A Mt. Talamitam surprise

Nov 8, 2009

Mt Talamitam is a mountain that possesses a unique quality which a hiker won’t realizes until one conquered its heights. Although it is not as grand as its popular neighbor Mt. Batulao, its summit views are better. The grassland, the pastures and its farmlands are one of its attractions. Because this is one of the mountains that can be seen at the Farm town ni Tatay Vic in Maragondon Cavite... this adds more of my interest to climb this mountain.

This could have been a hike in Malipunyo mountain range in Batangas but everyone backed out so I decided to give Mt. Talamitam a try which was closer to my adopted hometown… Maragondon Cavite. It was a bright and sunny day and my eagerness to climb drove me to push through with the hike alone! Although unfamiliar with this mountain, I checked all the information that I can get using my mobile phone GPRS while I travel from home to Tagaytay. I bought my packed lunch at one of the fast food chain then continued my trip to the jump-off at Sitio Bayabasan at Barangay Aga, Nasugbu Batangas. After I registered at the mountain caretaker house (CCBM) which was almost a kilometer away from the highway, I started my way to a cemented path about a 100 meters long then back to the usual dirt road down to the river.

As I passed by the second bamboo bridge, the trail was a little confusing since there were several paths that lead to all different directions. Thanks to the local kids who were swimming at the river… they shouted at me when I took the wrong way and then guided me all the way to the grassland. Of course, their kindness was rewarded… I acted like Santa giving those early Christmas cash… Hehehe. Halfway to the grassland, I was already exhausted. There were no trees and the intense heat of the high noon sun just penetrated through my bone. I was desperate to look for a cover so I get off the trail and walked down to the dead river (water way) to get my self comforted at the rare tree cover. The highlight of this climb was the 100 meters steep (60 degrees) assault to the summit… no trees, no roots and no plants to hold on to… only grasses and rocks. It was a real challenge.

The summit view of Mt. Talamitam was really gorgeous. The cool breeze was refreshing even at noon. There were actually 4 peaks of this mountain range and all of them are accessible and offers a 360 degrees views. I got my eyes focused at the mountain range of Maragondon where Pico de Loro and Mt. Marami were situated then shifted my eyes to the farmlands hoping to spot the Farmtown of Tatay Vic… well; I forgot my eyes were not telescopic… Hehehe. After my brief and relaxing stay at the summit, I was all set to go down. On my descent to the village, I felt like I left my heart at the summit. I wanted to go back… for sunrise/sunset viewing, an overnight stay and fun climb.

Although there were struggles for years regarding the caretaker issue of Mt Talamitam, this does not stop mountaineers from scaling this mountain. Respect for the locals… that’s what it is. Just like any other mountain.

I will be back... Until my next adventure... God Bless!

A surprisingly challenging Mt. Maculot

August 29~30, 2009

Everyone was expecting a walk in the park mountain trek to this popular climbing destination but it turned out to be the other way around. A lot of us were surprised with the kind of difficulty that we got unto. Some of our team members caught unprepared which exposed their lack of physical fitness. We were actually negotiating into an all assault trail which reminded me of Tarak Ridge (Papaya River to the campsite) with an added a half degree of difficulty. We knew that this was not the right way but we were having doubts since there were a lot of signs and ribbons that served us our guide up to the campsite. The rest stations were not really rest stations because it was inclined for about 50 to 60 degrees. The only way to feel comfortable was to lean on the trees or embraced it. There were parts of the trail where we needed to pause and think what to do next since there was nothing to hold on to. Sometimes I needed to focus unto something and did some yoga techniques while holding to plant leaves in order to ascend the steep trail (over na to). One misstep then goodbye! It took me almost 2 hours of heart pounding ascend to reach the campsite with heavy pack which started at the foot of Mt. Maculot. We found out later that this challenging new trail was created August 16, 2009 by the Philippine Air Force as the alternative route to the campsite.

