My First Hike: Mt. Maculot and the "Rockies" of Cuenca, Batangas

It's time for some Throwback Thursday (Blog Edition)!

My love for mountain hiking started back in 2009 when I was invited by a college friend to have an overnight on top of a mountain. He has done hiking before and he wanted to encourage others, along with my other college friends, to try out this adventure. Overnight on top of a mountain sounds fun so everybody accepted the invitation... or should I say, the challenge? Paul (the one who invited us) chose Mt Maculot of Cuenca, Batangas. Reasons are: 1) It is considered an average in terms of its height in which it is ideal for newbies like us. 2) He's also familiar with the place because he'd already been to Mt Maculot.

PS: Please ignore our outfits in the following photos. They are inappropriate for hiking and we regret wearing them. #lol 

Cuenca, Batangas - Blurring out those campaign ads (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

How to get there:

From Buendia/Gil Puyat, take a bus going to Lemery. Usual bus rate is 147 pesos. Inform your conductor that you'll go at Mt Maculot and drop you off at Cuenca, Batangas. From there, you can hire a tricycle that will bring you to the jump off point of Mt Maculot. Fare is 20 pesos per pax. But before going to the jump off, ask your driver to stop you at the Registration Area which is near the Barangay Hall of Cuenca. Registration fee is 10 pesos per pax. Log everybody in the logbook. This is our first lesson about hiking. Never miss out to register because that will be used for emergency purposes.

Sign that we are heading to the right direction =] (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

After the registration, we headed at the jump-off point to gear up and start the hike. We started the hike with a prayer followed by a stretching. That's our second and third lessons. Always ask for guidance from our creator and prepare your body with this extreme adventure. These two are very important. We should never fail to ask assistance to God as this kind of sport comes with lots of danger. Also, stretch out to increase your range of motion, which means your limbs and joints can move further before an injury occurs.

Yup, this is our official outfits for Mt Maculot hike. #throwbackThursday  (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

I can still remember my excitement that day on this first hiking adventure of mine. I really don't know what to expect up there and I thought this was just a plain activity. Well, everybody is excited and oozing with energy on the first quarter as we went up to the peak of Mt Maculot. Everybody is chatting, laughing, joking and even singing. But those were minimized as we gone through the second and third quarter. Trails are getting stiffer and harder. We started to feel our weight and the weight of our things that we carry. Lesson number four: Only bring what you need. Do not bring unnecessary things. Just keep it light.  There are also some parts of the trail that requires you to grasp on soil, grass and branches in order to continue. Never hesitate to put your hands on this things. This is not the place for people who has an "attitude". One must have a strong legs and feet to surpass the obstacles. That makes us realize that this activity should be taken with precautions.

Start of our trek

Trail are getting difficult...

Everybody was tired and sweating hard. The sun sets to its highest position. Getting thirsty is inevitable. Fifth lesson: Have enough water supply. This is a vital thing that mountaineers should bring on every hike. Thank God, there are stalls in different parts of Mt Maculot that sells "buko" juice and other cold beverages. Yup, its cold but they're a bit pricey too. We bought drinks on most of the stalls we passed by. Having cold drinks in this tiring activity is priceless! You'll come to appreciate them. It is also a way to conserve our packed water. So instead of drinking them, we reserved it and will be used while our stay on top and going down the next day.

 Store in the middle of the trail | That's my friend, Julius (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

What I also noticed is that as we encounter other mountaineers, they always greet fellow mountaineers even they're are strangers. "Magandang umaga/tanghali/gabi sir/ma'am" (good morning/afternoon/evening sir/ma'am) and/or "ingat po" (take care) are the most commonly used greetings. That is lesson number six: greet fellow mountaineers.

Emac, Eteng and Julius finding doing their own ways

After 2 hours of trekking. The group finally reached the top! Our hard work paid off and what I felt upon reaching the top was un-explainable (but I know it's in a good way). The view on top of Mt Maculot is superb.

Heaven and Earth

Sunset at Mt Maculot

After a quick tour on top, we started to pitch our tent. The camp site of Mt. Maculot is quite big and can a accommodate large group of mountaineers. Then we started to cook and prepare our dinner. It was a great dinner even though only canned goods and noodles were served in the table ground. We talked about our experiences and thoughts as we went up to this mountain while eating. Energy is getting high again. The dinner was followed by socials. Lesson number seven: Have fun. Though hiking is an extreme activity, mountaineers should also enjoy and have fun!

EdPau pitching the tent

Socials that night - Pinoy Henyo and 1,2,3 pass (Photo from Edward Calugtong)

After the socials that night, all went to rest. And that was my first sleep on top of a mountain. Beat that!

