. However, since Bishkek was very near Almaty (my final stop in the Eurasia trek that started in Turkey last month), I thought that I might as well drop by for a few days – mindful that I can take a much longer trip in the future, perhaps attempting some of the high mountains there. And so I found myself in Bishkek a day after climbing G ..read more
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Hiking matters #709: Hiking up Greater Chimgan (3309m) in Uzbekistan
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
After the series of hikes in Turkey’s Mt. Ararat (see Hiking matters #706), Georgia’s Kazbek (see Hiking matters #707), and Armenia’s Aragats (Hiking matters #708), I was prepared to rest while touring the Silk Road cities in Uzbekistan. However, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to do a hike in this Central Asian country, especially when I found out that one of the local favorites – the 3309-meter Greater Chimgan or Mt. Big Chimgan is accessible is a daytrip from Tashkent. Fortunately I found an agency who was willing to arrange the logistics, including finding someone to guide me. &nbs ..read more
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Hiking matters #706: Five-day climb up Mt. Ararat (5137m), the highest in Turkey
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
ISTANBUL, TURKEY – I have always wanted to climb Mt. Ararat, not so much because of its Biblical significance, but because of its prominence – 5137 MASL – as the highest peak in Turkey, as well as the opportunity to visit a part of the world that I have not been to. Thankfully, I realized that I can actually combine it with a climb up Kazbek, using it is a “training climb” to improve my chances. And so in August 2022 I embarked on a five-day climb up Mt. Ararat (known in Turkey as Ağrı Dağı), flying from Manila to Igdir via Istanbul, and being brought to the town of Doğubayazıt which ser ..read more
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Hiking matters #707: Four-day ascent of Mt. Kazbek (5054m) from Stephansminda, Georgia
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
TBILISI, GEORGIA – After a successful five-day climb up Mt. Ararat in Eastern Turkey (see Hiking matters #706), I went to Georgia – flying via Istanbul to Tbilisi – to take on the greater challenge of climbing Mt. Kazbek in the Caucasus mountains that lie along the Georgia-Russia border.  At 5054 MASL (some say 5033 MASL), Kazbek is lower than both Ararat and Elbrus – the highest in the Caucasus – but is said to be physically and technically more challenging. Joining me in the guided expedition was my hiking buddy Jeshua Sales, with whom I had a great summer climbing season last year in ..read more
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Hiking matters #698: Yet another Mt. Arayat dayhike
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
During the first year of the pandemic, Mt. Arayat was one of the few mountains outside Laguna that I climbed, and I still remember the feeling of being at the Pinnacle Peak, and seeing the expanse of the rice fields of Central Luzon – after not having seen such a view for a relatively very long time (see Hiking matters #641). Together with my Mu Sigma Phi brods, I revisited this mountain last May 28, 2022 and was richly rewarded with the same experience: A challenging-enough dayhike in a forested mountain, with scenic views both at the Pinnacle Peak and the viewpoint at the South Peak. The ..read more
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Hiking matters #699: Mt. Talamitam and Mt. Lantik
Pinoy Mountaineer
by Gideon Lasco
1y ago
Mt. Talamitam in Nasugbu, Batangas – very near Alfonso, Cavite – is always a nice and easy hike even if it can feel a bit far from Metro Manila especially on weekends when one has to negotiate Tagaytay’s notorious traffic. Even so, since I haven’t visited it in a very long time, I decided to visit it, this time with my neighbor and friend Gretchen Ho – with whom I also did my last Makiling climb in January 2020 – as well as my former student Diego Salcedo. Another draw for us was the recently-established trail up Mt. Lantik, which, like Apayang, is a peak of the Talamitam Range. We arrived i ..read more
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