Our team was divided into two groups, the super saiyon which I lead, succeeded the exhausting steep assault of the air force trail and the cuties which found a way to cross the non-establish trail going the old and easy path but still cannot kept up with our pace. They arrived an hour later after we reached the camp site. The reason why we were drawn into the new air force trail was that our team wanted to be ahead of the other group mountaineers for the precious camp space. We were surprised because there were no mountaineers following us… finally I got a chance to talk (shout) to other mountaineers who were on the other side of the trail. Well, we were actually following a trail which was unknown to others... a new trail. As expected, the campsite was very crowded and a loud disco music was on air. The area was very noisy and it didn’t feel like were on the mountain… not to mention our group which was the noisiest of them all… hehehe. Before we had our dinner, it rained so hard that we set our emergency shelter at once. The rain never stops until the morning and thus transforming our tent into a mini pond. It was a tough night for us… I actually wore my rain coat just to be comfortable in my sleep. My night was a very long one… but I still managed to get an hour of sleep.

The views from the campsite were obstructed by the tall grasses and the fog that covered the whole area. It was already six in the morning and the rain just won’t stop. Finally (I thought), the camp area was peaceful. There were less activities from other campers since it was not a good day for site seeing. I actually resigned the fact of going to the Rockies since it was very foggy and to get a good clearing was near to impossible. We broke camp at past eight in the morning as the rain subsided. While everyone was busy fixing their things, I went to check the Rockies. As I came near the edge of the mountain shoulder, I was greeted with a very fascinating view of Taal Lake. Wow, I should not miss this! I went back to the camp site and asked the team to have a closer look at the Rockies. Well, only Rommel and Allan responded… a few minutes after we were assaulting the 90 degrees trail going to the Rockies. The trail was actually difficult and frightening when viewed from afar but as we came near to it, it wasn’t as difficult as it looked. At the Rockies, it felt like I was on the top of the world. The views were awesome… even though we have to wait for several minutes to get a good clearing (thick fog obstructs the view)… our efforts were actually worth it.

Our trek back to the jump off was an easy one and finally we were following the old trail. From the jump off, we hiked for another 20 minutes going to the resort where we parked our car service. We took a dip at the pool for an hour of swimming then hit back home.

Our Mt Maculot hike could have been great if it were a sunny day… I will be back! A summer day hike would be great.

Until my next adventure… God bless!

Conquering the High Peak (Mt. Tapulao)

By: Gecarl N. Binongo

Mt. Tapulao is a tough mountain to climb not because of its dangerous terrain but because it has an endless trail or let may just call it “an infinite dirt road”. Mountaineers will surely run out of patience because eighty percent of the whole trek is the same rocky, muddy, long and winding road with tall grasses and not so grand forest which offers few surprises. But behind those seemingly endless trekking, a beautiful Pine Country emerges as one comes close to the foot of Mt. Tapulao. Surely, the scenery is such a wonderful prize for ones painful efforts.

Boring trek? This was our group impression after six hours of trek along the unchanging 4x4 trail. Where were those great Mt. Tapulao pictures I saw in the internet? We had enough of this same dirt road trail. But before we stopped for a lunch break, it rained so hard that we decided to set up an emergency shelter at the clearing near the second water source. The rain just won’t stop which provoke us to consider setting up our tent and forget the idea of conquering the High Peak. This wasn’t in our plan and it broke my heart not to continue our quest but we have to do it for our safety. After we had our stomach filled, our group agreed to continue our hike since the rain was reduced to drizzles. Whew! A big sigh of relief… The clearing was actually “limatik” infested; this really gave us enough reason to move forward. Eight hours after, most of the guys started complaining. Where are those pine trees? How long? These questions were asked a countless times. My frustration to locate the pines just got me an idea that the pines were truly worth to find. The problem was, we were really exhausted. The rest of the guys already lost hope and wanted to camp just anywhere in the trail but I wasn’t buying the idea. It was too dangerous to camp besides the dirt road since the possibility of our tent to be swept away by the running water was high. I got to be patience... I got to lead them to the bunker campsite. Slowly, we hit back to the road again and endured the pain caused by a seemingly endless trek.

