Aftermath: November Baguio Fun Run/4x4 Basic Intro EB

[notEworthy27]

ianmitsulancer, will check up on prechy. nasa kanya pa yung video ata. re:email of the video. I guess pwede kaso lowres type siya. when I get the time, will upload a link for it.

mdksael , sa susunod na runs babantayan kita. hehehehehe.

pasensya na mga bros, di ko pa naaasikaso yung video. will try makaconvert ng online version next week. or punta kayo sa anniv EB dala dala ko yung laptop ko.

[alainroyce]

ianmitsulancer, will check up on prechy. nasa kanya pa yung video ata. re:email of the video. I guess pwede kaso lowres type siya. when I get the time, will upload a link for it.

mdksael , sa susunod na runs babantayan kita. hehehehehe.

pasensya na mga bros, di ko pa naaasikaso yung video. will try makaconvert ng online version next week. or punta kayo sa anniv EB dala dala ko yung laptop ko.

Jed & prechy ,thanks sa picture you send to me via email..

[notEworthy27]

picture yun saan sir?

[notEworthy27]

Phew. Here goes! :D

http://www.vimeo.com/2592880

Baguio Fun Run 2008 Video - ERT: 11minutes

[ianmitsulancer]

^^^
*noteworthy27... thank you very very much...

galing ng video bro! nakakamiss yung baguio... sana maulit muli

The BOSBs together with families, companions and friends are always welcome to OUR city...

btw... *bobcas and anyone else planning trips for december and 1st quarter 2009: please be sure of wearing jackets and coats! the evening temperature can be very very nippy to as low as 9 degrees celcius!!! yep, its that time of the year as we know it.

[mdksael]

brothers, hehehehe pahabol lang po......memories from Baguio.....lahat mga nakangiti dito........

[ianmitsulancer]

the article for this successful Eb is undergoing final proofreading from my sisters. will post it here within this week. thanks

[ianmitsulancer]

This article is the Sixth of the Aftermath Series.

Upward Surge: The Baguio Fun Run
By: Ian “ianmitsulancer” R. J. Reyes, Baguio City, Philippines
December 9, 2008

[SIZE=1]Dedication: To my Brother-in-Law Jerome L. Coronado (1/8/1974-11/22/2008, tsikot handle “incorporeal”). Thank you for your compassion for your life of truth. Thank you walking on this earth![/SIZE]

As ianmitsulancer met up his fellow club members headed up north, there was nothing else to do except to have fun!

When the thought of Baguio City came into mind, it was initially a far fetched idea if any Band of Strada Brother (BOSB) would want to come as a group to a mountainous city- with cool weather to boot and some 2000meters above sea level. While some BOSBs together with their families came up to this city for personal errands in previous months, I was more than happy to welcome them whether I had the chance to meet them or not due to time constraints. But nonetheless, the doors to the city are open to any BOSB.

But all these did change with inspiration from the second Baguio-Based BOSB. Sir G01, who purchased his Strada 3.2 GLS Sport M/T and inducted to the club on April 2008 He enjoyed trekking around the mountains, crossed river banks in long distance travels with and took shots his camera to capture it all. For almost every post he does on the Strada Club and Merged New Mitsubishi Strada threads at tsikot, fellow BOSBs commended him for a job well done and grew with envy wishing that they had the luxury of time and a playground for their trucks. To top it all, when Sir G01’s hill trek with his family was also posted via YouTube with his Strada climbing up mountains as well as testing its capabilities including his fabrication of extended fender flares, it gained a lot of attention of BOSBs and tsikoteers alike. This prompted External VP ThePatriarch to drool and to propose a Fun Run to Baguio- Sir G01 and I accepted the task to help make the event a reality.

There was much to think about for the Baguio Fun Run and Basic 4x4 EB. A lot of things to be exact- from accommodation, food, time and money management just to name a few. But what we always had in mind was the clicking factor that gave the club the idea- which was the basic off-road trekking that everyone was anticipating and to simply have fun. As weeks passed by to finalizing the accommodations, Mr_Incredible, whom the BOSBs are grateful for, volunteered to assist in accommodating the club at Teacher’s Camp which meant savings and convenience for the participants!

