An epic expedition is coming your way soon ...
The first meeting of CGT 2015 Team in June 2014
Q. What is this Cordillera Great Traverse (CGT)?
CGT 2015 Team will also establish
the Fastest Recorded Time (FRT) to cover the 6 CAR provinces in one continuous
push which can be challenged by subsequent attempts at that distance.
CGT 2015 FAQs
Q. What is this Cordillera Great Traverse (CGT)?
A. It is the epic and longest expedition in
the Philippines starting from Sagada (Mountain Province), connecting and passing
through Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Ifugao and finally to Baguio City,
Benguet (collectively the 6 provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region
[CAR]), around 400 kilometers in distance with several thousands meters of
elevation gain and loss through mountain passes, forests, valleys, rivers,
waterfalls, rice terraces, villages and ancient trails. We call it the
“Expedition” for brevity. It is not a race.
Q. What
is the purpose of CGT, if any?
A. The
goal is to pave the way to establish the epic, longest, most scenic and sustainable
trekking/hiking destination in the Philippines rivalling some of the best
trekking destinations in the world like the Appalachian Trail (3,500km, USA),
the Great North Walk (250km, Australia), Drakensberg (220km, South Africa) and
GR20 (180km Europe).
Q. When will this CGT 2015 be?
A. It will be held in April 2015. We will
announce the exact date.
Q. Why in the month of April?
A. We chose the month of April because it
has the most favourable weather condition in the Philippines as it is in summer.
Q. What is “Journey starts: July 2014”?
A. Journey or preparation starts from July
2014 and will end sometime in March 2015 before the Expedition in April
2015. Basically, the journey covers the marketing,
promotion, coordination, plotting, per province or piecemeal traverse to
connect the 6 provinces, GPS reading, marking, immersion, fact-finding and all
other essential pre-Expedition preparations.
Q. What is “Expedition starts: April 2015”?
A. On the other hand, the Expedition is the
Great Traverse itself which will connect the 6 provinces of CAR in one push or
go which will start from Sagada (Mountain Province), Abra, Apayao, Kalinga,
Ifugao and finally Benguet (Baguio City).
Q. How do you plan to accomplish this?
A. We have assembled the CGT 2015 Team and
partnered with sponsors, appropriate agencies and the Cordillera Administrative
Trust as the environmental organization of CGT.
Q. What is this CGT 2015 Team?
A. The CGT 2015 Team consists of National
Geographic explorers, adventurers, nature lovers, ultrarunners, environmentalists,
mountaineers, and fitness enthusiasts. As of today, we are a strong team of 43
members contributing not just their strong athletic background but also their
talent and skills as professionals in order to move the Expedition forward.
Q. What is this subsequent challenge?
A. Internationally, this is common in other
countries where strong athletes try to break the fastest recorded time on an
established trail set by previous challenges. For this one, the subsequent
challenge is to beat or oust the Fastest Recorded Time (FRT) of CGT 2015 Team as
it attempts the Expedition in 2015. In 2016, the challenge is open to local and
international participants. Subsequent challenges will be per year called CGT
2016, CGT 2017, etc., based on the same month (April) and other standards to be
set by CGT 2015 Team during their successful Expedition. Subsequent teams can
be called CGT 2016 Team Philippines, CGT 2016 Team USA, CGT 2016 Team Brazil,
etc. Whether this will become a formal race will still be discussed and decided
upon later on.
Q. What is this “CONNECT, EXPLORE and
PROTECT”?
A. It is simply a slogan to summarize the
goal of CGT 2015.
CONNECT - The CGT 2015 will
establish the longest, most scenic and sustainable trekking/hiking trail
destination in the Philippines by connecting the 6 CAR provinces. This shall be done through research, mapping,
immersion with the locals, and actual reconciliation of the trails of each
province.
EXPLORE – In conjunction
with the CONNECT, the Expedition shall allow the CGT 2015 Team to learn the
culture of each of the ethnic groups who’ve held the mountains as their home
for centuries. The locals shall act as
our guide to establish the trails and lead us to discover more about each
province.
PROTECT - The Expedition shall
be our means to mutually exchange knowledge with the locals on how to protect
the mountains. As we map the trails
during the Journey, we shall aim to be the advocates of protection of the
Cordillera Mountains and its beauty.
Q. Any timeline for this Cordillera Great
Traverse?
A. The CGT 2015 Team will follow the
schedules below subject to adjustment as the case may be.
JULY – OCTOBER 2014 will be for marketing, promotion,
coordination, etc.
NOVEMBER 2014 – MARCH 2015
to take care of route recon, mapping, GPS plotting, immersion, marking,
etc.
APRIL 2015 is the Expedition itself to traverse the 6
CAR Provinces in one push.
Q. We want to be part of CGT 2015 Team. How
do we go about it?
A. It is essentially by invitation only. To
be part of the CGT 2015 Team, one must signify his intention to join via email
and must have been endorsed by other existing members because we believe in and
place a premium on chemistry or being able to blend in well with the rest of
the Team. Also, she or he must have strong athletic background, related
experiences in exploration, navigation, mountaineering, medicine, environment, etc.,
and work or profession. Right now, we are still finalizing the criteria.
Q. How can we support the Expedition
itself?
A. Thank you in advance if you have decided
to do so. You can support the Expedition either financially or in kind. Please
email us at marketing@cordilleragreattraverse.com.
Q. I have some questions that are not
covered by this FAQs? Where can I direct my questions?
A. You may send in your questions to info@cordilleragreattraverse.com
and we will try our best to answer them.
Sounds beautiful Sir Jon :)
ReplyDeleteIt is!
ReplyDeleteAnother trail-blazing initiative from Atty Jon. This undertaking evokes images of pathfinders of old. There is still some adventure to be had in them hills and mountains. More power and more luck to the CGT 2015 team.
ReplyDelete