Thursday, August 20, 2015

Hiking Adventures #6: Mt. Batulao - A Day Trip with 12 Peaks

I've seen a lot of my friends (who were not really into hiking) were already conquered Mt. Batulao. I already scaled Mt. Pulag and other dayhikable mountains like Mt. Maculot, but I haven't tried Mt. Batulao yet. But finally, my hiking buddies decided to have a day trip in one of the famous mountains in Luzon. 


Mt. Batulao
Mt. Batulao

It was around 4am when we departed from Manila heading to Nasugbu, Batangas. The ride took at least 3 hours and no traffic along since it was early morning. Few kilometers left away, I couldn't stop myself finding a view of the mountain, it was really stunning from afar. The weather was really cool when we arrived at the jump-off. Cool winds are blowing my skin and the sun is not yet rising, and made me feel the season of Christmas.



Mt. Batulao from afar
Mt. Batulao from afar

We started to hike 15 minutes after we arrived. I was surprised that the jump-off is far from the foot of the mountain, and so we have to take a gradual long trek before the sets of assaults on the peaks. We decided to start in the New Trail then descent in the old one. When we reached the 4th peak, we have to stop for a while to take photos because of this stunning view as seen on the photos below. 



The Blogger with Mt. Batulao at the back
The Blogger with Mt. Batulao at the back


Ish Cruz
Ish Cruz
First time to join us, Ms. Jessamine Tamayo
Couples Franklin and Sharah

The Pretty Hiker, Cindy Ferrer
Cindy Ferrer
Maria Cherry Mirambil
Maria Cherry Mirambil


Group Shot

On our first stop, we had our brunch quickly before we continue. We've payed 20 pesos/person registration free for the New Trail only. Along the trail, there are vendors of Mountain Dew and Buko Juice, so we stopped to refresh. For me, Mountain Dew brings so much refreshing feeling. 


Down there are Aldrin, Edmund and Ian
Aldrin Valentona
Aldrin Valentona chilling at a Cliff
Edmund Milanes standing fearless on a Cliff
Edmund Milanes standing fearlessly on a Cliff
1 step Kiss-the-Wall
A Group Shot in one of the Peaks

Few meters away, I've seen a rope and I thank God it was there because the trail was very steep and slippery. After we successfully passed the hard part, we've finally reached the summit. I immediately ate my burger with another Mountain Dew, and it was really a great relief. The view from the summit was really awesome as weather was in good condition. We can see the nearby mountains and the peaks we've passed. And of course we have to take some photos before we leave. 


A View from the Summit
A View from the Summit
Marc Ian Salavante at the Summit
Marc Ian Salavante at the Summit
Ish Cruz smiles at the Peak

There's a part of the old trail that we have to rappel because it was steep. And that was my first time to do rappelling. Great!

Rappelling at the Old trail of Mt. Batulao
Rappelling at the Old trail of Mt. Batulao
I laugh every time I saw this photo. HAHA
Descent At the Old Trail
 Descent At the Old Trail

We've payed another 20 pesos for the Old trail. I really thought we we're already near as we are paying again, but I was wrong. I drank another Mountain Dew again for the third time (Mountain Dew is really refreshing, believe me). 

I won new friends for this hiking adventure, namely, Jessamine Tamayo, the cousin of Cindy and the couples Franklin and Sharah, which are friends with Cindy. I also invited my colleague, Joene Floresca with his girlfriend Cherry Mirambil to hike with us and celebrate their anniversary, and I'm really glad that they accepted my invitation. I hope we can hike together again soon, buddies. 

Before we went back to Manila, we dined in a Bulalo Eatery inside Mahogany Market in Tagaytay. 


At Bulalo Eatery in Tagaytay
At Bulalo Eatery in Tagaytay


Maybe I will have a yearly hike in Mt. Batulao and I will bring some of my friends, relatives, former classmates and colleagues. Since it was easy to go through, Mt. Batulao would be good for beginners or for those who just want to have an adventure. But Mt. Batulao is not easy, though the beauty of the mountain, the views along the trail and at the summit would really worth your weary.

MT. BATULAO (811+)
Difficulty: 4/9

Nasugbu, Batangas
November 29, 2015

Photos by: 
Aldrin Valentona

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