ROCK CLIMB AT THE ROCKIES OF MT. MACULOT
I
miss the mountains. I never did day
hike my entire life. Even on my
university days when camping was my curriculum
for PE on one semester, it has to be an overnight stay and I remember being in
the lone group who brought spaghetti and cakes up in the mountains for a meal. Wherever I am, I have to be pampered during
travel.
But
change is inevitable and routines are meant to deviate. Through an invitation of my favorite travel
buddies, I don’t know why I heeded the call and did the day hike. It has been two years since I climbed a
mountain in Batangas. And for most of the times after which, my travels focused
on touristy routines and staycations. My
companions assured me it’s going to be a slow-paced “pabebe” climb – whatever that means – at Mt. Maculot of Batangas.
Being
quite familiar with Mt. Maculot trail, I know there would be a lot of stopovers
and resting stations where buko juice
and halo halo will be offered, on the
same level as Mt. Batulao.
We
left Manila at around 5:30 in the morning with meet-up at the Buendia Bus
Terminal. The DLTB bus bound for Lemery,
Batangas was ready to go when we arrived at the terminal. In the 2.5 hours of travel time, we dozed
off.
For
mountaineers, this would be the easiest mountain to climb. The trail is well-defined and with ropes on
some portions, aiding the ascent and descent of hikers.
The
trail started with a concrete pavement which was not the case years ago. I found it strenuous that as soon as the ascent
started I have to condition myself and climb at my own pace. The scenic view of the lake and lush
mountains was a treat in itself.
As
we arrived at the base camp, I noticed that the vicinity is already
well-maintained. No trash and plastics
from the campers surround. There is a
small sari-sari store at the base camp where we opted to have our lunch and
requested for pancit canton to be
prepared at a minimal fee. There were
less hikers as well, maybe because it was a Sunday and only a few would pitch
their tents for an overnight stay.
A
mountain full of rocks then came into view, apt to be named The Rockies. Following reports of fatal incidents at the
Rockies, the hiring of a mandatory local guide is a good way to prevent
it. I never looked down while rock
climbing. If we did not avail of a local
guide I could have crawled just to reach the peak, necessarily bumping my head
on boulders and sharp stones. I am no
longer physically fit I said to myself.
But still, I have to get going and we all managed to reach the peak
through the assistance of our tour guide.
It
was midday when we reached the peak. The
scorching sun never bothered us. We had
a 360-degree view of the famous mountains of Batangas like Batulao and Pico de
Loro as well as the smallest volcano in the world, Taal and the scenic lake
that surrounds.
We
were at the Rockies for almost an hour.
Devoid of shade of trees, I managed to hide under a boulder and took
photos of the scenery from time to time.
Though
Mt. Maculot is known to some hikers for a traverse route of
Grotto-Summit-Rockies, we have decided beforehand that we only go to the
Rockies. After all, this will be the
first of the series of climbs that we intend to do all-together.
There
was never a dull moment for the almost five (5) hours that we had at Mt.
Maculot including the climb itself. And
so, everyone had a good rest at the bus en route to Manila and I woke up early
the following day, going to the office refreshed and rejuvenated.
I’m
back at the mountains – though not as energetic as before (aging?) – and I have
found new climb buddies for me to explore more mountains (I wish).
How To Get There From Manila
Take the Lemery-bound
bus from Buendia or Cubao with approximate travel time of two (2) to three (3)
hours (PhP150.00 one way fare). Be
dropped-off at Poblacion of Cuenca, Batangas where there’s a wet market and
tricycles are parked. Hire a tricycle
(PhP20.00 each) to take you to the Registration Area (PhP20.00 fee for each)
and the jump-off area. One person in the
group is required to leave an ID card. A
group is not allowed to hike without a local guide. (PhP500.00 guide fee to be
divided by members of the group)
1 comments
wow! this is the nice place and amazing. I want to visit there. How can I visit could you please explain me? because I'm camping lover.
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