Time flew by quickly as arrangements came into place until the evening of November 28 where av8or5, ThePatriarch, ooba99, manolo, Apollo Kafka, Alain Royce, Boybit, Boy25 Docglen, mdksael, Boz, Arvin Cristi, Noteworthy27, Eslonblue, and Nismo26 to meet at the Metrowalk, Ortigas Center as their assembly point. It wasn’t long until they drove through the night and arrived in Baguio City in the early morning hours of November 29. Sir G01 welcomed them a few hours later and started the Fun Run around the City- within the Commercial Business District of Session Road, Harrison Road, and John Hay. The Off Road trekking event was their trip to Mount Sto. Tomas. All Stradas went to the top of the Mountain with ease- even with the 4x2 variants. As the group reached the top, they were met with low-lying clouds, small scale vegetable farming (Not MJ), cold winds and a breathtaking view of the city from afar. The BOSBs ended their day with dinner, another Fun Run around the City and chatting the night away at the Teacher’s Camp cottage.

As I met them that night, I acknowledged their presence especially Nismo26, together with his companion who came all the way from Cotabato City, new recruit Eerb525 who happens to be an Outlander tsikoteer and Patapotatoe- a Baguio Based BOSB with a Black Strada GLX. With a lot in store, I excused myself from the group to doze off for much needed energy for the next day.

November 30, 2008
9:30am- As I arrived at the Teacher’s Camp cottage, It was a pleasant surprise to meet another Baguio Based BOSB- Ramz2419 who also happens to be a “neighbor at the workplace” and drives another Black Strada GLX. His most recent add-on was the fender flares from Carryboy La Union which he was not too happy about. ThePatriarch promptly welcomed him and delegated me to ride with him and be his navigator with the radio. Ramz and I were assigned the 10th Strada to be in the fun run. To be in the middle of the line made us feel sure footed in case any untoward incident might happen.

I noticed something different with Arvin’s Pula: he took of the rear bumper with stepboard in place of an extended tow bar with a hook. It never crossed my mind if the fun run will ever use it. But with his Sergeant-at-arms function, I thought otherwise. I forgot to ask him how he removed the bumper/stepboard and added the extra tow bar though.

10:00am- As the trucks were lined up, Sir Noteworthy27 called my attention to tune the car stereo to 107.1mhz. His Strada was equipped with a small transmitter that can broadcast music from his MP3 player to any radio that was tuned in. It was choppy at first, but when fun run came to a roll, it was miraculously clearer! Most of the tracks played were in my musicology that Ramz and I didn’t bother to look through the CDs in the console box. I called this “the BOSB radio”- I was even in favor of this- no advertisements, absolutely more than three songs in a row! No doubt about it!

11:15am- The Fun Run squeezed through city traffic to meet Mikko_018 (internally known as Bunso) at SM City Baguio. Initially, I thought Bunso took the bus and went straight to SM to wait for us. To my surprise, he brought his truck for the first time- a Strada 2.5 GLS and his brother as his navigator. The Fun Run went around Leonard Wood Road, back to Teacher’s Camp and Caltex PNR to wait for Manolo’s and Nismo’s companion and Ooba99’s food order and to load the trucks with precious fuel without the guilt- pump prices went down significantly in the past few weeks with more rollbacks coming in sight!

12:45pm- The Fun Run continues throughout Tuding past Itogon, Benguet Province. As I buzzed through the talkabout “Crunch Time, BOSBs” it was the task of everyone to do a U turn from the highway to the left to enter the mining area of Benguet Corporation’s Antamok Mines, In my mind, this is the test for us to “open our ears” for those squeaky leaf springs that was one of the main complaints of most Strada owners. Along the trail, the first pictorial came about with 13 Stradas with dust starting to pile up on the surface. One concern that I had was Boy25’s low profile tires. As Ramz and I were behind his truck, we were relieved to see that the tires held up the rubble and boulders just fine.

1:30pm- We reached the designated stop for the trucks. Atop a hill was a vast flat where the trucks can park on a line. As Ramz and I went to our designated spot, we were wondering where the others went. I joined ThePatriarch, Carlo and Boy25 to look for them. It seems that that Mikko_018, Arvin Cristi with Docglen, Apollo Kafka with av8or5 didn’t take the left turn to the hilltop as they were seen several meters away towards another hill. ThePatriarch advised the caboodle to turn back to our direction giving everyone a good laugh as they joined the rest. With the talkabouts giving out a good signal for the BOSBs to talk, Cellular phone signals were starting to take its toll… kzzzsk!

