Enjoy the Summer with a True Adventure. Here are the ABC's.

Carmudi Guest Author Ronald Delos Reyes

Ronald has been covering the motoring industry for a decade now. He co-manages/produces thefamily-owned motoring andtravel TV show, Auto Review - which has been on-air for more than 20 years. He also writes for the motoring sections of Business Mirror and Interaksyon.com. From time to time, this avid sportsman also organizes sports events and other adventure activities.

ADVENTURE.

Oh, the very mention of it here is simply such sweet music to my ears as I am the type who yearns, if not hungers for it every time. Call me adventure junkie, "Crocodile Dundie", or heck, even crazy, but I believe life would be a complete bore if not for this God-given gift or rather opportunity to mankind. We're free to make our own adventure, whatever, whenever, wherever. Just never forget to include Him into the picture.

And as you sweat your gut out there under the sun, you might want to consider that these days are probably the perfect time to do it.

Here, I'd like to re-live one of the best moments I had with a vehicle company which could very much help you in creating your own true summer adventure.

It was back in 2012 when Isuzu Philippines Corporation invited us to a three-day trip to Legazpi in Albay dubbed as “Rediscover Bicol with the Isuzu Alterra Urban Cruiser X”. My dad and I didn’t hesitate even a fourth of a second to grab the opportunity. (FYI, the famed volcano just erupted recently, claiming the lives of several locals and foreigners, including one of the guides in this trip.)

Already tucking in a number of notable mountains under my belt together with the known diesel experts, namely: Mt. Pinatubo, Mt. Apo, and Mt. Kinabalu, I wouldn’t let this once-in-a-lifetime chance pass by.

There were guidelines for trekking sent to our emails before-hand, courtesy of IPC’s Timmy Naval (now with Volkswagen Group). It was actually meant for us to prepare and mentally psyche ourselves for the excruciating burden up ahead. And yes, I did train hard for this venture. In fact, while day one started at the airport for many of my colleagues in the media, my own version of it started about two weeks before the actual trip. My training for the climb included hill training's, easy long runs and sprint intervals as advised by friend and five-time SEA games gold medalist and lone Filipino finisher at the Kinabalu International Climbathon Paralympian runner Isidro Vildosola.

However, what struck me the most and got stuck to me during the entire trip — like steel to any magnet, shark to any lamprey or bad boy to any clingy girlfriend — were the words from an adventure enthusiast himself, Matt Walker. No. He’s not a character in the famous zombie TV series on FOX. The guy’s a veteran mountaineer, adventure consultant in Inner Passage in Tucson, Arizona, and author of the book “Adventure in Everything”.

According to him, there are five ingredients to a great adventure, namely: high endeavor, total commitment, uncertain outcome, tolerance for adversity and companionship. Interestingly, all these elements were complete during the trip.

HIGH ENDEAVOR

Mount Mayon is 2,462 meters or over 8,000 feet high and is famed for its almost perfect cone. It is shared by the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Ligao and the towns of Daraga, Malilipot, Camalig, Guinobatan and Sto. Domingo.

For the record, it is the most active volcano in the country, having erupted 48 times in the past 400 years and having claimed about 4,000 poor souls. It is also said to be the most difficult terrain to climb in the Philippines. Now, that’s what they call a beauty or “Magayon” in Bicolano. Or “Mayonic” even according to some lady down at their local tourism department.

For Walker (again, not the dead), you have to have the ability to think big and think bigger about who you are.

In this case, out of the 23 conquistadores, there were only 11 brave trekkers (including this writer) led by IPC executives: then president Ryoji Yamazaki, Joseph Bautista, head for sales division, and Timmy Naval, head of corporate communications, who were able to champion over ourselves by not just thinking we could overcome the deadliest volcano in the Philippines, but at the very least, really say that we did.

Even though we only scaled 1/3 of it. Still, it's such a feat.

TOTAL COMMITMENT

Like in any relationship, you have to be in love and stay committed to the adventure. Embrace it with total belief and confidence.

And who won’t be? As long as it’s with Isuzu, you know it’s always worry-free. They are, I think, the only local car company that provides life insurance to its participants every time they go outdoors. This time, I believe, it was worth about a million pesos. Add another half a million more and that’s already equal to a brand new Alterra. Oh, and make that an Urban Cruiser X.

