Climbing Mount Daguldol with Columbia Sportswear
Descending the Summit of Mt Daguldol
Now that summer is here, I know a lot of people would be doing what might be the hardest pre-traveling activity which is – packing and deciding which clothes to wear and take. I myself spend some time considering what set of clothes to pack depending on the number of days and travel destination. In the few set of clothes I bring, most of them are light, comfortable and functional. With functional, meaning it can take on the elements and dry quickly while remaining sensibly fashionable. One of the outdoor apparel brands which has this functional qualities is Columbia Sportswear. And just these weekend, Kenrich International, the local distributor of the brand, invited me along with fellow bloggers, Nina, Phoebe, AJ and Jayvee at the trails of Mt Dagulgol to put their outdoor clothes line and gears to a test.
All dressed up and ready to hike. (left to right) Nina, Phoebe, Aj and Jayvee
In all honesty, Columbia is one of the brands I frequent visiting at the malls. In fact I have one of their Mt Logan Soft Shell jacket which I bought late last year and I really enjoy using and bringing it since it’s so light and packable. When I say packable you can actually pack it in its own front pocket which I thought was really cool and amazes a lot of people. When I received a Columbia Wide Mouth water bottle with an invitation at home, I was excited since maybe I get to try their other gears and apparel.
Who said bloggers can’t take a hike?
Columbia Apparel is the first global brand which received a seal of recommendation from the Skin Cancer Foundation for their Omni-Shade clothing Technology which blocks harmful sun exposure. For a tropical country like ours, I think this technology is very useful. It has varying levels of UPF or Ultraviolet Protection Factor like UPF 30 for Good Protection, UPF 40 for Very Good Protectio and UPF 50 for Excellent Protection.
My Columbia Wallowa Pack and Water Bottle on the side
The climb was scheduled on a Friday and for the first trek day I wore their Omni-Dry Zapper Hills Tee for the tops and an Omni-Dry Silver Ridge Convertible Pants. I must say their clothes must be one of the most comfortable set I’ve worn. They’re very light and cool to the skin. And I was also amused that the Silver Ridge Pants is also packable on its own back pocket. I also used their Wallowa Day Pack. Looks small but very spacious. It actually fitted 2 more sets of clothes, another Columbia Waypoint SoftShell Jacket, some other stuffs like Malong, Kikoy Kit, Snacks, a book, plates and other gadgets.
Aj and Phoebe enjoying a Buko Juice
For the Mt Daguldol Climb, we were accompanied by the folks from Columbia, Dino (the high maintainance Brand Manager slash Gear Guru. Peace 
), Ricky (Megamall branch manager and mountain chef) and Mang Jim (our soft spoken driver). From Makati, it took 4 to 5 hours ride to Baranggay Hugom in San Juan, Batangas. Mt Daguldol, at the elevation of 670 meters, is actually one of the more popular easy climbs if you are just starting on mountaineering. Lots of groups hold their induction here for new members of their climbing organization. Aside from the mountain its also situated near the beach so people could actually enjoy the beach after descending.
Travel Gnomes Makoto, Ernie and Pink Brush
This is actually a really fun and interesting climb. Three of the bloggers here have their own Travel Gnomes. It’s not the first time for me seeing one but it seems really fun. Hehe. Nina has her Pinky Street Dolls, Aj has Ernie and Phoebe got her traveling make up brush. Now I want one too! Hahaha. Could somebody tell me where I could find a stuffed wolf. I was also thinking of Panda after actually having seen one.
Columbia Tent at the Foggy Campsite
We started our climb in the afternoon. At first it was real sunny and come later in the afternoon, it started to rain. So we actually got exposed to different elements here. The hike up took around 4 hours. I think the guys, for first timers here did fairly well. As for our gears, I think my bag is splash resistant as there was only minimal moisture inside my Wallowa Bag despite the pouring rain. And their Omni-dry indeed dries faster than usual and it doesn’t smell. At the summit, it was really foggy and cold. Too bad the weather wasn’t that good as I wanted to take some star trails there but all I saw was thick fog. We got to try our jackets as well. The Waypoint Softshell is a bit thicker than my Mt Logan jacket but its more comfortable to the skin and warmer.
Mt Daguldol Summit View
At the camp, we get to pitch our tents. The Columbia Dome tent is actually very nice. It has 2 doors, one on each side and very spacious interiors with a hanging compartment at the ceiling and can room 3 medium sized persons. Early morning, it actually rained more but we were still dry inside the tents. At camp we get to eat some pasta, toasted breads and baguettes prepared by the Columbia folks. We get to share some stories as well with the other bloggers. The next day, we had some clearing and we get to do a summit. This is actually the 3rd time I visited this mountain and it’s the first time I did a summit. Maybe because I knew the summit here wasn’t that spectacular as the other Batangas mountains.
