MT. TAGAPO_M04
Third Minor Climb
04.15.12
Talim Island, Laguna de Bay
Major jump-off: Brgy. Janosa (Talim Island) Binangonan, Rizal
LLA 14.32° N 121.23° E, 438 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2
Inspired by people who climb Tagapo alone. I got the courage to think of having a solo climb but I'm not brave enough to do that hardcore thing. My personal guide and my climbing buddies to my previous climbs can't accompany me this time due to having a 2-day practice climb in Batulao traverse-reverse for their Pulag Akiki - Ambangeg climb. I can't join any of their activities due to my hectic schedule. But I won't allow myself not to climb this April, so I invited my cousin to accompany me to my Tagapo exploration since my sister doesn't want to climb anymore...Nabigla kasi sa Tarak...LOL... My cousin is a first time hiker and Tagapo would be her first minor climb...first mountain with 2/9 difficulty according to Pinoy Mountaineer. Also, I wanted my family and relatives to try hiking as well, so that they would appreciate mountains and nature too.
Our guide is Sir Archie Anain, but I call him...Kuya...I had to scan all the comments in Tagapo page of Pinoy Mountaineer to get his latest mobile number. Fortunately, we are able to contact him and we're good. His contact number as of April 2012 is 09216530089.
APRIL 15, 2012
We woke up late but we still manage to cook and have our breakfast. We leave EDSA Central at 7am. Following Kuya Von's instructions, we took Binangonan Floodway jeep to Pritil. The fare as of April 2012 is 40php. During the whole trip I was dizzy and I don't why. Good thing, since we're only three passengers left, the jeep driver transferred us to a tricycle when we're in Binangonan already due to traffic there. I loved the tricycle road trip! It allowed me to inhale more fresh air, so my dizziness was gone.
At 8:30am we arrived at Binangonan Fish Port. It can be easily recognize. If you're already in a narrow road, and you can see boats and the lake to your right, you are definitely in Binangonan Fish Port. Binangonan Municipal Hospital to your left is its landmark. When we get there, without asking where us to go, a fisherman lead us the boat to Janosa. Maybe, he noticed that we are new to the place and we looks like hikers so he assumed that we are going to Janosa, and he is right. My cousin and I were surprised when we saw the boat, it's quite huge. We were used to a boat ride when we were kids because she reside in Sta. Ana before and it is the first means of transportation in BASECO if you don't want to have a very long walk before the place had been developed. So I really miss riding a boat. When we get into the boat, we don't know where to sit...LOL...nangangapa kami mag pinsan...then an Ale there advised us to sit near the life jackets. I was puzzled why some of the locals are lying and some are already sleeping. Does the boat ride to Janosa will take a long time? I think so. The boat ride cost 30php per head so it is budget friendly.
After 1 hour and 35 minutes of waiting, at 10:35 we were all aboard.
Off to Janosa!
The sun was up already and it's really hot.
Here is the scene inside the boat.
The boat have almost 50 passengers including the two of us. There are also baggages like water containers, sacks of rice, groceries, etc. Most of the passengers were locals. Only the two of us are the newbies. Some are chatting, eating, playing with their children, sound tripping, but most of them are sleeping. My cousin and I were just enjoying the view and taking pictures. I've noticed that they were looking at us. Maybe they were laughing inside...but I don't care...I even took a picture of them. Hehe!
I'm so excited for my Tagapo climb. I'm so excited to explore not only Tagapo but also Laguna de Bay and everything that surrounds Talim Island and the people of Talim as well.
So these are some of the photos that I've taken in 1 hour and 30 minutes boat ride, sailing...
LAGUNA de BAY
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The first glimpse to the Island of Talim.
Tagapo is really distinguishable even from afar.