The pines! Everybody was in high spirit. Amazed by the scenic surrounding, everyone was busy taking pictures. “Where is the campsite”? Johnny asked. Well, “maybe will have to walk for another 20 to 30 minutes”, I told them. I actually was not sure where this campsite near the bunker was. We passed by a landslide area and again we trek uphill into a rocky road with no pine trees. What had happened? We thought we were close to the campsite. Our pace was getting slower. I was now concern with our situation… there were no part of the trail that was suited for camping. The areas were too dangerous for flashfloods. The trail was covered with fogs and it was getting darker. Being the lead man, I was ahead among the rest for almost half a kilometer. Slowly, fear conquered my inner self. I could hear nothing but my own breath and the eerie sound from something which was hard to described. More than an hour after, I reached a clearing which I think was the mining area. A lot of rocks were filed in all directions and the place was very dark. It was surrounded by bushes and forest. From there; I got a glimpse of Mt. Tapulao peak and the pines where just a few meters away. I waited for my group mates to arrive but I could not stand my fear. I thought I saw something up in the pines… I can’t explain what I saw but it was like starring at me… woowoow… the place was too eerie and strange… as if eyes were everywhere… the dark bushes and the forest… I felt too heavy. Feeling uneasy, I decided to trek back. I was almost back at the rocky road when Johnny alighted not far from where I am. “Are we going to camp here?” I asked Johnny. Without hesitation, Johnny said “NO” while scanning the area. “It’s too dark here”, we have to go up to the pines. I knew Johnny sense something and it was not until the next morning that he told us his reason why he didn’t like to camp at the mining area. Surprisingly, Johnny saw what I saw!

We camped at the clearing which was elevated more than a foot besides the dirt road. It was already seven in the evening. A 13 long hours of trekking and finally we made it to the pines. Even at night, this mountain offered a great deal of view. Our camp site had superb scenery comparable to that of Marlboro Country. It was so fantastic that we were all charge up after a long and exhausting hike. With all those beautiful pine trees and a starry starry night, our efforts were really worth it. We actually had our best dinner while watching the scenic High Peak pines at night with a million of stars above it. But our night didn’t last long… because of chilling temperature plus our tiredness; all of us hit our sleeping bag very early. I woke up early the next morning to witness one of my finest sunrise viewing in my mountain hiking career. The glow of the eastern horizon and the mixed of stars was really great. My camera went busy capturing those precious moments. At 5:50am, I started walking towards the direction of Mt. Tapulao peak. I was all alone since Abner who was already awakened didn’t want to come and the rest of the guys were sound asleep. I reached the bunker 10 minutes after. The caretaker of the place alighted from one of the bunk houses and greeted me. We chatted a little and then I asked him for the direction going to Mt. Tapulao summit. The trail to the summit was just in front of the bunker house. It was quite steep but very manageable. Five minutes after, I was at the campsite along the pines near the mossy forest. From there, I scanned the area and looked at the direction of the peak. It wasn’t that far from where I am. I checked the trail going to the summit and it leads me to the mossy forest. I stood there for several minutes deciding if I have to continue or go back to the campsite. I asked God’s guidance… well, I’m already here, I thought. I entered the mossy forest alone. It was dark inside and the trails were wet, slippery and some parts were muddy. A clearing greeted me as I came close to Mt. Tapulao summit. This could be it… A familiar tree at the summit which I saw from other mountaineers multiply site was there. I was all alone and I really can’t explain my feeling. I paused for a moment and thank God for my successful assault. I stood high and fullfilled. Finally, Gbins conquered the High Peak. My camera went busy capturing just anything… the crater, the nearby mountain range, the Tapulao forest, etc… At exactly 7am, I started my way back to the campsite. I arrived at the campsite 40 minutes after with a perfect timing… its breakfast time!

