Perrysonal

‘There is no illusion greater than fear.’ Conquering our fears I am an introvert. Although I am proud of it, I realized that there are disadvantages with being one. I missed a lot of great opportunities because of my choice of self seclusion. One of them is enjoying the beauty of nature and engaging in outdoor activities. Back then, I was afraid of heights, so climbing mountains never occurred to me. I am also uncomfortable when in front of people, let alone speaking in front of them, but I ended up taking a masters degree which requires you to do reports and presentations in front of the class. I was not active in sports or any physical activities during elementary, high school and college days. Then as I grew older and my life journey went on, I realized that I have to eventually overcome my fears and insecurities. Unexpectedly, I began to acknowledge my fears and confront them, until finally I was able to conquer them. Well, almost. For some, it takes courage to

‘Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.’ From Pinatubo to Ulap I originally intended to organize a Mount Pinatubo day hike for my next climb together with my colleagues, but the high cost of registration and other fees via the Sta. Juliana, Capas trail which I deemed unreasonable made me decide to cancel it. My eagerness to finally conquer this mountain which is situated between the boundaries of Tarlac, Pampanga and Zambales, was not enough to proceed with my plan since it will be hard for the participants of my event to shoulder a considerable sum of money with Christmas season just looming around the corner. Finding an alternative mountain to climb was easy. I didn’t have any other option in mind but Mount Ulap which was located in Itogon, Benguet. I have been to Ulap before, five months earlier to be exact, and I knew exactly that Ulap was an easy climb and its beauty was incomparable and distinct, even from other Cordillera mountains. Planning a M