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Mount Napulak: Lessons In Resilience From A “Minor” Hike
Have you ever had a fever that oddly felt like a sweet victory? That’s exactly how I felt, slumped in an airport, shivering as a fever slowly took over me. After weeks of stress, sleepless nights, and a grueling climb up Mount Napulak, my body finally gave in. That was the price I paid for pushing through. That was the cost of not slowing down, of pushing myself past the limit. But guess what? It was worth every shiver, every ache, and every twinge. And here’s the thing. Mount Napulak isn’t one of those enormous, towering 2,000-meter peaks in the Philippines. At just 1,239 meters above sea level, it doesn’t…
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Mount Kalatungan: An Unforgettable Journey To The Chief Mountain
I was only 7 years old when I found out that I could fly. But it was also the time when I realized there were monsters and ghosts renting space inside my head. For years, I’ve battled and listened to these voices that whisper my deepest secrets, dreams, and fears. And I would often silence their echoes and bravely just continue on my journey. Somehow, I could hear these voices getting louder as I waited patiently alone in a forest in Mount Kalatungan. I just conquered Mount Kalatungan and completed my mission to hike the five highest mountains in the Philippines. I should have been in a positive mood. And…
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Mount Kulago: Where Dreams And Reality Merge
Where do dreams go when we wake up? Are they saved in a storage drive, waiting patiently for us to open and live them? Do some of them go to a trash bin where they will be permanently erased from our memory? These are the weird questions I asked myself while admiring the heavenly views from Mount Kulago. When we arrived at the viewing area of Mount Kulago, I really thought I was in a dream. Even though it was still a little dark, I felt transported into an enchanting fairytale scene. As dawn approached, I saw its silhouette outlined against the lightening sky. And it was surreal, breathtaking, and…
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Mount Matutum And The Pathway To Happiness
The first time I laid eyes on Mount Matutum, I was utterly mesmerized. With its flawless, symmetrical conical shape, it was a sight to behold, even from a distance. As I hit the slopes of Mount Apo, I hoped that one day I’d have the opportunity to climb this majestic, towering landmark in the Philippines. While my immediate focus was on Mount Apo, my thoughts drifted to the thrilling adventures that Mt Matutum might hold. But back then, scaling Mount Matutum seemed like a distant fantasy, almost a pipe dream. Burdened and overwhelmed by life’s challenges, I never imagined going on a series of heart-racing mountain adventures in Mindanao. Then,…