2:00pm- The BOSBs trooped to the nearby “second level” of the Hilltop as the deck gave a snug fit for all the Stradas for posterity. It was at this time when I felt the Strada’s superiority complex that made me reflect on a Press Release by Mitsubishi Motors Philippines regarding the remarkable Sales Report beating its competitors. Sir G01 gave up his spot and volunteered to park on a pile of rubble. This gave me the ultimate scare as his four wheels gained elevation, his rear wheels lost traction that almost hit the rear fender of the Strada parked beside him- Doc Boz. The pictorial was handled professionally by fellow BOSBs in several modes- the Stradas on a solo flight, with the other BOSBs beside and on the truck bed on Panoramic mode. What I found most amusing was when ThePatriarch decided to join Ramz and I on the pickup up bed, I almost lost his grip to jump on the pick up bed! He advised us to hold our pose for about 30 seconds for the panoramic mode- not bad for my arm waived up high.

(1/3)

[ianmitsulancer]

2:30pm- The officers decided to hold lunch on the second level with Mikko_018 saying grace. Everyone enjoyed the food and drink buffet style. As I was devouring on lunch, I opened the topic on the pickup bed and tailgate as a good utensil, food and beverage conveyor, and dining table as it seems fit to be at the Stradas-at-work thread! As Eslonblue was admiring Sir G01’s truck pose, he took the risk to taking advantage of the uneven surface and high ground clearance to crawl underneath for his 30 seconds of fame. Other BOSBs settled for putting their hand on the truck pretending to carry it. The best one I have seen was ThePatriarch who made it seem he was going to the toilet.

3:00pm- It was time to move on as we felt that we running out of daylight. We continued the trek towards Binga Dam. Along the way, our sweeper car handled by Sir Arvin Cristi was several meters away from the group to picture the Stradas in a line. His distance was quite far it seemed like he regret failing to bring his airsoft gun to shoot at the trucks that looked like targets because of the distance. The communication though the talkabout proved to be very useful as the group was warned on incoming traffic in narrow parts of the trail as well as reminding the drivers to maintain their distance and other information needed.

4:00pm- I asked the BOSBs on 2.5 GLS and 3.2 GLS Sport models to keep an eye on their digital compasses and altimeters to observe any difference every curve, incline and decline makes. Also, a fellow BOSB cracked a joke on the talkabout “ang haba naman ng driveway na ‘to!” this was regarding a long stretch of narrow tire pathway against the grass descending towards a Bridge. I cautioned the BOSBs of a long stretch to ascend this time and the 2nd and 1st gears will be used despite using the latest 2.5 and 3.2 Turbo-Intercooled Multivalve CommonRail TwinCam 16 Valve Diesel Engines. It was also at this leg where most of the BOSBs on the fun run had a “drive in the clouds” it is actually accumulated dust in the air from the trucks that tempted me to turn on the fog lamps since there was a portion where Ramz and I were almost in Zero Visibility for a few seconds! This is where most of the Stradas got their dust on the surface- In behalf of the organizers, my apologies to those who have carwashed their Stradas to detail with tireblack absorbing the dust!

4:30pm- The BOSBs successfully reached Binga Dam and stopped for about 10 minutes to enjoy the view with pictures and stretch after most thought was a long and winding, never-ending stretch in the middle of nowhere! There were few portions of the trail where flowing water of about 6 inches deep passed across the road that became a joke along claiming “matindi ang river crossing natin ah!” Another dirt road prompted loads of dust on the trucks again, at this point, Ramz was starting to regret that he left his car cover on the pickup bed collecting all the dust! With another stop along Ambuklao Road, It wasn’t for long until the Adonot River came into view!

