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Globe Cordillera Challenge 6

May 13, 2015 Comments off

Globe Cordillera Challenge 6This one is a bucketlister that every Filipino mountain biker should try once in his lifetime. If mountain biking is like a religion to you, then the Cordillera region is where you make your sacred pilgrimage.

The land of the Igorots is home to some of the highest mountains in the Philippines. It is also legendary for having some of the most beautiful mountain vistas in the country. And thanks to the organizers of the Globe Cordillera Challenge, it has also gained renown for some of the most awesome mountain biking events.

Globe Cordillera Challenge (or GCC to to the initiated) takes mountain bikers through some of the most lung-busting and leg-cramping climbs as well as most knee-crushing, ankle-shattering descents in the country. But the reward for all this pain and suffering are worth it. You get to bike through pine forests, colossal cliffs that plunge hundreds of feet deep, and massive mountainscapes that seem like the very essence of epic. Plus the rush you get from sending the downhill sections is just incredible.

I’ve biked in the Cordillera a few times before. But this place just never gets old. Read more [+]

Epic Bike Ride on the Bobok-Bisal Trail in Benguet

December 3, 2013 5 comments
Bobok Bisal Trail In Benguet

The scenery is breathtaking, in case you have any breath left after wrestling with gravity.
Photo courtesy of Roger of Late Comers Harcor team

The Bobok Bisal Trail is definitely the most challenging ride I’ve done so far. This trail, which winds through the heart of the town of Bokod in Benguet province, will test your lungs and legs with its punishing ascents.

However, the true test comes later when it’s time to descend. The long technical downhill will push your handling skills to their very limits. Loose gravel, babyhead rocks, roots, deep ruts, berms, cliffs and a very steep grade that recalls the roller coaster route that is The Wall in some sections: Bobok-Bisal has plenty of these.

But along with the extreme challenges come epic rewards. The views of the pine covered peaks and slopes are simply fantastic. The downhill shoots a drum full of adrenaline through your frail shaking veins. And the flowy singletrack in the cliff sections is the stuff of mountain bikers’ wet gushing dreams. Read more [+]

Running in Sagada, with Iyer and Kundera

October 31, 2013 Comments off
Running in Sagada

Sagada: one of the best places for mountain running

Sagada has always been one of my favorite destinations in the Philippines. The cool clean and crisp air, the mountains covered in a thick forest of evergeens, the clearest dome of blue that is the sky over the town, the cliffs carved by eons of rain and sun which are just begging to be gripped and climbed, and the friendly people and their unique culture–all of this always makes for a transcendent retreat.

Last year, on All Saints Day, Kara and I went there on a much needed vacation. We were also looking forward to witnessing the unique custom of Sagada on Novemeber 1st called Pinag-aapoy. Here locals build a small bonfire on their loved ones’ graves instead of lighting candles.

But first, I had to get my runnng fix that morning. I was training for a 21k trail run that month and needed to keep my cardio level up. And Sagada was just perfect for running. Read more [+]

Rock Climbing in Sagada

November 5, 2012 Comments off
Rock climbing in Sagada

Rock climbing in Sagada

Visitors come to Sagada for its cool climate, its beautiful pine-clad mountain slopes, its relaxing vibe, and its friendly locals. Travelers stay for a couple of days to enjoy Sagada’s caves, its waterfalls, its hiking trails, and its culture.

But besides these, I think this quaint little town up in the Cordilleras also deserves fame for one other thing—its beautiful cliffs that are just perfect for rock climbing. Read more [+]