Its uniqueness really stands out. |
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Whenever we were about to approach other boats, our boat slows down due to waves that made me nervous not because I'm afraid that the boat might sink or what but I'm afraid that the sacks of rice loaded in front of the boat might get wet. Food supplies were bought every week from the city. They make sure that their supplies will last for the whole week, and another grocery shopping for the next week. Simple way of living, but for me it's quite hard.
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The first stop is Kasile at 10:45am.
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Fishing is the most common way of living here at Talim Island so boats and fish ponds are just everywhere. Fishing business needs a large capital. Millions were spent for the construction of fishponds in Laguna de Bay so some of the locals who can't afford to put up their own fishing business just fished for businessmen or even foreign investors.
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| The second stop is Buhangin at 11:05am. |
After the second barangay, I ask the woman beside me if how many barangays do we have to stop and unload passengers before we reach Janosa. Then she told me that the next barangay is actually Janosa...LOL...Then she ask me if we are going to climb Tagapo and then I said yes. She told me that there are two stop overs in Janosa and we should be off to boat at the second stop over where there is the barangay hall for registration. I also ask her if the boat ride to Janosa really took more than an hour. Then she said yes. She also said that we're lucky because we just stopped at two barangays only before Janosa. She also ask me if who will guide us to Tagapo, and I said I already contacted someone there. I told her that it was Kuya Archie, then she told me that she knew him. It is not possible that people in Janosa or even in other barangays happened to knew each other because Talim Island is one of the humble places to leave in the Philippines where people might always see each other and the barangays are small so maybe it was just composed of close relatives.
At 11:25 am we arrived at Janosa. When we arrived there we welcomed by the locals who were playing basketball. They're having their league so they welcomed us through the use of microphone. LOL. From the boat you can easily know where to go because the chapel there is very visible. The barangay hall is located at the north - east of the chapel. Some of the locals ask, aakyat ho kayo? Then I said, opo. Tapos na Semana Santa ah, they replied. Then I just answered them with a friendly smile. I was puzzled when they said that. I know hikers will climb any mountain whatever the season is so meaning the locals there only climb Tagapo during Semana Santa as their penitensya. They do mountain climbing as penitensya not as a close encounter with nature. They don't see the other side of climbing as means of relaxation by enjoying the feeling of self fulfilment when you reach the summit and see how artistic God is.
The registration fee is 20php with bath inclusion. The barangay officer there is really accommodating. He also ask us if we have our guide already and I said it's Kuya Archie. He also know Kuya Archie so there's no problem. We were able to meet also the barangay chairman of Janosa. They are very friendly and humble. We were so blessed to meet the friendly and humble people of Janosa.
He is Kuya Archie Anain, our guide to the summit of Tagapo.
We started trekking at 11:55am.
We are the only hikers for that bloody hot afternoon.
Tagapo Trail
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In Tagapo you can mostly see bamboos. The locals there planted bamboos in replace of some trees because it's easy to grow and it is also the primary material to make furniture, fish ponds, boats, etc. The trail of Tagapo are mostly rocky assaults that became a river during rainy season.
The huge Mango Tree and a monkey.
LOL
More beauty of Tagapo
coming up!
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Though it is syntactically wrong...semantically speaking...I still like the message...but why it was inscribed in the stone. I appreciate the concern and the effort spent of the person who did this but it's clear vandalism. Why not use pluck cards?
Meanwhile near the summit.
We turned speechless not because we see the green green grass of Tagapo's summit
...but what we
...is this....
...see it for your self...
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This is Tagapo. It was burned. I don't know if it was burned accidentally or naturally. There are lots of factors how it was burned. I mentioned that during Semana Santa season the locals climb up as their penitensya. It is really obvious due to candy wrappers that we saw along the trail, maybe they leave a bottle in the mountain that cause fire and burn the tall grass of Tagapo. Or it was intentionally burned so that it would not be inhabited by snakes. The positive side of it is less danger for the hikers and another grass to grow even taller. I'm on the positive side so maybe it is just not my luck to see Tagapo like what I saw in the pictures I browse everyday before we climb up this mountain. I'm still happy that I saw Tagapo and its very visible trail. Now I have more reasons to climb Tagapo again.
