though of late ive been slowly moving towards raw landscapes and night photography, and a bit of street and far less, fashion.... adventure photography in the philippine mountains has always been my cup of cake. i just love doing it. climbing the country's toughest mountains is just that: tough! it is suffering. oftentimes, the highest, most remotest peaks require months of physical training just so you could accomplish a climb ably and safely.

mountaineering photography is a romantic mix of adventure, sport, travel, candid, portrait, and of course, landscape photography. most photographers who have done mountains will always have great words to say about their experiences, of the unique captures that can only be gotten while traipsing in the far away highlands....

mount amuyao, at 2,780 meters (8,800 feet) above sea level, is the country's ninth highest peak and the tallest in mountain province. its traditional ascent route is a six hour straight ascent from the municipality of barlig. our group undertook the torturous traverse trail to the ifugao side, which entailed an additional two days of trekking: a 15 hour hike (which really melted me out) on day two, down to pat-yay and onto cambulo, and then a finishing 7-hour walk back to kinakin the next day. its back to banaue for the bus ride home.

to climb and undertake this hike is pure hardship. but to do so with a burdensome backpack and a heavy tripod is hell. and doing photography in the midst of it all, cramping muscles in sub 10 degree temperatures, tripping over rice terraces and getting muddied all-over, trying to live up to personal standards....

...it was just insanely difficult.

rewarding....but insane.

here are those photos...

(wait lang medyo marami)

pine ways and a thousand steps up
http://static.flickr.com/81/259384959_8da6336010_o.jpg

rising above the ancient terraces of macalama, barlig
http://static.flickr.com/87/259384956_cacb80ebc9_o.jpg

through mist-shrouded pine forests
http://static.flickr.com/84/259384963_076916452e_o.jpg

impromptu rock climbing
http://static.flickr.com/114/259384967_ec9f36bd19_o.jpg

lunch muna ako. post ko after images from the rice terraces, from the summit and the landscape shots....

watch out for it.

from 8,800 feet above (taken with a point-and-shoot in 2005)

crescent dawn
http://static.flickr.com/114/259419026_84aa674fdc_o.jpg

bernard billedo at work
http://static.flickr.com/116/259419023_eb6f6313fe_o.jpg

an overwhelmed me
http://static.flickr.com/103/259419027_b4741f6720_o.jpg

panoramic shot (11 composite images)
http://static.flickr.com/105/259419028_4d2005a8b3_o.jpg

an enchanting find at our emergency camp
http://static.flickr.com/110/259374210_4ae8a35751_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/88/259374214_650706fc7f_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/93/259374215_ac490855b0_o.jpg

low in the rapids and gradient mapping
http://static.flickr.com/85/259374219_5ced14ff01_o.jpg

Galing ng Intro and Photos Jay! :)

Lovely shots! I like em all.

approaching the village of pat-yay, mayoyao, ifugao
http://static.flickr.com/85/259398683_4d09d32667_o.jpg

180 steps to the village center
http://static.flickr.com/89/259398686_41e6cb434b_o.jpg

the rice terraces of pat-yay
http://static.flickr.com/113/259398691_873a3b4b2e_o.jpg

a cloud-shrouded rest ridge...
http://static.flickr.com/101/259398696_a40147292e_o.jpg

Great shot Jay and Awesome Adventure, If you dont' mind, what club do you use or what is the name of your Mountaineering Club?

the verdant terraces of cambulo
http://static.flickr.com/104/259401552_bbd94ef08f_o.jpg

careful walks over stone steps
http://static.flickr.com/109/259401551_d5bd2b4544_o.jpg

http://static.flickr.com/98/259401554_ad1706c055_o.jpg

grand works
http://static.flickr.com/121/259401549_caa6027cf1_o.jpg

Jay, great shots, as always. I want to try that too! So where do I start?

Regards,
Norman

checked out your multiply site. i like how you documented the trek. and the perspectives that you shared with us are priceless. you can only get those angles if you trek. otherwise, it's just another high quality postcard photo. thanks for sharing, jay :)

Great shot Jay and Awesome Adventure, If you dont' mind, what club do you use or what is the name of your Mountaineering Club?

how forgetful of me :) im with Pilipinas Sierra, Inc. Sir Erick.

Jay, great shots, as always. I want to try that too! So where do I start?

Regards,
Norman


lets start with something really easy sir norman. somewhere in batangas. lots of easy climbs there.....

that mountain sort of broke my spirit! hehehe. it was my 3rd time up mt. amuyao, but i dont know, maybe im just getting older...i really had a hard time this time 'round.

i'll open a mountaineer's thread para i'll have an idea who the climbers in the forum are and para maka-organize tayo ng mountain shoot EB/climb...then all those interested can join. ayt?

checked out your multiply site. i like how you documented the trek. and the perspectives that you shared with us are priceless. you can only get those angles if you trek. otherwise, it's just another high quality postcard photo. thanks for sharing, jay :)
thanks raul. i had my 28-200 with me and i wanted to shoot tele's of the rice terraces, like what you did, pero i was so wasted to even change lenses. i shot with the kit lens all throughout....

oh well, there's a reason to return to these places, i guess :)

how forgetful of me :) im with Pilipinas Sierra, Inc. Sir Erick.


Great,, I'm Still active in my Club which is a school base, PATTS M C..maybe we will cross our path someday, well congrats to your club, you conquer it with out any problem..GOOD JOB..

lets start with something really easy sir norman. somewhere in batangas. lots of easy climbs there.....

that mountain sort of broke my spirit! hehehe. it was my 3rd time up mt. amuyao, but i dont know, maybe im just getting older...i really had a hard time this time 'round.

i'll open a mountaineer's thread para i'll have an idea who the climbers in the forum are and para maka-organize tayo ng mountain shoot EB/climb...then all those interested can join. ayt?
Sir Jay, game ako 'jan (and when I say I'm game, I'm really up to the task)! Naks. When I told you I want to become a mountaineer, I really meant it.

