Trisha Mae M.

Paular
Grade 12: ABM C

Mountaineering in the Philippines

Mountaineering has been in existence for years. In the Philippines, it met its glorious height
in the early 1990s. Ascents to the country’s highest peak have become more frequent that
throughout the thousand years have conquered and survived. The sport itself has lured thousands
in its web of danger, challenges and risks.

Mountain climbing is a lifestyle sport involving hiking and trekking through rugged
terrain, camping, climbing over rocks, fallen trees and logs, passing by thick vegetation, crossing
rivers, and exploring the great outdoors while having fun in the process. This feat requires a great
deal of patience, physical endurance, motivation, and presence of mind. Climbing mountains is
truly rewarding not only does it cultivate environmental awareness, it also develops a person's
character by facing and conquering one's fears and ultimately conquering oneself, leaving the
mountain climber with a great feeling of achievement.

In the Philippines, a person who climbs mountains as a hobby is generally called a

mountaineer.

For anyone who wants to take up mountaineering as a hobby, there are several
mountaineering clubs in the Philippines that offer a Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC). Some
clubs offer a single day course, and others like the UP Mountaineers and Ayala Mountaineering
Club incorporate the training into their application process that usually takes about 3 to 4 months
to complete.

It is strongly encouraged for every aspiring climber to undergo the BMC. The BMC teaches
the proper physical training and essential outdoor skills needed by a mountain climber, the
proper climbing etiquette, and the "Leave No Trace" principles that are all very important to
help minimize the impact on the environment. Another advantage in learning BMC for the novice
climber is the opportunity to collaborate with seasoned/professional climbers and receive
priceless tips based on their years of climbing experience.

History of Mountaineering in the Philippines

The year was 1977. In the summer of that year, a bunch of mountaineering enthusiasts held
a meeting at the Office of the defunct Department of Tourism (DOT) in Bacolod City to officially
form an organization which shall promote mountaineering –not only as a tourism-oriented entity,
but also as an outdoor pursuit for the mountain summits. The organization was given the name as
the Philippine Mountaineering Society (PMS).

Prior to this, a local mountaineer named Edwin Gatia and a few friends contemplated on
climbing nearby Mt. Kanlaon (2,465m) –the highest peak in the Visayas which is also regarded as
the “sacred” volcano of Negros Island. Led by Gatia, their first attempt was undertaken in August
1972. Along with fellow enthusiast Ramon King and two other locals (one of which was hired as
the guide), the four were able to reach as far as the rim of the old extinct crater.

Inspired by the initial undertaking, Gatia decided to survey the base of the mountain, by
traveling from Bacolod to Canlaon City. In their next attempt to summit a month after, in
September of that year, Gatia and King added Ricardo Villanueva to the team, and they started off
from the village of Cabagna-an, in the Municipality of La Castellana, and finally succeeded in
reaching the summit crater of Mt. Kanlaon this time.

The undertaking caught the attention of a local media personality, Raul Jacolo, who did
extensive radio interviews of Gatia with regards to his mountaineering exploits in Mt. Kanlaon,
and soon climbing up Mt. Kanlaon began to gain more local popularity.

More climbs to Mt. Kanlaon were to follow beginning in late 1975 when Gatia, now with
two other new climbers –Mayo C. Monteza and Ludi Espartero, again tackled the mountain from
Cabagna-an, at the south-eastern face of the mountain. All three were then school mates at the
Colegio de San Agustin-Bacolod, and soon other school mates began to join succeeding climbs,
among others: Rossano del Castillo, Mike Cuadra, and the late Edward Gorrantes; by then, it
seemed inevitable that a formal organization was looming on the horizon.

And by 1977, the Philippine Mountaineering Society was eventually founded by Gatia,
who also became its first President with Rose Soberano (then Manager of U-Bix Photocopier
Company) as Secretary. The first ream of its official Letterhead was donated by the late Jun
Servando (owner of Nalco Press) and Engr. Danny Napalinga (then Manager of AG&P-Bacolod)
provided communications assistance. Philippine Airlines, thru its (defunct) Tours Promotions
Office, also provided occasional assistance in terms of administrative supplies.
The rest is history.

