Imagine this: You’re dangling off a 30-foot cliff, a rope tightly grasped in your gloved hands, the harness biting into your waist, and the bright noon sun in your eyes. Pretty standard stuff, right? Well that’s until you hear the roar of white water rushing over you, drumming madly into your chest, soaking you to the bone, and turning every step into a struggle.
Scary? Sure. But if ever you needed a reason to get outside, then the burst of adrenaline you get from rappelling down a waterfall should be more than enough.
Rappelling down Diguisit Falls located in Sitio Diguisit, Barangay Zabali
This was just one of the heart-pumping activities at the R.O.X. Ultimate Adventure in Baler, Aurora. Known by most as a surfing paradise, it may come as a surprise that Baler offers a myriad of other exciting outdoor activities beyond the beach. This made it the perfect setting for the three-day adventure organized by Recreational Outdoor eXchange, which included camping, rappelling, kayaking and others.
Believing that “a life spent outside is a life well-lived,” the one-stop adventure shop R.O.X. recently launched its “Get Outside” campaign, which encourages people to experience the great outdoors. In line with this, R.O.X. released an online app that called on people to answer the question, “What will you get outside for?” From tons of submissions, three lucky winners were chosen to go on the ultimate adventure in Baler.
Winners: SPED teacher Berlin Amploquio, UP Diliman employee Janssen Paulo Cus, and online entrepreneur Gino Rovedillo
What’s great is that “getting outside” is not just about engaging in extreme sports or activities – it’s as simple as stepping out and embracing the adventurer inside every one of us, whether it’s through hiking up a mountain, hitting the beach, or even just walking with your dog down the street.
If you’re already into adventure and exploring, then awesome – you’re probably halfway out the door now. However, if you’re a little skeptical and need a bit more convincing, here are few great reasons on why you need to get outside ASAP.
R.O.X. Ultimate Adventure Baler: 5 Reasons Why You Need to Get Outside
5. You get to immerse yourself in culture and history.
The Baler Catholic Church
It’s impossible to detach a place from its roots, especially if it comes with a rich and lively history. On our first day in Baler, our guides took us around town, pointing out important structures and telling us the story behind each one. From the Baler Catholic Church to the Museo de Baler near the town park, we picked up bits and pieces of Baler’s past – a poem by Dona Aurora Quezon for whom the province is named, pottery discovered at the bottom of the sea, rifles used as props in the historical flick Baler – which helped paint a more complex and vibrant image of the province.
Photos of Doña Aurora Quezon’s house in Baler