We reached the campsite at 1:45pm. It is really hot. How many times will I say it's hot? LOL. At the campsite we ate our late lunch then we rested. We enjoyed the duyan there. During that time, there are parts of the campsite that were burning. Ashes fall down everywhere. I'm so sad to see such thing and I'm too disappointed to myself because I can't do anything but to watch it burn.
3:00pm
Off to summit
3:15pm
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360-degree view at Tagapo's summit
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TADAH!!!
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We started descent at 3:35pm. It's very hot and I don't want to have sunburns again. My Batulao sunburns still do not match my original skin tone so I don't want to take a risk again.
Off to Kuya Archie's trail.
I forgot to take a shot on the sign that will leads you to Kuya Archie's trail. Sorry, my bad.
At first, the trail wasn't visible but as we go on and reach jack fruit trees the trail is visible.
After jack fruit trees are the banana trees.
Sibakan ng kahoy
4:15pm
Kubo ni Lolo
...nasa gilid..hindi ko naisama...sorry...
This cute~ kitten was inside a cage so that it could not murder the chicks.
Good kitty~ kitty~
So sweet kitty~ kitty~
Kuya Archie let us rest here for awhile. Lolo and his apo are very hospitable. They even offer us a very delectable latundan. I enjoyed our stay here because Lolo has lots of pets.
4:25pm
Off to Balon
4:30pm
.The Ring.
I was so amazed in the location of the deep well we passed by along Kuya Archie's trail. The water is cool but I think it is not advisable to drink. It was covered with a fisherman's net so that it would not get dirty or filled with falling leaves. Kuya Archie said that it was also covered due to monkeys that play the water in the deep well.
4:40pm off to Janosa
At 5:20pm we arrived back to Janosa.
We cleaned up then Kuya Archie said that we have to go to other the barangay to take the boat back to Binangonan Fish Port because no boat were waiting for passengers in Janosa. At 5:45pm we took a tricycle to Buhangin. We paid 10php per pax.
6:00pm
The view of sunset in Buhangin.
When we arrived at Buhangin we spent almost an hour waiting for other passengers. I think it is better not to seat behind the bangkero's seat because the horn is located there. The noise could hurt your ears. My camera's batteries were drained so I wasn't able to take lots of picture of the sunset. Bad trip!!! But it's okay because I have my own pictures not only of it but all my memories of Tagapo in my mind that couldn't be deleted and was just restored. Tagapo is really worth climbing for. I can say that this day hike or should I say a half day hike was full package. I was able to do many things in just a little time. Together with my loquacious cousin, my climb went extraordinary and fun. We were able to reminisce our childhood days while riding a boat, sightseeing the sea-like Laguna de Bay. We also met the hospitable locals of Talim Island. We were also able to witness the simple life they have in an island near the metro. We were able to explore both the traditional and the new trail of Tagapo. I can say that the traditional trail of Tagapo is harder than the new trail (Kuya Archie's Trail). The traditional trail is more on assault so it is quite tiring while the new trail (Kuya Archie's Trail) is more on comfortable trail because it's less rocky and mostly patag. We were also able to see the unique balon there and many more. We arrive at Binagonan Fish Port at 8:30pm. Kuya Archie ask one of the passengers there to guide us where to take JRC jeep. Indeed, the people of Talim are very helpful so getting back to Manila is just a piece of cake. We arrived at home exactly 9:45pm safe and excited to plan for the next climb. Too much stories to tell, too many memories of half day in Tagapo. Wonderful climb, indeed!
Thanks to my new climbing buddy..my cousin..JAC......nice naman.....Ma'am ka na...hehe!~
FIN!!!
I will definitely go back to Tagapo to see its green summit.
'Till next climb!!!
The next mountain would be...