5:00pm- The 13 Stradas started trekking the pebbled river bed. The run came to a halt when ThePatriarch’s truck got stuck despite his attempt to get out of the sand pit with the help of his Mickey Thompson Baja ATZ tires. This is where Arvin got his act together to be the Savior of the “Damsels in Distress = Di-D” (or should I say 4x2s in Distress). With Arvin unexpectedly pushing ThePatriarch towards the river, the latter took courage to drive it to the next island where the 4x4 Stradas are parked comfortably. The Next Di-D was Alain Royce. This proved to be a challenge for him because of the thin OEM tires he had. Arvin had to pull the truck several times giving Alain a crash course on off road trekking- to hook the cable to the hook, to set the distance to stress the cable, then to exert the effort of pull it out of trouble. He was also the second 4x2 to make it to the next island.

5:15pm- The 4x4 Stradas started having fun. Boy25 started the trek cautiously due to his low profile tires but came out successfully as always. Next was Boz was a bit swift with trekking and I strongly believe he can actually do better since he purchased a new set of tires for his truck- Pirelli Scorpion A/T. But Manolo’s Strada GLS Sport rammed through the surface with Paris-Dakar rally driver instincts! He received cheers to ride on the wild side. Boybit, was the third Di-D as Arvin gave the same routine. Apollo Kafka was also assisted by Arvin and chose to stay on the safe side not to cross the river despite Eslonblue, Tintoy and I cheering for his LED-clad Megatron to come. Apollo Kafka politely declined emphasizing that the wirings were not properly protected for water contact and he didn’t want to be another Di-D.
I was also a little bit disappointed to note that the later batches of Stradas was not equipped with a rear towing hook in case of any emergency. I initially thought that I would be standard but I strongly believe that MMPC should do something about this in the future batches to come.

5:35pm- “Kuya Ian, sama ka?” were the convincing words from Mikko_018 as he attempted to follow the footsteps of Manolo and Boz, as I politely declined and told him to go ahead, I advised most of the bystanders to observe him. As he gushed through the river, he made a big splash with his windows open as he and his brother together with a portion of his seat and door panels getting wet. He continued crossing the river to continue with the sandy area where he performed his own style for stunt driving running in circles with sand tossed up in the air and he did it well with everyone giving applause with matching standing ovation!

5:45pm- Docglen walked through the river to assess the depth of the river. The height was a few inches above his knee and this prompted Arvin to cross to a farther island. With everyone nervous, Arvin courageously passed through the river with 5 other BOSBs and passed with flying colors with applauses from everyone.

6:00pm- Despite the sunset looming, Manolo did his attempt and went on his own way without following the trail of Arvin, upon his return from the farther island, his TPMS alarmed him of a fast leak on the rear left tire and everyone noticed the hissing sound as well. “Aba, may silbi pa pala ang TPMS… hehehe” commented one BOSB. Boy25 provided the lighting during the tire change procedure by moving his Strada closer aimed at Manolo’s. Surprisingly, Eslonblue, Arvin Cristi and Docglen though that it would be nice to take a swim! I cautioned them for any unusual sight, smell and feel of the river and proceeded with fun. Thankfully, nothing happened.

6:45pm- As some of the Stradas headed their way back to the trail; Ramz’s Strada got caught in the sand while turning around making him and his truck the 4th Di-D. While some of the BOSBs and I attempted to push it out, Arvin halted us and did the same routine, it came to an extent when the cable snapped out and Noteworthy27 came in to drive Ramz’s truck with Arvin. I was also impressed with Arvin’s Boy Scout instincts as he proved that there is still life to a snapped cable by tying a special knot on the hook instead. A task that took some time made the rest wait on the highway instead heading back to Baguio in the dark of night.

7:15pm- On driving along Ambuklao Road, it was not clear with me but a BOSB started sharing ghost stories. Ramz and I were asking ourselves if it was true or not. We instead listened to the BOSB radio. Along the drive back to Baguio, it was nice to look at in the city in the evening with all the lights on a mountain range. It was rare sight for everyone to see since Manila is a vast flat land and the only way for anyone to see the lights is to be on the penthouse or top floor of a high rise building.

8:30pm- As I volunteered to help some of the BOSBs to drive around the city for errands, I was impressed with the minimum turning circle that allowed Mikko and his truck to move in the tightest of traffic spots along the Cathedral and Session Road. Firewood, Drinks and small edibles were the order of the day as the Bedliner made me feel confident that whatever we dunked in made hauling a whole lot easier for us. I also discussed with Docglen how much fun we had and we see it fit to include a trek up north next year. I also noticed Mikko’s head unit display disappearing. I advised him to consult with Arvin since he had this issue also and it was a warrantable claim.

