Hiking Chronicles: Mt. Batolusong

Mt. Batolusong (810+ MASL)
Brgy. San Andres, Tanay, Rizal
Mountain specs: Difficulty 3/9 | Minor climb | Trail class 1-4


FACTS ON MT. BATOLUSONG
Mt. Batolusong is a part of the Sierra Madre southern range located in Tanay, Rizal. The term batolusong came from two Filipino words, bato and lusong,  which literally means a big mortar stone used to pound rice and other agricultural products. It is fun to note that the central plains in San Andres are utilized for rice-planting - a part of the daily lives of the native people in San Andres since the ancestral times.

There are three prominent peaks and areas along Mt. Batolusong - Mapatag Plateau (645+ MASL), Susong Dalaga (780+ MASL) and the newly-opened Rangyas Peak (810+ MASL). Presence of a sea of clouds has been accounted several times in Mt. Batolusong.

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Last June 2015, I asked my friends if they can join me in an Independence Day dayhike at Mt. Batolusong. Gladly, six of my colleagues from UP Diliman joined and three of them are first-timers. At first, I was hesitant to take them to Batolusong as I expected that the mountain won't really surprise me. I was really wrong.

We met up at Farmers' Market Cubao at around 5:00 AM. We left after thirty minutes and took a jeepney to Cogeo. Upon arrival, we then rode a jeepney going to Brgy. Sampaloc and asked the jeepney driver to drop us off at Batangasan Junction. After one hour, we found ourselves wandering on the vicinity of Batangasan junction. A tricycle ride will take you to the barangay hall where we registered and secured guides.

When we arrived at the hall, no one's actually there to assist us and it appears that the hiking coordinator did not expect arrival of hikers since it was a Friday. Nevertheless, they had us registered and according to their policy, all hikers must secure a guide. In my early hiking explorations in Rizal, guides are optional. In my opinion, the protocol of the province of Rizal to require guides on hiking is a move towards environmental protection and with the fact that Rizal recently received attention on hiking and outdoor activities, conservation of the natural resources is a must.

We started the trek at around 8:00 AM. Our first plan is to do a Mapatag Plateau - Susong Dalaga Peak traverse to Kay-ibon Falls but the guide and registration officer told us that Susong Dalaga Peak is closed due to military presence on that side of the mountain. They offered us a Rangyas Peak traverse alternative. The peak is newly-opened and according to them, to experience the fullness of the mountain, we should go for the Rangyas Peak which happens to be the highest point of Batolusong.

The first part of the trail is relatively easy. It heads towards the mountain base, tramping through ricefields, small ponds, a river crossing and rocks and boulders. Upon reaching the base mountain, the infinite assault to Duhatan Ridge starts. It really felt infinite and it took us an hour and a half to reach the ridge. Luckily, the trail is covered with trees so you won't feel the sun burning your skin and to note, this is the only part of the trail where you can enjoy shade. The last water source during the ascent can be found in this trail. Similar to other Sierra Madre southern mountains, you will see a lot of rock boulders and formations.

Large rock formations seen along the trails of Batolusong.

After the assault comes the Duhatan Ridge. Duhatan Ridge will not be named as such if not because of the duhat trees present on that area. Our guide even mentioned that back then, these trees are more than abundant. They are destroyed however by typhoons. According to our guide, the locals in San Andres name a specific place based on what they see in it. For example, duhatan is named because of duhat trees, batangasan was named because of the ark. We continued our way to Mapatag Plateau. The trail is relatively flat and gradual; however, surviving the loose and slippery trail without being exhausted from the sun is the challenge here. It took us an hour to reach the Mapatag Plateau.

An aftermath of landslide seen from the trails to Mapatag Plateau.

Mapatag Plateau as viewed from the trail to Rangyas Peak.

According to our guide, the ownership of the plateau was once controversial as there are notes that the area was owned by a private person, yet it was considered by the locals as part of their ancestral land. I don't know what happened after but I think the vast land was already given to the barangay's jurisdiction. It used to be as a grazing land for cows and cattles. You will also spot a nearby house that the guide said has used to shelter the owner of the land. No wonder why it has been controversial as the soil in the plateau is rich and amenable for agricultural planting. It resembles much of the highlands of Argentina and New Zealand. After Mapatag Plateau, we continued to Rangyas Peak. After passing the bamboo shades, the trail shifted from loose and slippery to rocky, reaching a point on the trail the locals call "The Wall". It is indeed a rocky wall where you'll start landing on four - both hands and feet - to get to the summit. Rocks are loose and unsecured so extra caution is required.