Dreaming on a hammock. My big hairy legs with Columbia Fyter Trail Shoes and Lifetrek Hiking Socks
Going down was a lot easier and faster for us. Here I really got to appreciate the Columbia Fyter Trail Shoes. It is very comfortable and the omni-grip sure has very good traction even on wet trails. Ok I did had a minor slide on once but that was on a pebbly and sandy ground. But all in, I think this is one comfortable trails shoes combined with the soft and thermal inducing Lifetrek Hiking Socks. On the way, we grabbed some Halo-halo where I get to spend a little time on a hammock. Again, the weather changed from sunny to pouring rain.
Stretch of San Juan beach in Batangas
When we got down we had some time at San Juan Beach. Since it was pretty crowded we moved to the further beach and eventually found a nice spot where the waves are broken by a set of rocks. It was really nice. I also got to wear their Islander Print Water shorts here for swimming. Aside from its neat tropical design it dries up easily as well.
All in all, it was a really enjoyable climb with the rest of the guys as they were really fun and interesting company. They got so much stories to tell and are very enthusiastic. But just like the movie “Invasion”, you would want to stay awake during the long hour drive back home lest you want to be caught on camera sleeping. hehe. So thank you to Columbia Sportswear Inc for the clothes and gears and to the fellow bloggers for the fun time.
Columbia Sportswear Branches in the Philippines: Gateway Mall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, The Block @ SM North, The Podium, Festival Mall, and Limketkai Mall Cagayan de Oro
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Tags: Batangas, Beach, Climb, Columbia Sportswear, Gears, Hike, Mt Daguldol, Outdoor Apparels, Outdoors, Review
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Monday, April 7th, 2008 at 2:18 am 
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April 7th, 2008 at 2:47 am
Haha, di ko kinaya ang product placements XD Winner ka Ferdz, sinama mo pa talaga yung high maintenance part lol
But yes, this trip was the best! It was so great to finally meet you and to share this experience with such an awesome group.
Oh! And thanks for teaching me how to skip stones on water!
April 7th, 2008 at 9:41 am
I am an old school kind of guy… give me a Levi’s jeans, a blue shirt and some good walking shoes… and I am ready to go.
No yuppie stuff and clothes for me!
But I wouldn’t say no to such an invitation… were you allowed to keep their sportswear after the walk?
April 7th, 2008 at 10:39 am
As long as they are freebies, go for it!
April 7th, 2008 at 2:38 pm
cute photos, but ferdz, you are in your best when your name isn’t attached to any brand: your photos look more intense, spontaneous; you can capture the life of a scene that it jumps out of your images when you look at them.
And Columbia Sportswear better think of a better idea than shortcut its way through viral marketing.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:04 pm
@ Nina: Nakakalula ba sa products? hahaha. Thanks! Enjoyed the trip with the group as well. Dapat next time more than 5 skips na yung stone sa water ha.
@ Sidney: Thanks Sidney. A jeans and a shirt would be a nice for general walking and travelling, but if you are doing some mountain climbing and hiking where you are exposed to the elements, wearing Jeans is a not really recommended. It is best to pack and wear light clothes unless you want to be burdened by it.
After soiling, sweating and raining on their products, I think they wouldn’t want their used socks back as well.
@ Photo Cache: Yes, I did.
@ Barrycade: Thanks! I really appreciate that comment.
As for being attached to a brand, I am also a user of a Columbia product before this and I was also planning on writing about my Mt Logan Jacket actually, it’s just that they beat me to it and got a ton of stuff from them to write about. This site is a Travel Site and I will stay in that niche, whether a I write about the travel itself, the things I bring, the clothes I wear, the gears I use, the books I read, and the music I listen to, it will always be about Travel.
April 7th, 2008 at 9:31 pm
mountain climbing is a good hobby..it is one way of nature communing to get you closer to the Creator itself…..
Appreciating God’s creation thru mountain climbing gives you the initial idea of conserving our nature…
April 7th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
I do agree w/you on light and dry yet fashionable clothings but brands like Columbia is rather expensive b/c of its quality and technology of the fabric. Pero, it’s good that you were given the chance to test out their new gears! Fun!
April 7th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
wow lucky you Ferdz to have columbia sponsored your trek.
i did not climbed daguldol yet. astig ang mga travel gnomes mo. may pink brush pa. para saan yun?
as for laiya, never saw it as crowded as that (although it’s not as crowded as Boracay). coz laiya (specifically La Luz) is known for its private type of resort. i’ve been there and it’s a nice place for snorkeling.
April 7th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Great photos as always! Had fun traveling with you (again), sa uulitin!
(btw, yung link to my blog mali eh yung link ni Phoebe. hehe.)
