FITT 04

• Outdoor recreation


  Organized activities done during one's free time for his/her own personal reason, where an interaction between man and an element of nature is present
• Recreation


  Derived from the Latin word recreare which means to be refreshed
• Different outdoor recreational activities

  • Land activities: Camping
  • Rock Climbing
  • Mountain Biking
  • Back Packing
  • Trekking/Hiking
  • Mountaineering
  • Picnic
  • Bird Watching
  • Orienteering
  • Water activities: Swimming
  • Surfing
  • White Water Rafting
  • Canyoneering
  • Bamboo Rafting
  • Snorkeling
  • Canoeing
  • Kayaking
  • Fishing
  • Diving
  • Sailing
  • Air activities: Parasaling
  • Skydiving
  • Paragliding
• Benefits of outdoor activities

  • Physical health benefits: Prevent a person from having a sedentary life
  • Social benefits: Family Bonding
  • Meet and interact with others
  • Promotes stewardship
  • Economic benefits: More productive at work
  • Spiritual benefits: Stir up spiritual values
  • Psycho-emotional benefits: Helps people to rest, relax, de-stress or unwind, and feel revitalized
• The Leave No Trace Seven Principles

  • Plan ahead and be Prepared
  • Travel and camp on durable surfaces
  • Respect wildlife
  • Leave what you find
  • Dispose of waste properly
  • Minimize camp-fire impact
  • Be considerate to other visitors
• Mountaineering

  A kind of outdoor-recreational activities that aims to reach the peak of a forest-mountain
• Why do we climb?

  • Appreciate Nature
  • Experience new environments
  • Broaden one's horizon
  • Acquire new skills and interests
  • Learn and appreciate other cultures
  • Appreciate the value of outdoor recreation
  • Gain spiritual insights
• Backcountry


  A place which there is no vehicle access, no facilities, nothing developed. You've got to get out there on your own human power, carrying everything you need, and it should be some distance from roads
• Front country

  Outdoor areas that are easily accessible by vehicle and mostly visited by day users. Developed campgrounds are also included in the front country arena. Front country locations tend to be more crowded and attract a wider range of visitor than backcountry
• Rainforest


  A type of dense forest of evergreen trees growing in regions of heavy year-round rainfall in tropical latitudes and warm temperate latitudes. Rainforest have most complex and diverse ecosystems, and sustain the greatest concentration of biological diversity, almost half of all species of animals and plants on earth
• Values of mountaineering


  • Self-reliance
  • Wilderness survival skills
  • Leadership and team-work
  • Environmentalism/Ecological Education
  • Helping local economy
  • Eco-Tourism
  • Outdoor fitness activity
• Mountaineer's Creed: 'Take nothing but picture<|>Kill nothing but time<|>Leave nothing but your tracks'
• Climb ethics


  • Local Cultural Sensitivity: Respect what is sacred to them, Be conscious of your behavior, as it may be offensive to their traditions and practices, Make a courtesy call to the local officials
  • Local Economy: Plan carefully, Determine beforehand or consult local officials for the standard rates for professional services such as guide and porter fees, Give only tokens for appreciation so that giving of material things will not be misunderstood as an exchange for favors, Low-impact mountaineering: Every mountaineer must be fully conscious of the fragile balance of nature and the importance of leaving the mountain in its original state as much as possible
• Interaction with fellow mountaineers

  • Each member of the club is equal regardless of gender, sexual orientation, creed, age, and race
  • Respect for individual rights should be observed at all times
  • Greet fellow mountaineers or local folks that you meet along the trail
  • Offer your hand for a handshake
  • Introduce yourself
  • State the name of your club
• Mountaineering activities


  • Physical conditioning
  • Climb Planning
  • Gears Preparation
  • Pitching tent
  • Fire-making
  • Trail sign and tracking
  • Trekking formation and trail sign reading
  • Knot tying and Rope Manship
  • Cooking and Water Management
  • Forest Protection Project
  • River Crossing
  • First Aid
  • Map Reading and Orienteering
• Mountaineering is FUN but DANGEROUS
• Reasons why mountaineering is dangerous

  • Exposed to elements
  • Usually isolated away from outside assistance
  • Requires focus and specific sets of skills
  • Weigh the risks against rewards
  • Careful planning and execution
  • You are never the master of the environment
• Physical and mental preparation for mountaineering