We broke camp at exactly ten in the morning because the rest of the guys went to the bunker for photo ops and a decent call of nature since toilet was available in the area. Our trek downhill was more painful. A knee breaking descent was inevitable since the proximity between the bunker and Damapay-Salaza is 15kms… a very long way down. Before twelve noon, we had our lunch at the second water source as rain started pouring. We immediately set up our emergency shelter and stayed there for an hour hoping for the rain to subside. As the rain stopped momentarily, we hit back the road right away. Ten minutes after, heavy showers greeted us again. This time, the rain didn’t stop until we reached Damapay-Salaza. We had actually a four hours non-stop hike downhill in a non-stop rain which transformed the long and winding road into body of raging water. What an adventure! Johnny and I were the first to arrive at the Damapay- Salaza tourist center while the rest arrived before 5pm. Since water was unavailable at the tourist center, we opted to take a nature shower (sarap maligo sa ulan)… what a fun adventure! Our way back to Iba was equally exciting and adventurous. It featured a boatlike tricycle ride in a river highway and we almost didn’t make it back since the river overflowed at one of the bridges that connects the resettlement area to the highway. Luckily, we managed to cross the bridge safely.

Our hike to Mt. Tapulao was a full-packed adventure. It was the best! Definitely, I will be coming back. Until my next mountain adventure… God bless.

Wow Batulao

June 20~21, 2009

This popular hiking destination does not look good only on papers but it looks a lot better on our first hand encounter. The beauty of Mt. Batulao lies within its unique rocky formations and imposing peaks and ridges. Yes, peaks and ridges, this mountain has a lot of it. Its uniqueness cast spells to every mountaineers and adventurers alike making its grandeur really inevitable. Although a hike to Mt. Batulao is relatively easy, the coolness and the picturesque landscape of this mountain captured our interest.

Mt Batulao

As usual, we almost postponed our hike because four of our group members backed out during our pre-climb meeting. I insisted that we pushed through with our trek. I sent a text message to Marc and he replied that he was all set for the climb. This made Allan changed his mind and Johnny who was still in Ilocos agreed to join us. We met at 7 Eleven beside the EDSA/Taft (Pasay) bus terminal at around 10:30am. We had our heavy lunch at the terminal cafeteria then took an 11:30am bus for Nasugbu Batangas. We were at the jump-off point (Evercrest Golf and Country Club) at around 2:40pm; we negotiated for a guide then took a 4x4 tricycle until the road was no longer passable. This actually saved about 30~40 minutes trekking time. As Marc would always say, we are here to help the economic activities of the area. As long as there are resources, we have to use them. In the same way, we are helping them (palusot, tinamad lang kami maglakad). After the bumpy 4x4 tric ride, we started walking in a very rough and slightly muddy road. It was a good thing that it didn't rain the night before our climb... the path could have been slippery. We stopped by at one of the village houses to have ourselves treated with a fresh buko juice.

Buko juice stop-over

After a brief stop, we continued our way into a grassy and ascending trail. This time, the view of Mt. Batulao seemed to magnetize us... this majestic mountain in Nasugbu excited us thus pressing us to move in a faster pace. Twenty minutes after, we rested again at a nipa hut in which cold softdrinks and halo-halo were available. The scenario really amazed me. We were treated with cold refreshment in this mountainous area with no electricity. Wow Batulao talaga! To add spicy to it, the view from this place was so nice... because of its coolness, taking a nap was so tempting. Well, we didn't come here for this some sort of Mini-stop... our target, Mt. Batulao summit. We continued our hike until we reached to the part in which the trail was split into two. The Old trail (left turn) and the New trail (right turn). We took the new trail since this was the fastest way to the summit.

The new trail sign

First, we passed by Peak1 then Peak 2 and so on... the trail was mostly ups and downs. The trek was actually tiring in some instance then it shifted into a more relaxing trek downhill. This kind of pace was repeated more than ten times until we reached the Batulao's highest peak. There were actually ten peaks prior to the summit. Before we commence our assualt to the summit, we set camp first at Peak 7 but later we decided to move our tent at Peak 8 campsite. In here was the registration area (fee was 20 pesos each)... cold drinks and even ice were available here. Daddy Resting (other mountaineers call him Tatay), who was the caretaker here was actually the one who created the new trail. The rest of the guys wanted to camp here because it was near the supply center and Daddy Resting lends to us his "Kubo" for our dinner and social. Although I like the idea of camping at Peak 7 because of the broader perspective at the peak plus a great view of the surroundings but they were more incline for a better night life (social).