After its founding in 1977, the Society went on to:

 Co-found the organization of the National Mountaineering Federation of the Philippines
(NMFP) when it participated in the First National Mountaineering Conference held in
Maguindanao Hotel, Davao City in February of 1979.
 Spear-headed the first exploration and trail-blazing expedition to Mt. Guiting-Guiting in
May of 1982.
 Undertook an expedition to Mt. Kinabalu (4,101m) –the highest peak in Borneo in April
of 1983 –the first NMFP member-organization to accomplish such a foreign trip.
  1985: Partook in the Search & Recovery of fatalities in the Mt. Guiting-Guiting
mountaineering incident involving four (4) members of the UPMountaineers.
 1986: Partook in the attempted rescue operation of Filipino mountaineers detained in Sabah
involving four (4) members of MESAU.

Dark Ages
 1986 to 2017: This period is known as the period of inactivity not just because of lack of
funds from government and private sector, but also lack of people who are willing to
continue the mission of PMS.

PMS Reborn
 April 2017: Edwin Gatia and Erwin Garcia came to know each other and began talking
about reviving PMS and how to give it a boost.
 April 2018: Erwin Garcia, together with his friends – Tony Fernandes, Charlie Arandia,
Philip Vitug and Irwin Abungan, applied for SEC certification and founded the new PMS
as non-profit organization with new missions and new challenges.

Known Mountaineers Group in the Philippines

UP Mountaineers
Since it started as an unofficial adventure group in the 1970s, the UP Mountaineers have
become far larger, more influential, and more enduring than its founders could ever have foreseen.
More than any other organization, UPM has changed the way Filipinos experience the outdoors
over its four decades of existence.

In fact, it’s no stretch to say that all other mountaineering clubs in the country today owe
their existence in one form or another—sometimes very literally—to UPM. Their training manual,
a collection of hard-won knowledge of the outdoors, has become the source material for many
other training manuals in use today.

Building a storehouse of knowledge and experience is one thing, but UPM has also
cultivated a collective conscience that it has managed to pass down from one generation of
mountaineers to the next. By teaching its members how to enjoy the outdoors, we have all learned
how to connect with nature, how to actively care for and protect the very world we live in, and
how to care for one another.

Ayala Mountaineering Club

The Ayala way of mountaineering takes on a holistic approach at the sport, that is, by
looking at every aspect of the time spent on the mountain -- knowing the weather, bringing
appropriate gear and clothing, possessing the necessary skills, knowing the route and intended
campsites, and guided by a firm environmental ethic. Thus, an Ayala Mountaineer is more fully
prepared and better able to deal with any situation.