April 8th, 2008 at 2:54 am
another nice adventure of yours! It looks like a tough hike. But I’m glad you did it! Well, you seemed had fun!
April 8th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Sila din ba may gawa ng Colombia candies? Yun lang ang colombia product na alam ko eh lols. But after reading your endorsement about the product, i might just try one.
Pwede bang gnome and co-blogger?
April 8th, 2008 at 10:42 am
@ Eric: True true, not only you get closer to nature but also be amazed on God’s creation.
@ Kyels: Yes it’s an expensiive brand but the same range as TNF but you’ll get your money’s worth.
@ Dong Ho: Err, the gnomes are not mine. I was just thinking of having one. hehe. The Pink Brush is from Phoebe whose a Beauty Blogger,
I think since it’s summer and that was a saturday, lots of families seem to flock the beaches to cool down.
@ Baklang AJ: Thanks! Already fixed the link.
@ Ethyl Alcohol: It’s a bit challenging hike but not that technical. Yup. Enjoyed that trip.
@ Lawstude: I dunno about the candies. hahaha. Yo should check it out since your quite a traveller as well. Gnome na co-blogger? Hmm… let’s see about that. hahaha.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:30 am
Hi Ferdz! dapat may travel gnome ka rin parang sina Nina hehe
Nice post!
April 8th, 2008 at 12:18 pm
uy, bundok! na-miss ko na ang akyat. hmmm… anyway, i heard that the distributor of columbia in the phil is the same as tnf, how true?
April 8th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
@ Dyanie: Haha! Will see if I’ll have one.
@ Lagalog: Well, let’s just say both TNF anf Columbia are distributed by sister companies.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:16 pm
but you forgot to mention the prices of their gears.
April 8th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
wow, gorrilas in the mist! Amazing shot ferdz. I dont know if Im fit enough for a hike like that!
April 8th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
How does the Colombia gear fare in Philippine weather? Are they built well for the tropical heat?
April 8th, 2008 at 11:31 pm
ako na lang isama mo. bwahahaha.
di ko magets yung hammock picture.
btw, re your reply sa anawangin post ko. naghike kme sa papuntang lighthouse lang. hindi sa papuntang anawangin. mas lalo kong hindi kaya yun. hehe. and pictures nasa multiply.
ako na sama mo ha
April 9th, 2008 at 12:13 am
ferdz, ang ganda ng mga pics lalo na yung last pic.
April 9th, 2008 at 5:25 am
Nice pictures bro
And a nice tribute to Columbia as well. It’s more fun to climb mountains in the tropics – that’s for sure.
Here we have a store for mountain climbers with lots of winter gear – like those spiked shoes and ice hammers – pretty intimidating
April 9th, 2008 at 5:26 am
it is always so interesting to read about your treks. Just awesome!
April 9th, 2008 at 11:03 am
@ Zherwin: The price is a bit expensive and same as the other international brands, but you do get what you pay for which is quality products.
@ Trench: Thanks! I’m sure you’ll be able to manage. The girls with us did.
@ Cedsaid: Surprisingly for a global brand, well suited ang fabric nila sa atin. Presko sa katawan, really cool and light and with that, me sun protection pa for a sunny weather like ours. Wow! I’m sounding like a sales person. hehe
@ Tin-tin: Ahh I thought nag hike kayo papuntang Anawangin. Haba rin kasi yun. Cge gawin rin kitang stuff toy. Hehe
@ Narissa: Maraming salamat!
@ Bw: I really like the tropical forest here but I would also like to expreince climbing alpine mountains as well.
@ Jmom: Thank you!
April 9th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
and again, that is one of the places i’ve been meaning to visit but haven’t until now.
cool gear, btw 
April 9th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
what can i say…a photographer and outdoor adventurer…till our next adventure ferds!
April 10th, 2008 at 12:33 pm
sarap mamundok.. di ko pa naexperience..
yung sa last pic sa laiya po iyon?
April 27th, 2008 at 9:58 am
i use a lot of highly functional clothing during my travels – sierra designs, the north face, ex officio, rei as well as columbia sportswear. i notice though that columbia’s sizes tend to be bigger for us pinoys so i always end up buying the small size. so far, their products has lived up to the hype – grandma boyle (remember her print ad?) should be proud.
May 9th, 2008 at 10:07 am
huwaw!!! ang saya saya!!! nahihilig pa naman ako dyan sa mga produktong yan, kakaiba talaga… galing ng adventure at ng blog!
August 7th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
pare kamusta na.. nga pala parang gusto ko nag mag linya sa photography over airsoft.. hehehe… what do you think of nikon d40.. yun sana plano ko bilhin.. san ba ok bumili..
October 20th, 2008 at 5:16 pm
we can provide all kinds of embroidery and digitizing products with lower price and highe quality