Peak 8 Campsite

Our assault to the summit minus our load (backpacks) was swift. It took almost twenty minute for us to reach the peak including a lot of photo ops. Although a little exhausted, the view from the summit was so rewarding. Like any other mountain, the feeling was really extraordinary. A 360 view at the summit was so nice. I could even spot my father-in-law's farm in Maragondon Cavite (over na to)... actually, Pico de Loro and Maragondon mountain range can be spotted at the nothern side, Balayan and Nasugbu in the western side, Taal lake and Tagaytay at the eastern side and Batangas city and Calaca in the southern part. I also got a glimse of the mountain range of Malipunyo, Mt Makiling, Mt.Banahaw and Mt. Makulot. We were actually planning to have a sunset viewing at the summit but it was only 4:50pm which means we have to wait for more than an hour before the sun sets. Twenty minutes after, we decided to go back to the campsite and have the sunset viewed at Peak 8. I patiently waited for the sundown but the clouds were building up at the western horizon resulting into my sunset viewing an upset.

Sunset

Back at the campsite, we hurriedly prepared our dinner since all of us were very hungry. This time, Marc was negotiating with Daddy resting to have one of his native chicken sold to us for our dinner. At first, Daddy declined the idea because he already sold a lot of chickens during last week's Freedom Climb. Because of Marc persistence, Daddy eventually agreed. To make my story short, tinolang native chicken was the best. The social lasted until midnight where obviously the rest of the guys were having a lot of fun. I woke up early the next morning for a sunrise viewing at Peak 8 but it was too cloudy so I decided to assualt the summit. I waited for a good sunrise viewing at the summit but I was unlucky. To ease my frustration, I chatted with other mountaineers and there I met a group from Mindanao (may kababayans). It was already 7am when I went back to our campsite. After our breakfast, we broke camp at around 9:30am. The sun was already up when we started our descent which made our trek a little exhausting since most of the Batulao's trail has no forest cover. We arrived at the jump-off at past 12pm. We just cleaned up at the sari-sari store across Evercrest then hit back to Manila.

Our group leaving Mt Batulao

Side note: Another twist of Mt. Batulao's name origin.

According to Daddy Resting, during his younger years, his father told them a story that every Good Friday a ball of fire (santilmo?) can be seen near the rocky ridges. This is where Mt. Batulao's name derived... batung umiilaw.

A climb to Mt. Batulao is definitely fun... I will be back. Until my next adventure... God bless us all.

Home

By: Gecarl N. Binongo

Sometimes I tried to sit back and recall.
Home just echoed within my soul.
Old photographs flashes before my sleep fall.
Seems so fresh then reality becomes dull.

I tried to hold back my tears.
Never will I leave home through the years.
Home I just want it near.
Growing up this is what I fear.

Usually this is my plight.
Dreams conquer my inner sight.
Yesteryear shine so bright.
Home ruled my world at midnight.

Days run by so fast.
My wife and my son are in the cast.
Way back were things in the past.
Now, I'm home at last!

Bohol Experience

May 22 ~ 25, 2009

Finally, after almost 5 years of wanting and longing, our chance to visit Bohol for a 3 day vacation had come to realization. My wife Jane and I were actually married since Dec '04 but we haven't had a chance to go for our honeymoon. Thanks to Zest air promo tickets, Bohol experience was made possible.
Chocolate Hills

Our destination was at Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao Island where I booked for a Deluxe room for 3 days. I was really excited because this was my wife's first out of Luzon trip and her first plane ride. Every now and then during the flight, I was observing her every reactions. I knew that she was afraid of heights... I remembered one instance wherein she just screamed at the top of her lungs while we took one of the rides in Star City. Although an aircraft was a lot more different, I was getting worried that she would feel uneasy during our travel. Our plane flew high above the clouds but she seemed to be relax. An hour after, we landed at Tagbilaran airport. I was surprised and glad for the easiness and calmness that she displayed during the whole flight. I guess her excitement just overshadowed her fear.
Tagbilaran Airport

