5th Climb - Mt. Marami - Maraming Ligaw, Maraming Putik, Maraming Experience

MT. MARAMI 

Maragondon, Cavite

Jump-off point: Brgy. Ramirez, Magallanes, Cavite

Alternate jumpoff: Brgy.Talipusngo, Maragondon, Cavite

LLA: 405 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 4-6 hours

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

Features: Rocky outcrops, scenic views of Cavite

Source: pinoymountaineer.com

It was a cloudy day when I stepped out of the comfort of our house and went to the bus terminal to embark in another challenging climb. My destination was the so-called twin sister of Pico de Loro, Mt. Marami of Maragondon in Cavite. Mt. Marami is famous for its two big rocky pillars that serves as the summit just like the monolith of Pico de Loro. The famous "Silyang Bato" part of Maragondon awaits to those who want to experience the beauty of the world from the top to down under where you can have a very scenic and life threatening picture.

I was very mesmerized and got excited when I first saw the pictures in the internet. These became my reason to climb this very challenging mountain. I invited my college friends to accompany me with this climb. I told my former classmates that this was a challenging climb. Though, considered as a minor climb. I still allowed them to jump into my journey. Honestly, it was a relief that Kuya Stick joined because I will definitely do not want to go on a hike with the girls if I am the only guy. We kind of started late because some participants were caught up in a traffic jam.

When all the participants arrived, we still have to wait for a couple of minutes before got on board on the bus bound to Maragondon. It was more or less a 3-hour drive from Manila. Then, we took a tricycle going to Brgy. Ramirez. We arrived at their barangay hall where there was a basketball court at the front. I forgot the name of our guide, but he gave us quite an expensive fee. He explained to me that the trail is long, so the fee is expensive. Honestly, I did not believe at first, but I found out that the fee really is nothing compared to the help he gave to us on our way down.

The trail started on a cemented road going to the first river that you need to cross by the name of "Kayrayag River". It was not hard and mostly descending, but I noticed that the trail is very dusty and I believed that the land was made out of clay because of the reddish color. My initial thought was " Thank God, it is not a hot day, but please do not rain" because I knew that these kinds of terrain are extremely muddy and slippery.

Our team going down the first river crossing

After the first river crossing, we emerged into an open trail exposed to the direct rays of the sun. Fortunately, our hike was not a sunny one. The trail was wide and the land was dry as seen on the picture below. The shadow of Mt. Marami was still nowhere to be seen. The long road to the summit has just started.

The lush forest on the side of the trail.

After few hours of walking, finally the granite peak of Mt. Marami appeared on the horizon. The view of our target destination ignited a flame within me lol. However, our guide quickly told us that it is still very away and we'll probably arrive past noontime because of our moderate pace. 

It looks like the mountain was getting nearer as we continued walking through this open area. Afterwards, we went trough the forested trail again passing by another river crossing named "Bangkaan River" as seen below. We passed through this section for about three times and then the ascent started from this point onward. 

The trail we used was the "Talahib Trail" which approached Mt. Marami from the south side instead of going straight to it. Just like the name itself, the trail consisted of lots of talahib grass. Some of the grasses were tall and really obscured the trail. This mountain is very notorious for waylaying many hikers and some are indeed getting lost in the labyrinth of trails so one should keep an eye open for the path being undertaken by the guide. Also, this trail is an open area and very hot during summer time. 

You know you are somehow near when you arrive at the campsite which is marked by a nipa hut as seen below. We took a significant amount of time to rest here. Also, the two grand structure of the peak can now be seen from this point.

I am contemplating how far we are until the summit lol.

I already noticed the clouds were already creeping its way. From the campsite, we approached Mt. Marami via a bamboo forest which has a very very confusing trail. We also encountered some cows and saw a slight glimpse of the Pico de Loro and its Parrot Beak. The temperature slowly dropped as more clouds covered the sky. I really hoped back then that the rain would not pour in. 

The two towers of Mt. Marami 

Some cows can be seen along the trail to the summit

The clear path to the summit emerged after we're done with the forested area. The view of the granite peak became clearer and lot more magnificent. 

Only few meters more..

Really few meters left. 

The way to the summit is through the middle of those two rocky pillars where one needs to do a short rock bouldering. I assisted them to safely navigate the trail because it was somehow loose but afterwards, you'll be rewarded with the scenic view at the top.

At the center is Pico de Loro with the Parrot Beak. It is being covered by clouds though.

