Up! Filipino Scout to ascend Mt. Everest

A man’s dream is never-ending, depending on whose perspective you will look into. “See things from the boy’s point of view.” Baden Powell said. From a Scout’s point of view, it is usually aiming high and creating a better world, but there’s always a bigger picture, especially when you’re out on the trail.  

You can never spell Scouting without the word “outing” and speaking of outing, your journey in Scouting will never be complete without camping. Living an exciting journey on a vast outdoor trail surely sets our hearts on fire, facing new challenges and being one with nature.

Can you imagine the last time you set your tent in the woods, built camp gadgets, and sat beside the campfire? Those memories surely bring us back to the good ol’ days.

 Stuck at home? Busy with your work? Don’t have the time to wander with nature? Worry not, for we will have an exciting journey to lift your spirits up as you continue on this article.

Like Russell from the Disney movie Up, we will join a man’s dream in his journey on reaching a new set of high places and new and wonderful destinations. So grab your camping bags, and ready your sash and uniform as we go on a trail in the vast outdoors! 

Outdoor activities are most commonly done in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. There are a lot of outdoor activities for you to choose from depending on your choice. 

If you want to go outside and at the same time love to play sports, there are a lot of activities for you, like:

• Beach Volleyball
• Football
• Baseball
• Golf
• Tennis 
• Cycling
• Archery 

If you’re a fan of the outdoors and you want to relax and be one with nature, camping, hiking, and mountaineering would suit you the most. 

Plugging out and taking a short break from your daily grind and connecting to nature will surely replenish your energy. Engaging in outdoor activities allows you to unplug, rest, and reset. It will reduce the anxiety and stress associated with today’s “on-demand” society. It can also improve your physique and help you attain a stronger body.

According to Frontiers in Psychology, a study conducted on April 4, 2019, connecting with nature for at least 20 minutes can help lower stress hormone levels. It can help you be more productive at work, improve focus, and acquire better sleep.  Aside from the benefits to yourself, outdoor activities such as hiking and mountaineering can boost your environmental awareness. 

Speaking of awareness, before we begin our virtual journey to the top of the mountain, let’s first be familiar with what we are going to do, and what we can encounter.

What is Mountaineering?

When you hear the word mountaineering what comes to your mind? Do you picture a group of people climbing on a mountain with ropes attached to them? Do you think of an ice ax, or maybe a winter view of snow-covered peaks?

Climbing a mountain can mean hiking a trail up to the top of the mountain, or spending a day or more on a trail outdoors. Mountaineering or Mountain climbing is a sport or activity that aims to attain or attempt to attain high points in mountain regions. Simply climbing mountains in a sporty way. Testing your courage, strength, stamina, resourcefulness, and critical thinking in a situation present with high risk.

Mountaineering isn’t all about attaining the highest points in the mountain regions, it is more about setting new heights and going beyond your limit. 

Elements of Mountaineering

Worry not, for we will not talk about hydrogen, helium, and other elements in the periodic table with their atomic number and such. You cannot just simply climb to the top of the mountain without knowing the elements of how to do it. Even Russell and Carl in the movie surely used some elements, and not just inflate the balloons, attach them to the house, and then fly to paradise falls. 

Every journey starts with a small step. To start our journey, first on the list of our elements is hiking. In mountaineering, everything starts and ends in hiking, as it is the most essential element on the list. After a long day of walking, you cannot just lay on the ground to sleep or so, that is when trekking comes next. Trekking is an activity that combines hiking and camping on a trip, it is where you carry equipment and supplies enough for you to survive the trip.

On the mountain, you cannot always expect signage or direction signs on your trail. Getting a signal for your devices will not be that easy. Unless you want to be Tarzan and live in nature for your entire life, you should not climb the mountain without a compass or any knowledge of orienteering.  It is a part of the mountaineering process where you use a compass for directions, trail signs to follow, and a map as a guide. Camping is one of the elements, it involves using a tent or any kind of shelter for you to stay overnight and camp.

As we talk about the trail and how to start your journey, surely this article will tickle your mind and you might add mountain climbing to your bucket list. Who doesn’t want a wonderful view at the top and a cold breeze? Here’s a list of some mountain hiking spots for you to visit.

Famous Mountain Hiking Spots Around the World

The Philippines is rich in beautiful hiking spots, as an archipelago, we are rich in mountains good for hiking. Here are some on the list:

• Mt. Pinatubo – This is a beautiful hiking spot that has risen from the ashes. It is located between the three provinces of Pampanga, Tarlac, and Zambales. With an elevation of 1,485 m or 4,900 ft, it surely has a wonderful view at the top. Jump off to Capas, Tarlac, with an estimated six hours of trek and three hours of riding a 4×4 round trip. After three hours of trekking, you will be able to see its crater filled with vividly colored waters of blue-green and deep blue depending on its season. 