We took a taxi from Tagbilaran airport going to Panglao. Along the way, I got a glimpse of the city... It was just like my Hometown Cagayan de Oro back in the 90's. The good thing was that progress was creeping in this quite city. Road constructions where everywhere. Three to five years from now, I guess, the city will have a different look. Thirty minutes after, our taxi drove in a long and narrow road that leads us to the resort. As the shoreline came in full view, beautiful white sand beaches feasted in front of our very eyes. Wow! What a perfect place to relax. No wonder why Panglao was among the top tourist destination in our country.
Panglao Island

Our Bohol experience would never be complete without seeing the province famous attractions. The next day, we rented a car and had ourselves treated with a whole day joyride around Bohol's top destinations. Our first stop was at blood compact site between Raja Sikatuna of Bohol and Miguel Lopez de Legaspi of Spain where the first treaty of friendship between two different races, religions, cultures and civilizations is located. The event is commonly known as "Sandugo". After our photo ops, we proceeded to have our first look at one of the smallest primate in the world. Known as Maumag in Cebuano dialect (my local dialect), Tarsier is already considered an endangered species endemic to the Philippines. We wasted no time taking pictures with this cute and big eye creature (like me?) and then moved forward to the much awaited part of our trip, a sight seeing of Bohol's famous attraction, the Chocolate Hills. Again, our eyes craved and feasted with the delicious panoramic view of the uniformly shaped hills which according to them consist of no less than 1268 hills which are mostly 30 to 50 meters high. As usual, my camera went busy capturing our every pose to this famous landmark. What about Loboc River? Since we already had our lunch at one of the restaurant located at the Chocolate Hills' view deck, we just stopped by the river and took pictures of the floating restaurant. Although the Loboc River dining would have been great, we ignored the idea of having our second lunch here.
Bohol's famous attractions

My wife and I were all ready to leave for Tagbilaran airport when the taxi driver asked me if we were interested to stop by the Hinagdana Cave. Well, before we concluded our little adventure, my wife and I found ourselves inside the cave. I'm an adventurer, I don't let this kind of opportunity to pass by. Again and again, my camera captured every interesting details of the cave. But like every stories, its end is inevitable. The good thing was, we ended it with a high spirit.
Pic inside the Hinagdana Cave

Until my next adventure... God bless!

Tarak Attack: Tarak Ridge Adventure

We almost postponed our trip to this famous mountain in Mariveles Bataan for the second time due to typhoon Emong. It was not until Friday that we decided to push through with our plan. We actually monitored typhoon Emong on-line and through TV news update to be sure that our set time schedule would be safe. After we'd learned that typhoon Emong has weakened and were moving outside the country, we finalized our plan and did a lot of preparation. We also did some research regarding Tarak Ridge via www.pinoymountaineers.com and some other blog spot for more info and some other special concerns.
Tarak Ridge
Our rendezvous was at Bataan Transit bus terminal in Cubao where we took a 4:30am trip bound for Mariveles Bataan. Heavy rain poured as we approached the province of Pampanga. The situation made us worried. Could this be another cancelled trip? We dropped off at Barangay Alas-asin in Mariveles and we went straight to Barangay hall for registration. We paid 40 pesos each. This time the rain had already ceased and the sun peeked through the clouds. Our positive outlook of a successful trek replaced our uncertainties and doubts that we couldn't make it to the summit due to bad weather condition. There were also other groups of mountaineers in the area preparing to trek the summit... it made us more excited since we knew we were not the only one out there. We proceeded to Aling Bebe's place (our jumpoff point) to have a heavy breakfast before our journey started.
Breakfast at Aling Bebe's Place

