Ever since I left my college mountaineering club at the University of Santo Tomas, I have trekked to the mountains few and far between. It felt like a romantic separation that left me constantly searching for ways to reconnect. I would plan hiking trips here and there, only to shelve them in favor of a lazy trip to the beach. Despite my deep interest in hiking taking a backseat, the call of the great outdoors remained loud, and I knew it was only a matter of time before I stepped onto the jagged Philippine mountains again.
Answering the Call of Adventure on 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 outdoor outfitter brand Basekamp to test out some of their gear. 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 Basekamp Biker’s Pit Stop in San Mateo, Rizal.
Photographer, travel writer, and Basekamp Social Media Manager/adventure guru Jed Rosell assured 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.
The whole trail appeared magical, 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 shrubbery reinforcing a fanciful notion.
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 class of 3, Tarak Ridge turned out to be mostly what Rosell described: a relaxed hike. However, he forgot to inform us of one important detail—the punishingly steep assault trail leading up to the campsite.
Battling exhaustion, our party of seven persevered and overcame that difficult leg of the trek. “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 slid behind the mountainside of Mariveles. A few moments later, darkness took over and ushered in a night sky illuminated only by a shy moon and a handful of scattered stars. Watching the Earth spin from where I lay in my tent, I took an extensive gaze at the constellations, and between quiet breaths, I silently renewed my love affair with the mountains.
Promoting the Leave No Trace Policy
Most outdoor outfitter brands rely heavily on visual advertising to send their message across. They 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.
Basekamp Tramper Retailers Inc. innovates its strategies by incorporating an experience-centric method. Utilizing its numerous store branches as adventure centers, Basekamp actively persuades adventurous individuals to embrace mountain hiking. By organizing climbing expeditions and conducting Basic Mountaineering Courses, the company fulfills its mission of advocating a more active lifestyle set in the country's mountainous regions.
“Every month, Basekamp branches organize two climbs—a major and a minor climb. Before every climb, we invite participants to attend our basic mountaineering course and inform them of proper hiking guidelines, such as the LNT [Leave No Trace] policy and basic mountain-hike training,” says Greg Galicia, Basekamp store manager of the Market! Market! branch in Taguig.
Now, Basekamp stores function not merely as outdoor shops, but as community centers where kindred souls answer the call of adventure, meet, and get together for hiking trips across the Philippines.
