The Adventurer

After Everest, famed mountaineer Romi Garduce sets his sights around the world—and closer to home.

Words by Bernice Bautista
Photographs by Monica Barretto

Picture an adventurer—you know, one who conquers new lands, climbs towering mountains, and craves even more challenges—and surely the great outdoors will be somewhere in the background. How about some computers, a desk, or (gasp!) the four walls of an office? The contrast is staggering, definitely, but it is this incongruity that makes a man like Romi Garduce even more fascinating. After all, when you’re one of the Philippines’s most esteemed adventurers, no less than an Everest summiteer, a normal job as an IT professional can seem lifetimes away from the exhilarating adventures you’ve had around the globe.

“It’s my real world, actually,” says Romi on his work as a project manager. While it is easy to imagine that the 40-year-old mountain climber, environmental advocate, and all-around explorer is a wonder of nature, born to be one with the wilderness, it’s quite heartening to hear that we have the “real world” in common with him. Mountain man Romi is no hermit either; his genial nature and easygoing vibe often shine through the wide grins that break out on his face. And for all his physical triumphs, his slight, yet undeniably fit build doesn’t conjure any intimidating Thor references—and neither does his humble personality.

For someone who has accomplished what Romi has—first Filipino to climb an 8000-meter peak, one of the first three Filipinos to summit Mt. Everest, and the current Filipino record-holder in the quest to climb the world’s Seven Summits (he’s climbed six out of a total of eight peaks in two different lists)—it’d be fairly understandable if his ego swelled to the size of Everest. But of course, like a true, model citizen, Romi—“Garduch” to his friends—pursues his passion by bringing the focus back to the heart of the experience, shedding light on the plight of Mother Earth all the while.

“I always say that Everest is not an ultimate objective. It’s just a door—not just for me, but for the whole Filipino adventure community, and for anyone, actually,” Romi puts it simply. “It's opened a lot of doors na pwede pala nating gawin.” He shares the glory by painstakingly chronicling his tales in a manuscript that has already reached a hundred pages, and even takes the time to post his thoughts online.

With around 22 countries visited, countless mountains conquered, and at least 12 outdoor sports undertaken, Romi has become the quintessential traveler and ideal storyteller, so it’s natural for him to tell the tale of his love affair with adventure—starting with how it all began.

“I call it the combination of acquired taste and personal discovery. Like [with] mountaineering: the first time I tried it with the UP Mountaineers, I had a hard time and even vomited at the camp site,” he recounts, referring to the acute mountain sickness caused by altitude change that often afflicts climbers. “The second time, [it was like] ‘Uy, parang nagustuhan ko na, sakto na, okay pala.’ The third time I tried it on a really big mountain, I really liked it. Banahaw. It’s really nice, [the] summit.”

The key seems to be trying new things again and again. “It’s not really about the sport, but the actual experience of going out there, being with these other crazy guys, seeing the beauty of the real outdoors. I mean, it’s not the normal bukid or tourist spot,” Romi says matter-of-factly.

Having traveled all over what he has described as the “wide, wild, and weird world,” Romi still recognizes the beauty of his homeland. Despite his unconventional lifestyle as an adventurer, he insists that he still gets jealous of other “full-time” travelers who get to tour the Philippines more than him. With a sentiment like that coming from someone who already gets to see more than the usual sights and sounds, it’s clear that there’s so much more to discover in our country.

“You need more than five lifetimes to explore the entirety of the Philippines!” Romi declares. “I thought I already traveled a lot, and yet I keep discovering new things here. Ang dami pang potential dito.” He remembers being astonished upon finding a sting-less jellyfish lake in Siargao a couple of years ago, or learning that the source of water from Panay’s Bugang River—the country’s cleanest—is actually underground.

With tales from the road, mountain, and sea spilling out of Romi, it’s easy for us Filipinos to catch the wanderlust. “I can say actual words and describe it, but I can't make you feel or make you experience what I’ve experienced,” he says in his candid, enthusiastic way. “I would say, you have to try it, and you have to experience it for yourself, for you to understand it.” After everything Romi has shown us, the day is coming—perhaps not too far away—when, finally, each and every Filipino will know what real adventure feels like.

TRAVEL TALK WITH ROMI GARDUCE

Top 5 favorite places you’ve visited around the world
The Everest summit and the mystical charm of Nepal, Mt. Aconcagua summit in the quaint city of Mendoza in Argentina, the plateau of Tibet, untamed Alaska, and the savannahs of Tanzania.

Top places on your travel wish list
Greenland, Vinzons in Antartica, Mongolia, Central Asia through the Silk Road, the Amazon of Brazil, Patagonia in Argentina, and the Arctic Pole! If it’s a real “wish trip,” then I’d say the low Earth orbit, outer space, with a view of Earth from above. I really want to experience an outer space trip!

What advice can you give to those who want to embark on their own adventures?
“Start with your 100 things to do before you die. For 2010, pick your top 10 or top 3, be it travel, experience, new skill, or something personal. If you want to see Machu Picchu, but you haven’t done it because of this or that, sacrifice all of that to travel to Peru. You have to make a choice.”

