Trekking Preparations

Trekking Preparations Made Within Reach at Quiapo

All the personal preparations one needs for an expedition trek to the Himalayas are all in the vicinity of Quiapo.

Upon the advice of Dr. Jodell Coates, consult with Sports Medicine Doctor, Dr. Edmund Martinez at the Hospital of the Holy Infant Jesus at Laong Laan st. near the corner of A. Lacson Ave presenting the results of laboratory requirements* for an indication of a trekker's state of health.

Most of the laboratory testings can be secured from the nearby hospitals (St. Jude, UST, DOH, Infant Jesus). But I discovered some laboratories at Rizal Avenue fronting the DOH in San Lazaro that can process your requirements in half a day, in time for presentation to the Sports Doctor at 11 AM-2 PM at his Laong Laan clinic. Make sure you bring your specimens taken after a 10-hour fasting.

Chest xray is at P 140, CBC is P 90, routinary blood, urine and fecal analysis for P 770. Sexually related screenings are at P 740. At the Avenue Medical Lab at 1728 Rizal Avenue, this is estimated at P 1,500. Stress and advanced pulmonary tests available at the St. Jude Hospital will cost an additional P 3,000. Dr. Martinez charges a nominal consultation fee of P 400. He takes a particular look at the borderline blood reading values and bones.

What we dread in alpine climb is the prevention of the Acute Mountain Sickness symptoms which occurs to un-acclimatized people who ascend to altitudes greater than 2,500 meters. The sandy basin of Gorak Shep Everest Base Camp is at 5,160m (16,929ft ASL). The prescribed antidote is Gingko Biloba at 24% flavonoids and 6% terpenoids. The Health Express at the SMC City San Lazaro is selling it at a promo of P 5.33 per capsule of 30mg. Petroleum Jelly, for the prevention of dryness can be purchased at any nearby drugstore.

First aid requirements such as triangular bandage, elastic bandage, sterilized gauze pads can be purchased for less than P 150 at the medical supplies at Rizal Avenue.

Your protection against the blinding whites of the snow and the sun is a rated UV sunglasses which you can purchase at Pedro Paterno st. With treated and graded lens, add P 850 to your P 1,500 frame.

Thermals are available at 168 Mall at Soler st. Undershirt and pants are sold at P 450-750 per set. For the outer garments, there are ukay-ukay all around in case you can live with them.

Document the awesome Himalayas with either a digital or a film camera available along R. Hidalgo st. Supplement your digital camera with a spare lion batttery pack (less than a thousand for branded Nikon) and an extra gigabyte of compact flash (P 800 for a gig).

Viewing the chronicle of Michael Palen of BBC entitled Himalaya that spans over 2,000 mile length of the mountain range for 6 months that started in Pakistan/Agfhan mid May 2003 ending in Bhutan in April 2004 gives you an advanced feel of the expedition. Particularly interesting is the trek from Annapurma to the Everest Base Camp. This BBC documentary titled Michale Palin Pole to Pole is spotted at Arlegui St. Complement the video with a reading of Abner Mercado's "Sa Bubungan ng Mundo" available for P 150 at the National Book Store (Recto or Avenida). The Lonely Planet's Nepal and Tibet makes a hand reference but for a stiff cost of P 1,500.

As Michael Palin says in his documentary, Himalayas is the natural way to get high, especially if it opens our eyes to the epic and the magnificent land, to experience not only the demanding physical travel but also a spiritually satisfying journey.

Lastly, after all the preparations have been made, do not forget to pray for guidance and thanksgiving at the Quiapo Church.

This alpine trek is made within reach to us because of Quiapo.
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*Physical preparation and capability based on health conditions as indicated by the medical tests recommended by Expedition Physician Nepal Dr. Jodell Coates covering a.) pulmonary b.) stress c.) liver, kidney and blood condition and d.) absence of sexually related viruses

**Personal First Aid Kit

1. Triangular bandage (2 or 3)
2. Elastic bandage 3-inch width (2)
3. Sterilized gauze pad 20 pads.
4. Anti histamine also for possible allergies. Get Cetirizine (virlix) 10 mg/ tab kahit 5 pcs lang.

