Clothing and Equipment for a 14°C Trek

Only now did I have the chance to write about my expedition to the Cordilleras after Christmas for 4 days.

It was an alpine climb (almost) in the highest points in Luzon participated by 29 trekkers mainly from our club, the PAL Mountaineering Club. Climb covered 3 mountains-Mt. Panatoan (2,422 m ASL), Mt. Pulag (2,922 m ASL), and Mt. Babadak (2,589 m ASL). To reach the jump-off point, we took a 6-hour bus ride to Baguio and another 6-hour jeepney ride in the mountainous roads of Benguet. I headed 1 group of 10 members, most of them professionals. Average temperature was 14°C, manageable if not for the intermittent rains and gusty winds.

I was safely equipped for this type of weather. I brought the Columbia Outer Shell and the inner fleece jacket for use in the camp site and in the trail when it doesn't rain, the white thermal uppers and lowers which I used as my sleeping clothes and the Thinsulate gloves. I wore a Nike Dri-Fit long sleeve t-shirt for 4 days in the trail. When the temperature dropped and the rains poured, I put over as an overlay a breathable TNF Parka Jacket. I needed to recycle trekking clothes as I didn’t want to run out of dry outfits at the campsite. A Thorlo socks was all that I used for the duration of the expedition. All fabrics are breathable, quick drying and water and wind resistant (except for the socks and the thermals).

For sleeping, I set up a TNF Starlight, which provided a warm and dry shelter. Supplementing my energy requirements during the trek was a third of the mixed trail food pack from the U.S. It really provided instant fuel preventing temperature drops and fatigue.

We trekked for 4 hours on the first day, 9 hours on the 2nd day, 5 hours on the 3rd day and 4 hours on the last day.

It was a most fulfilling week, a good summary of all the climbs for the year. I did not experience any fatigue or shortness of breath. Our 9 meals were well planned, slept an average of 7 hours in the camp, would knock off at 9 and wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning. I only felt tired when I boarded the bus in Baguio to go back to Manila dawn of 31st December to reach Manila before New Year. After breakfast in the house at 7 AM with members of the family, I was soundly and deeply asleep for the next 6 hours, enough recharge to meet the 1999 New Year.

During the solitary moments in the trail when the temperature was dropping, I said some prayers, both for myself and for all of you that I committed to do so in my Christmas cards. I said thanks for the good health, the good fortune, the strong family support and the company of friends. I also asked the sacred mountain to clarify my personal and professional directions for the coming years. The Cordillera mountain is powerful enough to grant me that.

Happy 1999