Me and my office buddies spent a long weekend riding our mountain bikes to camp at the summit of Mt. Balagbag in Rizal, Philippines. This is my first bike/camp adventure and this certainly won't be my last! The last 4 kms. near the summit was the most grueling since we had to push the bikes up through rocks the size of watermelons while our heavy packs weighed down the bikes. With the light fading fast and the rain starting to pour, we had to hurry up to the summit to set up camp and cook our food.
Lessons learned from this trip... a) learn how to tie your pack properly on the rack b) choose a grassy site when setting up the tent c) pack light(er).
Things I did right... a) packed everything in their own plastic bags since it rained going up the summit b) went up there with the most awesome people c) was super friendly to the locals. The interaction with the people along the way was a very welcome change from how I interact with others in the city. If I said 'good morning!' with a smile to someone I pass on the street here in the city they'd probably think I was up to no good! That's the great thing about hiking, you get to practice simple courtesies :)
 |
| Friendly lady along the way who said yes when I asked if I could take her pic :D |
 |
| sweet, sweet dirt road! |
 |
| My buddy cooling off from a hand pump along the way. |
 |
| I told ya it rained! But this isn't the part near the summit. |
 |
| My horse :) |
 |
| Good morning Balagbag! |
