Mount Makiling Traverse (1090 MASL)
Jump-off : Brgy. San Miguel, Sto. Tomas, Batangas
LLA : 14.13°N 121.20°E, 1090 MASL (Peak 2)
Hours to Peak 2 / days required: 1-2 days / 7-8 hours
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 6/9, Trail class 3 with roped segments
(Source : http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2008/01/mt-makilingsto-tomas-trail-1090.html)
at Brgy. San Miguel, Sto. Tomas, Batangas jump-off
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| Bantog Backpackers and Amadeo Mountaineering Club met the INAKAY Mountaineering Group |
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| prayer for our safe trek |
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| Bantog Backpackers with Marlon and Glenna =) |
I am having second thoughts in climbing Mount Makiling Traverse by just reading the itinerary of our Sipit Trail trek. The trek was scheduled on December 29-30. I came from 5 Christmas parties and a Christening for a week, and unfortunately had an asthma attack on a Christmas day. I still did go to work for two days, then travel with my kids on the 27th of December from my workplace to Cavite. I also attended a friend's wedding on the 28th in Balanga, Bataan the next day, and happened to arrive again in Cavite on the 29th of December at around 2am. We were about to meet with the Amadeo Mountaineering Club at 4am. My body was so exhausted. Me and my husband had no proper sleep and we are about to do a major climb and with limatiks (blood-suckers) on my mind makes me wanted to back-out more.
The guides noticed that there are two kids who will be trekking the Sipit Trail. They said that kids won't be able to make it at rope segments of the trail. My husband said that they had already trekked 2 major and 2 minor climbs. The kids will be having a hard time finishing the trail said the guides at the jump-off. I am just so proud that they survived the trail.
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| the start of the very challenging trail at around 8 am |
Mount Makiling, or Mount Maquiling, is a dormant volcano in Laguna Province on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of 1,090 m (3,580 ft) above mean sea level and is the highest feature of the Laguna Volcanic Field. The volcano has no recorded historic eruption but volcanism is still evident through geothermal features like mudspring and hot springs. South of the mountain is the Makiling-Banahaw Geothermal Plant. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHILVOCS) classify the volcano as potentially active.
Mount Makiling is a state-owned forest reserve administered by the University of the Philippines, Los Baños. Prior its transfer to the university, the mountain was the first national park of the Philippines. Mount Makiling National Park was established on February 23, 1933 by Proc. No. 552. However, it was decommissioned as a national park on June 20, 1963 by Republic Act No. 3523 when it was transferred to the University for use in forestry education and information.
Now known as Mount Makiling Forest Reserve, it was declared as ASEAN Heritage Park in 2013.
(Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Makiling)
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| water source and resting place |
Mount Makiling is a popular hiking destination. The two major trails begin at the UPLB College of Forestry and Brgy. San Miguel, Sto. Tomas, Batangas. The UPLB trail is more commonly used, taking 4-5 hours to reach the summit (Peak 2). This trail was closed in October 2007 due to trail damage wrought by Typhoon Xangsane on September 2006. The trail was closed again in December 2012 after two students were found drowned in a restricted area on the mountain. The trail was re-opened most recently in March 2013. The second trail, known as Maktrav, starts in Sto. Tomas. This route is more difficult and requires 6-7 hours to reach the summit. Both trails are generally established and safe, although throughout the years there have been occasional reports of fatal accidents and injuries, especially on the Sto. Tomas side. Climbers also frequently encounter leeches along the way.
arriving at Melkas Ridge
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| at around 11:30am, we were at Station 9 of Sipit Trail |
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| the photo may be blurd, but this picture is so important to parents... hope they'll reach each other's hands forever |
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| I'm starting to feel the blood suckers here... |
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| if Joshua can do this, so can you! |
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| you really have to touch the grounds with this trail |
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| makapit na mga dahon |
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| We finally met you limatik |
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| feeling close naman agad itong si limatik! |
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| change outfit after the limatik encounter...cover your ears!!! hahaha =) |
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| ang friendly ng mga creatures dito sa Makiling... |
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| at Station 15, this is where the limatik encounters begin... |
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| si Joshua paranoid na sa limatik, he always wants to be checked every 2 minutes... |
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| the rope segments also started... |
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| no space for taking pictures, kaya ayan tinaas na lang ang camera just to take pictures... |
the breathtaking view of Mount Makiling
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| Im not sure if this is the "Haring Bato" location... comment po if I'm wrong... |
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| with an almost 90 degrees rapelling... you will encounter this a lot of times... |
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| I don't care how dirty will I get... as long as I will arrive at the summit... |
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| so this is the 6/9 difficulty, I guess I don't want to experience higher than 6... my most difficult climb, yet... |
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| I can't remember what I hide under my shirt... |
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| finally reached Peak 3 (Mount Cornites) |
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| Makiling... Masaya kahit pagod na... |
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| I remember Mount Pulag with the mossy forest of Mount Makiling... plenty of these here =) |
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| an edible plant |
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| lasang bignay daw... I didn't dare to taste it =) |
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It seems like we were walking for mountain's summits for hours... Marlon said that we had already traversed the other mountain. We reached Peak 2 at around 5pm. We were supposed to camp here but with plenty of limatiks... we can't stand a minute at Peak 2. The group decided to descend to look for a better campsite.