Gear
Technical cap/headgear, lightweight boots, long-sleeved trekking shirt, sports pants, technical socks (3 pairs), open sandals, trekking shirts, quick dry underwear and undershirt (2 sets), sunglasses , long sleeves technical all weather t-shirt (2 sets), trekking poles (1 pair), umbrella, lots of zip lock bags

Heavy-weight wool socks (2 pairs), liner gloves, liner socks, mid weight gloves, neck gaiter

Down pants, down parka, face mask, gaiters, heavyweight gloves, insulated booties, insulated mittens, waterproof / breathable jacket, waterproof / breathable pants or bibs, wind shell, pee bottle, rated sleeping bag

Gears can be purchased at Katmandu

Foto lifted from Cesar Banares foto site http://buangayam.multiply.com/photos/album/61/Mt._Everest#

Freedom of the Hills

Freedom of the Hills

Phrase aptly describes what mountain climbing is all about. Seen against the backdrop of the working employee, enrolled students and minors under the care of their parents, the outdoors is escape.


Expedition forces one to detach himself from the keyboard, worksheets, powerpoints and meetings. In its place are talkson destinations, equipment, mountain classification, brags, clubs, open climbs and personalities.

Freedom is clearly manifested in the free-for-all socials, sights of expansive views and the company of friends and even strangers we are most comfortable with.

Mountain climbing, we say puts us in a natural high. It's a result of one strong influence, the freedom of the hills. Is it still so up until now? Let's climb.

Commercial Marketing and Climbing

In a blog article, I wrote about the value of mountain climbing to me. I listed as important: 1. focus on the target to succeed which is the peak and 2. meeting the minimum essentials as support in achieving the target.

Climbing taught me the value of team building which extended well to the corporate world. No simulated soft skill workshop though has come close to the real life situation of group trekking, setting up camp site as a group, cooking in a production line and shared fun and laughter in the night socials. When work calls for shared vision, I just recall these moments.

As a marketing practitioneer, my insight on consumer behavior has deepened making me better understand the driver behind drinking Ginebra San Miguel mixing it with Eight O Clock and sipping Wilkins Distilled Drinking Water in the trail and in the socials. I understood beyond research numbers and discussions why males drink liquor, juices and water. Gin induces openness which is enhanced when in the outdoors and E0C as chaser makes it more delicious. Wilkins prevents dehydration.

In one way or another, I have contributed to growing the business of these brands because of 1st hand valuable experiences. But a concrete testament of the direct correlation of climbing with work is my creation of the brand name of the 2 other important bottled brands in the Philippines: Summit Natural Drinking Water and Absolute Distilled Drinking Water.

My employer in the 90's was investing entry in the bottled water industry with me tasked to handle the initial phase of product development. Two of the brand names I personally conceived and later on designed with a logo and packaging by Competitive Edge (Teddy T.) were selected, registered and launched. Summit refers of course to the peak. Water at the source then was guaranteed untouched by human hands and thus safe for drinking. Climbing was still very exclusive and not popular. Absolute is what you want your water to be when trekking, safe from contaminants and absolutely pure H20.

Decades later, I found myself in the same line building business for other brands: Wilkins and Viva applying the very same insights I learned from climbing. Today, these brands dominate the market.

Today, I no longer handle just water, but have expanded my application to a wider portfolio of international and well-known brand of beverages.

Can business and pleasure mix? Did the series of events place me to where I am now? Applying serendipity, perhaps so.
Composed on board Philippines Airlines, posted at the Davao International Airport.


Sent via Mobile Phone

Coffee in Gen San

I went to a high end coffee shop in downtown Davao along Legaspi st. for coffee and breakfast. Outlet serves gourmet food, a wide variety of coffee variants typical of an international chain. Interior is modern and like other shops provides free wi-fi.

• It opens at 7AM but unfortunately that Saturday, the staff forgot the key thus it started operations only past 9 AM.
• When the counter was ready, I ordered from combo breakfast-coffee. Instead of a regular brewed, I asked if I can upgrade to a Coffee Latte. Bluntly I was told I will get my regular coffee plus the Latte at the posted price.
• Breakfast offers a choice of rice or their specialty bread. As I was not asked to make a selection, I was automatically served rice although my preference was for bread. I did not appeal.

Three incidences where I felt I did not exercise my option as a customer. But it was a good value meal. Coffee was good, serving generous and the sausage tasty, price modest. Perhaps it was one of those odd days. I left the outlet accepting and satisfied despite the incidences.

In General Santos, I found a coffee shop along Pioneer st. considered along the same class as the Davao coffee shop. It had modern décor, with wi-fi facilities. Coffee offered a wide variant of variants including a specialty bean, "alamid."

The young barista patiently explained to me the various variances of their coffee shop including the story behind the processing of the coffee bean from the intestines of Philippine civet. I opted for a regular brew and paid P 60.0 for a tall order. After I paid, I was asked to sign in their guest book.

