Hiking Events: EA Climb Goes to Lobo, Batangas

As part of its commitment towards environmental protection and preservation, PinoyMountaineer Environment Committeee (PM EC) is holding its 2nd Environmental Awareness Climb (EA Climb) this 31 August 2015.

This month's EA Climb is headed to Mt. Lobo in Lobo, Batangas. The municipality has been controversial for the past few weeks due to the approved mining establishment that will dig around themountains of Lobo, Batangas.

Expect to have fun while discovering what Lobo is to offer for hikers and adventurers. You may contact Carlo at (0917) 863 5642 or comment on this post for more details. First 16 participants will only be allowed to join. You may also search for Mt. Lobo Environmental Awareness Climb on Facebook and sign up there.

See you there!

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Hiking Guide: Mt. Maculot

Jump off: Brgy. Siete, Poblacion, Cuenca, Batangas
Exit point: Brgy. Singko, Poblacion, Cuenca, Batangas
Elevation: Rockies (706+ MASL), Summit (930+ MASL), Grotto (510+ MASL)
Difficulty: 3/9 (Rockies), 4/9 (Traverse Hike), Minor climb, Trail class 1-3
Source: www.pinoymountaineer.com

ABOUT MT. MACULOT

Mt. Maculot has been one of the famous dayhike destinations in the Philippines, Located at Cuenca, Batangas, the accessibility from the metropolitan area invites many hikers to take a visit at the mountain. A single hike on Maculot gives hikers different trail classes and natures - one of tropical rainforest, rocky, grassy and bare character - in a relatively easy pace. Maculot has three features - Rockies, from which a standing basaltic rock formation on the side of Taal Lake is named, has been famous from its magnificent view of the lake, the summit of Maculot standing at 930+ MASL and Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, a Catholic pilgrimage site.

One may opt to hike the mountain to visit Rockies or do the traverse to the summit and Grotto to fully experience what Maculot is offering. Both starts at Brgy. Siete where registration and guide securing happens and for those doing the traverse, the exit point is at Brgy. Singko. Recently, for those who would want to avoid the flock of hikers in Rockies, some prefer starting at Brgy. Singko and exits later at Brgy. Siete. It was said that starting at Brgy. Singko does not require guides and collects very minimal registration and guide fees but such itinerary is based from one's discretion. The first part of the trail is a continuous gradual assault to the campsite. Along the trail, you will encounter stores selling buko for refreshments and several shed and stopovers for rest.Upon reaching the campsite, one will see the so-called "7-11" in the campsite and surprisingly, it offers a lot of refreshments and even meals for campers and hikers. The campsite serves as the junction for the Rockies and traverse routes.

Going to the left will lead you to Rockies where one will experience hiking up and down through the rocky trails of the stone formation. The famous photos of Maculot hikers are usually taken on this point. Usually, this is the first stopover of the traverse route. After Rockies, one may trace back the old trail to campsite and continue the descent on the same trail or continue to the right path to go to the summit. The trail to the summit is similar to the first part of the trail and is mostly forested. Though the views from the summit is similar than that of Rockies, the character of the summit is much different as it retains the rainforest feature of Maculot, with tall trees and vegetation surrounding. The Grotto traverse starts at the summit, where the difficulty of the trail increases due to muddy and inclined trail slopes. There are two parts of the trail wherein use of ropes is necessary, especially for the rocky sections of the trail. It takes two hours to reach the Grotto, where one can take the cemented stairs to go to Brgy. Singko exit point.

ITINERARY

Maculot (Rockies) Dayhike
5:00 AM	Assembly at DLTB Cubao or Gil Puyat.
5:30 AM	Take bus bound to Lemery.
7:30 AM	ETA Cuenca Poblacion. Ride trike to jump off. Register and secure guides.
8:00 AM	Start trek.
10:30 AM	Arrival at campsite.
11:00 AM	Arrival at Rockies. Explore viewpoints.
12:00 PM	Return to campsite. Lunch.
1:00 PM	Start descent.
3:00 PM	Arrival at exit point at Brgy. Siete. Tidy up.
4:00 PM	ETD Cuenca Poblacion, Batangas
6:00 PM	ETA Manila
Maculot Traverse  Dayhike (Rockies-Summit-Grotto)
5:00 AM	Assembly at DLTB Cubao or Gil Puyat.
5:30 AM	Take bus bound to Lemery.
7:30 AM	ETA Cuenca Poblacion. Ride trike to jump off. Register and secure guides.
8:00 AM	Start trek.
10:30 AM	Arrival at campsite.
11:00 AM	Arrival at Rockies. Explore viewpoints.
12:00 PM	Return to campsite. Lunch.
1:00 PM	Start summit assault.
3:00 PM	Arrival at summit. Explore viewpoints.
3:30 PM	Start traverse descent to Grotto
5:00 PM	Arrival at Grotto. Explore area.
5:30 PM	Start descent to Brgy. Singko.
6:00 PM	Arrival at Brgy. Singko. Take trike to Brgy. Siete. Tidy up.
7:00 PM	ETD Cuenca Poblacion, Batangas
9:00 PM	ETA Manila