The Rockies

Day 2 of our Mt Maculot Hike

The following morning, everybody woke up early to prepare and eat breakfast. This time we will be heading to a so-called place, Rockies. Rockies is a piece of Mt Maculot that offers its visitors an amazing view. Just refer on the photos below to see what I mean. It is just a 30 minutes or less of trekking from the camp site of Mt. Maculot. Extreme caution should be observed since the wind blows hard on this part of the mountain and the space on top of Rockies is a bit narrow.

Off our way to Rockies

We are young, wild and free... also extreme!

Edward and Paula - moments of love. Yiiiihiii

This shot is much better when taken zoom out...

Am I right? :]

After almost an hour of stay and photo op at Rockies, the group decided to descend back to our camp site and start trekking down. Lesson number eight arise here: Take Nothing but pictures, Leave nothing but footsteps, Kill nothing but time. No need to explain further, right?

Climbing Mt Maculot is definitely a great experience. Though trekking up and down can sweat the hell out of me, the view on top and the pride you may feel and get as you reach the peak pays off all those hard works. Just like the famous saying... No Pain, No Gain - I guess that's the ninth lesson.

Breakdown of Expenses:
Bus ride (Pasay to Lemery, Lemery to Cubao) - 300.00 PhP (two-way)
Tricycle (Lemery to Jump off, Jump off to Lemery) - 20.00 x 2 way = 40.00 PhP/pax
Registration - 10.00 PhP
Food: **.**

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Mt Marami of Maragondon, Cavite

Plenty, lots and many. These are just some of the synonyms for the Tagalog word MARAMI. It was so called Mt Marami because of the many rocks that formed this mountain. If Pico de Loro has "Parrot's Beak", Mt Marami has its own "Silyang Bato". An enormous composite of rock pillars.

Though this mountain situated at Maragondon, Cavite only stands at 405 MASL (according to Pinoymountaineer), the average trek time to reach its peak is 5-6 hours. It is because Mt Marami's trail is a circulating elavation. The trek to Mt Marami can also be accompanied to the word "ligaw" or lost. Not only it has a lot of rock towers, it also have a lot of misleading trails. It's like a labyrinth of bewildering trails. So having a guide is strongly recommended if you want to visit Mt Marami but we don't, so we went to a lot (a mean "maraming marami") traversing this mountain.

How to get there?

From Manila, take a bus at Baclaran going to Naic, Cavite (65 pesos). Travelling time is about 2 1/2-3 hours. As you reach Naic, take a jeepney going to Magallanes (30 pesos). Just tell to your jeepney driver to drop you at Brgy. Ramirez which is just 10 minutes away from the town proper. Then when you reach Brgy Ramirez look for Brgy. Councilor Punongbayan's house. This will be your registration point before you can start your trek. Prepare 20 pesos/pax for registration fee. You can also ask for a local guide here which costs 300-500 pesos/day.

We conquered the heat and the talahib (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

(photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

There are 2 rivers that you'll pass through in this trek. The first one is "Ilog na Kayrayag" and the next one is Bangkaan river. This two river can go knee high during rainy season so the best season to visit Mt Marami is after the wet season and summer. Aside from that, trails here can easilly get muddy so it will be more difficult (of course). However, traversing Mt Marami during summer has its own downside. Prepare your skin protector gears and make sure to have a maximum SPF lotion because it can get sweltering hot at noon time. Frequent re-hydration is a must to prevent heat stroke.

Rest mode (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

Photo inception... (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

(photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

(photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

Well, I have noticed that my blog entry for this mountain can make my reader retreat from trekking Mt Marami. Please don't. Because above all, a dramatic view on its peak awaits which is very rewarding after the long, confusing trail and sweaty adventure (I'm being negative here again, am I?). Because aside from the colossal and breathtaking rock formations set in an enticing background, a panorama of the Maragondon mountains which include Mt Pico de Loro, Mt Mariveles, and Mt Banahaw are can be seen at the summit. This is a great spot for photo op :]

Photo Op at the tip of this rock (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

KASAMA (KAbataang SAbik MAmundok) at Mt Marami (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

Breakdown of budget

Bus (Manila - Naic, roundtrip) - 130 pesos

Jeepney (Naic - Magallanes, roundtrip) - 30 pesos

Local guide (optional but I recommend to have one) - 200-300 pesos

Registration fee - 20 pesos

Food - *.**

This flower looks like... ... ... nevermind (photo from Cheers Masa's FB)

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Mt Gulugod Baboy of Mabini, Batangas

Gulugod Baboy means "pig's spine", so named because this mountain has lots of outlines/silhouettes of the hills as well as it has a wide surface for a normal mountain trail. Mt Gulugod Baboy is a popular hiking destination for first timers. It is the perfect mountain for those who are starting and wondering what does this activity really is.

