When I started reading blogs, articles about mountains,
hiking and outdoor activities, I said to myself that one day I can do one of
those. I love to travel, going to beaches and to places that I've never been
before. But climbing mountains is too different, lots of preparation needed to
put into consideration like your gears, clothing, shoes, med kit and especially
your mind and body.
So, last June 28, 2013, my first climb came to happen - Mt.
Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas is our mountain of choice. At height of 706+ MASL
and an established trail, it is suitable for newbie hikers.
From
bus terminal in Buendia, Pasay, we rode a bus that ply to Lemery and after 2 to
3 hours we alight at Brgy. Cuenca. We took our breakfast before we rode on a
tricycle to the registration area.
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| Facade of Mt. Maculot, in Brgy. Cuenca |
Lots of big mosquitoes encountered along the trail so be ready with your mosquito repellant.
At the early part of the trail, you will notice some markings. Just follow those signs.
After few hours of
hiking, we started to get sweaty and thirsty so we decided to have our first
rest on the hut nearby. From there we notice that we are partly on high ground.
This is the view captured by our camera.
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| Lake on our first stop |
We took our chocolate break here and few drinks to keep us
hydrated. The mosquitoes are still there too, beware!
We continued our trek after being refreshed by our snacks
and drinks. We passed by many huts along the way but we refused to stop because
we need to hurry as the sun was getting hotter. We aimed to be at the campsite
by lunch time. Since that is our first climb and we don't have a guide with us,
we stopped for a few minutes as we saw tall grasses blocking our way. We tried
to figure out if that was the right way. If we don't try, we wouldn't find it
out. Finally, our instincts lead us to the right way. After 2 hours of hike
from jump off, we finally reached the campsite. The taste of success finally
achieved. We are the only persons at site and from here we took our lunch.
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| Campsite |
After our lunch we
decided to continue our trek to what they called Rockies. In Mt. Maculot, Rockies has the great views
compare to the summit. Rockies is just 15mins away from the campsite, but the newbie's'
like us took 20-30mins including photo shoot along the way.
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| To Rockies |
 |
| To the summit |
Again, as we went
thru the path leading to the Rockies, lots of tall grasses blocked our ways,
your arm band is useful to protect you from scratches and cuts. Going down to Rockies
is not that easy for the neophyte like us. Every step, we make sure there is no
mistake as the cliff is down deep when you slip.
 |
| Cogon |
 |
| At the cliff |
 |
| Assault to Rockies |
The
final assault to the Rockies include a little bit rock climbing, You need to
hold on the huge rocks and climb to the top. I think this where the name Rockies
came from. After that, the stunning view on top is waiting for you as your
reward
After savoring the nature on top
and took some photos, we started our descend to avoid ourselves caught walking
in the dark. When we reached the campsite, we met other hikers composed of 3
guys and one gal. They are the group of POG or the Palaboy Outdoor Group. We
exchanged conversations, contacts and then we proceeded with our descend. We
also met hikers along the way down. Pass 3PM we finally reached the jump off when
the heavy rains poured. After the rain, we came back to the Barangay to log out
and get our IDs. Before we rode a bus back to Manila, we treated ourselves with
hot Lomi for P50 per bowl. All in all, this first time hiking mountain
experience was perfect.
After that climb, we were invited
by POG group in their climb in Mt. Tagapo few months after. And last December
we were invited once again in their Akiki-Ambangeg trail in Mt. Pulag, Benguet.
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