Other groups

 ABS Mountaineers
 Adamson University Mountaineering Society (ADUMS) - Manila
 Akamug Trekkers
 Adventurer Kampers and Youth Action Team (AKYAT) Mountaineering Club - Cebu
 Alliance Mountaineering Club
 Alps Mountaneers Club
 AMA Mountaineering Society - Manila
 AMA Trekkers Ecological Society - Davao-AMA
 Anom'e Mountaineers - Pasig-TSPI
 Antique Mountaineering Society - Antique
 Aquila de las Sierra - Quezon City-UP
 Aquinas University Mountaineering Society
 Association of Philippine Mounatineers, The - Manila
 Ateneo Outdoor Club - Quezon City-Ateneo HS
 Avid Hikers of Nature - (AHON- PUP) - Manila-PUP
 Ayala Mountaineers Club Incorporated (AMCI) - Manila-Makati
 Backpackers In Nature Habitat (BINHI) - Sta. Rosa
 Bagacay Mountaineers
 Bahag Hari Mountaineering Club
 Balisong Mountaineers of Batangas Inc. (BMBI) - Batangas
 Banahaw de Dolores Outdoor Club (BDOC)
 Bandido Group of Mountaineers
 Bankalay Mountaineering Society
 Barbeedulls Outdoor Club
 Base Camp Outdoor Club - Laguna
 Batangas Backpackers
 Berde Mountaineering Club
 BFAD Mountaineering Club - Manila
 Blassik Mountaineer - Laguna
 Bohol Outdoor Explorers Club - Bohol
 Break-Away Mountaineering Club (BMC) - Quezon City
 Buklod Anyaw - Baler, Quezon
 BURNX TRIBE - Hi-wood Lipa City
 Butlak Bana-ag Mountaineering Society (BBMS)
 Cavite Maountaineering Exploration (CAMEX) - Cavite
 Cebu Doctors College Mountaineering Club
 Cebu Mountaineering Alliance Inc.
 Cebu Mountaineering Society / Habagat
 Cebu Outdoor Team (COAT) - Cebu City
 Citywide Outdoor Society - Angeles
 Climb Philippines
 Climbers Association in Response to Ecology (CARE) - Iligan City
 Congress Mountaineers - Manila- House of Representatives
 Congressional Mountaineering ⦁ &⦁ Outdoor Team
 Cordillera Mountaineering Club - Baguio
 Cuernos de Negros Mountaineers Club Inc. (CNMCI) - Negros
 Damong Ligaw Mountaineers - Manila
 De Oro Mountaineers (DOME) - Cagayan de Oro
 De La Salle University - Dasmariñas Mountaineering Society
 DLSU Outdoor Club
 Delta G1 Backpackers - Cebu
 Divine World Outdoor Club - Tagbilaran City
 Diwata Mountaineering Society
 Don Bosco Mountaineering Society - Makati-Mandaluyong
 Dungaw Araw Mountaineers - Manila
 Earth Island Outdoor Environmental Club (EIOEC) - Mindanao
 Earth Walkers
 East Tribe Mountaineering Society
 East Wind Outdoor Club (EWOC) - UE, Caloocan
 Ekotera
 Etelecare Outdoor Club
 Exodus Mountaineering Society⦁ (EMS) - Panay State Polytechnic College
 FEATI Outdoor Bound - Manila-FEATI
 Fujitsu Outdoor Club (FOC)
 Feet4Earth Mountaineers Org.
 Globe Adventure Club - Makati-Globe
 Green Earth Mountaineers (GEM) - Cebu
 Group of United Backpackers and Trekkers (Gubat)
 Hagahag Mountaineering Club Incorporated (Hagahag) - Naga
 Hakbang Kalikasan Mountaineers (Hakams)
 Halcon Mountaineering Society (HALMS) - Mindoro
 Halcon Mountaineers - Mindoro
 Intel Philippines Mountaineering Club - Manila-Intel
 Isarog Mountaineering Club
 JAD Outdoor Group - Parañaque
 JIP Mountaineering - Muñoz Neuva Ecija
 Kalayaan Mountaineering Group - Tondo
 KAPLAG (Gingoog Explorer's Club)
 KATRIBU - DFA
 Kuliglig Backpackers - Makati
 LAAGAN Mountaineers (USJ-R)
 Lakay Kalikasan Mountaineers (Motorola Philippines) - Manila
 Lakbay Kalikasan Mountaineers
 Las Piñas Green Mountaineers - Las Piñas
 Latagaw Mountaineering Society (LMS)
 Loyola Mountaineers (LM) - Quezon City-Ateneo
 La Union Hash House Harriers - La Union
 Liberated Adventurers and Yout AspirersMountaineering Group (LAYA)
 Ligaw Mountaineering Club (LIMOCS)
 LUCO Mountaineers
 MACADAC GEMS - Govt. Employees Mountaineering Society - Davao
 MAISOG Mountaineers - Bicol
 Malayang Mamumundok Para sa Kalikasan (San Pablo City)
 MALFUNCTION Mountaineers - Manila-Phil. Rehab Institute