From a Web site quoting a book:

"In addition, due to exposure to people, places, and culture, mountaineers build their character and become well-rounded individuals. They learn to be patient and enduring, disciplined and time-conscious, and courteous and considerate, among many other values."

Is this true? =B)

Regards,
Norman

Jay, great shots as usual! Astteeegg! :)

You got wonderful shots, Jay! :) I'm amazed! I've been wanting to mountain climb for some time now but haven't got the chance to do so. It looks really fun! :D

great set jay. inspired....
climb na!!! :)

You got wonderful shots, Jay! :) I'm amazed! I've been wanting to mountain climb for some time now but haven't got the chance to do so. It looks really fun! :D

hi louie. of course mountaineering is fun. basta yung mga minor at intermediate climbs lang! when you start doing major mountains (halcon, amuyao, napulauan, guiting-guiting) you need lots of physical preparation talaga. else, its gonna be misery.

i really had a hard time during the climb. it was my third time up this mountain but ive never cramped up like this. considering i was already running 5km twice a week for about a month before this climb...

try climbing the minor mountains in batangas muna...like maculot and manabo. then you'll see if mountaineering is for you :)

great set jay. inspired....
climb na!!! :)

i told you. mountaineering at landscape na lang ako! hehehe

sa inyo na yung fashion. hindi ko nakayanan ang intriga! :Grin:

kids of barlig, mountain province
http://static.flickr.com/87/259404702_643082af99.jpg

a respected elder
http://static.flickr.com/89/259404707_72e2488fe4.jpg

her fading tatoos...
http://static.flickr.com/107/259404705_a5f1ec6967_o.jpg

nganga: betel nut chewing
http://static.flickr.com/112/259404709_2bd45869b7.jpg
for strong teeth daw. everyone in the cordilleras loves this....

nice photos pare. buti ka pa nakadala ng camera. but i would not want to think na i intently left my gear when I climbed this mountain... :Oops:

try climbing the minor mountains in batangas muna...like maculot and manabo. then you'll see if mountaineering is for you :)

or gulugod baboy, madali lang akyatin.

what's the name of your guide? he seem kinda familiar to me! ;D

climbed this mountain 3 years ago...sayang i still don't have a passion in photography that time.

nice shots though! pat-yay is really the bomb!

Brilliant work Jay.

From a Web site quoting a book:

"In addition, due to exposure to people, places, and culture, mountaineers build their character and become well-rounded individuals. They learn to be patient and enduring, disciplined and time-conscious, and courteous and considerate, among many other values."

Is this true? =B)

Regards,
Norman

Very True!!! :)

Anyway, nice shots Jay. Never had a cam when i climbed Amuyao back then.
Maybe its better to hike with fellow photographers para slow lang ang pace.
Mahirap talaga kumuha ng pics pag ksama mo mga hardcore mountineers.
Magagalit sayo yung sweeper hehe.

That's very true also, One reason is, ayaw nilang gabihin sa Trail:)

Anyway, nice shots Jay. Never had a cam when i climbed Amuyao back then.
Maybe its better to hike with fellow photographers para slow lang ang pace.
Mahirap talaga kumuha ng pics pag ksama mo mga hardcore mountineers.
Magagalit sayo yung sweeper hehe.[/QUOTE]

great series....love the pics!

what's the name of your guide? he seem kinda familiar to me! ;D

climbed this mountain 3 years ago...sayang i still don't have a passion in photography that time.

nice shots though! pat-yay is really the bomb!

hi dino! our guides from barlig were mang nacer and ate olda.

yeah, pat-yay is beautiful. a nice valley village. unfortunately, never kong na-timing na perfect ang weather when im there....always hazy...

Very True!!! :)

Anyway, nice shots Jay. Never had a cam when i climbed Amuyao back then.
Maybe its better to hike with fellow photographers para slow lang ang pace.
Mahirap talaga kumuha ng pics pag ksama mo mga hardcore mountineers.
Magagalit sayo yung sweeper hehe.

nung climb na ito...ako yung sweeper!!! hahaha...minsan lang umuuna pa ako para kumuha ng shots...talagang takbo paakyat!

didnt you notice puro "rear" view ang shots ko halos sa mga kasama ko? especially nung 2nd and 3rd days? hehehe...:D

That's very true also, One reason is, ayaw nilang gabihin sa Trail:)

Anyway, nice shots Jay. Never had a cam when i climbed Amuyao back then.
Maybe its better to hike with fellow photographers para slow lang ang pace.
Mahirap talaga kumuha ng pics pag ksama mo mga hardcore mountineers.
Magagalit sayo yung sweeper hehe.[/quote]

yeah! i agree. getting caught up in a difficult and dangerous trail at night is something we really avoid. for me, i really abhor it. it negates photography (im not a flash-er) and also voids the effort of bringing all the heavy and expensive camera gear...

@ estan, reyno, and edwin... thanks a lot for dropping in and for the kind words! :)

Galing ng Intro and Photos Jay! :)


i was wondering where dpp's super member is?? where is earl at bakit di man lang nya binisita ang post ko?

ahahaha....ikaw pala sir ang pinakuna in fact! walang kupas!!!

thanks a lot sir earl! see, it means a lot to me! hehehe:Grin:

nice pixs jay...galing!

Awsome sets. Wish I could go mountaineering.