Mt. Batulao – October 2011
It was my second climb in Mt. Batulao, Batangas, but this time, it was a night trek; so it was a different story when you depend on that little headlamp lighting a little more than a few meters of the path ahead of you. Together with a group called HIKERS, we started the trek around 8PM.
Mt. Batulao in Batangas is a class 3 trail trek, with 4/9 difficulty and is considered a minor climb; so this mountain is an ideal first for some of my trailmates who were just entering the world of mountaineering.
At first, the idea of a night trek seems off to me, as I will not be able to see and appreciate the mountain ranges of Batangas while walking the trails, but somehow there was this urge to experience climbing at night.
We were ten in the group, and most of us are runners, bikers and occasional climbers. Our guide Sir Homer is an experienced mountaineer.
We reached camp 8 at around 10pm. Here, we setout our tents and settled down for the night. We saw streak of meteors as we began to appreciate the celestial heavens. Maybe the little shots of vodka helped. Stories from each of us were shared, and the night was filled with some good laughs too.
It was a challenged to get some sleep at camp 8 where the wind kept punishing our tents. And with the temperature dropping, condensation inside the tent seems like drizzle dropping on my face. I actually don’t know if I slept at all, because I felt like a heavy log in the morning.
Was awake at around five, and up before six to witness the golden sunrise. It took some heaviness away. It was cold and the wind consistently made waves on the surrounding sea of grasses and cogons ofMt.Batulao.
I decided to stay in camp 8 and let my trailmates worked their way into the summit. At 700 MASL, the summit was just another a hundred meters more.
I was alone at camp 8, cooked rice, and took their pictures while on their way. I also activated my Nokia N95 GPS using SportyPal so I could see where our exact position on Google Maps.
Took them 2 hours to complete a traverse from camp 8, to the summit, then the old trail, and back to the new trail at camp 8.
We decided break camp at around 11AM and descended from camp 8. The sun was above us the whole time and it was a great relief to reach the Bukohan around camp 3/4. I bought two glasses of fresh coconut juice, while others replenished themselves with rice, luncheon meat and eggs.
The descend was much harder than the ascent, maybe because the heat was dehydrating and at this time, the exhaustion kicked in.
We arrived after safely in Evercrest after a few hours of trekking and took a good bath in a rented bathroom near the highway.
Took the bus bound toManila, got off inCavite, and was home at around 3pm, eating a delightful Turks Shawarma.
Giro Transfer Bike Helmet
Always happy to seek out new gear and this Giro Transfer is one good headpiece. I am currently using this now with the timely retirement of my Trek helmet due to a crack in the front part. Got this from eBay from a seller in Europe and it ships free. Good points: light, enough vents and with the universal size fit.
Here’s the actual Giro Transfer specifications:
- Versatile road helmet with a new level of performance for the price
- Acu-Dial fit system provides one handed micro adjustment whilst on the move and ensures a perfect custom fit for every rider
- Advanced strap management keeps everything in place to allow further fine tuning for a safe and secure fit
- In-mould hard-body adds strength and protection for no extra weight penalty
- 20 vents allow cold air in and hot air out to provide cooling and increase rider comfort
- Additional rear exhaust vents help pull air through the helmet even when riding uphill and at slower speeds
- Meets CE EN1078 certification
- Universal size; 54 -61cm
Nike We Run Manila 10K
Finished the 10K run in 1:02:50. 2 mins and 50 seconds slow to my 1 hour or less target.
Nike – We Run Manila 10K
Got my race kit today. Special thanks to She and my other running buddies – Mae and William. We’re ready to hit the road on October 15.
Amazing race kit. Dri-fit shirt, water bottle, info material, d-tag time chip. ^_^
Been raining since Monday and can’t wait to do a run before the event. I’m just gonna do some spinning workout.
Nike – Run Manila 2011
Already registered on Nike – Run Manila 2011 10K run.
http://runrio.com/2011/09/nike-we-run-manila-10k-exciting-race-event-features/
Eyeing on 1 hour or less for the 10K run – Tons of freebies ^_^
Dada is an Oakley Rebel
Love this Jawbone!
