Mt. Labo first successful traverse

Well, first of all, I would like to congratulate everyone who successfully finished the 1st successful Mt. Labo traverse (Yehey!). As a young outdoorsman, I could say we have been favored by our Lord Jesus Christ in many aspects.

In fact, I can remember from this time of writing I was feeling anxious (The burden of being the team leader and trekking manager). Which our exploration could turn into a series of unmanageable events. Either, we end up in hospitals or graveyards. So, since the weather is unfavorable and we are purely in bad timing, I was discerning and thinking about canceling our planned trip of course!, yes I am afraid of my Co-Hikers lives (It always matters).

From personal experience, I've seen numerous mountain accidents, a few of them is my own misadventures; from hiking with flu on a rainy season, to a severe asthma attack without bringing any medication, or even going solo where a poisonous snake is ready to bite you while taking a quick snack.

In the wild outdoors, we always had no other options but to rely initially on our own instincts, intuitions, knowledge, and skills (Can be learned through Basic Mountaineering Course). It is much ideal to have a buddy to climb at least (Not applicable for most of us).

In other words, the weather is our primary problem, Typhoon Mario is currently drumming the Southern Luzon and thumping Camarines Norte from the time I was traveling from Legazpi city.

Weird, but I could not sense or feel any fear even a bit of it! Yes, for I know Bicol Mountains for a short time and I think I already have adapted to the environment in the worst or best scenario, it's my playground of course, and a playground for every Bicolano outdoor enthusiast.

How to Travel Solo to Mt. Isarog: 10 Tips

This is just one set of how to go and hike Isarog solo.

That's me somewhere at Camp 1

1. Take the bus. If you’re coming from manila take bus heading to Naga/Legazpi/Tabaco you can also take bus heading to visayas (samar/Leyte) if peak season e.g. Christmas or holy week. Yes that would work if you failed to secure a seat before your desired travel. Great option when you are in part of Quezon province. If you’re coming from Legazpi/Tabaco/Sorsogon take bus/van going to Naga. (No problem for Bicolano's e'h)

2. Check the weather. In spite of the fact that we outdoor enthusiasts or mountaineer can bear with bad weather conditions like strong rain I suggest that you do this on a sunny day not just the sun is smiling and burning you… hehehe nah! Just kidding but because the fact that we want to have safer hike and away from the muddy trail. Yayks! Familiar with it? Therefore you want to plan your trek in hopes of summiting it in a clear day now, not through sea of fogs or zero visibility as is so often the case here.

3. Plan your hike. Decide on how you want to discover and experience this lovely place. There are 4 existing trails in which differ in difficulty and scenery. Kadlagan Outdoor Shop may help if you’re not sure how to approach the park, you can also buy or rent gears maybe from them look for sir Jojo. This can be done by day hikes or overnight camping. so all you need is the following: