Smart Mountaineering Club

13/06/2019

"Ohana" is a Hawaiian word which means Family.

Last June 1-2, 2019, we kicked off our 15th year founding anniversary celebration with a Beach Camp. This year, we stayed in Balai Ohana Beach Camp in Botolan, Zambales.

It was a fun-filled, diet-shattering, and sleep-depriving weekend spent with friends whom we consider as "Ohana" which made it truely special.

Thank you to Diane Bustos, co-owner, for allowing us to stay in the resort. Special thanks to Kuya David (our cook), Ate Tisay (the caretaker) and Nanay (sorry, we forgot her name) who welcomed us, prepared our food, and provided the things we need during our stay.

Here's a short video to bring us all back to that memorable weekend. :)

This is "SMC Beach Camp 2019" by SMCnoy on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

23/11/2018

The mountains are calling. And Yes! We are going!

This is one for the books for our club has been given the chance not only to meet our friends PLDT Mountaineering and Outdoors Club Inc. (PLDT MOCI) for the third time but to be able to give back what the mountains are providing us all this time - and that is life.

Through this Friendship Climb to Mt. Maranat - Mt. Balagbag Traverse last October 20-21, 2018, we were able to share the fun of hiking with other mountaineers outside our club as well as give a life back to the mountains with our tree planting activity.

And with that, we would like to thank Maranat Environmental Society, Inc. especially to Tatay Nestor and Kap Jhun who allowed our clubs to save (in a way) our Mother Nature through planting 26 Apitong trees.

Our help to take care of the mountains does not stop by planting new trees. We have the responsibility to nurture them to be able to serve its purpose not only to human beings but to other living things. Taking the life of mountains for granted won't do us any good for the people and nature are somehow dependent with each other. And so, by this kind of activity, we are saving not only our benefactor but the lives of our future generations.

04/10/2018

It was a fulfilling weekend for BMCnoys, together with SMC mountaineers as they scaled the uncharted Mt. Sutot (Sawtooth) in Zambales last September 29-30, 2018. Congrats and Keep Climbing! 🍂🍃



📷 Kit and Jesmar

24/07/2018

With a total of 33 climbers, Smart Mountaineering Club (SMC) has recently conquered Mt. Timbak and Mt. Tabayoc in Benguet at its annual Invitational Climb which happened last July 7-8, 2018.

Invitational climb is being held annually to let the joiners ouside the club, may it be newbie or experienced climbers, to experience what mountain climbing is as well as know a bit of what SMC is about.

Highlights of this journey include the highest point of Halsema Highway (Benguet-Mountain Province road) of Philippine Highway System, Kabayan Mummies which is found along the Kabayan road (unfortunately, it's close at that time as advised by its caretakers), the serene beauty of Lake Tabeo at Kabayan ranger station, and of course, the hike and the summits of Mt. Timbak (2,717 MASL) and Mt. Tabayoc (2,842 MASL) which are known as the two highest peaks in Luzon 3-2-1, with Mt. Pulag as number 1.

Mt. Timbak in Atok features mostly villages with vast vegetation. The three huge crosses at the top seem to resemble the scene of crucifixion on Mt. Calvary. On the other side, Mt. Tabayoc in Kabayan is no less than this. Starting off with it's camp site at ranger station, be mesmerized with the scenic view of Lake Tabeo. And not only the view is inviting during the trek, but the trek itself is exciting for this mountain has lushy mossy forest with lots of vines, logs, trees and rocks and so is called as "monkey trail".

Truly our Mother Nature has a lot, lot more to offer. And we, people, are so blessed to witness its grand beauty. It is asking no more than the respect it deserves. And that's why we, mountaineers, follow what we call the Leave-No-Trace (LNT) principles.

And learning more than those principles by gaining knowledge in basics of mountaineering and experiencing exciting adventures while sharing and multiplying the fun with the people with the same passion in mountain climbing are good, if not enough, reasons to join the club.

Note: Credit to the owners of photos used in this video presentation and no copyright infringement intended on the song.

And for those who are interested to join our club, Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) for Batch 12 is now open for all Smart employees and its subsidiaries, please register via bit.ly/BMC12registrationform and be at the orientation in July 26, 2018 at 7pm, 2F, Media Room A, Smart Tower.

22/07/2018

Wanted to try something new like mountain climbing but you don't know how? Here's good news for you! Smart Mountaineering Club welcomes you to join our Basic Mountaineering Course (Batch 12) which teaches the basics in mountaineering such as LNT principles, gears and equipment, outdoor safety, basics in outdoor survival and more.

If this excites you, please register via link bit.ly/BMC12registrationform and come to our Orientation that will be held on July 26, 2018, 7 pm at 2F, Media Room A, Smart Tower.

Not only you will discover the world outside of your comfort zone, but you will be able to gain new friends, experience exciting adventures and connect to our Mother Nature. Go and live more! Let's explore outdoors!

Note: This is open to all Smart employees and its subsidiaries. 😊

07/05/2018

Smart Mountaineering Club (SMC) participated in the 5th National Mountain Clean-up Day last Saturday, May 5, 2018. SMC collected 15 kilos of trash, including 158 plastic bottles, 53 tin cans, hundreds of food and candy wrappers and other non-biodegradable waste materials in a 3-kilometer distance.

SMC was assisted by Balungao MENRO officer Nancy Aligam and DENR Region 1 EMB (Environment Management Bureau) representatives Ezekiel Salinas and Matthew Licop. Data gathered from the clean-up activity would help the local government and DENR in their research and assessment.

We would also like to thank the Smart HR and Smart Public Affairs (Smart Communities) for making this event possible.

The annual National Mountain Clean-up Day is spearheaded and organized by Pinoy Mountaineer.

19/03/2018

Join us as we celebrate Earth Hour on March 24, 2018.

30/12/2017

Good day Mountaineers,

New Year is just days away, it's probably a good time to take a look on what has been a wonderful year for us.

Here's a simple compilation video of activities we've shared in 2017. :)

Enjoy!

13/12/2017

Last December 9-10, 2017, Smart Mountaineering Club (SMC) and PLDT Mountaineering and Outdoors Club Inc. (PLDT-MOCI), with the help of Miss Novaleeh Concepcion and Miss Joyce Panaligan from Smart Public Affairs, conducted its 2nd Friendship Climb and Tree-planting Activity at Mt. 387 in Nueva Ecija.

Looking forward to more activities this coming 2018!



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08/12/2017

Smart Mountaineering Club concluded its first international climb at Mt. Fansipan in Vietnam and Lantau and Shek-o Peaks in Hong Kong last December 1-2, 2017. Two teams led by Andrew Glovasa (Team Vietnam) and Gil Casuyon (Team Hong Kong) made their way through hours of hiking and cold to freezing temperatures.

Exploration lead Andrew Glovasa mentioned as one of Mt. Fansipan's highlights: "There were stairs and ladders that aided us on steep sections. According to our guide, the team was lucky because those stairs/ladders were not there 2 weeks ago. It would have been a longer/harder hike. We also can't forget the rock face that we have to cross using twigs embedded in it. One wrong step and we go hurtling down a cliff."

Exploration lead Gil Casuyon of said, "The trail to Lantau Peak was wide open, with minimal to no shade, so you get to clearly see a panoramic view of the island – its tall buildings, coasts, nearby islets, airport, and of course, the giant Tian Tan Buddha, which is located on the village where we exited our traverse. Shek O Peak was way much easier the first day with little to no steep ascends despite being farther – spanning 8.5 km taking us more than 3 hours to complete. You can see from the top the tall buildings, rivers, and the white beach coasts below.

Another milestone achieved by our beloved SMCnoys.



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01/12/2017

Smart Mountaineering Club had its annual Thanksgiving Outreach Program at the Little Angels Home, Inc. last Saturday, 25 November 2017 led by our club's Community Service and External Relations (CSER) committee headed by Ms. Jane Tayao Angeles. The fun-filled event includes activities like hand-painting, dancing and exciting games was enjoyed by everyone especially the kids. The club also donated drawstring bags with school supplies, grocery items and other goodies for the kids of Little Angels Home.

Special thanks to our Thanksgiving Outreach Program partners: NutriAsia, Inc. for the Locally Juice drinks; Smart's IT Department, IT-ERP Team, Product Development Team, and SSQC Testing Team for the cash donations, Read to be Smart (RTBS Club) for the school supplies, Mr. Ian Yu for providing Gatorade drinks for SMCNoys, Mr. OJ Domingo and Smart Public Affairs for the shirts and notebooks given to the kids.

Kudos for another successful and fulfilling activity by the Smart Mountaineering Club!



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28/11/2017

20/11/2017

Last November 14-16, 2017, our fellow SMCnoys have conquered Mt. Guiting-Guiting, one of the most technical mountains in the Philippines with a 9/9 difficulty rating.

From everyone in Smart Mountaineering Club, we congratulate you for this amazing feat. Mabuhay SMC!

#2017

28/10/2017

SMC completed Day 1 of Writing Workshop. Special thanks to Miss Cyril Bonabente and Kate Pedroso for providing 10+ years of combined knowledge to SMCnoys. Looking forward to Day 2!

26/10/2017

Last October 14-15, 2017, PLDT Employees Credit Cooperative (PECCI) officers, with the support of Smart Public Affairs, Smart Mountaineering Club (SMC) and PLDT Mountaineering and Outdoors Club, Inc. (PLDT MOCI) embarked on a six-hour trek to deliver the School-in-a-Bag to Lanipew Barrio School in Kibungan, Benguet.

School-in-a-Bag, a project of Smart Public Affairs, is a portable digital classroom designed to facilitate learning in basic education in remote areas without electricity.

To find out how to bring the School-in-a-Bag to another community, email [email protected]

11/08/2017

Stay safe mountaineers!!!



Earthquake Information No. 2
Date and Time: 11 Aug 2017 - 01:28 PM
Magnitude= Mw 6.3
Depth = 160 Km
Location = 14.00°N, 120.50°E - 016 km S 57° W of Nasugbu (Batangas)

Source: Phivolcs

DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYPHILIPPINE INSTITUTE OF VOLCANOLOGY AND SEISMOLOGY EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION NO. :  2  PHIVOLCS Bldg, C.P. Garcia Avenue, U.P.- Diliman, Quezon City, PHILIPPINES Tel.: 426-1468  Fax: 927-1087

08/08/2017

We are very humbled to put Smart Mountaineering Club's logo stickers at the front door of Laban Rata Resthouse at Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia (3,272 MASL) last June 19, 2017.

Laban Rata is said to be the first and the most famous resthouse near Mt. Kinabalu summit (4,095.2 MASL). To be able to reach it, you need to climb 4-6 trekking hours from the jump-off (Kinabalu, National Park). This place helps every climber to acclimatize, have warm lodgings and hot meals before and after the climb to the peak of Mount Kinabalu.

It's a tradition here for every hiker around the world to put pictures at the walls or sticker logo at the front door. It's a sign that a certain individual or groups have trekked Malaysia's highest summit and stayed at the Laban Rata Resthouse. 💪🏻❤

01/05/2017

Kudos to all Smart Mountaineers who have successfully ascended the summit of Mt. Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia last April 30, 2017.

With an elevation of 4,095 MASL, Mt. Kinabalu is the highest peak in Malaysia and one of the highest in Southeast Asia. 👍💪🏻⛰

Get Outside. Reach higher.

27/04/2017

THROWBACK THURSDAY | "The Ulap in Mt. Ulap".☁️ ⛰😉

Photo taken by SMCnoy Tonyang during the Mt. Ulap dayhike last August 2016.

Get Outside, Hike More.

12/04/2017

Update: Mt. Maculot is temporarily closed according to local sources living on the area.

SMC MOUNTAIN NEWS: Reports said that recent earthquake caused an erosion of the downslopes, lower portion of the infamous Rockies of MT. MACULOT in Cuenca, Batangas. Let us pray for the safety of our fellow hikers who ascended Mt. Maculot today.

No further closure announcement of the mountain as of this time.

Photos (c) Credits to respective owner.

08/04/2017

SMC MOUNTAIN NEWS: Reports said that recent earthquake caused an erosion of the downslopes, lower portion of the infamous Rockies of MT. MACULOT in Cuenca, Batangas. Let us pray for the safety of our fellow hikers who ascended Mt. Maculot today.

No further closure announcement of the mountain as of this time.

Photos (c) Credits to respective owner.

04/04/2017

STAY SAFE MOUNTAINEERS:

Here is the latest bulletin from Philvolcs as of 8:58pm.

Earthquake Information No. 2
Date and Time: 4 April 2017 - 08:58 PM
Magnitude = 5.5
Depth = 5 kilometers
Location = 13.69°N, 120.91°E - 006 km N 56° E of Tingloy (Batangas)

Reported Intensities:

Intensity V - Malvar & Calatagan, Batangas
Intensity IV - Makati City, Obando, Bulacan; Imus & Indang, Cavite; Calamba, Laguna; Santa Ana, Manila; Valenzuela City; Tagaytay City
Intensity III - Mandaluyong City; Quezon City; General Trias & Dasmarinas, Cavite; Pasay City; Lucena City
Lucena City, Quezon
Intensity II - Talisay, Batangas; Abra De Ilog, Occidental Mindoro

Instrumental Intensities:

Intensity IV - Tagaytay City
Intensity III - Mauban, Quezon; Lucena City

http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/html/update_SOEPD/2017_Earthquake_Information/April/2017_0404_1258_B2F.html

24/03/2017

LIGHTS OFF, please! and support the Earth Hour 2017.

On March 25, 8:30-9:30 PM, Earth's most iconic landmarks will once again turn off their lights for this year's Earth Hour. Philippines will be joining this event once more with SM by the Bay, MOA Complex as the main switch-off venue from 7 to 10 PM.

mainly focuses on galvanizing the youth as our future climate leaders.

Let's all support this event by dedicating our 60 minutes to our Mother Earth.

http://wwf.org.ph/earthhour/earth-hour-2017-set-march-25th/

From 8:30 to 9:30 PM on March 25, Earth’s most iconic landmarks will once more switch-off their lights for Earth Hour 2017. Earth Hour Philippines’ main switch-off event shall be held at SM by the Bay, Mall of Asia Complex from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM on March 25, Saturday night. This year, there will b...

09/03/2017

Our BMC takers are now gearing up for their first major climb this March and most of them are going to experience it for the first time.

What are the things you will gain from first mountaineering experience? Here is a good read article from Mr. Ali Alami of fitclimb.com.

It’s not easy hiking up snow with a heavy pack for hours on end and doing it at high altitude. Mountain climbing is one of the most physically demanding sports there is. However, if you’ve trained properly, most of your fitness gains will come before your big climb.

20/02/2017

She is Ms. Jane Angeles, a mother of 3, a grandmother of 1, and a widow. She was able to conquer Mt. Tibig, Mt. Purgatory, the multi-day climb Kibungan Circuit, and Mt. Cinco Picos thru SMC activities.

She proved to us that you can reach greater heights regardless of your age. She is strong, she is adventurous, she has the values and she is the newest member of Smart Mountaineering Club.

15/02/2017

Stay safe. Be prepared.

Residents of Metro Manila and nearby provinces should prepare for the “Big One,” a magnitude 7.2 earthquake to be generated by the West Valley Fault, which is ripe for movement.