Ever since I left my college mountaineering club in the
University of Santo Tomas, I have trekked to the mountains few and far between. It felt like a romantic
separation that left me searching for ways to reconnect with. I would plan
hiking trips here and there, only to shelve it in favor of a trip to the beach.
Despite my deep interest in hiking taking a backseat, the call of the great
outdoors remained loud and I know that it was just only a matter of time before
I stepped on the jagged Philippine mountains again.
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| Standing near the peak of Tarak Ridge |
Rekindling my love of the mountains
Then it happened. On a
recent weekend, I went on a trek to Tarak Ridge in Bataan, upon the invitation
of an outdoor outfitter brand Basekamp to test out some of their products.
Situated in the dense mountains of Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles, the jagged
trails of Tarak Ridge proved to be the perfect opportunity to bond with old
travel-writer friends. A week before our hike,
Basekamp trained mountaineers conducted a Basic Mountaineering Course at the
Base Kamp Biker’s Pit Stop in San Mateo, Rizal.
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| Tis trees galore at the start of the Tarak Ridge trail |
Photographer, travel
writer and Basekamp Social Media Manager/adventure guru, Jed Rosell assured to
us, “Chill hike lang ang Tarak Ridge guys [Tarak Ridge is just a chill hike]”,
as he demonstrated the essential Basekamp products we were about to road test.
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| Alagang BaseKamp till dinner |
The whole trail appeared
magical just like it was torn from the pages of a fantasy book set in a piece
of woodland swarming with fairies. It was only at Tarak Ridge that we saw
circling tree branches, turning into mini canopies along the way. A lush family
of vegetation, consisting of various plants and foliage, is laid out beautifully
on the ground, with green and yellowish shrubberies reinforcing a fanciful
notion.
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| Twirling trees |
It took us a couple of
hours before we reached the Papaya River, where we made camp and prepared for
lunch.
Fallen logs lay over
gargantuan rocks, surrounded by a shallow stream that leads to a couple of
waist-deep natural pools. While we waited for our Basekamp adventure buddies to
cook our meals, I joined my fellow travel-writer friends, Celine, Kara and
Christine, for a soothing dip.
Ranked with a 4/9
difficulty and a trail classification of three, Tarak Ridge turned out to be
what Rosell described to us; mostly a relaxed hike. However, he forgot to
inform us of one important detail—the punishing steep trail leading to the
campsite.
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| Resting on a log near the river. This was at our lunch time spot |
Battling exhaustion, our
party of seven persevered and overcame that difficult part of the hike. “This
part is supposed to take us two hours, but we finished it in an hour,” Rosell
proudly told us.
As the cool wind gushed
over our relieved faces, we witnessed the sun set spectacularly as it slides
behind the mountainside of Mariveles. A few moments later, darkness took over
and ushered a night sky illuminated only by the shy moon and a handful of
scattered stars. Watching the Earth spins from where I lay in my tent, I took
an extensive gaze at the constellations, and in between quiet breaths, I
silently renewed my love affair with the mountains.
Promoting the leave no trace policy
Most outdoor outfitter
brands rely on visual advertising to send their message across. They will
bombard you with images of lush forests and azure colored seas to entice you to
give outdoor exploration a try. It was an effective approach as I was initially
lured into mountain climbing through this marketing strategy.
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| Pitched our Basekamp tents beside each other |
Basekamp Tramper Retailers Inc. innovates its strategies by incorporating the experience-centric method. Utilizing its numerous store branches to adventure centers, Basekamp has been actively persuading adventurous individuals to embrace the mountain hike. By organizing climbing expeditions and conducting Basic Mountaineering Courses, the company fulfills its mission by advocating a more active lifestyle set in the mountainous region of the country.
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| Nevermind the sunlight. Just smile for the camera |
“Every month, Basekamp
branches organize two climbs per month; a major and minor climb. Before every
climb, we invite participants to attend our basic mountaineering course and
inform them of the proper hiking guidelines, such as LNT [Leave no Trace
policy] and other basic mountain-hike training,” says Greg Galicia, Basekamp
store manager of Market Market branch in Taguig.
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| A Groupie near the peak of Tarak Ridge |
Now, Basekamp stores
function not just merely an outdoor shop, but also a center where kindred souls
answer the call of adventure, meet and get together on hiking trips across the
Philippines.
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