“The North Face Great Camp Out is a campaign to promote a rediscovery of the outdoors through a parent child bonding activity” explains Jundel Llagas, Division Manager of The North Face Philippines. “We encouraged participants to escape their digital world, to leave their psps, cell phones and ipads at home and instead make the adventure real with nature as their playing field.”
The event was designed to be a 2 day program, day 1 was dedicated to learning skills while day 2 featured a friendly adventure race type competition that tested retained knowledge and fortified the parent-child bond. With the superb Camp Management of Everest Outdoors, and no other than Mt. Everest summiteer Pastour Emata teaching the Basics of outdoor living, 33 parent-child teams learned backpacking fundamentals, tent pitching , cooking food outdoors, reading the compass, and most importantly got to know the golden rule of the outdoors: the ‘LNTP’ or Leave No Trace Principle.
The experience was as authentic as possible, venue partner Mt.Apo Highland Resorts, owned and managed by eco-tourism advocate Sonny Dizon, showcased a welcome tribal dance by Indigenous People of the area, and provided horseback riding services around the foothills of Mt.Apo. Local folk legend Popong Landero also made an appearance, his music wafting through the cool night time breeze warmed by the friendly glow of camp lights and contented smiles.
As the frenzy of the day 2 adventure race settled, two families emerged as winners: the Leuenbergers and the Angs, they will join the winner of GCO’s Luzon leg in the Great Camp Out culminating event on February 2012: an all expense paid camping trip to Mt.Pulag, Luzon’s highest peak! Everyone came out as winners nonetheless as they were treated to a generous boodle lunch starring local delicacies ‘tinolang native manok’, a full sized tuna and everyone’s favorite lechon baboy among others.
The event drew to a close, each family enriched with the experience, finding adventure and solace in the beauty of the outdoors, knowing that they can always make the adventure real when they get active, when they get outside and when they Never Stop Exploring.
The North Face Great Camp Out was made possible through the support of: R.O.X. (Recreational Outdoor eXchange), Mt.Apo Highland Resort, Everest Outdoors, Bord Werkx Productions and the Primer Group of Companies.
