Off The Beaten Path

"When you ride your bike, you're working your legs, but your mind is on a treadmill. When you play chess, your mind is clicking along, but your body is stagnating. Climbing brings it together in a beautiful, magical way. The adrenaline is flowing, and it's flowing all the time." 
-- Pat Ament

Why do I hike? Well, I am an adventurer at heart and I like to experience new things. For me, hiking gives me a chance to explore everything that nature has to offer.  

Here are some Philippine mountains you should explore the next time you are looking for a place to hike:

Mount Maculot-Rockies: My most favorite climb!!

Major Jumpoff: Mountaineer's Store, Brgy. 7 "Siete", Cuenca

Exit point (traverse): Brgy 5 (to Grotto), Cuenca

LLA: 13°55 N; 121°2 E; 706 MASL (Rockies) / 930 MASL (summit)

Days required / Hours to Rockies / summit : 1 day / 1-2 hr / 2-4 hr

Specs: Minor, Difficulty 3/9 (Rockies); 4/9 (Traverse) Trail class 1-3.

Features: Scenic views of Taal Lake, rock formations, forests

******

Mt. Tarak: My first Major Climb!

Jump off point: Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles

LLA: 14°30.357′N, 120°30′E, 1,006 MASL (ridge); 1,130 MASL (peak)

Days required / Hours to summit: 2 days, 5-6 hours

Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 3

******

Mt. Gulugod-baboy: Offers a 360-degree view of Batangas.
You don't want to miss the sunset/sunrise here.

Jump-off point: Philpan Dive Resort, Anilao, Mabini

LLA: 13°42'55"N; 120°53'43"E; 525 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: Half-day / 1-2 hours

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2

Features: Scenic views of Batangas Bay and Balayan Bay

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Pico De Loro:  Recommended for a day-hike.
 The trails are friendly and the views are awesome. Don't miss to climb the monolith!

Major jump-off: Magnetic Hill, Ternate

LLA: 14° 12.855 N; 120° 38.785 E; 664 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 2-5 hours

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

******

Mt. Manalmon

Major jump-off: Sitio Madlum, Brgy. Sibul, San Miguel

LLA: 15°15.11'N; 121°1.22' E; 196 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: Half-day / 1 hour

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2

******

Mt. Pinatubo

Major jump-off: Brgy. Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac

LLA: 15°8'35"N, 120°20'54"E, 960 MASL

Days required / Hours to crater: 1 day, 45 min 4x4 + 2 hrs hike

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1

******

Mt. Bira-bira: Perfect for Beginners!

Major Jumpoff: Sitio San Martin, Subic

LLA: 14°49.03N, 120°06.25E, 450 MASL

Days required / Hours to cove: 1-2 days / 3-4 hours

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-2

Features: River crossing, beach

******

Mt. Gola

Major jump-off: Sitio Madlum, Brgy. Sibul, San Miguel

Days required / Hours to summit: Half-day / 1 hour

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2

Easy to Moderate Climb

******

In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.  ~John Muir

Mt. Tarak Adventure!

Mount Tarak (Tarak Ridge) is perfect for those who love adventures and extra challenge.And Last April 27-28, I’ve finally embarked on my first major climb to this popular hiking destination.Thanks to Ms. Yan for the invite. :) 

Mountain specifications:
TARAK RIDGE
Mariveles, Bataan
Jump off point: Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles
LLA: 14°30.357'N, 120°30'E, 1,006 MASL (ridge); 1,130 MASL (peak)
Days required / Hours to summit: 2 days, 5-6 hours
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 3 

Day 1
Our group hired two vans and started our way from KFC Gateway-Cubao to Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan which is the jump off point. Travel time is about 3 to 4 hours.

We arrived in Brgy. Alas-asin at around 12 noon. We bought some food and other stuffs that we could bring up into the mountain at nearby talipapa stalls and continued our way to Aling Cording's place. We ate our packed lunch, rested for a few minutes, said our prayers and started the trek to our first major stop- the Papaya River.

We were divided into three groups. I'm with my officemates (the last group to ascend.. ambabagal kasi namin.. hihi). And since it's a major climb, Ms. Yan stayed with us and served as our guide.

As we ascend, the trail becomes rocky and steep with a lot of tree roots. It was so tiring. It seemed like an endless walk! I  began to feel the pain on my shoulders because of the heavy load I'm carrying. But the tall trees, the bushes and the verdant views along the way somehow alleviate the burden. Thanks to the beauty of nature.

After three hours, we reached  the Papaya River. Yeheey, sa wakas! Makapagpahinga rin ng matagal! I wondered where did the river (actually it's more of a stream) got its name. I did not see a single papaya tree! haha..The sound of the flowing water is so inviting! We immediately pitched our tents and freshen up with the cool waters of the river. Our group spent the rest of the day taking pictures, eating, resting and bonding!

Day 2: The best part of the climb!

When the dawn breaks, we make ourselves ready to hike for the ridge! It was about 4:30 am; wearing our headlamps,  we started walking before the sunrise.

The trail was getting steeper and steeper as we went through the forest. I almost gave up as it seems to be never-ending assaults plus I'm running out of water!  I just kept on telling myself, "ginusto ko to, at kakayanin ko. hindi ako uuwi hangga't hindi ako nkakatapak sa summit!"

After two hours, we reached  the part of the trail which is more difficult! Me and Jayne (my officemate) then remembered the times during our Pico de Loro climb, and all we can say is.. "Okay, let's do the Pico style!" (What we mean by Pico style? Crawl up and prepare your strongest grip on the grasses! lol)

A few meters more.. Alas!! We made it up to the famous Tarak Ridge! Oh, sad to say that we were not able to witness the sunrise as it has already risen by the time we arrived. (Ang bagal kasi talaga namin! haha)

view from the ridge

 The adventure does not end here. We pushed through in conquering the summit! The other side of the mountain and another mountain peak can be seen from the summit. It was very fulfilling to reach it! We had a lot of picture takings especially with this famous old tree.

