r/PHikingAndBackpacking

Stories like Project Hail Mary remind me how vast, strange, and full of possibility the universe is, yet also how far we are from truly reaching it. We can imagine interstellar travel, dream of crossing galaxies, and meeting the unimaginable—but in this lifetime, it remains just out of reach. It’s beautiful, but also a little bittersweet. For now, these images are the closest we’ll get to touching the stars.

Amaze, amaze, amaze. —Rocky.

Sharing a snapshot and my experience camping at Papaya River overnight for the first time in mid-April 2026:

1. Took us 2 hours to get to Papaya River from the jump off point. Took us just 1 hour and 15 minutes to get back to jump off (Nanay Cording’s) the next day.

2. Don’t wear foot socks. Wear regular socks or the long ones. Also, make sure to tie your shoes quite tightly. Almost got blisters.

3. It’s quite chilly there especially in the evening. If you get cold easily, bring a jacket.

4. You can sleep in a hammock lol. My friends did.

5. There’s no cell signal and data. Truly disconnected from the digital world. Globe and Smart don’t work. My friend uses Dito and has one bar, but unsuccessful in sending even an SMS either. Bring a book or socialize with your friends.

Eto palang mga naakyat ko and planning to hike negron next month, nag ggym ako 2-3x a week. Kakayanin ko na kaya yung ganon kahabang trail hahaha baka masyado akong ambitious aabutin pala ako lampas 24 hrs 🥲

387 was really fun! Adrenaline-inducing din yung pababa and the swim sa aloha falls was really nice!

Great for a quick day-hike 😁

**Also, sobrang solid nung sinampalukang manok pagbalik sa jump-off**

My gallery after hiking mt. sembrano. Daming tao pag weekends haha

Some raw clips from our previous hike to Mt. Cabalian, an active volcano located in San Juan (Cabalian), Southern Leyte.

The volcano contains a crater lake with a small campsite, suitable for small groups or picnics. It is a relatively unknown but beautiful mountain, and is well worth the visit if you’re in the area.

Hikes can be arranged via the Municipal Tourism Office of San Juan or through organized joiner hikes.

Trail specs:

Difficulty 4/9, Trail Class 1-3, 2-4 hours to summit

Elevation: 945 masl (summit, closed), 733 masl (campsite, counts as “summit”)

Location: Brgy. Dayanog, San Juan (Cabalian), Southern Leyte

Ano feedback niyo sa product na to?

I own a Basekamp Ridge 2.

10y/o.

No major issues; only the seams need to be serviced.

Unang bundok, Unang akyat. Nakaya ko!!! Nakaya ko!!! I did my research about Mt. Daraitan, yung trail difficulty at kung gaano daw kahirap akyatin. Ewan ko ba sa sarili ko, gusto ko yung nahihirapan ako. Gusto ko yung mga challenging, yung nag uumapaw yung thrill. Pero mas lalo lang ako naeexcite sa mga nalalaman ko.

Yung goal ko wag magreklamo kasi ginusto ko to. Naghanda ako ng 3 months para sa pag akyat dito. Pero hindi parin pala talaga enough yung running as preparation. Iniisip ko nalang parang tumatakbo nalang din ako ng 10km na walang water break. Mas gusto ko nalang puro paakyat. Halos makita ko na mga ancestors ko nung pababa na kami. 🫠