The mountain is situated at Mabini, Batangas and it would take 1 1/2 - 2 hours to reach its peak. Aside from that, the trail is [I might say] fairly easy so this adventure is considered to be a minor climb. Pinoy Mountaineer rate the difficulty of this adventure to 2 out of 9. Still, a majestic view awaits to those who will traverse Mt Gulugod Baboy.

Cows are visible in your trek to Mt Gulugod Baboy

How to get there?
Take Batangas bound bus at Buendia Terminal going to Bauan diversion. Bus fare is around 140 pesos. Alight from Bauan diversion ride a jeepney going to Mabini which cost 30 pesos. Just inform the driver to drop you at the point going to Philpan Diving Resort. From there, you can take a tricycle going to Philpan Diving Resort which is the jump off site of Mt Gulugod Baboy. Fare is around 100 pesos which is good for 4-5 pax. Tip: If you're going in large group and want a less hassle trip going to the jump off point, I suggest you rent a jeepney from Bauan diversion going to Philpan. Price is 1000 - 1200 pesos, depending on how good are you on negotiation.

We survived the cemented path (photo from Paul Egonia)

Across Philpan is an upright cemented trail which is the starting point of this hike. Honestly, this part is quite tiring and I guess the most challenging part of this adventure. After you passed this long cemented path, everything will be just fine and easy for you. So never give up. :]

Photo op at one of the resting site of this trek  (photo from Paul Egonia)

Other mountaineers trekking Mt Gulugod Baboy (photo from Paul Egonia)

First timers in our group  (photo from Paul Egonia)

The sun also at its peak (photo from Gladys Dizon)

Gulugod Baboy is an open area and more of a grassland environment. The advantage having that kind of environment is as you trek along and get high, you can see the view clearly without trees walling the scene. However since trees are less in the mountain, shades are also few and expect a scorching hot trek in the afternoon.

Gladys and Paula enjoying the view of Mt Gulugod Baboy  (photo from Gladys Dizon)

At the peak - never go here at noon  (photo from Paul Egonia)

All the hard work will paid off as you reach the peak of this mountain. It has an amazing view. And when I meant amazing this is what you will see on top: the Sombrero and Maricaban islands, the Mt Maculot and the Mt Batulao, the Tagaytay highlands, as well as the the Batangas Bay and Verde Island.

The making of the sample photo below  (photo from Gladys Dizon)

That's me being creative with the so called "against the light" setup  (photo from Paul Egonia)

Sidetrip after the hike
Your Mabini, Batangas adventure doesn't end after you reach back the the jump off point of Mt Gulugod Baboy. What's great about this mountain is that the bayan of Anilao is just a short distance from the Philpan Diving Resort. You can also swim at Aquaventure Reef Club or at any resort nearby. Island hopping to Sombrero Island and Marican Island is another adventure you can do here. As for our group, we just decided to stay at Philpan and swim a bit after the long and fun trek. :]

Back to jump off point! Look how sweaty we are  (photo from Gladys Dizon)

Not bad isn't it?  (photo from Paul Egonia)

Breakdown of Budget:
Food - *.**
Bus Fare (Buendia Terminal - Bauan Diversion) - 140 pesos / one-way
Jeepney Fare (Bauan - Mabini) - 30 pesos / one-way
Tricycle Fare (Mabini - Philpan Dive Resort) - 100 pesos / 4-5 pax / one-way
or Jeepney Rent (Bauan - Philpan Dive Resort) - 1000 pesos / 20 pax
optional trips:  Entrance Fee (Philpan Diving Resort) - 60 pesos
Cottage Fee (mandatory at Philpan Diving Resort) - 600 pesos

My favorite self portrait from this adventure:

NPA on the loose?

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Atimonan, Quezon: Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls

A mountain inside a national forest park - That is how I describe Mt Pinagbanderahan. Located in Atimonan Quezon, this mountain is inside a forest park that was built during the American period. Mt Pinagbanderahan is a historic site so people who wanted to visit the place should avoid destroying stuff and maintain the cleanliness of the area. This is a good climb for first timer since it is considered to be a minor trail in terms of its difficulty. It will take 2-3 hours of trek from the jump off point up to the peak; and back again to the jump off point.

