Mt. Batulao is one of the few mountains that are already famous for climbers way back then. It stands at 811 meters with the difficulty of 4/9. It is a minor climb and will take two to four hours to reach the summit. As you walk on the open trail you will be awed to see the stunning scenery of rolling slopes, natural landscapes, and picturesque views of Batangas.
after seven months of rest due to my surgery, I am back to one of my favorite activities
It is summer, time to beat the summer heat! But instead of going to the beach, Lhen Pelenio, my favorite trek buddy, and yours truly are up for another exciting adventure. We will go spelunking in Lussok Cave, rock climbing in Dupag Rock Formation, and sightseeing in Manacota and Underground Cave. All this is through the organizer Mayee Cavas which Lhen found on Facebook. Again, we are joiners and we will be mingling with another set of friends.
Let’s start our Apayao adventure!
the enchanting entrance of Lussok Cave
One of the favorites and famous hiking destinations near Metro Manila is Mt. Maculot situated at the heart of Cuenca in Batangas. It has three focal destinations: the Grotto (510 MASL), the Rockies (706 MASL), and the Summit (930 MASL). For the venturesome trekkers, they choose the traverse trail which will start at the Rockies to Summit and ends at Grotto (4/9 difficulty). Some choose the Rockies only (3/9 difficulty).
Standing near Buwis-buhay spot of The Rockies
After summiting Mt. Pulag, my very first memorable major climb in 2016, here comes another exciting adventure as 2017 came in. Together with my office mates Janice, Rodett, Cyrhine, Lenie, and Pauline, we will embark on a thrilling and easy climb to Mt. Talamitam which is said to be the younger sister of Mt. Batulao as both have the same terrain. This is located in Nasugbu, Batangas with a height of 615 meters above sea level.
we were followed by a dog on our way to the grassland with Mt. Talamitam looming in the background
At my age (yes, I’m 43!), a certified mom and definitely not a mountaineer, was a bit hesitant to join the Mt. Pinatubo challenge headed by my office mate Phil. But I’ve been waiting for this adventure for quite some time and I’m not getting any younger. With the encouragement of these two sporty girls, Joyce and Janice, I whisked off all the negative thoughts in my mind, took a one-week regular body workout, and braved this exciting getaway with my colleagues.
the beautiful and serene crater of Mt. Pinatubo
Instead of a usual dinner date in a restaurant with romantic ambiance and music for our 18th wedding anniversary, I coerced my hubby to climb Taal Volcano and see the famous Crater Lake. He was hesitant at first but later I smiled in delight when he nodded his approval. Meaning it was yes! And because our kids were grown up and physically fit, we enjoined them to embark on this exciting adventure.
As of 2016, boat rental to Taal Crater Lake is now P2,000.00.