• Mt. Makiling – Known for its mystical protector or dweller, Maria Makiling, according to the tales. Based on some legends, the outline of the mountain depicts Maria Makiling in a sleeping position. Its elevation level is 1,090 m or 3,850 ft above sea level. To start the trail you need to jump off on Station 1 at UP College of Forestry, with a hike of four to five hours to the summit, which offers plenty of surprises in its well-preserved forest and wildlife that makes the hike more interesting. 

• Mt. Arayat – Believed to be home of the legendary Mariang Sinukuan or Apo Sinukuan. Mt. Arayat is filled with many fantastical stories and is considered a promising hiking destination. With an elevation of 1,026 m or 3,366 ft above sea level. Jump off to barangay Ayala, Magalang Pampanga, with a hike of five to seven hours to reach the summit. 

If you want to explore and try a new set of trails outside the country, don’t worry for we still have a vast array of options for you to try and add to your bucket list.

• Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim Hike – To see one of the greatest wonders in the world located in Arizona, USA. With almost 7,000 ft or 2,314 masl, visitors or hikers with heart problems or respiratory problems should consider its elevation. Present with its very challenging trail, on top of it, waits for a very mesmerizing view that is worthy of the trail.

• Everest Base Camp Trek – Located in Nepal, is one of the most renowned best treks in the world. Gives you a glance at the highest summit on earth. With a peak elevation of 5364 m or 17,598 ft at Everest base camp. The trail will last for about 11 to 12 days of the hike where you’ll experience the most iconic trekking routes that the world has to offer.

• Mt. Everest – Being the world’s highest mountain, Mt. Everest will surely be on anyone’s bucket list in terms of mountaineering. Being the peak in the Himalayas mountain range located between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region in China. At 8,849 m (29,032 ft), it is considered the tallest point on Earth. The area above this region is what they called the “Death Zone”: 

Scouting and Mountaineering

Now and then, some of the activities during jamborees are constantly changing, depending on the camping site and the terrain. Thinking of what activity is best for the year or new sets of challenges for the Scouts to experience better than before. Knot tying and lashing every year on jamborees? Will seem to give a dull impact on the Scouts. Some activities should be replaced at least every year, but there is one activity that surely no one on the jamboree would like to miss, HIKING!

The feeling of adrenaline and excitement are constantly rushing to your spine, even without taking a bath, no one will miss hiking. A long trail with your co-Scouts, the chants, and of course, the happiness when you reach your destination. After a hike, a much stronger camaraderie will come out for sure. 

When undergoing advancement in the Senior Scouting section, there are plenty of merit badges that can help you if you want to pursue or try mountaineering. First on the list is the Hiking merit badge, taking the specialist merit badge “hiking,” will set your body conditioned for a much longer hike. Taking different hikes with exceeding distance as the instructions say, will set your body in a good situation for a hike. Both can be beneficial to each other, if you want to attain the hiking merit badge, go hiking or mountaineering, and vice versa. After attaining the said merit badge you will be equipped with fundamental knowledge for a hike.

On a hike, you will be more prone to danger. Who knows what can happen during your trial, so it’s a must for you to know what to do if such things happen especially when you’re far from help. The Emergency Preparedness merit badge is the right tool you need. Knowing what to do in those situations and how to administer First aid to prevent further injuries or possible loss of life. 

The Physical Fitness merit badge will be a big help to put your body conditioned for the hike. Merit badges such as Radio and Ropework will be an essential skill when summiting a mountain. As the Radio merit badge is part of orienteering essentials for communication, and the Ropework merit badge is to climb better and safer.

You can learn a lot of knowledge and experiences in Scouting that you can use in the world of mountaineering. Like the Scout motto said, “Laging Handa” Being prepared in many situations will probably keep you alive during those times.

In every sport or sector, there’s always someone we look into. Someone that we want to surpass or one of our inspirations to dream even bigger. If you’re into mountaineering these names will surely ring a bell.

Famous Mountaineers 

First on the list is Nirmal ‘Nims’ Purja, this daredevil from Nepal blasted through the world’s 14 highest mountains in a little over six months in 2019. Breaking those heights in a short period will surely put credentials on your name. He also climbed Mt. Everest, Lhotse, and Makalu within two days and 30 minutes.