 Mananap Mountaineers
 Mangyan Mountaineers
 Manila Mountaineering Club (MMC) - Manila
 Manuel L Quezon University Stallions Outdoor Club (MSOC)
 Mapua Institute of Technology Mountaineering Club (MITMC) - Manila-MIT
 Mapua Outdoor Club - Nature Badge - Manila MIT (100)
 Mayon Mountaineers - Legaspi
 Meralco Mountaineering Club (MMC) - Manila-Meralco
 Mongoloids
 Montanara Outdoor Group - Manila, Sta. Cruz Laguna
 MOSS moutaineering Society - Makati
 Motorola Employee Outdoor Klub (MEOK)
 Mount Apo Research Climbers Organization (MARCO POLO) - Davao
 Mountain Hikers Club Inc. - Manila-Adamson
 Mountain and Coastal Terrain Trekkers - Bacolod City
 Mountain Exploration Society of Adamson University (MESAU) - Manila
 MSU Mountaineering Club (Mindanao Statu U - Marawi)
 Mt. Apo Climbers Association of Davao City
 Nature Badge Inc.
 Nature Explorers Society, The
 Nature Explorer Mountaineering Society (NEMS)
 Nature's Keeper Moutaineers
 Nature's Knight - St. Benedict's College Outdoor Society
 Nature Unlimited Leyte Outdoor Club (NULOC) - Leyte
 Nichols Outbound
 Northern Mindanao Mountaineering Society Ecological Foundation Inc. (NORMS - EFI)
- Cagayan de Oro
 Ortigas Mountaineers
 ORYOL Outdoor Group
 Paco Ecological ⦁ &⦁ Green Society (PEGS) - Manila
 Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Outdoors Club (PLMOC)
 Panaw Balanghai Mountaineers of Butuan City - Butuan
 Pateros Mountaineering group (PMG) - Pateros
 Philippine Airlines Mountaineering Club (PALMC) - Manila-PAL
 Philippine Mountaineering Society - Bacolod
 Philippine National Bank Mountaneers Club (PNB-MC)
 Philips Mountaineers - Makati-Philips
 Pilipinas Sierra Incorporated (PSIERRA) - Manila
 PLDT Mountaineering Club (PLDT-MC) - Manila-PLDT
 Rover Scout Mountaineering Team (ROSCOUMT)
 Sagipin, Alagaan Natin at Ingatan ang Bundok para sa Salin-lahi Mountaineering Club
(SANIBS)
 San Augustine Mountaineering Club - Bacolod
 San Beda Mountaineering Society - Manila
 San Sebastian Mountaineering Society - Manila
 Sanctuaries Conservation and Outdoor Club (Scoutdoors Club)
 Sandawa Apo Mountaineering Club (Sandawa) - Davao
 Sang-at Salug Outdoor Club
 Scion Christian Outdoor Club
 Scoutdoor Club
 Senate Outdoor Society (SOS) - Manila-Senate
 Sierra Madre Outdoors Club (SMOC) - Tuguegarao Cagayan
 Sierra Trekkers Cebu - Cebu (150)
 Signal Mountaineer Outdoor Group (SMOG) - Taguig, Metro Manila
 SIKAP Bundok (Samahan sa Ika-uunlad ng Kapaligiran, Pamayanan at Kabundikan)
 Sinag Araw Mountaineers - MCU Caloocan
 Skull Rangers Mountaineering Club
 Society of Explorers and Response Volunteers in Ecology Inc. (SERVE)
 St. Joseph's Mountaineering Club
 Sta. Ana Environmental ⦁ &⦁ Outdoor Club (SAEOC) - Manila
 Sto. Tomas Hashers
 Subterrenean Outdoor Society - (SOS)
 Tayabas Mountaineers - Manila
 Technological Institute of the Philippines Mountaineering Club (TIP-MC)
 TOYO Mountaineers
 Tourist Under the Guise of Adventurers (TUGATUGA)
 Trek Out Mountaineering Ministry - Cebu
 Trek Sierra Adventure Team
 Trek Sierra Mountaineering Group
 Trekplore - Catbalogan Samar
 Tinity College of Quezon City Outdoor Club Mountaineering Society
 Trip Bulaga Mountaineering Group - University of the East
 Tropical Monsoon Mountaineers - Cebu
 UP Visayas Mountaineers - Iloilo
 United Trekkers Club
 University of San Carlos Moutaineers - Cebu
 University of the Philippines Mountaineers (UPM) - Quezon City
 UP - Lakay Kalikasan Mountaineers - University of the Philippines
 UPLB Mountaineers - Laguna-UPLB
 USBONG - Valenzuela
 USLS-MCTT - University of St. La Salle Mountain & Coastal Terrain Trekkers - Bacolod
 UST Mountaineering Club - Manila
 White Mountains
 WOWOW Gaming and Adventure Group
 Xavier University Mountaineering Society
 Popular Mountain Climbing Destinations