We started our trek at around 9:45am. Surprisingly, within 15 minutes of walking, we stopped to have our first rest at the edge of the eucalyptus plantation. After a brief rest, we continued our way until we reached the nipa hut where and old lady greeting us smiling. We registered again and paid 20 pesos each. After a few conversations with the old lady which was so nice to us, we trekked along the trail which was mostly muddy. It was too slippery that most of the guys were cautious. Our shoes were heavier now with an added 2 inches thick of mud. What was really challenging here was the 30 to 40 degrees uphill trek which was very muddy and slippery. Luckily, I survived without getting slipped. We continued our trek until we entered to a forested area.
Rest after the slippery trail
The trails of the forested area were mostly ups and downs with some slippery parts brought about by mud and mossy rocks. There was a part of the trail wherein we have to use our rock climbing technique in order to ascend and descend to the deep canal (rain water way) which I think was created due to erosion. Some of the mountaineers used to rappel when they came into this part of the trail. Along the way, we could see several water falls from a distant mountain range. When the trail started to descend, we could hear a river flow from a distant... This could be the Papaya River... at 1:10pm we arrived at the Papaya River. Most of us were already exhausted and hungry. We stopped by here to have our lunch and much needed rest.
Papaya River

At 2:30pm we started our assault to the ridge campsite. This time, the trails were mostly uphill with some 90 degrees ascending trails. This was the most difficult part of our hike. For almost two hours, there was no other way but going up. For almost two hours, laughter and smiles disappeared. For almost two hours, roots, small trees trunks, branches, and shrubs became my best friends. I held unto them dearly. For almost two hours, photo ops were forgotten. For almost two hours, I was really exhausted. For almost two hours, I could see grasses at the far end of the forest. The ridge! How close? I remembered a song by Daryl Hall and John Oates, "so close yet so far away", my favorite back then. I love the song but not my situation. I imagined myself at home sleeping or watching TV. What am I doing here?
End of the forest... grasses! Ridge gateway
The ridge which was also our camp site was awesome. The view of the coastal area of Manila, Cavite, Corregidor and Bataan was so nice. I could even spot Mt. Pico de Loro at the other side of Manila Bay. Fulfillment and success kept my energy high. The feeling was so great. This feat was really irreplaceable. All those exhaustions and muscle pains were drained away. I truly believe that every mountain possesses a magical power... a power of renewed refreshment.
Tarak Ridge (Camp Site)

At around past 7pm, while we were having our dinner, heavy rain poured that water started seeping our tent (believed to be waterproof). Tired and hungry, we were unmindful of the chilling temperature that was beginning to penetrate our tent and the rain water that invaded the four corners of our tent. For more than two hours of non-stop rain, I already accepted the fact that I have to sleep in a flooded and chilled tent. At past 9pm, the rain had stopped and the sky was cleared with clouds exposing the moon and the stars which made the view of Tarak Ridge fantastic. All of us alighted from our tents to witness the fascinating beauty of God's creation.
Night view of Manila and Cavite coastline from the camp site
We woke up 5am the next morning to catch the sunrise view of Tarak Ridge but we were dismayed since it was very cloudy. Even so, we never let the opportunity of photo ops to pass by. And of course, a cup of coffee just made everything perfect. We broke camp at around 8am and descended at around 8:30am. We had our late breakfast at Papaya River and a two hours rest to give way for those guys who wanted to have a swim at the river. Well, I took the chance since this was a rare opportunity. After a good rest and a full stomach, we started our hike back to our jump-off point at around 12:10pm. Our descent was smooth this time with only one rest for photo ops and water refreshment. We arrived at Aling Bebe's place at around 2:03pm. We have ourselves cleaned up and took our much awaited lunch. We were all geared up for Manila at around 4pm.
Photo ops before our descent

We already conquered the Two Towers of Manila Bay... Pico de Loro and Tarak Ridge.
Pico de Loro Tarak Ridge
Until my next adventure... God bless.

