The Soul Nourishing Akiki Trail Climb Up Mt. Pulag...

A message from a friend last month only had to contain "Akiki" for me to jump in on a climb 

The determined bunch...

invitation that was accomplished this past weekend. I have climbed Mt.Pulag before via the Ambangeg Trail... only to be told to turn back at Camp 2 due to winds too strong for an open assault across the highland grasslands. There was a lingering storm. This time was no different. A storm was again a threat but, yet again... enough window for the climb to happen. The plan was an Akiki-Ambangeg traverse... Akiki, the more challenging trail of the two, being a DENR start-of-climb day decision. The gods were with us. 

From the outset, Akiki was outright steep. It initially started with steps and trail sections randomly in concrete... in a way, a needed notice perhaps to prepare one indeed... for even more rigorous hurdles to further arrive at! Roughly

Steel hanging bridge across
the Eddet River

two hours into the ascent... and crossing a steel hanging bridge spanning the Eddet River... there was this daunting rise of a mountain that was to lead us to Marlboro Camp for the night... before resuming the assault at 1:00 am to be at peak by sunrise. The trail "ESS"-ing up the way tamed the steepness some... but no kidding... the reason why Akiki is often referred to as a "killer" trail. Ten to fourteen hours of continues assault till up the peak... a definite not for the "weak-at-knees" as it was what the climb was all about... come prominent physical conditioning need. Often I get asked how I get through the climbs' series of demands to which I can only offer... respect nature, dance with the terrain to the beat of own tunes... may the rhythms be physically or spiritually paced.

Along the trail... from pine to mossy forests to high elevation grassland... what a generous visual fare from nature... and along, the immersive sense of.

A couple of one-eyebrow-raising anecdotes... 

... a friendly couple from the bovine kind, followed a threesome of us for a while... and a white moth which took fancy to my forefinger while on a rest, and stayed even as I continued up the trail for roughly twenty minutes... I had to force it to fly off so I could regain use of my finger. Of course, some "hmmmm" thoughts... dawned on me. 

And aaah... close to the heavens, what only mountain peaks have ways of delivering... the utmost spectacle of nature's beauty... so out-of-body and spiritually humbling moments. Life is rich... CHEERS!

Special thanks to Jim Mordeno for the invitation...  organizer Sai Cruz and the rest of the fun bunch whose youthful drive... I as much am inspired by.

More Of A Personal Treasure Even Is... That Sense of Fulfillment...

Easily we so say how reaching "happiness" is the gist on why we do what we do. We at

Mesquite Flats
Death Valley, California

 times in our efforts, however... lose "us" within ourselves. What I have always maintained is that, beyond happiness even is... one's own sense of fulfillment. 

Fulfillment is wealth not materially measured. It only requires an assessment of honest and real personal values... as long as the sharing or giving of which does not hinder one's own sense of self. But, yes... let own deeds be the building blocks toward the very notion.

Ah, yes... the many ways... giving anonymously, mentoring, sharing, unconditional trust and emotions, connecting with nature, healthy living, reasonable tolerance to others' misgivings, forgiving, faith and spirituality, a pause for appreciation that we even "woke-up", recycling, support of local products, owning a pet, giving way in traffic, earnest joy in others' successes, quiet celebrations... and the list ever continues.

Indeed, cultivating such conscientious practices can only enrich each our own unadvertised sense of well-being and worth. Simply wishing to share... CHEERS! 

The roads and rivers we follow, the heights we reach, the forests and
deserts we cross... yet, none ever is as vast and high as when we 
step deep into our own inner selves. 

On Physical Fitness...

Atop a Tacloban mountain overlook.

Yesterday, I was up at 4am. It was a dry and cool morning. Fit for a short trek. By 5am, I was up this nearby peak that doesn't seem to have a designated name.(In fact, a search has Google Maps identifies it only as "Mountain"... my Samsung Health application indicates a 156-meter elevation.) Later in the morning, with a major mountain climb nearing... I went for an activity medical clearance. At my age... closing in on becoming a septuagenarian, my doctor needed a reassurance by having me take a stress test which required an ECG done while on a treadmill with a cardiologist present. Having finished and passing the 7-stage test, I was asked by the attending technician, what my "secret" is.

The truth is... there actually is no secret. What I wish to cover on this post thus is how what

ECG Stress Test

works with me when it comes to physical regimen... doesn't necessarily mean will similarly apply to others. In my early 40's, I did try a gym routine. Too confining for me. I travel more than the average person so... that easily became deemed impractical. Plus, the time management freak that I am, eventually found it too time consuming. I prefer workouts being simply incorporated into my usual activities. I walk rather than ride or drive when I can, I use stairs rather than escalators and elevators when practical, do toe lifts or use grocery baskets as weights when waiting on line, use own body weight in a self created series of home workouts for body toning... to share a few options. I find running as my most complete workout... and trekking, reconnects me with nature and spiritual self while providing me the physical exercise.

I wish to only imply thus... that one really has to first assess own physical capabilities and difficulties and work from there. Religiously practice an own doable set, then slowly add targeted exercises to address functions incurred with some difficulty. Listen to music, enjoy the outdoors... and other complementary fun activities practical when doing chosen physical exercises. Eventually, surprise yourself. Cheers!

Peak views and random nature trail scenes.