Lesson

1 Mountaineering Activities-
Hiking/Trekking

This module was designed and written to trace back history of

mountaineering in the Philippines.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Recognize the history of Mountaineering in the Philippines

2. Appreciates the health benefit of Mountaineering.
 PHILIPPINE CLIMBING HISTORY: The Rocky beginnings

The earliest history of Rock Climbing in the Philippines was in 1980’s where

it began as a component of mountaineering following its international roots.

Mountaineers attempted more challenging climbs and terrains as an incidental

activity.

The pioneer of rock climbing in the country is the University of the

Philippine Mountaineers. They developed the Basic Mountaineering Course based

on a 1966 handbook by Alan Blackshaw which served as their manual for ascending

the Matutungil rock of Anilao.

In the UPM history, the first rock climbing team as a group used car parts

and polyeurethane ropes as their makeshift gear. They started establishing rock

climbing routes at the municipality of Rodriguez, Rizal (formerly known as

Montalban) along with other members of the Mountaineering Association of the

Philippines (MAP, now defunct)

In the early 90’s in the province of Cebu, the first generation of rock climbers

were born, and established the first routes (all traditional style climbs) in Cantabaco.

Spelunkers and mountaineers were also exploring the caves and cliffs of Barangay

Cantabaco, Toledo City. Following the natural progression towards advanced

forms of mountaineering,

The artificial climbing facilities were first setup in the Philippines in 1993

In Metro Manila, UPM members bolted hand-made foot holds and

hand holds onto the surface of the 70-feet high university library where a

group of mountaineers from the Habagat Outdoor Shop in Cebu City built a wall

out of plywood sheets attached to the shop’s factory around the place at the same

time.

Since artificial climbing was set up outdoors, the use of facilities was

dependent on good weather. No time was wasted by the University administration

for the UP Main Library wall in closing the facility for security and safety issues.
 After the UP-Wall’s closure, the Power Up Center for Climbing and Fitness

was set up in Quezon City, the country’s first commercial wall climbing facility.

A stone’s throw away from the University of the Philippines. The opening of the

Power Up gym in an indoor and controlled environment set up became a turning

point in the Philippine climbing history and made climbing accessible to the

public where curious and eager Filipinos had a ready place to try climbing for

the first time and a variety of wall angles became a playground to explore for the

more familiar mountaineers.

Climbing facilities spread all throughout the country- in schools, malls, and

commercial establishments – there came the need for a national group to oversee

the sport’s development and keep safety standards in check.

The Sport Climbing Association of the Philippines, Inc. (SCAPI) was formed

in September of 1998, linking climbing communities across the Philippine

islands.

Outdoor recreation provides opportunities for people to be

active, relax, develop friendships, spend time as a family, be

challenged and develop new skills and abilities – both physical and

mental. Active outdoor recreation provides an alternative option for

people who do not want to participate in organized traditional

sport.

Some of the recreational activities that you can do are

mountaineering, hiking, and trekking