Taking the Torch: 40 Mountains Project (part 4 of 4)

FINALLY! The last of the 4-part blog entry for the 40 Mountains Project. I Started writing about this 2 years ago and did not really thought about any time frame to finish all 40 mountains. At that time, I already had 17 mountains, mostly minor climbs on destinations near Metro Manila - Bulacan, Batangas and Cavite. I really had no goals in particular about trekking in the mountains. I just wanted to take photographs, and where else can you see great subjects? The mountains.

...and the beautiful beaches and islands of the Philippines, of course.

So this journey to complete the 40 mountains brought me to the peaks of the Cordilleras, the northern island of Itbayat, the imposing peaks of the Negros Island - Kanlaon and Talinis, the great mountains of Mindanao - Apo, Dulang-Dulang and Kitanglad, up to the mountains of our neighboring countries.

It enabled me to see awesome things - in exchange of buckets of sweat and excruciating body pains (hey, this is an awesome way to lose weight!), money spent on mountaineering (and photography) equipment as well as travel and climbing costs (taught me how to save and budget my meager salary as well as to juggle work-climb balance). So in essence, this is an expensive and very tiring undertaking. HAHA! As what they say, experience is the best investment. And that numerous unforgettable experiences are definitely worth every penny.

Anyway, feast your eyes on these mountains for this last installment.

Life begins at the mountains. Here are the mountains 31 to 40.

In Photos - 2015

2015 has been quite a ride for me, my camera and the people behind the insanely beautiful places that we've been for the year - both figurative and literal. From the scorching heat of the lahar track in Central Luzon to the insane tides of the northern-most islands of the Philippines, up to the shores of our Southeast Asian neighbor in the west. 

For 2015's installment, I picked people as the subject for this In Photos entry - quite a deviation from my usual landscape shots (which I prefer actually). These three photos provide a narrative on their own which, in one way or another has made my journey through 2015 remarkable. 

So here it is.

#1. Unexpected Conclusion

The Aetas of Pampanga, on a lazy Sunday afternoon. April 2015

In Photos - 2014

As I continued to wander around, my camera in tow, I was just as amazed as the first time I captured a great scenery. Awe-struck and just stood there and took it all in, all the beauty of it - both nature and moments. 2014 took me to places - unimaginably great places that led me to capture great moments that I would never forget.

Where, in 2014 was the best place I found myself you might ask? At an empty ditch on a subdivision still under development somewhere in Sto. Tomas, Batangas! haha! Read through as I walk you through three photos that defined my 2014. In no particular order (numbers for enumeration purposes only). Here it goes!

#1. "Horizon Mirror"

Biri Rock Formations, Biri, Northern Samar. May 2014