How to get there?
From Cubao, ride a bus going to Lucena Bound. Don't forget to instruct the bus conductor to drop you off at Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus fare is  215 pesos and 3-4 hours will be rendered for the ride. From Lucena Grand Terminal, ride again a bus going to Atimonan Lopez. This time tell your bus conductor to take you at the drop off point going to zigzag road. Additional 1 hour for this trip and 30 pesos as for the fare. As you reach the drop off point, you need to walk until you reach the Atimonan Tourist Information Center. That is the jump off point of Mt Pinagbanderahan as well as the registration area. The reason why you need to walk up to the tourist information center is because there are no public vehicles you can ride at the zigzag road. Tip: If you're in going in large group, I suggest you rent a jeepney to take you from Lucena Grand Terminal going to Atimonan Tourist Information Center to avoid the walk and reach the jump off point the shortest time possible. Actually, this is what we did.

Paul bargaining this trip

Mt Pinagbanderahan has this rain forest environment which makes the trail covered in shade and lessen the heat coming from the sun which is actually great for a hiker like me who hates being burned by Mr Sun. Another characteristic of Mt Pinagbanderahan is, its trail is cemented. Yup, if I'm going to put it in figures, almost 90% of the trail is cemented. It is like you're already in the peak of the mountain and instead of stepping on the grass or ground/soil, you are still stepping on a cemented trail.

cemented trail of Mt Pinagbanderahan

There are also caves you can explore along the way. As we went inside the cave, my excitement to explore the cave slowly changes until I felt disgusted. Disgusted to the people you wrote names and non-sense things on the cave's wall. These kind of people don't know how to respect and appreciate the value of nature. Argh!

Sir Paul exploring the cave

Inside the cave, don't know what they're looking at

Moving on, reaching the peak of Mt. Pinagbanderahan you will see a panoramic view comprises of Mt. Banahaw, the islands of Marinduque and Mindoro, as well as the major towns and cities of Quezon, like Lucena, Pagbilao, and Tayabas. We had a photo op before we went down back to the Information Center.

Alvin as he goes up to the view deck of Mt Pinagbanderahan

view at the summit

We still have a lots of time so we decided to have a side trip tour at Bantakay Falls.

Crossing a river - way to reach Bantakay Falls

How to get there?
From the Information Center, take the road leading to the Atimonan side (Since the old zigzag road is under 2 municipality, Pagbilao and Atimonan). You can ask for a hitch or trek all the way down to the diversion road (Atimonan). When you reach the diversion road, take buses going to Lucena which cost 8 pesos. Tell the driver to drop you off at Brgy. Catalina or simply tell them you're are going to the falls. A banner with a statement "Upland Reservation" denotes that you are already in the jump off point of Bantakay Falls. Going to Bantakay Falls will only take 15-20 mins. Again, if you have followed my tip above you can just simply negotiate to your driver for this side trip.

Before you proceed your trek at Bantakay falls, you need to register first at Mr Bebot Alzula's house. You can also get your guide there. Trekkers are encouraged to get a guide because the trail going to the falls are misleading. Guide fee ranges from 150 - 200 pesos.

Edward, cleaning his slippers

We had the trek to the falls during the night which makes it difficult. Aside from without having a clear vision of the trail, the way going to the falls is wet which makes the soil change into mud. Having a guide is a wise choice because aside from assisting you they are also familiar with the place.

As soon as we reach the falls, we started setting up our tents, cleaning ourselves and preparing our dinner. After some socials we decided to rest and charged up for day 2 of our Atimonan trip.

I celebrated my 21st birthday at Bantakay Falls

We don't have a clear vision of what the falls looks like when we got there since it was late in the night. So when we woke up the next morning, we were amazed how beautiful the falls is. We started to swim, taking photographs for souvenirs and exploring the area.

I had a blast playing with my camera's shutter speed

The environment of the falls is very refreshing. I couldn't stop pushing my camera's shutter button.

Mother Falls of Bantakay

We had our breakfast and lunch there before we went back again at the jump off point.

At the jump off point, you can clean up at Mr Bebot's house. Then you can wait for buses in the highway (with a banner stated "Upland Reservation") going back again in Lucena. Bus fare is 24 pesos.

Note: There is no registration fees for trekking Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls.

Breakdown of Budget:
Bus fare (MNL to Lucena, roundtrip) - 430 pesos
Bus fare (Lucena - Zigzag road) - 30 pesos
Bus fare (Atimonan Information Center - Brgy Catalina) - 8 pesos
Guide fee - 300 pesos (group contribution)
Bus fare (Brgy Catalina - Lucena) - 24 pesos
Food - ***

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