One of my friends braving herself to reach the summit.

Upon reaching the summit, I was amazed with the views from Rangyas Peak - a 360° view of Sierra Madre mountains and Laguna de Bay. It feels enchanting to stand to a point where you can see water on one side and ridges and mountains on the other side. We stayed there for an hour to enjoy the majestic views of the peak. Anyway, we were the only hikers during that day so we really made sure we enjoy the view.

The view from Rangyas Peak - Sierra Madre southern range. The mountain covered by clouds is Daraitan according to our guide.

Extending sights on the Sierra Madre southern range.

Laguna de Bay, Talim Island and Mt. Sembrano as seen from Rangyas Peak. Notice the prominent peaks of Mt. Banahaw from the distant background as pointed by our guide.

From the peak, we descended to Mapatag Plateau to have our lunch. Afterwards, we headed our way to Kay-Ibon Falls. The traverse trail has characteristics similar to the ascent trail to Mapatag Plateau, both of which are exposed to the sun though the traverse trail is quite longer. After an hour of walking, we approached a covered trail which the tour guide told us leads directly to Marcos Highway. It was actually a sign that you're nearing the falls. At 2:30 PM, we reached Kay-Ibon Falls.

Falling for Kay-Ibon Waterfalls.

It is a cascade-type of waterfalls surrounded by rocks that runs from an unnamed river in San Andres. Even though it is hot at that time, the water was very cold. It has a basin where you can swim and enjoy the refreshing waters of the falls. Bamboo strips are also installed to provide drinking water for hikers.

The green luscious waters of Kay-Ibon Falls.

After an hour and a half of swimming, we returned back to the trail and walked for another fifteen minutes until we reached the highway at around 4:30 PM. There are no bathrooms or facilities in this area so we hid on the trees to change clothes. Luckily, one of my friends brought a malong with him which has been of great help. We waited for a jeepney in the highway and arrived in SM Marikina around 06:00 where we had our postclimb dinner.

ITINERARY

Mt. Batolusong – Kay-ibon Falls Traverse Dayhike
04:30 AM	Assembly at Farmers Cubao.
05:00 AM	Take jeep to Cogeo Gate II.
05:30 AM	Arrival at Cogeo Gate II. Proceed to the market and ride jeepney going to Brgy. Sampaloc.
06:30 AM	Arrival at Batangasan Junction. Take habal-habal to Brgy. Hall.
07:00 AM	Arrival at Brgy. Hall. Register and secure guides.
07:30 AM	Start trek.
09:00 AM	Arrival at Duhatan Ridge.
10:00 AM	Arrival at Mapatag Plateau
11:00 AM	Arrival at Rangyas Peak. Explore viewpoints. Lunch.
12:00 PM	Start descent to Mapatag Plateau. Take right trail to traverse to Kay-Ibon Falls.
02:00 PM	Arrival at Kay-ibon Falls.
03:00 PM	Resume trek.
03:30 PM	ETA Marcos Highway
06:00 PM	ETA Manila

SPECIAL NOTES

Transportation: Brgy. San Andres can be accessed via Cogeo-Sampaloc route jeeps. If riding a private vehicle, proceed to Marcos Highway and go straight until you see the barangay arc post on your left. Turn on that street to lead you to the highway. Fare from Cogeo to Batangasan Junction costs Php 40.00; habal-habal ride costs Php 200 per ride. The last trip of jeepneys coming for Sampaloc arrives in Sitio Kay-ibon at around 7:00PM.

Registration, guides and porters: Registration fee is Php 20.00 for Mapatag Plateau-Rangyas Peak-Kay-ibon Falls route. Guide fees are fixed at Php 500 for one day, good for five persons. A maximum of seven hikers is allowed for a single guide to handle, in which additional person in the group will cost Php 100 each. For a Rangyas Peak route, an additional Php 100 per group is required on top of the guide fee.

Hiking and camping notes:

1. The majority of the trail is loose and slippery and can be muddy during rainy seasons.
2. Take note that the trail from Duhatan Ridge to the traverse to Kay-ibon Falls is open; thus, exposed to sun. Wear appropriate clothings.
3. Cellular signals are sporadic throughout the entire trail.
4. In assaulting Rangyas Peak, take extra caution as rocks are not intact and loose.
5. Camping sites are available at Duhatan Ridge and Mapatag Plateau. Camping from Rangyas Peak is not allowed.
6. All hikers are required to start at Brgy. San Andres Hall. An opposite traverse route is not allowed.

Estimated budget: Php 500 - Php 700