As I was playing around with Manolo’s squeaky leaf springs, Doc Ooba99 called my attention with a grin stating that to this day, he never had a problem with squeaky springs from the time he bought it in 2007. I was amazed also since his Strada did his share of Off-Road trailing and River bed crossing, it performed well and “squeak-less”. I promptly named his truck “LUCKY” as he joins Lucy, Megatron, Pula and the rest.

10:30pm- after dinner and bonding with the BOSBs, their Kumanders and Companions, I had to call it a night and bade good-bye to Mr_Incredible and Jayne as they were headed back to Manila in the early morning. (Belated Happy Birthday, Kumander Jayne!)

(2/3)

[ianmitsulancer]

December 1, 2008
8:30am- I was surprised that some of the BOSBs left Teacher’s Camp for their personal errands. The officers and a few others stayed as they were packing up and recovering from their drinking last night. Ramz dropped by also with ThePatriarch and I issued his Club Sticker and Shirt. I told Ramz with a handshake, “Finally… Fellow BOSB ka na bro!”

9:45am- We decided to have a quick run around Baguio- through Good Shepherd Convent via Outlook Drive (granting Apollo_Kafka’s request to see Innsbruck Condominium) For everyone’s pasalubong such as peanut brittle, ube jams and Arvin’s much acclaimed Chocoflakes as requested by his family. The group headed for Session Road for a quick visit to the church and a leisurely stroll to SM Baguio for lunch.

11:45am- As the rest headed back to the Cathedral with their own share of side trips, I decided to stay with Doc Ooba’s kids to get to know them. I knew them through pictures and previous EBs. They were fun and easy to be with which is why it was not hard for them to get along with other fellow BOSBs during the off-road trek. Doc Ooba also looked for “Walis Tambo” for his share of pasalubongs for his family and I was happy to walk with him as he shared with me that the last time he was in Baguio was about six years ago! I took a closer look at his latest add-on to his Strada: The GSM bed cover that needed some adjustment due to a loose screw on the locking mechanism. It was also decided that the meeting place of everyone else who wish to join the run back to Manila will meet at Caltex Rosario along the highway by 2:00pm. With Marcos Highway being their choice, it was best for them to leave now as this route is longer than Kennon Road

12:13pm- As I promised the BOSBs to send them off, Ramz and I led the rest from the Cathedral to Sunshine park, the BGH overpass to Marcos Highway. I was surprised to see Noteworthy27 at the end of the flyover ready to join the convoy and followed through the stretch of the highway. ThePatriarch gave me a call stating they can they knew the way and we can alight to the side.

12:15pm- Ramz and I flashed the headlights and blew the horn as we saw our fellow BOSBs exit Baguio City en route Back to Manila.

1:30pm- Ramz and I headed back to town as I helped him install the club sticker on his Strada. I also told Ramz, “Having this sticker on your truck will also entail responsibility on your side to be a courteous and defensive driver.”

The success of the Baguio Fun Run proved that the Club is now capable of:
1. After almost a year of getting to know each other, Fellow BOSBs acknowledged each other’s strength, opportunities and capabilities to create a well planned event that took about 3 months in the making.
2. This proved to be the longest time the club was together as well as farthest from Metro Manila. With this in mind, anything can be possible such as a fun run to the south of Luzon and beyond, a repeat of a Fun Run to Baguio plus other key cities and communities up north such as the Ilocos and Cordillera Regions.
3. That BOSBs are willing to go the distance. The significant presence of Nismo26 who came all the way from Cotabato City met up with the club to come all the way to Baguio and inducted as the first Mindanao based BOSB.

As The Strada Club of the Philippines is close to capping of its first year with the Baguio Fun Run, a new level has been raised UPWARD to continue its aim to be one of the best car clubs in the country. It is a rebirth of ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES that will take the club farther than anyone has expected. Being Drive Inspired did work, it was also a lot of fun to instinctively follow The BOSB Philosophy and it was achieved that proved among BOSBs that not only EBs and Fun Runs to come will definitely be better than before, but the Spirit of Brotherhood and Camaraderie has significantly been strengthened. An upward surge for great things to come for The Strada Club of the Philippines! And there is no turning back!