UNCERTAIN OUTCOME

Yes. The six-hour two-way climbing trip might have had a few mishaps here and there along the way. But heck, it’s not what you even call close to an adventure if it’s a predetermined outcome according to Walker.

“Otherwise it’s a packaged experience or an amusement ride,” he said.

We had some unforeseen incidents like a fellow female journalist twisting her ankle and being carried by a stretcher, some cutting their precious skins. Even IPC's then president, a veteran climber himself, shared his sentiments about his unexpected pain and exhaustion.

Much worse even was when something unexpected in a supposedly not part of the climb happened. A fellow guide hit his head hard on the ceiling jeepney while hanging on to its estribo as our “bullet train” ride stumbled over a hump on the road — all just to catch the Cagsawa ruins in daylight. And like some chasing scene in an action movie, our ride was suspended in the air for about a second or two before touching ground. The guy hit his head so hard, I saw him stagger right out off the jeep, bounce on the pavement and seemingly roll a few meters on the asphalt — lifeless. All of a sudden, I saw myself like I’ve never seen before: rushing out and running to try to help him out, feeling like I had super powers; had a cape and in tights. By God, until now, I could not help but picture them all in slow motion.

TOLERANCE FOR ADVERSITY

Toughness: not just physically but of mind, spirit and the heart. For the “Adventure in Everything” author, he said that: “it is our willingness to laugh, use humor and (being) graceful during difficult situations.”

But what just happened was surely a no laughing matter.

Like any of their vehicles, Isuzu was on top of the situation. They made sure that even though that it was already not anymore part of their responsibility, the guy was brought to the hospital safely and had him checked for any serious injuries or whatever. Eventually, the resident doctor pronounced that he was perfectly alright except for some minor bruises. Good thing.

Meanwhile, the lady earlier on the stretcher, after a few first aid procedures, was already able to walk. Others limped, but continued.

I, on the other hand, was even able to run for 30 minutes on the treadmill the next day.

FYI, according to our lead guide “Idol” it was the first time that a group was able to set upon the Bulihan trail since the hardened lava emitted was from the 2009 eruption that just dried up and recently cooled off. It took almost 3 years for it to eventually be passable. Our memorable climb, then, we can say is definitely well on its way for the history books.

COMPANIONSHIP

Our adventure wouldn’t be complete without a set of people to share it with. We had a few laughs, crazy stories and of course big pig out experiences at Balay Cena Una, Misibis Bay Resort and how can we forget — the famed Bicolano specialty nilupak, which we fondly made ourselves. We just needed cassava or kamoteng kahoy, sugar, milk, grated coconut, salt, margarine, banana leaves and a number of shoves with the “bayo” to make one.

A companion as well in our travel from point A to point B was the ever-reliable Isuzu Alterra Urban Cruiser X. Not to mention our 15-hour, 550-km or so long rendezvous from Albay to Manila. Though I was not able to drive or ride it since I was stuck with an older version during the whole trip, I came to chance upon one when it was parked during a quick stop for lunch and came to compare the two.

Briefly, I was able to sample the new Kenwood 2-din audio/video head unit packed with a new Garmin navigation system (this companion I really need during such trips). It also now comes with an all-black interior. Outside, it has a redesigned front spoiler, large diffuser on the rear bumper, smoked head lamps and tail light, reshaped fog lamp housing, black step boards and clear LED stop lamps. The reverse camera is now mounted below the rear door handle to give the driver a lower view.

CREATE YOUR OWN

Your supposedly planned trip doesn't have to be as complicated as this company- sponsored event.

You can be as creative as you want. Whether it be crossing with a harness on a three-inch thick rope suspended between two 50-foot high and 50 meters apart cliffs, running on foot in a 160-km ultra-distance race for two days or diving in shark-infested waters. Better make sure, first, that your spirit can handle your chosen Herculean task. Know your limits. Remember, too, these five simple adventure tips.

Just never jump off the plane without a parachute or something. That, my friend is already called stupidity or much worse, suicide. No, seriously.