Praying that the clouds clear up so that we can see a better view lol

It was very windy and cloudier when we arrived at the summit after more or less than 6 hours of trekking. This was really a long hike to the summit. We just chilled at the summit and ate our lunch. Some of us even slept while I went to the famous "Silyang Bato". We descended the summit and went on the other side of for us to reach the famous landmark of this mountain. 

There is a gap between those two rocky platforms hidden on the trees which is quite deep so exercise extra caution. The "Silyang Bato" is narrow and can only accommodate one per person. It was very windy at the time I stood up and I did spend lots of there because I was afraid of the sheer height of it. One wrong move and you'll end lots of meters below. The view was really picture perfect. I should have stayed a little bit but I knew that it was only a matter of time before it rain. The journey back to the civilization was really difficult. I could say that this was the most difficult dayhike climb until now because of the trail length, confusing plus super muddy trails. This was the muddiest place that I've been to. We also encountered some inconveniences along the way. We were lost for about 30 minutes which made me really nervous, I tried to be calm on why the hell we're lost. I was the sweeper of our team so honestly I was not paying any attention to our path and suddenly on of us told me that it looks like we're lost. We managed to contact our guide but we cannot point up our exact location so the guide and us panicked. The guide was blaming us for not paying attention to the trail. Honestly, I started to be pissed off and sort of blamed myself. I tried to look for another trail when I encountered another hiker. He told us that the trail that we're located was not the proper way back down and we should go backwards again. I was hesitant to move since I really cannot remember the trail so we just contacted our guide over and over again. He was shouting at the other end of the phone so that we can hear his loud shout and just follow the voice but unfortunately we really cannot hear any loud echo. We moved a bit from our original location and went backwards until we crossed the path of our guide. He told us that it was only a matter of inches. There was big and thick bushes that hides a right path but we didn't noticed it and went straight. I was really pissed and sorry for what happened and just told them to just continue. Our emotions at that time were high until another sort of misfortune happened. It rained and the muddy, slippery and hellish trail appeared that made our descent way too complicated. I started to feel down because this was supposed to be a good climb but it was now turning to be a dangerous climb. When I thought that what we we're experiencing was tough, it suddenly went tougher because one of the participants started to feel dizzy and wobbly and she just cannot continue. I really do not know what to do, I do not have the strength to carry and bring her down. I just gave her lots of encouragement I really saw her struggling in walking. We were so slow that reality kicked in my mind that we could not make it down before sunset. Thankfully, our guide carried her but not all the way down. I also knew that he was already tired as he was carrying her for a significant amount of time. Luckily, a person with a horse passed and we decided to just let her ride the horse since we really cannot bring her down. She went ahead and we were left there walking as usual in thick mud. I slipped a lot and negativity consumed my thoughts. I was just praying that we get back down safely. It was already dark, we have no flashlight and the light from our cellular phones were fading away. We we're trekking under the rain, in the night with only the light from the moon that guided us. My legs we're so damn tired that I nearly gave up until we saw the glimpse of the houses. I was really about to cry I really underestimated the difficulty of this climb but thankfully we all managed to get down this mountain. I really learned a lot from this climb. One should be really prepared when you climb mountains and getting all your team member back safe is really the number one priority. I really admire the courage of my friends who joined me in this climb. I am grateful to our guide for bringing us back although we had a heated argument when we we're lost and of course to the Lord for safely getting us back home.

4th Climb - Rainy Mt. Tibig Climb

At the background is the possible traverse trail to Mt. Lobo. This spot is just a few meters away from Mt. Tibig's summit

MT. TIBIG

Lobo, Batangas 

Jump-off point: Hulong Banalo, Lobo

LLA: 13°40′30.9′′N 121°9′37.2′′ E, 563 MASL

Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 1.5-2.5 hours

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

Source: pinoymountaineer.com

Mt. Tibig is known to be an easy hike in the southern tip of Batangas that offers the coastal views of the Island Verde passage and scenic forest of the Tibig-Lobo mountain range. When I pushed through with this climb, there was an incoming storm back then. I remembered that I check the weather forecast and track of the storm and it was steering its way on the Aurora province so I told the other participants that we can proceed with the climb. However, I knew that we will encounter cloudy skies and a little bit of rain. Unfortunately, later will I found out when I got back home that the storm shifted its track downward. Yes, we climb Tibig in a very not so pleasant weather because it is very windy and stormy.

