FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) Q.

What is this Cordillera Great Traverse (CGT)?

A. It is the epic and longest expedition in the Philippines starting from Sagada (Mountain Province), connecting and passing through Abra, Kalinga, Apayao, Ifugao and finally to Baguio City, Benguet (collectively the 6 provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region [CAR]), around 400 kilometers in distance with several xxx thousands meters of elevation gain and loss through mountain passes, forests, rivers, waterfalls, rice terraces, villages and ancient trails. We call it the “Expedition” for brevity. It is not a race.

Q.

What is the purpose of CGT, if any?

A. The goal is to pave the way to establish the epic, longest, most scenic and sustainable trekking/hiking destination in the Philippines rivalling some of the best trekking destinations in the world like the Appalachian Trail (3,500km, USA), the Great North Walk (250km, Australia), Drakensberg (220km, South Africa) and GR20 (180km Europe).

Q.

When will this CGT 2015 be?

A.

It will be held in April 2015. We will announce the exact date.

Q.

Why in the month of April?

A. We chose the month of April because it has the most favourable weather condition in the Philippines as it is in summer.

Q.

What is “Journey starts: July 2014”?

A. Journey or preparation starts from July 2014 and will end sometime in March 2015 before the Expedition in April 2015. Basically, the journey covers the marketing, promotion, coordination, plotting, per province or piecemeal traverse to connect the 6

provinces, GPS reading, marking, immersion, fact-finding and all other essential preExpedition preparations. Q.

What is “Expedition starts: April 2015”?

A. On the other hand, the Expedition is the Great Traverse itself which will connect the 6 provinces of CAR in one push or go which will start from Sagada (Mountain Province), Abra, Apayao, Kalinga, Ifugao and finally Benguet (Baguio City).

Q.

How do you plan to accomplish this?

A. We have assembled the CGT 2015 Team and partnered with sponsors, appropriate agencies and the Cordillera Administrative Trust as the environmental organization of CGT.

Q.

What is this CGT 2015 Team?

A. The CGT 2015 Team consists of National Geographic explorers, adventurers, nature lovers, ultrarunners, environmentalists, mountaineers, and fitness enthusiasts. As of today, we are a strong team of 43 members contributing not just their strong athletic background but also their talent and skills as professionals in order to move the Expedition forward. CGT 2015 Team will also establish the Fastest Recorded Time (FRT) to cover the 6 CAR provinces in one continuous push which can be challenged by subsequent attempts at that distance.

Q.

What is this subsequent challenge?

A. Internationally, this is common in other countries where strong athletes try to break the fastest recorded time on an established trail set by previous challenges. For this one, the subsequent challenge is to beat or oust the Fastest Recorded Time (FRT) of CGT 2015 Team as it attempts the Expedition in 2015. In 2016, the challenge is open to local and international participants. Subsequent challenges will be per year called CGT 2016, CGT 2017, etc., based on the same month (April) and other standards to be set by CGT 2015 Team during their successful Expedition. Subsequent teams can be called CGT 2016 Team Philippines, CGT 2016 Team USA, CGT 2016 Team Brazil, etc. Whether this will become a formal race will still be discussed and decided upon later on.

Q.

What is this “CONNECT, EXPLORE and PROTECT”?

A.

It is simply a slogan to summarize the goal of CGT 2015.

CONNECT - The CGT 2015 will establish the longest, most scenic and sustainable trekking/hiking trail destination in the Philippines by connecting the 6 CAR provinces. This shall be done through research, mapping, immersion with the locals, and actual reconciliation of the trails of each province. EXPLORE – In conjunction with the CONNECT, the Expedition shall allow the CGT 2015 Team to learn the culture of each of the ethnic groups who’ve held the mountains as their home for centuries. The locals shall act as our guide to establish the trails and lead us to discover more about each province. PROTECT - The Expedition shall be our means to mutually exchange knowledge with the locals on how to protect the mountains. As we map the trails during the Journey, we shall aim to be the advocates of protection of the Cordillera Mountains and its beauty.

Q.

Any timeline for this Cordillera Great Traverse?

A. The CGT 2015 Team will follow the schedules below subject to adjustment as the case may be. JULY – OCTOBER 2014 will be for plotting, research, coordination etc. NOVEMBER 2014 – MARCH 2015 to take care of route recon, mapping, immersion, GPS plotting, marking, etc. APRIL 2015 is the Expedition itself to traverse the 6 CAR Provinces in one push.

Q.

We want to be part of CGT 2015 Team. How do we go about it?

A. It is essentially by invitation only. To be part of the CGT 2015 Team, one must signify his intention to join via email and must have been endorsed by other existing members because we believe in and place a premium on chemistry or being able to blend in well with the rest of the Team. Also, she or he must have strong athletic background, related experiences in exploration, navigation, mountaineering, medicine, environment, etc., and work or profession. Right now, we are still finalizing the criteria.

Q.

How can we support the Expedition itself?

A. Thank you in advance if you have decided to do so. You can support the Expedition either financially or in kind. Please email us at [email protected].

Q. I have some questions that are not covered by this FAQs? Where can I direct my questions?

A. You may send in your questions to [email protected] and we will try our best to answer them.