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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Exploring CAMIGUIN Island!

Camiguin is one of the country’s premier eco-adventure destinations. It is part of Northern Mindanao Region, and is the second smallest province next to Batanes. The island is believed to have been created from volcanic eruptions that’s why it was called as the “island born of fire”.

Right after our exciting CDO White Water Rafting experience (check out my post about our rafting adventure)  we immediately head to Balingoan Port to catch the last trip to Benoni, an entry point to the island of Camiguin. Travel time is about 2-3 hours from CDO.

We arrived at Balingoan Port at around 5:30 PM and A Ro-Ro boat is waiting to load more passengers. Regular fare is Php170 per person for an hour boat ride to Benoni Port.

Our contact was already waiting for us in Benoni Port with a multicab that will tour us around the island. We immediately head to Ardent Hotspring and have our dinner there. Ardent Hotspring is composed of various pools which are best for night swimming after a very tiring day.  The waters in their hot springs are said to have come from Mt. Hibok-hibok.  After our dinner, we headed to Paguia’s cottages. Our group gets to stay at a two-bedroom air-conditioned home. We took a rest and decided to continue the island tour the next day.

Day2:

Waking up at 5:30 am, we were all excited to explore the island.  Here are the places we visited:

Katibawasan Falls:

One of the main tourist attraction in Camiguin and is an ideal place to cool of during the hot and humid days.

 Walkway:

The Walkway to the Old Volcano and Stations of the Cross. The locals call this the "hundred steps of the history of Jesus Christ's crucifixion."

 Gui-ob Church Ruins:

This 16th century church was damaged during the volcanic eruption

J&A Fish Pens:

Here, You can catch your own fish.. or just order the fish you like … yes, fresh from the pond!

SUNKEN CEMETERY:

A community cemetery that sunk during the volcanic eruption in 18th century. A huge cross can be seen from afar. Unfortunately, our group was not able to get closer to the giant cross due to our tight schedule.

MANTIGUE Island Nature Park:

This can be reached by boat for about 40 minutes.

After our Camiguin Tour, we head to Gingoog City to spend the day 3 & 4 of our Misamis Oriental Getaway.  

Here is the Itinerary of our whole Misamis Oriental Adventure (CDO-Camiguin-Gingoog)

And my expenses (CDO-Camiguin-Gingoog Transpo)

We stayed at Empalmado's residence (my officemate's house) while we were in Gingoog. Lucky us, accomodation and food are all free!! :) :)

Mount Maculot-Rockies

Mt Maculot is a haven for a lot of mountaineers. It is located in Cuenca, in the province of Batangas, around 75 kilometers; more than 2 hours away from Metro Manila.

Here are some few information about it:

Major Jumpoff: Mountaineer's Store, Brgy. 7 , 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

A week before the hike, I read some blogs. They say that the view of the famous Taal Lake from the Rockies is extremely priceless and its one of the reasons why hikers kept on coming back. So we decided to climb it!

We started the hike at around 9:30 am and reached the summit at 11:30am.

This mountain is an all-assault climb.  It was quite a struggle for me although this was my 7th climb already. We are guided by 2 kids and how amazing it is seeing them climbing this mountain with ease.

The Maculot Gang:

from the left: Leslie, Jenilyn, Ricky, Jayne, Je, Me, and Denike

Our guides!

The way up to the base camp:

Mount Maculot is famous for its Rockies. Mountaineers say that your hike to Maculot will not be complete without making it to the Rockies. If you're seeking for adrenaline rush, then you have to try it.

At dahil "matapang" daw kami, e di go!!

We had a difficulty in climbing the huge boulders of rocks. Nakakapanginig ng tuhod. Ang tanging iniisip ko habang paakyat ay kung paano ako bababa after..

But after all the “untog” moments, we successfully made it to the top! Yes! SAFE AND SOUND. We felt so happy, relieved and thankful.

The view from the Rockies is so breathtaking! 

 

Daredevils we are!!

On our way down from the Rockies:

Experiencing Mt. Maculot Rockies is certainly priceless!

Tips:
- Be environment-friendly. Don’t leave your trash behind. 
-Bring your own garbage bag.  
-Bring enough water or energy drinks!

-Apply sunblock  and insect repellant lotion

-Bring trail food.

-Waterproof your things.. just be prepared, kung sakaling umulan.
-Bring extra clothes; wear cap or head scarfs.

-There are trails na nakakalito, it would be best to hike with experienced hiker or have someone who knows the right trail.

-Bring first aid kit!

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