We took a DLTB bus bound to Batangas City. It was already raining when we left Manila but I thought that it will not stay long. After we arrived at Batangas City, we had a hard time finding the correct jeepney going to the Lobo terminal. Fortunately, we were assisted by some locals and finally we boarded the jeep bound to Lobo, Batangas. I did not expected that the ride to Lobo was time consuming. It took us more than an hour then we rode a tricycle to Brgy. Hulong Banalo. It was already raining heavily and I got a long scratch on my leg due to the sharp structure of the seat behind the driver's back. 

The rain continued to pour when we arrived at Brgy. Hulong Banalo. We met our guide and he advised us to let the rain subside a bit. Then, after a few minutes he gave us the signal to start the climb. I do not have any raincoat back then so I just used my umbrella. The trail was steep at the start but became manageable until the rest of the climb., The trail is well maintained and it was really quiet easy but the weather made us nervous and uneasy. The trees were dancing in the tunes of the howling winds and the rain continued to pour erratically. The views of the forested mountains were refreshing though.

The others are walking along the trail with umbrella. 

We continued our journey up until we encountered the Talahib trail. Thankfully, the rain deteriorated a bit so I was able to get some pictures of the trail while we go up. I felt cold but at the same time glad because it was a happy and refreshing feeling to just let yourself get wet and just enjoy the weather thought it was quite scary at the same time.

We continued our ascent through the talahib then suddenly, the weather went calm and a clearing appeared which revealed the view of the Verde Passage from afar and the summit a few meters ahead. We took our time to grab the chance to take some photos since we knew it will not last long. The clearing did not last for long as thick clouds engulfed our view and gusty winds and heavy rains followed thereafter. We pushed through to the summit and rested a bit to see if another clearing would open up. Unfortunately, there was none so we just hurried our descent since the rains and winds intensified.

Our team being battered by fierce winds and heavy rain.

And then, a clearing appeared. Yes!

The summit of Mt. Tibig as seen on the background

The hike down was a little bit difficult because of the muddy trail but we managed to get down safely. The rain continued its downpour until I got home. I definitely enjoyed this easy hike. However, if there's a chance, of course it is much better to hike in a good weather.

3rd Climb - Mt. Maculot Traverse - Rockies - Summit - Grotto

MT. MACULOT

Cuenca, Batangas

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

Source: pinoymountaineer.com

Most hikers/mountaineers often say that newbies must first conquer the three "easiest" and most popular mountain before stepping up to more difficult climbs. I have climbed the first two, Mt. Pico de Loro and Mt. Batulao. Thus, I decided to conquer the last mountain which I considered an "eye opener", Mt. Maculot. The mountain is just 2-3 hours away from the metro making it a good weekend destination. It was a pleasant Saturday morning when we boarded a DLTB bus bound to Lemery. This was my first climb with my new hiking friends, ate Jen and her friend Ate Ems. I met Ate Jen in a forum site for CPA way back when I was still reviewing for my board exam and found out that Ate Jen also met Ate Ems on that same site. Indeed, it was a small world after all. The bus was packed with other mountaineers which I suspected going to the same mountain we're heading or to other mountains in the south. I slept soundly during our bus ride to gather strength and woke up almost near the quiet town of Cuenca, Batangas. I was not quite sure where to exactly get off the bus but my instinct told me to just follow whenever a group of hikers will get off. So when the bus conductor shouted "Cuenca" and other group of mountaineers started to stand up from their seats, then I immediately told my companions to get off also. We saw a bunch of tricycles lined up along the street. I asked one of the drivers to bring us to the registration area of Mt. Maculot then we're off. After a few minutes, we arrived at the said area and logged our names, secured a guide which happened to be a Barangay official and left an id to them.

We arrived at the jump-off area a few minutes after. There is a store nearby where you can have your breakfast first before starting the climb and it has a restroom/shower area also. I felt a sudden stomach discomfort and luckily, there was a nearby store with a comfort room where I could flush out any bad spirit lol, but there was none. Maybe because I felt nervous during that time. Once we're all set, we now started our journey to the mountain.

 

The start of the trail is marked with a signboard. After a few minutes, you will now walk in a dirt road. The level of inclination increases as you walk further and further. The trail is well maintained and I honestly believe guides are unnecessary if you had been here many times already and your destination is only straight up to the "Rockies" area. However, in our case we will do a traverse climb on this mountain in which we will ascend first to the "Rockies" up to the "Summit" then descend via the "Grotto" route. Thus, getting a guide is a must since there were already confusing trails past the "Rockies" area. Unfortunately, the guides are mandatory now even if your destination is only up to the Rockies. Based on what I can recall, there are 2 sections until the Rockies. The first part is the forested area wherein the trail is a continuous assault in a loose soil terrain. There were various bamboo-made resting areas along the trail so you should just take your time and catch your breath on these areas. This will pose a challenge to beginners since it is quite a heart pounding task to get through this section. 