 We relished the verdant  view and breathed the freshest of air. We stayed until 9:00am and then made our way back to Papaya River. As soon as we arrived back from the summit, we ate our breakfast, took some rest, refreshed ourselves, and started to pack up. This is the most challenging climb I had so far. The experience is really unforgettable. 

Gola-Manalmon-Bayukbok Adventures

July 2012, Me and my friends decided to join a group of mountain climbers on a twin- day hike in Mt Manalmon and Mt Gola, and a spelunking adventure in Bayukbok cave Located in San Miguel, Bulacan. 

We left Manila at around 6 in the morning and reached Sitio Madlum, the jump-off point by 8am. We have to cross the other side of the river by a bamboo raft. Some opted to cross the river through a monkey bridge. Before going on to the main course, we took a little rest, enjoyed the view, and took some pictures while our organizer settled our fees in the registration area.

 

Mt. Gola is considered an easy climb by experienced mountaineers. The trail started with an uphill trek that leads us to Madlum cave. After the cave, we crossed the Madlum River and again started to trek an uphill trail that becomes steeper as we approach the summit. 

It took us almost two hours to reach the summit and we were greeted by the fascinating verdant views from the top. We had our lunch, enjoyed the view, took more pictures and some rest and decided to hike Mt. Manalmon.    
                                

We started our descend from Mt. Manalmon at around 2PM and reached the river after 45 minutes. We took some rest along the riverbank and enjoyed the relaxing view around us.

Spelunking adventure:

We started the Bayukbok cave tour at 4:00PM.  Bayukbok cave is part of the Biak na Bato National Park. According to our guide, this is the hiding spot of the Katipuneros during the revolutionary period. 

After our Manalmon climb, we crossed the river and started an uphill trek to the entrance of the cave.  The entry point is a narrow passage where we have to go down through a rope. (Buti na lang my rapelling experience ako!!)  Incredible rock formations greeted us. The trail is muddy, rocks are quite sharp, and there are a lot of challenging passages. It was dark inside so we have to put our head lamps on (andami kong‘untog’ moments dun ha..). 

We started to crawl, bend, twist and squeeze our bodies to the narrowest paths! It’s like we did any possible position in order to pass through a very narrow opening. 

We also had to climb a swinging ladder made of rope and bamboo placed in one of the rock walls.

There are also parts of the cave where we have to cling tightly on the rocks and hold on for our dear life. We had to climb an open rocky cliff with no harness or any safety gears at all. One wrong move, then whooooossshh!!! you’ll crash down onto those sharp rocks! Whew! My very first “buwis-buhay” adventure! 

Oops.. did I scare you? Well, don’t worry; the guides will assist you all the way! Kodus to our guides who transformed themselves into human ladder just to help us through!

Truly, An experience of a lifetime you shouldn’t miss!
 

Pagsanjan Falls via Vertical Trek

Last March , my college friends planned to have an out of town trip. We are suppose to visit Nagsasa Cove in Zambales but most of us could not go due to tight budget (tipid kami eh.. :p), so we decided to explore one of Laguna’s most popular tourist attractions- the Magdapio Falls, also known as "Pagsanjan Falls"

Our original plan is to reach the falls via "shooting the rapids", a thrilling boat ride from the town of  Pagsanjan,  but it costs Php 1,500 per head. That includes the boat ride with 2 boatmen, a life vest and a helmet, entrance fee, and the bamboo raft ride to the devil's cave. Fortunately, we found an alternative way -  cheaper and more adventurous. It can be done through vertical trekking and rappelling from the jump-off point in Pueblo El Salvador Nature's Park located in Brgy. Tibatib, Cavinti, Laguna for a total fee of Php 270. That already includes the entrance fee, safety harness, and the raft ride. Sounds great right?

We started the trek at around 9:30 in the morning. It takes 45 minutes or an hour depending on your speed to reach the riverbank. We are greeted by verdant trees along the way and after a few minutes, the path becomes muddy until we reached the statue of El Salvador Del Mundo.

  At this point, we are asked to wear  safety harness as we will be descending on a vertical metal ladder enclosed by spiral railings. You may choose to rappel to make it faster. The next pace will be (more or less) 600 steel steps and another vertical staircase.

                                     

After challenging our endurance.. tadaaa!! we are greeted by these colorful canoes at the riverbank. And yes, we finally got to see what we're looking for- the magnificent Pagsanjan Falls!

 All of us were excited to get into the bamboo raft that will take us right through the falls to reach the Devil's Cave. After putting our life vest, we were asked to board the raft and the raftsmen pulled the rope where the endpoint is nailed at the main falls.   We are all screaming out of sheer excitement as we're getting nearer. It feels like we were in the middle of a storm.

We also spent some time swimming in the Devil's Cave. Nothing much to see in the cave; we just relished the cool splashes of the water as tourists come and go.

After the exhilarating waterfall experience, we rested for a few minutes and prepared ourselves for another climb back to the Eco Park.

It was a fun experience indeed! Worth the sweat!

Helpful tips:

1. Do not forget to bring lots of water. It is also advisable to bring food! You will sure starve after a tiring trek.

2. Wear something comfortable.

3. Bring extra clothes

4. Do some stretching before the trek.

5. Be environment friendly. Please be mindful of your trash.

6. Best if you have a dry bag to protect your things from getting wet.

7. Bring a waterproof/underwater camera :)

Expenses (per person):

 

Here's our Itinerary:



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