The Devolution of Philippine Mountaineering

The year 2006 will remain an important milestone in Philippine mountaineering history. That year, the battle cry of the First Philippine Mount Everest Expedition "Kaya ng Pinoy!" reverberated across the country when Leo Oracion set foot on the roof of the world saying "Kung kaya ng Pinoy umakyat ng Mt Everest, kaya ng Pinoy magbago"! Indeed one faction of the Philippine society changed. With that feat and the social media, more and more Pinoys have become inclined with the outdoors. The only difference is that it's much easier now! With just one click, one can already be a part of Wave 76 of a Mt Pulag eco tour! I remember a time when climb itineraries were still hunted printouts. That was also the time when mountaineering clubs were scrambling for the few remaining meteorological terms like hamog, unos, ulap and bagyo which had not yet been used by other groups to name their club. These days, those clubs are starting to find competition in the growing number of tour operators catering to backpacking and climbing. And that's the rule of the game now! You only need to be a member of a Facebook group and wait for a PTP Admin post and you are one step away from your first legit climb! No more training climbs, no more BMC; just your non-refundable reservation deposit!

Honey a la Fear Factor

If it's white then it has larvae

Everyone loves honey but have you tried eating a honeycomb? 

How about a honeycomb with larvae?! That was the first time I did it. But the maggot-like creatures didn't bother me that much. I mean nothing could get any more authentic than that. 

I was just feeling my tongue for itchiness because I was worried that I had some undiscovered allergy to beeswax or bee larvae. The place was three hours away from the nearest clinic.

Okay you may have passed the larvae challenge but what if I told you that this honey could have been harvested from the most repulsive of places!