Next on the list is Andrzej Bargiel, from Poland. Not only does this headline-hitting alpinist scale the toughest mountains at super-fast speed, Bargiel often skis back down them. In 2018, he became the first to ski down from the 8,611 m high summit of K2 without removing his skis.

Maybe at first, when you search on the news on who is the first Filipino to summit Mt. Everest, you will see a list of names, articles, and blogs claiming different people. In my first search, the name Leo Oracion took my attention. Many blogs claimed that he is the first Filipino to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. Some claimed that Romeo Garduce is, but apparently, there is another Filipino on the list. With a certificate from the Mountaineering Association of Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. Dale Sto. Tomas Abenojar, a Filipino mountaineer and an adventure sportsman and a mountain guide by profession, holds the record to be the first Filipino to summit Mt. Everest. Based on the certificate, Abenojar reached the peak of Mt. Everest on May 15, 2006, two days before Oracion got to the summit. 

Normally, having our flag raised on top simply means a proud moment for our country. But deep down a hidden message is there, as our flag waves, our dreams and aspirations are also waving on us. Challenging us to go beyond our limits and to get out of our boxes. It is a clear indication that with a burning passion and with the help of others you can do the almost impossible. After that hike, numbers continue to rise as they aspire to be on the list and be part of the great legacy.

Then there goes our Scout trailblazer, aspiring to curve another history to our flag and to bring our carabao slide and neckerchief on top of the world. Like our little Russell from UP, he took his journey to the next level.

Our Scout Trailblazer

Scouting opened various doors of opportunity for everyone, as a matter of fact when Biboy started his hiking career; most of his skills were developed in Scouting. They also had a Swiss and French alpinist that taught them the secrets and special knowledge of how to scale mountains with high elevations. 

Way back in the ‘80s, he joined a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) foundation that aims to help unprivileged children through Scouting. Starting from a young member and then eventually upgrading into a leader and a trainer. Their main goal is to teach essential Scouting knowledge and enjoin Scouts to be involved in environmental awareness and concerns. Due to his passion for mountaineering, they also indulge their Scouts in environmental activities, specifically bringing them to the mountains for a hike. As of today, Troop number 80 from Metro Manila South Council’s legacy can be witnessed by the successful individuals it has produced.

Biboy’s Hiking Career

After so many hikes in various jamborees, the message from nature still continues. Although many challenges occur in his journey, they never stop him from pursuing mountains with more levels of difficulties and challenges. Biboy’s point of view is a lot bigger as he takes the narrative “aim high” seriously. Biboy’s fashion brought him to high places, reaching various mountain summits around the world. Alongside his journey and dream to reach the summit of Mt. Everest, Biboy added research and drew out plans to slowly attempt the higher peaks. Summiting different kinds of mountain trails give him the opportunity to experience new difficulties that are gradually increasing in his preparation for his hike to Mt. Everest.

First on the list is the Everest Camp in Nepal in 2019. For 15 continuous days, despite the average temperature ranging from -15 to -20 degrees Celsius, Biboy went back and forth to Sagarmatha National Park to get a glimpse of the highest peak of Mt. Everest. Getting a glimpse of his ultimate goal at first, and letting the burning spirits experience the nirvana of the journey. After that, he also went to Kala Patthar peak at 5,555 masl. with the thin air and the cold– enough to break your system.

In line with his preparations, he also experienced hiking in mountains with freezing temperatures, punishing wind, and technical trails that would take a toll on your body if you’re not prepared. Mountains like Mt. Kota Kinabalu-2017 in Sabah, Malaysia, Mt. Fuji summit in Japan in 2018, With temperatures of -5 to -7 at the summit, he scaled the adorned volcano from nine p.m. to five in the morning. Just about time to catch its majestic view of the sunrise.

To add to his research and preparations, he also wants to take on the challenges of the beautiful mountains here in the Philippines. On top of his list is one of the highest peaks in the Philippines, Mt. Apo, or the so-called “Bubong ng Pilipinas” with 2954 masl. Making it the Grandfather of all Philippine Mountains and the dream mountain of every Filipino mountaineer.

Various high and challenging mountains are also on his list; 2938 masl Mt. Dulang Dulang and 2922 masl Mt. Pulag. And the most feared Mt. Halcon (2017) in Mindoro, Mt. Guiting Guiting (2019) in Romblon and Mt. Mantalingahan (April 2022) in Palawan. And a dozen more beautiful, high, technical, and majestic mountains around the country. 

