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Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces \u2013 all from www.atletaako.com.<\/p>\n

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\u201cTo all women, start slow. And enjoy the view from the top. Do it again. Because there\u2019s no reason not to,\u201d says Ann Pablo, mountaineer and owner of TRIPinas, an eco-adventure company. <\/p>\n

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Slow and steady<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ann was a Chemical Engineering student at the University of the Philippines when she first realized the importance of an active lifestyle. \u201cI started running in college as part of my de-stressing routine. I was juggling school and work and had completely neglected my health. I wasn\u2019t too happy with how I felt, more so with how I looked.\u201d So Ann made a conscious effort to include daily exercise in her routine\u2014slowly, her nightly walks on the campus turned into runs, and eventually, she joined races and running clinics in the city.<\/p>\n

But while Ann saw her running become beneficial to her health, she yearned for something more than concrete roads. \u201cI went to the mountains and ran there. I had so much fun trail running that I ended up becoming a mountaineer.\u201d <\/p>\n

She also shares how she found inspiration on Mt. Maculot, the first mountain she ever climbed\u2014for her Communications class. \u201cMy English teacher told us to go out and find inspiration. So that\u2019s what I did. After that, tuloy-tuloy na. I was enjoying, I was having fun. I don\u2019t mind getting dirty. When I climb a mountain, it feels like I\u2019m coming home.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Explore more<\/strong><\/p>\n

Presently, Ann owns and runs TRIPinas. But the decision to start this came after a long period of contemplation and a change in career. \u201cI practiced my Chemical Engineering degree for five years in a petroleum company. I loved the outdoors. But my career wasn\u2019t really helping the environment.\u201d Ann went on a hiatus, and traveled as she thought of what she really wanted to do.<\/p>\n

The answer came to her while she was in a group climb on Mt. Pinatubo.<\/p>\n

With the encouragement of her husband, Ann decided to leave her job. In November 2008, Ann led her first tour on Mt. Pinatubo. \u201cPinatubo is our baby,\u201d Ann shares. \u201cIt\u2019s our heart and soul\u2014it would break my heart if we drop it!\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the beginning of TRIPinas, Ann shares: \u201cIn 2008, we were breaking ground. There weren\u2019t a lot of groups yet. TRIPinas started really small\u2014I started it with my husband, who\u2019s an outdoors person as well.\u201d Seven years later, Ann and TRIPinas have led countless climbs all over the country, as well as walking and cultural tours. \u201cWe have public and private tours, as well as walking tours. Our clients also include students, senior citizens, and persons with disabilities. Safety is our priority, and we meet with our clients beforehand to really get to know them and establish a relationship with them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ann wants to change the way people think about traveling with TRIPinas. \u201cOur goal is to make sure everyone is given an opportunity to travel. When we were growing up, our first instinct when we got our salaries was to travel out of the country. It\u2019s cheaper than traveling in the Philippines, because back then, no one thought of bringing together a group to do everything together.\u201d<\/p>\n

With TRIPinas, Ann hopes to encourage more people to \u201cexplore your own \u2018backyard\u2019\u201d and show that the Philippines has beaches, as well as mountains to offer those who seek new adventures. \u201cI want to open the eyes of fellow Filipinos and the international community that the Philippines is more than just about the beaches, or the bad news you see on CNN. Here, people are nice and will be happy to tour you.\u201d She\u2019s also happy to see clients get surprised when they join a tour: \u201cMost of them are beginners. When they finish, they have a sense of accomplishment because they\u2019ve crossed their limitations.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Ann leads more tours, she sees the positive effects of eco-tourism on the local community, as it empowers individuals to gain a sense of ownership and protect the places where they live. \u201cEco-tourism also brings in money, which helps improve the lives of local communities. We see more children going to school now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces \u2013 all from www.atletaako.com.<\/p>\n

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Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces \u2013 all from www.atletaako.com.<\/p>\n

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The difficult is beautiful<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ann frequently finds herself caught in a frenzy of meetings with clients and suppliers, facilitating tours and checking out new destinations, but this does not stop her from continuing her active lifestyle. \u201cWhat works for me is to do all trainings at the start of the day before I face the daily grind. My trick is to integrate my training schedule with my business calendar and treat them both the same way \u2013 important appointments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ann dedicates five days of her week to running and cross-training: \u201cI like the fact that if you plan your work and your plan, you see results. Running and mountaineering are equalizing activities; they don\u2019t discriminate. You can be anyone, of any age, gender, ideology, etcetera, but on the trail or the track, you are just like anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked about how many mountains she\u2019s climbed in the Philippines alone, Ann says she\u2019s lost count. But she remains committed to her lifestyle because \u201cthe idea that you can beat difficulties as long as you work hard for it is what makes it beautiful, and that beauty makes me committed to the sport. It’s very parallel to life, and each training day provides lessons to be pondered on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ann chases active volcanoes with her husband, dreams of reaching all Seven Summits, recalls braving a snow storm on the summit of Mont Blanc, remembers the spectacular view of the dessert from rock-climbing in Jordan, and cites her view from Cordillera as the best she\u2019s seen in the country. \u201cI think our potential to move from good to great is locked in only by our perceived limitations. I found out that whenever I go out and explore more ways to do things, whether on running or in my daily life, I end up getting surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo by Charisma Lico, Edge of Light; Make-up by April Feliciano; Hair by Jannet Saberon. Clothes by Running Skirts and Alii Sport, Shoes by Saucony, and Shoelaces by EZLaces \u2013 all from www.atletaako.com.<\/p>\n

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Ann’s Journey<\/h1>\n

Photos from Ann Pablo<\/span><\/p>\n

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