How to Organize Treks the Lagataw Way

The first event I organized where I was joined by strangers (2011).

In my previous post, I presented the motivation, reasons and deterrents for organizing hikes. In this post, I will share to you how to be successful in this business.

I am not the best organizer in terms of capital and income. But I can say I am a successful one. To give you an idea of how successful my events are, the slots of each of my event get sold out within 12 hours after I give the cue to make a reservation deposit. That's not 13 'going' guests. That's 13 determined trekkers who have deposited a non-refundable reservation fee for a not-so-affordable event.

How did I come to achieve this level of success? Here's my formula.

Why Organize Hikes

Back in the day, I would only climb with the same buddies. But like everything else, hiking had to evolve.

Why Organize?

I once wrote an article on 'Why I Climb Alone'. This time I'll be telling you something quite the opposite. I organize hikes. Why?
First off. It's lucrative. You can earn as much as PhP30,000 over the weekend with just a full-van-capacity climb size of 12 pax. And that's after the costs. Did you know that there are organizers who charter a whole bus for their participants. Do the math. Pretty attractive, eh? One event every month is enough for you and your family to get by, you'd say. Well, at least you're well over the PhP10,000 poverty line income once set by NEDA for a family of five.


Secondly, there's no second reason! Let's face it, pera-pera lang yan. It could come from the event fee that you get directly from your guests or from the 10kg weed you bring down from your destination. Fame? Sex? I'm not the best person to ask.


However, while there's one big reason and plenty of other little reasons to organize hikes, it is not a walk in the park at all for an organizer. There are things that will make you think twice before organizing a hike.