  • Build cardio-vascular and muscular endurance (run-jogging, weight training, and flexibility exercises)
  • Eat and sleep well before any trip. (more carbo before; potassium & sodium rich food during the event; protein right after the activity)
  • Mountain forest is not always dry
  • Expect the worst, hope for the best
  • Patience, good-humor, and respect
• Unexpected dangers when lack of planning: lost, thirst and hungry, Hypothermia, Injuries, Crime
• Planning sequences for a climb

  • Climb Objectives
  • Nature of Climb
  • Pre-Climb Meeting
  • Grouping
  • Budgeting
  • Meal plans and Equipment
  • Courtesy calls
  • Contact person
  • Post climb meet
• Climb categories


  • Minor Climb (fun or recreational climb, experiential climb)
  • Major Climb (high level of difficulties, need more preparation and other consideration)
  • Training Climb (for developing and skills progress of club members)
  • Clean-up Climb (bantay banahaw, tree planting)
  • Exploratory Climb (expedition, needs more planning and preparation)
  • Guide-ship Climb (a tour-aid type climb)
• Climb difficulty scale


  • Very Easy: treks less than 30 minutes in paved/cemented roads or clear paths
  • Easy: Single trail lasting less than 2 hours in length, not exceeding class 2
  • Mild: Trail requiring less than 2 hours but with parts exceeding class 3; or 2-5 hours in length but not exceeding class 2
  • Average: Trail requiring 2-5 hours, with parts of trail class 3 or higher; or trek lasting 5-9 hours, with parts of trail not exceeding class 2
  • Moderate: Trail lasting 5-9 hours with parts of trail class 3 or higher; or all long treks not exceeding class 2
  • Challenging: Mountains under class 5 with place-specific circumstances not accounted for by trail class
  • Difficult: Trek lasting 5-9 hours, with parts of trail class 4 or higher with cold weather OR trek requiring 3 or more days
  • Strenuous: treks requiring more than 3 days average with varied, potentially hazardous environments or Trail class 5-6 for 2 hours
  • Technical: Either Trail class 5-6 more than 8 hours or very long treks requiring 4 days average or less than 3 days but exploratory in nature and summitability non-assured
• Agenda for pre-climb meeting

  • Objective of the Climb
  • Nature of the Climb
  • Route Planning
  • Itinerary (timetable, transportation, fees, climb officials, things to bring, water source, ETA: have an allowance but try to stick on sked)
  • Groupings (trail grouping, meal grouping, tent grouping)
  • Budgeting (food/transportation costs, porter fee, barangay fee, permit)
  • Meal Planning (food, extra food, water, fuel, extra)
  • Equipment (load sharing)
  • Courtesy calls
  • Contact person (who, when to expect home)
• Agenda for post-climb meeting

  • Review objectives
  • Outcome of the climb
  • Lesson learned
  • Individual impression of each
• Trail classification


  • Sting
  • Mild
  • Average
  • Moderate
  • Challenging
  • Difficult
  • Strenuous
  • Technical
• Sting


  Trail less than 2 hours in length, not exceeding class 2
• Mild

  Trail requiring less than 2 hours but with parts exceeding class 3; or 2-5 hours in length but not exceeding class 2
• Average

  Trail requiring 2-5 hours, with parts of trail class 3 or higher; or trek lasting 5-9 hours, with parts of trail not exceeding class 2
• Moderate


  Trail lasting 5-9 hours with parts of trail class 3 or higher; or all long treks not exceeding class 2
• Challenging


  Mountains under class 5 with place-specific circumstances not accounted for by trail class
• Difficult

  Trek lasting 5-9 hours, with parts of trail class 4 or higher with cold weather OR trek requiring 3 or more days
• Strenuous


  Treks requiring more than 3 days average with varied, potentially hazardous environments or Trail class 5-6 for 2 hours
• Technical


  Either Trail class 5-6 more than 8 hours or very long treks requiring 4 days average or less than 3 days but exploratory in nature and summitability non-assured

  
• Lesson learned
• Individual impression of each member
• Return of equipment's
• Group scribe must submit a minute of the meeting
• Future plans
• Essential Gears


  • Money (water proof, be discreet)
  • Cell phone or other communication device
  • ID card
  • Dog tag and whistle
  • Hiking boots
  • Backpack
  • Fire starter (lighter, water proofed, instant fuel)
  • Flashlight and extra batteries
  • Folding knife/Multi tools
  • Trail water
  • Wind Breaker/Rain Gear/Poncho
  • Water containers (pack it OUTSIDE the water proofing)
  • Mess kit
  • Notebook and pencil
  • Plastic bags and trash bags
  • Sandals
• Hiking boots


  The most essential piece of personal equipment