 

IMPORTANT NOTES

Transportation: Going to Maculot is relatively easy as Lemery-bound buses crosses Cuenca Poblacion. Tricycles are available at the area and are aware of the registration process prior to driving hikers to the jumpoff.

Registration, guides and porters: The barangay implements a fixed guiding system for hikers. Registration fees are at Php 20. For a traverse hike, guide fee is Php 800 for 5 persons and Php 100 for each additional person. For a Rockies hike, guide fee is Php 700 for 5 persons and Php 50 for each additional person.

Hiking and camping notes:

1. Prepare for the scorching heat of the sun in Rockies. Extreme cautions on picture taking on the said formation are important as there are incidents of death recorded at Rockies.
2. The trail to the traverse, as mentioned, is slippery and muddy especially during and after rains. Prepare accordingly.
3. There are campsites at the summit and at the junction to Rockies.
4. Cellphone signals are available throughout the entire trail.
5. Maculot has been tagged as one of the dirtiest mountains in the country due to the influx of hikers in the area. Observe proper LNT principles and environment conservation.

Estimated budget: Php 500 - Php 800

NARRATIVE
The blogger's first hike on the mountain was dated last 18 January 2015, with a Maculot Rockies Hike. The second hike happened last 16 August 2015, finishing the traverse hike to Grotto with his colleagues from UP. See Maculot Escapades 1.0 and Maculot Escapades 2.0

OVERALL RATING OF THE HIKE: 9/10. One of the blogger's most favorite hiking destination. Very recommendable to first-time hikers.

PHOTOS
The photos flashed on the slideshow are taken from the second hike to Maculot.

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Hiking Guide: Mt. Irid

Jump-off: Sta. Ines, Tanay, Rizal

Elevation: 1450+ MASL

Difficulty: 6/9, Major climb, Trail class 1-4

Source: www.pinoymountaineer.com

ABOUT MT. IRID

Located at the intersection of the provinces of Bulacan, Rizal and Laguna lies one of the majestic mountains of the Sierra Madre tail end mountain range - Mt. Irid. Dubbed as the highest mountain in Rizal, Mt. Irid offers a scenic view of the Sierra Madre, at sight are Batolusong and Daraitan. Based from the locals, hiking in Irid started at 2013 and as seen from the tropical rainforest and limestone character of the mountain, Irid is yet an unexplored hiking destination and is a home for the Dumagat Tribe, an indigenous group in the Luzon living on the mountain sides of Quezon, Rizal and Bulacan.

A typical Irid hike usually lasts for two days, but one can opt to attempt a day hike of precautions on a moderate to fast hiking pace. The trail starts at Brgy. Sta Ines, Tanay, Rizal, wherein one can experience multiple river trekking on the way to the said jumpoff. To reach Mt. Irid's base, one would have to follow the trail that crosses the bases of several unnamed mountains in Rizal. Moreover, on the hike proper itself, one should be ready to get wet as there are eleven river crossings along the trail which gives Irid its special distinction among all of other mountains in the Philippines. On the end of the river crossing, one will reach a junction where taking the right path will lead to Kinabuan Falls. Going straight to the trail will lead you to Sitio Sadlak, where bunk houses and campsites are found. Usually, the first day of the hike ends here.