After his visit to Nepal, something urges Biboy’s perspective. “ I realized that anything is possible once we put our hearts into what we dream. The 15-day trial gave me different challenges knowing I am exposed to the elements. Altitude, the freezing temperature, and the rigors of the terrain will take their toll. But I came prepared and I exceeded my expectations–realizing that summiting Everest is truly possible.” Biboy said.

Journeys don’t come in a straight way, just like hiking a mountain there will always be ups and downs and of course, challenges for you to overcome. One of the biggest concerns in his journey is first his physical capability. A strong will and burning passion alone cannot climb you to the top of Mt. Everest, you need to have a strong body capable of the hike. Mt. Everest is equipped with a massive amount of snow and ice that can create deadly hazards like avalanches. With a weak and slow body, there will be a low survival chance for you up there. Perhaps the biggest danger it has is the high altitude, where most climbers are not accustomed to the high altitudes and low oxygen levels that force them to rely on bottled oxygen they bring along. 

“Perhaps my biggest concern now is my physical capability. Which I think can be set up through a scientific approach in terms of preparation in conditioning.” Biboy said.

To help prepare himself for the trail, Biboy conducts unending research and updates from different journals to better equip himself to tackle any challenges that may come on his journey. For him, social media plays a vital role to help him be on top of every situation and to know what is happening in the mountaineering world. Aside from it, he uses social media to connect with people who are masters in doing high-altitude climbs. 

“The second biggest concern is definitely the monetary side of it.” Biboy said. Summiting to the highest place on earth somehow requires a high amount of money. For your safety equipment, local Everest team to help you on your summit, and the fare for the trip if you are overseas. 

According to (haexpedition.com, n.d.) the average cost for a place on a commercial Everest team, from either Tibet or Nepal, is USD 44,500. It depends if you want to experience a private climb option on Futenbach’s “signature expedition” which comes with the hefty price tag of USD 200,000.

The fees include a higher ratio of experienced western guides, additional sherpa support, oxygen bottles, communication equipment, tents for shelters, and many more. The trail also includes the various typical costs for the expedition; 

• Everest climbing permit from the Nepalese Government
• Nepalese liaison officer
• Personal climbing gear
• Airfare to Nepal
• Equipment transport
• Food & Lodgings on Trek to Basecamp
• Food & fuel (for water & cooking) above Basecamp
• Personal Tent at Basecamp
• Rope Fixing fee
• Oxygen tanks
• Mountain tents
• Sherpa (local)
• Guide/Team leader

(Note: this is not the complete breakdown for your hike to summit Mt. Everest, possible additional expenses may occur.)

“I know that this is a gargantuan task. And the question of making it is still on hold without the funds needed for the entire expedition. That is why I’m soliciting help from friends, relatives, and everyone who believes that anything is possible. This climb is not just a personal venture but a mission to save our planet by inspiring people, especially mountaineers. I am also accepting product endorsements if given a chance. I can be their ambassador to promote their cause. All the help I can get, I will pool it to make this journey a success.” Biboy said.

A Challenge to Everyone

Like Carl Fredricksen from the movie UP, he cannot fulfill his dreams alone, that’s why a Scout named Russell helped him. Just like the saying goes “No man is an Island” There are tasks and activities that need the help of other people. As a Scout under the Philippine flag, let us unite and help those who have the opportunity to raise not only our flag but also our carabao slide and neckerchief. The accomplishments of our co-Filipino are also our accomplishments, and their dreams are also our dreams, a dream to go bigger and to put our country’s name on top. 

“Upon summiting Everest, I will make that call for everybody to be a responsible individual. And as a Scout, continue to live by the Scout Oath and Law. I will make it my calling for everybody to save the planet for the future generation. I will continue to teach, train and share my knowledge in mountaineering and the outdoors. And lastly, to heed the call for lasting peace.” Biboy adds. As for the current issue of the very alarming global warming and climate change, a call to save our planet must never be ignored. His journey is a way of message to us, what the beauty and how wonderful our planet is, and how we can lose it all if we don’t act now. Who knows if there is still an Everest for us to climb or an Earth for us to live on.

To inspire and become a good example, show the world that anything is possible if we work together. Don’t let your dreams stay in your sleep, wake up and work on them. Together we can help each other and create a better world. 

“If you dream. Dream big. And work hard for that dream. Because as they say on every journey. The crucial step is the first one. That next step will soon be a hundred, then a thousand. And before you know it, you have reached your own summit. My salute to all the Boy Scouts in the world. My climb will be your climb. And my summit will be our success. Together, we are stronger. Forever, a Scout.” – Baby Boy “Biboy” Maquilan Haro.