Mt. Pico de Loro

Our trek to this well-known mountain in Cavite was not actually planned. It was like going to the park or to the shopping mall. With a little preparation, we still pushed through with our quest to summit this famous peak which was named by the Spaniards as Pico de Loro because its peak resembled like a parrot's beak when viewed at Manila Bay. Pico de Loro

Our jump-off point was at DENR in Ternate where we registered, paid 20 pesos each and ascended our way to the summit. According to them it takes only three hours to reach the peak. This will be an easy climb for us we thought. After 30 minutes going uphill, we were all exhausted. Since this was our first physical activity of the year, we were all catching our breath. Our first stop was at reforestation area.
Think green... we have to protect mother nature

After a few minutes of rest, we resumed our trek. We were all excited and optimistic to make it to the camp site in less than three hours. Following the trail to the peak was so easy. Signs pointing to Pico de Loro were everywhere. Getting lost was next to impossible.
Sign 1

After almost an hour of trek, we approached a small community which labeled base camp. The area was wide and the ambiance was cool. I was actually tempted to take a nap but we still have a long way to go. Water, soft drinks, fresh fruits like mango are available in this area. We were required to register again and paid 20 pesos per person.
Base Camp

We continued our trip across the trail which was mostly downhill. I was surprised why the trail going to the peak was descending. I got a feeling that after this descends; the next trail would be all ascending. Almost twenty minutes after, other sign points the way to the peak. We had walked almost two hours from our jump-off point but we were clueless how far we were from the camp site.
Sign 2

Exhausted, we were really exhausted. Three hours had past... still had no sign of the peak. Hunger had caught us up but we needed to continue our trek to the camp site to prepare our lunch. It was a good thing that I brought bread with me to boost our energy.
Exhausted but fulfilled

The trails were all ascending. Every ten meters upward, we have to stop to catch our breath. The forest was getting denser and the trail was getting harder. A supposedly three hours trek was threatened to be a lot more. As we came close to the mountain's peak, the trail was split into two. One was going uphill and the other one was going downhill. There were no signs for direction. We stopped and discussed which way to take. We chose the way uphill since it was more easier to go back downhill if we had chosen the wrong one.
Forest

Uphill was actually a wrong choice. From our vantage point, we could see Pico de Loro which was just adjacent to where we were. Hungry and exhausted, we decided to prepare our meals in this unknown peak which we named later as Pico de Lara. It was past 2:00 o'clock in the afternoon, too late to have our lunch but this was necessary. The food was great and we got enough rest.
View of Pico de Loro from the adjacent peak

Our assault going to the camp site was not as difficult as we expected it. This was due to the renewed power after we had our stomach filled. Finally camp site came in full view. The sight astounded us... wow! The camp site was so nice. With Pico de Loro in the background and the coastline of nearby Nasugbu, the place was so perfect.
View of Pico de Loro from the camp site

After we set up our tent and everything was in place, we were all geared up to climb the summit. The way up was treacherous... we paid extra caution on every step we took. Slowly but surely, we managed to reach the summit in less than 15 minutes. The view at the top was so amazing, awesome, wonderful, perfect, you name it... the feeling was great. No wonder why Pico de Loro ranks top among the most climb mountain in the country.
Stone peak (View at the top)
The place was getting crowded as more mountaineers made it to the camp site late in the afternoon. A baby, I guess was less than a year old was one among the last group to arrive. The site reminded me of a refugee camp. Darkness swept the area and fog covered the whole camp site while most of the campers were busy preparing food for dinner. After we treated ourselves with a nice meal and chatted with other mountaineers, I was too eager to have a good night rest. It was a long day for us. I needed to recharge.
Nice foods

We woke up early the next morning as some of the campers were preparing to trek the summit. Coffee aroma filled the air... coffee was so perfect. I took a sip as I scanned around the fascinating sunrise view of the peak and the whole surrounding. The poster like view was so nice for photo ops. At exactly 7 o'clock in the morning we were all ready to go down.
Poster like view except me... hehehe

Our trekked downhill was smooth. We arrived at DENR with less effort. We were all satisfied and fulfilled. The experience was worth it. Definitely we will be coming back. A traverse to Nasugbu would be great.
Nasugbu in the background

Until my next adventure... God bless!