Afterwards, your reward is a major resting area where you can now have an initial glimpse of the Taal Lake, was coming our way. It was a little bit cloudy when we got up there so we did not saw the bluish waters of Taal Lake but nonetheless, it was still beautiful. We rested for quite some time to regain our strength since the next phase into the Rockies will be more difficult.

The next phase of the trail going to Rockies is the "talahib" trail, wherein you will be expose directly under the heat of the sun while walking through tall talahib grasses. You will now be able to see the town of Cuenca and the other forested parts of Maculot. We did not stayed on this area for long since it was hot and humid. We just took some shots and continued our ascent.

Once we completed the talahib trail, we entered the forested area again wherein the trail went upwards for a bit and then suddenly it went downwards until we reached the dangerous part of the trail. It is dangerous since only one person at a time can fit the narrow trail and deep ravine lies on both sides. There were lots of persons lined going up the rock scrambling part of the trail so we just slowed down our pace and took our time to ensure safety.

This is the view of the Rockies while the trail continued downwards.

This section is near the dangerous short ridge before going up the Rockies.

I'm now standing at the middle of the ridge. Showing here is the rock scrambling part of the Rockies which is the steepest and most dangerous part of the trail. The grassy area on my left and right hides the dangerous ravine.

I'm sitting at the edge of the trail. Just a wrong move and I'll end up several hundred meters below lol. Try not to look down.

Shown above, is a picture of me sitting on the edge of a rock at the halfway mark of the rock scrambling section to the Rockies. You can clearly see the downward narrow trail going to the short ridge below.  You can only go upwards and continue working your way through the big rocks only if there are no persons going down. The trail is narrow so you just have to wait for your turn. I found it hard to navigate if you have short limbs since there will be no additional support when you use your upper body strength to lift your body up the rocks. Once we're done with this difficult section, we were rewarded with breathtaking views of the Taal Lake. There were lots of people on the Rockies so you just have to wait for your turn to get a good photo spot for your solo picture.

You just have to be mindful of the places you're standing at to ensure that you'll not end up swimming at the lake lol.

At the background is the forested summit of Mt. Maculot, a 2 to 3 hour hike from the Rockies.

After our eyes we're satisfied with the view, we went down the Rockies and continued our ascent to the summit. The trail going to the summit was much harder but more manageable since the soil was not loose and there we're lots of branches to hold on to. There were also times when we had to duck our heads in order to navigate the trail. After about 2 to 3 hours of upward trail, we arrived at the summit where you can only have a glimpse of the Rockies and some view of the of the Taal Lake. I liked it this way, since this was the natural and original arrangement at the summit. Unfortunately, the local authorities cut some overgrown plants at the summit to give hikers a better view which I find to be unnecessary. 

View at the summit of Mt. Maculot

Yes! I conquered my third climb. Completed the beginner's trio! Pico de Loro, Batulao and now Maculot!

Since the summit only offered a limited view and not much can be done, we just went ahead and started the long and painful way back down. Getting down is always the hardest part of every climb since your legs are already tired. In my case, I had a difficulty getting down because I already felt my legs were about to experience cramps. Luckily, it did not push trough. The highlight of the climb back down to the Grotto was the portion where we had to rappel. I really enjoyed it since it was a lot easier than what is shown on the pictures below.

After a few hours, we finally emerged out of the woods and finally saw a glimpse of the Grotto. There was some huts few meters below the Grotto so we rested for a while. Then, we continued another uphill battle to the Grotto where you can see the towns below and the summit at your back. I stopped for a while and prayed to the Lord to give me strength to finish the hike since my legs back then were already painful. The most painful part of the climb was the concrete staircase going downward from the Grotto. The stairs were placed close to each other so it was really tiring on my legs. Fortunately, we all managed to get back down the mountains safely and enjoyed a delicious lomi back at the jump-off point. Yehey!

Oh no.. Another uphill trail to the Grotto as seen from the resting huts below.

Mt. Maculot summit (upper left portion) as viewed from the Grotto. Cheers to the team!

Kuya Jose, our guide, and ate Ems.