LIVESTRONG JAWBONE SUNGLASSES
Oakley’s legacy of sports performance innovation continues with the new Jawbone. The latest evolution of a coveted design, this frame is like nothing ever seen in the world of sports. Every aspect is engineered around the clarity and protection of High Definition Optics® (HDO®).
With Oakley’s new Switchlock™Technology, the lower part of the frame rim opens to allow easy access for quick lens changing, letting you optimize performance in any light condition. The revolutionary design holds the lenses with a suspension system so stresses on the frame won’t affect the optics. With ordinary frames, flexing can change the surface contours of the lenses, causing optical distortion. The new architecture ensures there’s nothing to diminish the unbeatable clarity of High Definition Optics® (HDO®), and you still get the optimized comfort and fit of a flexible frame design.
Pivot the nose piece to unlock the lower jaw and open it for easy lens changing. There’s minimal handling involved, so dirty fingers don’t get all over the lens. The quick-release system closes with a cam that locks each lens securely in place.
Oakley engineered the pivoting system with a release mechanism that lets you remove and replace the nose piece with a different size to customize the fit. A comfortably secure fit is essential for athletic competition, so Oakley started this new design with the company’s legendary Three-Point Fit. Instead of hooking the ears like conventional frames, a Three-Point Fit ensures the frame touches the wearer only at the bridge of the nose and the sides of the head. Oakley combined the proprietary fit with specialized bridge geometry and strategically placed flex zones to give the frame a broad range of flexibility while directing stresses away from the lenses. That way, the optics can do their job without the distortion of subtle bending and bowing.
Oakley is proud to partner with the Lance Armstrong Foundation in support of its ongoing mission to inspire and empower people affected by cancer. When you purchase the Llivestrong® edition of Oakley eyewear, the company will provide $20 to the foundation.
- Oakley Switchlock™ Technology for an interchangeable lens design that helps you keep up with changing light conditions and maximize performance in any environment.
- Unobtainium® stem sleeves for a secure fit that increases grip with perspiration.
- Durable yet comfortably lightweight O Matter® frame material that optimizes protection while maintaining a flexible fit.
- Interchangeable nose piece for a customizable fit.
- Unbeatable clarity and visual fidelity with the patented innovations of High Definition Optics® (HDO®), optimized by an entirely new frame architecture that translates frame stresses away from the lenses.
- Full range of optional lens tints for glare reduction, improved color perception, enhanced contrast and optimized depth perception.
- Impact protection that meets ANSI Z87.1 standards for high velocity and high mass impact resistance.
- XYZ Optics® to extend clarity across lens contours that open peripheral vision and improve side protection against sun, wind and impact.
- Plutonite® lens material for 100% filtering of all UVA, UVB, UVC and harmful blue light up to 400nm.
- Protective sports-specific Oakley Soft Vault included with capacity for extra lenses
- Oakley Nano-Clear lens cleaner “pen” with Hydrophobic designed for up to 10 applications
- Available with Oakley prescription lenses (+2.00 to -3.00 combined power)
125 lbs. at last!
Happy I got my target weight now. I want to maintain this – 125 to 128 lbs.
Feeling like a high end carbon component ^_^.
Trek 4300 upgrade
I just recently upgraded some components of my Trek 4300 mountain bike. I call it an upgrade because I feel more comfortable and more efficient riding it now than before.
Because I mostly ride 90% on roads, and less on trails, I ditched the heavy front suspension fork. I recently acquired a Mosso 6061 Alloy rigid fork and installed it on my bike. The bike also makes a lot of drag when pedaling because I use Kenda 26 x 2.0+ trail tires so I switched to a more suitable tires for my riding style – Kenda Kwest 26×1.5 which are designed for road and light trail use.
I also changed my stock Bontrager riser handle bar and stem to ABR flatbar and Ritchey 4 axis.
Very happy and satisfied with the recent upgrade and did a quick 10K spin around the city to test it. Basically the bike loss some weight and I can feel the bike handling became lighter because of the rigid fork. It is also easier to control. I can also feel the reduced drag on the tires, it rolls pretty fast on flat asphalt roads.
pinoyoutdoor 