As I was about to exit at the door before closing time, the barista shouted from the counter, "Thank you Sir Chito for dropping by. Visit us again."

Businesses may offer competitive features and value pricing. But it is the one with a better service orientation that customers will naturally be drawn to and will keep coming back to over and over again.

Photo insert: Coffee shop at the extreme left

Downtown Gen San

Downtown General Santos' main streets are wide and cemented. Underneath the concrete sidewalks are drainage pipes. Buildings along the avenue are either concrete or wood-based. Unlike a typical urban city, there are no canopies in Gen San because there are no trees. Absolutely no trees! From what I gathered, trees were either uprooted to pave way for roads and drainage or cut-off because they obstruct wires and edifices. While relatively a clean city, the landscape is glaring and blinding. No traces of green, no brown barks, no decaying leaves. I dread Manila if this is the vision MMDA is leading us to -a livable but cold city with no breathing trees to obstruct progress.
Composed at the plane, posted at Centennial Terminal in Manila while waiting for baggage

Sent via Mobile Phone

Quoting Paulo Coelho

Quote from Paulo Coelho, The Pilgrimage
When you travel you experience a very practical way, the act of rebirth.
. . . since all things are new, you see only the beauty in them and you feel happy to be alive.

View from Sarangani Highlands, South of General Santos. Visible from the hilltop are downtown, Mt. Parker and Mt. Matutum.

Partnership in a momentum

Partnership in a momentum

The 2 young partners engaged in baking specialty cakes are by profession a chef and an unlikely complement, a medical technologist. Chef Hasset Go and Jayson Carlos put up their business 2 years ago with a capital that can fund a small school organization project. Today, their asset is still modest but the value of delight and satisfaction they earned is unquantifiable.

Chef’s place is in the kitchen where he creates and perfects his cake day-in, day-out, night and day, the most popular of which are Chocolate Concorde, Cream Brulee and other dark choco based confectionaries. Jayson is exposed to the market place providing staff and administrative support to the Chef.

Friends who have tested Med-Chef’s cakes swear by them-appealing, elaborate, a cut above the rest, soo good you will be willing to pay its’ price. The sleepless nights placed by Chef and his 2 kitchen staff behind every piece are evident in the appreciation as one bites a morsel of their creation.

Jayson’s drive to market the cakes to satisfy customers’ cravings with sweet tooth is altogether another interesting story. He is a natural salesman building long-term relationship with current and potential customers. He is service-oriented with a strong conviction, particularly for products he truly believes in. Since a child, he has demonstrated an instinctive ability to serve and satisfy any person’s need of relatives, neighbors and strange persons with an idea, a service or a homemade product. This inborn talent plus industriousness and persistence paid for his education until he earned his license. As you listen to his story, you’ll detect he has a clear roadmap, a vision of what he wants and does not want. He dreams of growing the business to acquire resources to succeed. The use to provide for his future family is real and crystal clear.

While Chef Hasset and Jayson have not formally defined Med-Chef’s vision-mission, they demonstrate their vision when Chef bakes the cake finding its way to customers prospected by Jayson. When a cake lover bites a slice, they say, "Chito, where did you get this?" To me that is the ultimate compliment.

They are bound to make it big as they are driven by passion and Christian and human values which are enduring. To the momentum.


Inspired by their drive, this article was written as a tribute on the occasion of Chef Hasset’s birthday and their transfer from a one door apartment to a complex with a bigger kitchen and a driveway. Check med chef multiply site. 10 August 2009

Momentum influenced by Francis Kong's Business Column aired over DZFE where he narrated:

• The philosophy behind momentum is to first understand that you build momentum by accumulating small successes.
  Doug Firebaugh says: “The secret to Momentum in life can be found in the word Momentum... you create it Moment by Moment...”
  The bigger the project, the bigger is the payoff as long as momentum is there.

Davao Diversion Zipline

A colleague who was driving by the Davao Diversion Road pointed to me Accelerate, the Zipline. Zipline is a an uninterrupted suspended cable from a high point (200 meters) to a lower end. 

A user is attached to a harness, positioned in a seated or lying position and pushed to the destination by gravity at a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour.

An arrester near the end controls the landing speed until the suspended person comes to a complete stop.

He asked if I'd like to see. Adventurous as I am I said, sure.

I was given an overview of the activity, given safety briefing, walked for 15 minutes to a 250 meter hill and then crossed the 750 meter line across a river in 25 seconds.

Done in less than 30 minutes.

Exhilaration in a dash.

(Photo insert of Jobert P. in the Powerade booth)

PDI article