The second day commences with the summit approach itself. The trail starts on a flat grassland that later changes to series of assaults of 60° to 75° inclination. Several parts of the trail are established on rocks and limestones so extra precaution is required. Irid is also infested with limatik, or blood leeches, which can be a nuisance during the hike. There are a couple of thorny plants along the trail and wearing gloves is therefore recommended. However, since Irid is relatively unexplored, one would be amazed on the abundant flora and fauna along the trail. The trail ends upon reaching the dubbed "Rockies" of Mt. Irid, a limestone formation on the summit of the mountain. The summit is also marked with an encryption of a statement written by the Dumagat Tribe in their commitment to protect Mt. Irid. One can see a full-blown horizon of the southern range of the Sierra Madre, with Mt. Tukduan Banoi adjacent to Irid, making it possible to go to a Tukduan Banoi - Irid twin hike.

ITINERARY

(First day)
4:00 AM	Assembly at Cogeo Gate 2 or Tanay Public Market
4:30 AM	Take jeep to Brgy. Sta Ines.
6:00 AM	ETA Sta. Ines. Register at Brgy. Hall, secure guides.
7:00 AM	Arrival at jumpoff. Start trekking.
9:00 AM	Arrival at Sitio Kinabuan
11:00 AM	Arrival at Kinabuan Falls. Lunch. Enjoy falls.
12:30 PM	Resume trek
3:00 PM	Arrival at Sitio Sadlak bunkhouses. Proceed to basecamp if camping.
4:00 PM	Arrival at Mt. Irid Basecamp. Set up camp.
5:00 PM	Dinner. Socials.
8:00 PM	Lights out.
(Second day)
5:00 AM	Wake up call. Breakfast.
6:00 AM	Start assault to summit.
10:00 AM	ETA Mt. Irid Summit. Lunch. Explore area and viewpoints.
11:00 AM	Start descent
1:30 PM	Arrival at Sitio Sadlak. Break camp. Prepare for descent.
2:00 PM	Head back to Brgy. Sta. Ines
5:00 PM	ETA Brgy. Sta. Ines. Tidy up.
6:00 PM	Head back to Manila
8:00 PM	ETA Manila

IMPORTANT NOTES

Transportation: Brgy. Sta Ines is quite a remote barangay. The schedule of jeepneys going to Sta. Ines is based on a fixed schedule - trips from Tanay Public Market to Sta. Ines is at 7:00 AM and at 3:00 PM while trips from Sta. Ines to Tanay Public Market is at 3:00 AM and 12:00 PM. The best way to go to Sta. Ines is through renting a jeepney. Jeepney rental costs around Php 2000 - Php 3000.

For private vehicles, one may follow Marcos Highway up to Batangasan junction. Park there and take habal-habal to Brgy. Sta Ines, or if you have a 4 x 4, one can go directly to Sta. Ines via Marcos Highway - Sta. Ines Road.  It is important to note that there are river crossings to Sta. Ines and they might swell during rainy season.

Registration, Guides and Porters: Prior registration is required. You may contact Brgy. Sta Ines Head Office at (63) 930 235 5562 for details. The barangay strictly implements no permit, no hike protocol. Guides are usually pre-arranged after registration. Guide fees are usually at Php 700 - Php 900 per day.
Hiking and Camping Notes:

1. Prepare to get wet from numerous river crossings on the trail. One may opt to use sandals instead of shoes. Make sure all things inside the bag are secured.
2. The river may swell after heavy rains. The guides are trained to determine when to continue or not. Please follow their instructions for safety.
3. Limatik or blood leeches are present throughout the trail. Prepare accordingly.
4. The entire trail has rocky sections which may be very slippery. Ropes may be of great help for steep and rocky sections of the trail.
5. There are no cellphone signals throughout the trail. Signal on Brgy. Sta Ines proper is sporadic.
6. There are a lot of water sources on the first part of the trail up to Sitio Sadlak. However, there are no water sources on the entire summit assault to Irid.
7. Extra precautions on hiking during rainy season is important as trail can be loose and muddy. According to locals, usually rains in Irid only happen when there are hiking activities in the mountain.
8. The mountain is known to have military detachments. Expect to meet soldiers along the trail. The barangay hall, however, considers hiking in Irid safe. Scheduling hikes are also guided by courtesy calls of these military detachments.

Estimated budget: Php 700 - Php 1000 for two-day hike

NARRATIVE See Mt. Irid Escapades 1.0. The blogger's first hike on the mountain happened last 30 - 31 July 2015.

OVERALL RATING OF THE HIKE: 9/10. A very recommendable major hike for those living in Metro Manila. One of my favorite hikes for 2015.


PHOTOS

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