Minor Climbs:

Mount Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas:

Around 2 - 3 hours bus ride from Metro Manila, this mountain is ideal for beginners who
just want to have a relatively easy and refreshing hike. It takes an average of 2 hours going up to
the "Rockies," the highlight of the whole climb where one can see the breathtaking views of Taal
Lake, Taal Volcano, and nearby towns of Batangas and Tagaytay highlands. On a clear day one
can also see Mount Makiling's silhouette looming in the horizon. This mountain can be day hiked
or camped overnight. If you want a little more challenge you can also do a traverse hike (going up
a mountain using a route, passing by the summit, and going back down on a different route) from
the so called "Grotto" side of the mountain, passing by the summit, and continuing to the "Rockies"
before going back down.

Mount Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas:

 This is another mountain that is easily accessible from Metro Manila and ideal for
beginners with only a 3-hour bus ride passing by Tagaytay City, Cavite. The mountain's jagged
tooth-like peaks are quite a sight to behold. It's a 3 to 4-hour hike along open windy trails, with
nice views and mountain landscapes. This can also be day hiked or camped overnight.

Mount Pulag via the Ambangeg Trail in Kabayan, Benguet:

Mount Pulag is the highest mountain in Luzon and the third highest in the Philippines. It is
6-hour bus ride from Metro Manila to Baguio City and another 3-hour bus ride going to the
Visitor's Center in Ambangeg. The breath-taking views are accessible to tourists and beginner
mountaineers alike via the Ambangeg Trail. It takes an average of 5 hours to hike going up the
campsite where one could spend the night. This is also the coldest mountain in the Philippines,
where sometimes temperatures go down to -5 degrees Celsius during the evening and dawn.
Wearing of proper clothing is strongly advised. Views of the mountain's so called "Mossy Forests,"
"Grasslands," and the "Sea of Clouds" awaiting at the summit during sunrise are a few of the
highlights.
Major Climbs:
Mount Makiling
Traverse Day Hike from Batangas to Los Banos, Laguna
Climbing Mount Makiling is one of the favorite training climbs of mountaineers because of the
tough challenges that await every climber. It is a 3-hour bus ride from Metro Manila to Sto. Tomas,
Batangas, the starting point of the climb. The trail in this mountain is heavily vegetated, where one
should go over or crawl under fallen logs and navigate through dense vegetation composed of
thorny rattan plants. Blood leeches (locally known as limatik) abound in this mountain but only
during the rainy season. Experienced mountaineers can accomplish the whole traverse in 7 hours
or less compressing it in just a day.

Mount Tapulao in Iba, Zambales

Mountaineers fondly call this mountain "The Long and Endless Road," referring to the
seemingly endless hike with an average of 12 to 14 hours going up to the summit alone (not
including the descent), and "Poor Man's Pulag," since it resembles the environs of Mt. Pulag on
higher elevations. After a grueling hike through the rocky reddish soil, hikers are treated to
refreshing cool breezes and breathtaking views upon reaching the pine tree forest. This mountain
is accessible via a 5-hour bus ride from Metro Manila to Iba, Zambales.
Mount Apo, Davao Del Sur
Mount Apo is the highest mountain in the Philippines and is the grandfather of Philippine
mountains. In Davao City, one can see this magnificent mountain towering over the horizon.
Climbing Mount Apo is every Filipino mountaineer's dream. With its so-called "Mossy Forests,"
"The Boulders," the extinct crater, the "Lake Venado" (which is the highest lake in the country)
and the summit itself, this mountain's breathtaking landscapes are truly a sight to behold.

References:
https://www.travelbook.ph/blog/maintaineering-guide-for-beginners/
https://www.thephilippinenountaineering.com/p/mountaineering-club-and-organization.html
https://pms.travenant.com/our-pms-history/
https://www,philippinesinsider.com/outdoor-activities/maintaineering-in-the-philippines/