“Start local, para madali, kabisado mo yung language, and then travel. For example, think of a route in Visayas. Go through Cebu, Bacolod, Boracay, just do the whole thing. The experience is more intimate and spiritual if you’re alone and you plan it alone.”

Travel essentials and tips?
“It pays to learn the backpacking skills, like in terms of traveling the intimate journey. When I travel, like even for one month in Africa, I have a small, 6-kg, 15-liter size backpack. It goes like this: 3-4 t-shirts, a pair of pants, trainers or trail shoes, flipflops, toothbrush, camera, one-liter bottle, and other light essentials.”

In a year, how long are you usually gone for your trips?
“If it’s a heavy expedition year, minimum one month. Sometimes I just travel for traveling's sake, not climbing. Sometimes, within a year, I go out 5 times, one-two weeks each time.”

Tell us about your first alpine climbing trip.
“Here we only have tropical settings, so the first time I tried an alpine setting, I went to Nepal in 1998. It was hard, yes, and it was truly freezing, pero ang ganda! Nagustuhan ko yung experience, and I tried it again. It’s beautiful, and also addicting in one sense, so I started liking it.”

Everest is a huge achievement, so why didn’t it cross your mind to stop after reaching the ultimate summit?
“I always say that Everest is not an ultimate objective. It’s just a door, not just for me, but for the whole Filipino adventure community, and for anyone, actually. Dati parang feeling natin it's impossible to climb, because tropical tayo, nasa beach tayo, pano mo naman maaakyat, wala nga tayong yelo dito...But you know, it's done, naakyat na natin. It's opened a lot of doors na pwede pala nating gawin. For me, it's really just raising the bar higher.”

After traveling and seeing around 22 countries, what do you have to say about your own country?
“It’s like apples and oranges, so it’s difficult to compare the Philippines to other countries. For example, if you say beaches and coral reefs, obviously ours are super nice. Other countries just have advantages, like Palau, where I saw 9 sharks in one diving site.

Most memorable trips in the Philippines?
“From Ormoc, we went to Tacloban, then took a boat ride to Siargao, then Agusan. It was a speedy backpacking trip. We went to Davao, Cotabato, then we climbed Mt. Apo. We were down to a small group of about six people. After that, we went to Butuan, then Cebu, gimik ng konti, then back to Manila. It was memorable because it was my longest backpacking trip locally, even longer than the ones I do abroad.”

Memorable climbs in the Philippines?
“I would say Giting-giting in Romblon’s Sibuyan Island. They call it gunting-gunting, because the knife ridges are beautiful. You’ll pass through very narrow ridges with ravines on your left and right. Not even all mountaineers go there because it’s very difficult. Mt. Halcon in Mindoro is another one. It’s probably the toughest route that people climb here. Kanlaon is also nice; Pulog is beautiful.”

What makes you want to keep traveling and going on adventures?
“For me, meron ka kasing nakukuhang ‘undefined fulfillment,’ yung ‘wow,’ something very personal na gusto mong ulitin. For example, the first time you step on top of a big mountain and you see that the world seems so small, you want to do it again and again.”

On the practical side, what’s the best way to get started on traveling?
“Start local, para madali, kabisado mo yung language, and then, travel. For example, think of a route in Visayas. Go through Cebu, Bacolod, Boracay, just do the whole thing. The experience is more intimate and spiritual if you’re alone and you plan it alone.”

For example, I’m going to a place in the Philippines – let’s say Palawan – to explore. What should I do to prepare?
“If I were to travel Palawan from North to South on the shoestring side – kasi ang issue ng traveling ay budget – so on the backpacking side nga, it’s budget traveling. It pays to know the backpacking way of traveling. And when you say backpacking, this is not the organized tour type, this is not the type na magse-stay ka sa mamahaling resort, or kakain ka sa super expensive restaurant, or booking with a super complete package ng agency. Halimbawa, you ride the bus, you ride the tricycle, you ride the jeepney, you know how to commute, you know your way around, you have your own map, you have your own guide, you talk to the locals, you mingle with them, to learn the culture, etc. ‘Yung backpacking kasi in itself, it's a big concept, it's a big philosophy na maraming skill set na kailangan.

Lastly, you keep saying that adventure is about self-discovery and self-enrichment. What do you mean?
“It's like when you do one thing. Parang nagbukas ka ng pinto. At dito sa isang pinto, may na-discover ka, halimbawa, pagkain, ‘Uy ang sarap nito ah, fried chicken!’ And pagbukas mo ulit ng pinto, you have 3 doors there, pagbukas mo, ‘Lechon baboy! Okay pala 'to!’ And then, bukas ka ulit... It’s like a continuous journey where you’re creating your own path. Same in mountaineering. I didn't know that I wanted mountains. Pero when I tried one mountain, ang dami palang opportunities in mountaineering. I tried diving, ‘Uy, ang dami palang dive sites.’ I tried water sports, kahit na ayoko siya, ‘Uy, okay naman pala mag-kayak.’ Unti-unti mo lang na-discover.”