We were already trekking for 12 hours, starting at 8am till 8pm. Some of the members of the group are already crying of extreme tiredness. The darkness added to the fatigue. I almost gave up... we wanted to rest but when we stop, limatik attacks are unstoppable... My kids had limatik attacks everytime we rest and wait for other member of the groups. I kept saying to myself that I won't be coming here again. Once is enough, hahaha =). So sorry, the mountain is amazing but the attacks are just so traumatic... It is definitely okay if they will suck my fats and not my blood, hehehe =)... And it is also okay if they will suck in any part of my body, but not on the openings like our eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
The other members of the group had limatik attacks when they slept. Some even entered their mouth. The most traumatic was the attack on the eyeball, she was cursing the limatik, hahaha =)
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| I guess this is another type of blood-suckers |
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| Good Morning Mount Makiling!!! No limatik attacks when we slept, mabuti naman =) |
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| nakahubad ka pa ha... nagpapakagat talaga sya sa limatik =) |
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| cooking our breakfast |
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| our president had slashed trekking pants caused by a teka teka plant (plant with plenty of thorns)... yan na tuloy ang outfit nya... |
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| my super tired shoes |
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| the gurlz...meron din dyang "that's my tomboy!" hahaha =) |
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| we survived the night... nasanay na sa limatik... |
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| kita kitz sa ibang bundok naman ha... |
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| start of descend to Tayabak Station |
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| DAHON!!! |
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| source of water... manamis namis =) |
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| another limatik kingdom... takbo!!! hahaha =) |
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| we were supposed to camp here... pero di na inabot ng sobrang pagod =( |
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| majestic Makiling... |
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| wishing highways are like these, with trees around... so the Philippines will be flood free |
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| stop... for some photo ops... |
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| finally... a kubo sighting... |
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| ray of light |
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| a century old tree |
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| we finally enjoyed trekking... leaving the limatik kingdom |
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| ROOTS!!! |
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| another kubo sighting... malapit na kami sa sibilisasyon, hahaha =) |
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| Php50/head jeep from Tayabak to UPLB highway.... Hayyy salamat po!!! |
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| pero mag side trip muna tayo sa Mudspring... |
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| Bantog Backpackers |
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| the sulfuric smell at Mount Makiling's crater |
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| kuya JP emo lang ? |
The site is one of mud pots found on Mount Makiling's inactive volcano. A mud pot is a type of hotspring that is formed when due to volcanic heat, sulfuric acid breaks down surrounding rocks into clay. The clay mixes with water to foem a mud that is very hot (-80 degrees Celsius), sulfurous, very acidic, ranging consistency and color.
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| Mount Makiling's crater... the Mudspring |
Day 1
0600 Assembly at CF
0700 Arrive at jump-off (Brgy. San Miguel) AKA Kabaong Bridge. Register (P20), then proceed to water source
0800 Start trek
1030 Early lunch
1130 continue trekking
1300 reach forest line
1400 ETA Haring Bato;
1500 ETA Mt. Cornites (Peak 3)
1700 ETA Peak 2 campsite (STATION 30 )
We descend and walk for another 3 hours to look for better campsite
reach the so-called '90 degrees' at Stn. 27. Use the ropes.
2000 Dinner, socials
2200 lights out
Day 2
0700 Heavy breakfast
0900 Start descent
1100 ETA to Tayabak Campsite.Break camp
1130 ETA road to Nursery, proceed to Mudspring as a sidetrip.
1145 Arrive at Mudspring, take pictures.
1215 Back at Nursery, start walk jump-off point, College of Forestry
1300 ETA UPLB (We luckily took a jeepney ride from Tayabak to UPLB)
Can you recommend guide(tour guide) for this hike?
ReplyDeleteHello po, yung mga guides po pa Makiling Traverse nasa jump off po ng Sto. Tomas. Hindi po kami nag guide noon dahil may mga kasama po kaming ibang grupo, ang Inakay, na kabisado po ang trail. Thank you po for reading =)
DeleteHi Rochelle,
DeleteAng gaganda ng mga adventures nyong mag anak, sarap basahin. THank you for sharing.
By the way, regarding guide, ni-re-require ba nila ang guide pag first time mag traverse? Kasi plan namin walang guide pero first time namin. Well stablished ba ang trail, hindi ba prone sa ligaw? TIA. -crimson-
Hi Rochelle,
DeleteAng gaganda ng mga adventures nyong mag anak, sarap basahin. THank you for sharing.
By the way, regarding guide, ni-re-require ba nila ang guide pag first time mag traverse? Kasi plan namin walang guide pero first time namin. Well stablished ba ang trail, hindi ba prone sa ligaw? TIA. -crimson-
Hello po, nasa Sto. Tomas jump off po ang mga guides. Wala po ako nakuha na number nila dahil sumabit lang po kami noon sa Inakay group na palagiang inaakyat ang Makiling po. Maraming Maraming Salamat po sa pagbabasa. God Bless!!!
DeleteCan you recommend guide(tour guide) for this hike?
ReplyDeleteHello po, sorry po hindi po kami nag guide dahil kasama po namin ang Inakay, hehe! Pero nasa jump off lang po mga guides, mukhang negotiable naman po =) Thank you for reading =)
DeleteHello Rochelle,
ReplyDeleteThis is a worth reading article, your insights are impressive regarding travel as always. Often read your blog :) .
Cheers!
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