Team Santelmo's Principles

Expedition Preparation 
Must be familiar with the area, rules and particular concerns of the locale community.
Make itinerary to avoid misuse of time.
Divide large cluster into small groups preferably 4-6 member (e.g. team 1 or team a).
Rewrap your food to reduce waste.
Define weather condition in the region.

Trail and Camp Consideration  

Utilize existing trails and campsites.
Avoid making new trail or campsite, unless if necessary but dissolve it after use.
Walk one at a time in the trail, even when dripping or mud-spattered.
Position your campsite at least 50 meters away from river and lakes.
Implement a mapping and compass operation to reduce applying of marking paints, rock cairns or flagging, avoid cutting or bending tree branches.
Keep away from areas where collision is just beginning.
Avoid campfires particularly in area’s were not permitted.

Nurture Wildlife, Flora and Fauna

Avoid littering and vandalism.
Do your activity in areas where vegetation is not affected.
Look at flora and fauna from a distance, do not touch or pick any objects.
Never change natural habitat and expose them to predators and other dangers.
Keep away from wildlife in sensitive times, like mating, nesting or raising young.
Do not present or give food to animals, possibly feeding harm their physical condition.
Never take what you find. Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects.

Be Thoughtful

Greet other visitors by means of salutation Sir or Madam ( e.g. Mam good morning, Sir have a nice trail ahead).
Respect other visitors and their beliefs.
Be well-mannered. Give way to other users on the trail.
Camp away from trails.
Evade loud voices and noises.

Proper Waste Disposal

Put your waste in garbage bag; check your campsite and rest areas for trash or leftover foods.
No water supply; clean your dishes using tissue and apply little drops of water.
With water supply; to clean your dishware, take water and wash your dishes some
meters away from waterway or ponds spread out strained dishwater.
Put human waste in cathole, dug out 6 to 8 inches deep. Cover up the cathole when done.

May I add, please.. Enjoy the expedition. 
We hike because we decided to climb. We reach the peak because we are eager to be on the top of the mountain. We join because we want to. We come to enjoy.

Lastly, smile at the camera. :)

The Team Santelmo

I really don’t know much of this team, number of members, the leader, how the group was created, and their first hike as a group and so on (I will just do my interview in the future).

Anyhow, I will speak base on my own opinion, by the way I had my conversations with them and how they treat me (just a spoiler, sometimes I am a bias person).

The Professional. Body built, skin complexion, outfit and the way he carries himself. Someone would not know how old he really is unless you ask him. One that is perseveres to reach what was planned and someone who you will not hear any bad words from his mouth whatever not so good circumstance the hiking went to. As he says, “walang malas, malas, lahat swerte.”

The Road Manager. The person who is behind the team’s hiking itinerary. The one who plans almost all of the team’s hiking schedules (I think). In tagalong, ang promotor ng lahat. He sets when and where the hiking will happen, organizes each hike, informs everyone, provides information about the trip, characteristics of each mountain, necessary gadgets to bring and even the transportation going to the meeting place.

The Boss. With his composure, acts and by the way he talks, he proves that he is a superior. Someone who knows to discern things from what is proper to what must not try when in a mountain. Someone who separates mountaineering to liquor socialization to ensure safety. As quoted, “kapag bundok, bundok lang, kapag nasa baba, inom.”

The Photo Enthusiast. May I say, team’s official photographer. Click. Click. Click. Well, he does not actually press the button of his camera all the time, because he also needs to keep himself safe, but his best friend is always on his side to put in photograph picturesque sceneries that they may see during the trek.

The Chic. Girlish in heart and acts but manly enough to help other ladies he is with. No, no, no. There is no typographical error here. Or the name The Chic does not fit with the he. And I am sure with the chic and a he. Get it? Oh, well. Maybe he got some sort of girly vanity concerns, or kaartehan, but he still manages to act as a man in time that his companion needs a lift.

The Unica Hija. The only girl in the team (Well, the original girl member, because I am just a sabit with them, hehe). Maybe she is the only real girl in the group but not a bratinella like me. She acts independently though she still asks for help from the boys at times that is really needed.

The Big Guy. Big Body. Kinda fatty but still perseveres to finish the trek, because if he will not, he will be left behind (hm, well, he is usually behind the line every trek, left behind means he will be left in the mountain by his companions, which no one will ever do).

The Small Boy. Small but terrible? Not really, silent type but got the hiker moves. With his not so high and not so big body structure, someone will really be amazed seeing him at the top and at the peak of the mountain. People may say he is a lost boy, but he is not, he is just small but got enough to reach the top.

The Gentleman. As he says and he proves it. “Di ka namin pababayaan kahit ganito kami responsable naman kami sa mga kasama namin.” What more can I say, together with Mr. Professional, this person ensures that everyone who is part of the team is safe, especially the ladies, and literally lends his arms whenever someone needs them to lift them up, may it be a river or a cliff.

The Compass. My assistant. Ladies’ bag porter. The team’s GPS guru. He got it all, literally. Almost complete hiking gadgets (I think so, cause I usually borrow from him, hehe), a body that is fit to hike and/or run on a mountain. I usually tell him “nagu-unggoy mode ka na naman,” but not in a negative manner, maybe he just loves to run and dreams to be a ridge runner. He is usually the one who is in front of us and looks if the way is a positive trail.

The hitch-hiker. In tagalong, sabit. A newbie bratinella. But perseveres to reach the top and finish the hike even with a small, weak-looking body. Maarte but knows how to be independent and fortunately safe by the hands of the other team members. (Ever thankful:) 

Collectively, the team has a great collaboration. Helping each other hand-in-hand, and even in hand-in-foot situations (kidding aside, hehe). Team Santelmo,(well, I do not know yet how they came up with the name, lemme do my research when I got time to do so) is one substantial proof of modern Bayanihan and Kapatiran with lots of Katatawanan and kulitan. And why is that so? Well, look at the pictures. Are not these honest proofs? (More pictures to come. Just wait.