Freezer Training

Inside a freezer sharing layering principles and techniques; temp at around -25C with Louie (FWD North Pole marathoner), pic c/o FWD Insurance

I must admit that this recent 'freezer session' supporting FWD North Pole Marathon candidate’s training was my first.

At first, I thought that it was a joke, and that if ever - the freezer would be some sort of active cold storage facility complete with dead pigs and huge tunas!  Not that it was very surprising as I also heard of the same idea from GMA 7 - when they were still on their planning stage on how to go about training their crew in a winterish environment (to document part of my Everest expedition).

Hearing that the FWD representative has no previous snow/ ice/ winter experience – I thought that it was the logical (if not the only available) approach.

But just to share my own thoughts and opinion for those who are planning to short cut the process and really consider doing a ‘freezer training’, here are some things to consider:

Winter Survival - Quit or Not Quit?

Session with Louie - the North Pole Marathon participant, along with coaches Ige and Ani.

I know that we should seldom entertain the word ‘Quit’; but reality dictates that we should be practical and smart in our approach, whether that’s attempting a summit in a very cold place, or – as these questions are designed for, attempting a marathon in the North Pole!

I used these questions to preempt my one-on-one sharing with the marathon candidate, to see his risk perspective and detect what should I highlight in our discussion – and sharing this to you in case you plan to climb or do any winter endurance sport. 

How many ‘Quit -yes’ will you answer?

My GoPro Adventures

(video grab) Having a moment of hesitation as I climbed over this rock along the long summit ridge of Carstensz Pyramid, Papua 2011

If there's one great innovation in the past decade, as part of the arsenal of video and picture documentation - it has to be the compact (pocket-able), high-density/ high-quality, all-weather, mountable, shock-proof, light-weight and easy to operate video-camera device! And GoPro easily comes to mind.
I've started using this way back 2011, and the difficulty of mountaineering docu-work suddenly became highly manageable, if not at times - easy!

In my past climbs - I used to operate a bigger handy-cam (which in those times were already compact) which I actually find user-friendly and manageable.  But with various reasons such as old technology of using tapes, use of tripod to shoot oneself for an unsupported (no crew) trips, bringing spare batteries (for long trips) which are bigger and heavier, and inability to bring a spare video-cam unit given weight and bulk, or even ease of copying digital files  -- one will re-look at better options available in the market.  And GoPro happens to perfectly address the requirement of "easy and light".

Over the years, it has become a regular and reliable companion in my outdoor trips and activities.  And just to reminisce, here are some snapshots of my so-called "GoPro adventures"!

What to Invest On - for Mountain Climbing Beginners

Right outwear ensures comfort, safety and good performance!  My team in Dulang-Dulang Bukidnon.

Long time ago, like +20 years back – finding the perfect and affordable outwear is like finding treasure in the middle of a hidden, dense jungle.  Well not exactly – but it was like an adventure in itself!

And it’s a lot more challenging if you’re looking for something that can be used for colder weather or high, snowy and windy altitude.

The practice back then is to hunt for surplus or factory ‘rejects’ – mostly in Cartimar or Cash & Carry areas, and SM’s Surplus Shop.   

I’ve bought a number of semi-functional but affordable items back then – enabling me to pursue my tropical mountaineering adventures, and even helped me survived the likes of Nepal Himalayan trek, Kilimanjaro climb (Africa) and K2 basecamp trek in Pakistan!

The last 10 years witnessed the big change in the outwear sourcing landscape - outdoor stores sprouted here and there, some selling top-of-the-line brands previously not accessible in the country.  It’s no longer a question of finding what you need – it’s getting the money to buy them!

Being in commercial areas most of the time – I’ve observed that even lifestyle brands started their own line of outdoor wear and sportswear, to get a piece of the pie of the growing active lifestyle market.  

And one such brand and store happens to offer a trove of treasures for the picky taste of hiking enthusiasts and beginners – UNIQLO!  To the newbies who are unfamiliar with the intricacies of proper outwear – here’s a quick guide on what items to prioritize and features that you should consider.

Having Fun with GoPro - in Boracay

With its 'wide' setting, intentional framing using various types of surrounding creates varying effects; here in a 6in diameter hole x 7-8in deep (in the sandy beach); time lapse of 1f/sec to get various poses and actions (in a waterproof case of course)

I’ve used GoPro since 2011 but mainly for video, and lately started using it more for photography.  Starting my Instagram also helped me discover hundreds of possibilities of how to photograph using this highly portable camera unit, and some of my experiments are based on the pictures that I saw in various GoPro-related pages. 

So here are some samples, with half-review / half-tip kind of remarks...