The Wildcast

Dr. Gideon Lasco: Pinoy Mountaineer, Access to Nature, and the Cost of the Outdoors

In Episode 51 of The Wildcast, I sit down with Dr. Gideon Lasco — physician, medical anthropologist, award-winning writer, and the founder of Pinoy Mountaineer — to talk about how our relationship with the mountains has changed, and what we may be losing along the way.

When Pinoy Mountaineer started in 2007, hiking in the Philippines was still a small, intimate world. Getting to places like Mt. Pulag meant long travel days, rough roads, and a deep sense of commitment. It was slower, harder, and more personal. Today, paved roads, social media, day hikes, and trail running have opened the mountains to thousands more people — a good thing in many ways — but also a shift that comes with real consequences.

Gideon makes the case that access to nature is one of the most powerful and affordable public health tools we have, especially in a country where green spaces are scarce and cities are increasingly dense. Yet the outdoors is becoming more expensive and more restricted: rising registration fees, mandatory guides, medical certificate requirements, and layers of bureaucracy are quietly turning public mountains into controlled, pay-to-enter experiences.

We talk about how hiking has moved from a grassroots culture to a heavily regulated system, how mandatory guiding can limit learning, freedom, and self-reliance, and how many climbs today feel less like journeys and more like conveyor belts. We also explore alternative ways local communities can benefit — through homestays, food, transport, and longer value chains — without restricting access to the land itself.

Drawing from examples in Japan, Hong Kong, and Europe, Gideon argues that hiking should be normal, not exceptional — a basic life skill, not a luxury reserved for those who can afford it. Because if we want people to care for the mountains, we have to let them experience them first.

This episode is a conversation about access, equity, and freedom — and a reminder that our mountains are not products to be consumed, but public spaces that shape who we are.