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
Summer is fast approaching and before I lay on the beach and bask in the sunlight, I want to start this year with a climb in Mt. 387 which is popularly known as the “Chocolate Hills of the North”. It is ringed by rolling hills and green valleys making it one of the wonderful hiking destinations in the country. I joined the group of Tahak Mountaineer headed by Mar Monge for P750 with my favorite trek buddy, the courageous and adventurous Lhen Pelenio.
The awesome verdant rolling hills of Caraballo mountain range which is dubbed as the Chocolate Hills of the North
We will spend our Christmas in Baguio City and for our fifth time, we decided to skip visiting places we frequented in the past, except at PMA for some nostalgic feel and at Camp John Hay for a coffee moment in the quaint old American bungalow of Starbucks Coffee. Guess where are we heading this time? It’s on Mount Costa! The newest attraction in the foggy land and the first stroll around garden of the North.
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
It was in May 2006 when I took my first memorable airplane ride bound for Albay, my humble hometown. There was a tinge of fear when the plane took off but then excitement ruled the day. When the captain announced the landing I was mesmerized glimpsing the majestic Mayon Volcano and when I stooped down, I saw the mass of mounds that resembled Bohol’s Chocolate Hills. An overwhelming curiosity had taken hold of me. This is a unique natural wonder but why it hasn’t been discovered yet so it will be added to Albay’s roster of famous tourist attractions.
the view from the second summit, the hills and Mayon Volcano
By exploring Anawangin Cove on foot, we appreciated its charm and discovered why it was flocked by a large assembly of campers. But since we are after a relaxed atmosphere, less crowd and more breathtaking views, we chose Nagsasa Cove to spend a camping getaway. This is my first time to camp with my family so I want it to be special and memorable.
the breathtaking view of Nagsasa Cove from the vantage point
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
Aside from Mt. Pulag’s famous sea of clouds, its uniqueness is its different vegetation in different elevations. Not only that, but it is also home to unique species of flora and fauna and is the natural habitat of the endemic dwarf bamboos and edelweiss that feast to the eyes when trekking the 500 hectares grassland. Sounds exciting right?
and so we survived Mt. Pulag!
Masungi Georeserve a geopark in Tanay, Rizal was fast becoming famous since it opened its doors to the public in December 2015. It is a conservation area where it aims to protect the lush forest, the rock formations which are somehow similar to those found in Palawan, the flora, and its natural fauna.
high above the limestone formations… a bit scary but once you get there the feeling was great!
Mt. Gulugod Baboy in Anilao, Mabini, Batangas is frequently recommended for neophyte climbers. It is an easy climb with a picturesque view of Janao Bay, Batangas Bay, Balayan Bay, Tingloy Island, and Sombrero Island. With its minor difficulty of 2/9, this mountain which stands at 525 meters above sea level is one of the favorite destinations of mountaineers.
The pastoral view paid off the trek.