Fifth Minor Climb
10.27.13
Cuenca, Batangas
Major Jumpoff: Mountaineer's Store, Brgy. 7 "Siete", Cuenca
Exit point (traverse): Brgy 5 (to Grotto), Cuenca
LLA: 13°55 N; 121°2 E; 706 MASL (Rockies) / 930 MASL (summit)
Days required / Hours to Rockies / summit : 1 day / 1-2 hr / 2-4 hr
Specs: Minor, Difficulty 3/9 (Rockies); 4/9 (Traverse) Trail class 1-3.
Features: Scenic views of Taal Lake, rock formations, forests
Source: Pinoy Mountaineer
MT. MANABU_M09
Sixth Minor Climb
10.27.13
Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Jump-off point: Sulok, Brgy. Sta Cruz, Sto. Tomas
LLA: 13.9777°, 121.2413°, 760 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 1-2 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-2
Source: Pinoy Mountaineer
Things to bring:
At least 2 LITERS of WATER
Bring your own packed lunch
Trail food
Additional pocket money...for dinner ^^
Extra clothes
Alcohol
Wet Wipes
Tissue
Sunblock
Personal Medicines
Toiletries
Poncho
Headlamp
Itinerary (with Jeep):
400 Meet up Caltex Boni
500 ETD Caltex Boni
800 ETA Cuenca
Register
830 Start Trek
1000 Arrive at campsite, head to Rockies
1010 at Rockies; take pictures
1110 Start Descent
1240 Back at trailhead
ETD Cuenca
Lunch somewhere out there
1415 ETA Brgy. Sta. Cruz (sulok)
Register
1430 Start Trek
1515 Mang Pirying’s Place, coffee break!
1530 Resume Trek
1615 Arrival at Manabu’s Summit
1700 Start Descent
1830 Back to trailhead. Dinner
2000 ETD Lipa
2200 ETA Manila
Safe Estimated Budget: 500php
Inclusions: Transportation and Registration Fees
Breakdown of Our Expenses:
Jeep 5K 417php per pax (12 persons)
Maculot Registration Fee 10php
Manabu Registration Fee 20php
Note: The above itinerary was the basis of our climb and the other data were gathered based from the expenses that we had. I also provided another itinerary if you wish to commute. I gathered all the data from different mountaineering blogs.
Itinerary (Commute)
400 Meet up Jam Liner Buendia
500 Board Lemery – bound bus
800 ETA Cuenca, register. Take tricycle to jump – off.
830 Start Trek
1000 Arrive at campsite, head to Rockies
1010 at Rockies; take pictures
1110 Start Descent
1240 Back at trailhead. Lunch
1330 ETD Cuenca. Take jeep to Lipa
1415 From Fiesta Mall take trike to Brgy. Sta. Cruz (sulok)
1445 Register
1430 Start Trek
1515 Mang Pirying’s Place, coffee break!
1530 Resume Trek
1615 Arrival at Manabu’s Summit
1700 Start Descent
1830 Back to trailhead. Take tricycle to Lipa
1930 Take out dinner
2000 ETD Lipa
2200 ETA Manila
Safe Estimated Budget: 500php
Inclusions: Transportation and Registration Fees
Breakdown of Expenses (Commute):
(*) Based from the other blogs I read.
Bus Buendia to Cuenca 178php
*Tricycle Cuenca to Jump – off 20php x 2
Maculot Registration Fee 10php
*Jeep Cuenca to Lipa 25php
*Tricycle Fiesta Mall to Brgy. Sta. Cruz 60php x 2
Manabu Registration Fee 20php
Bus Lipa to Buendia 124php
Last Trip of Buses (Jam Liner):
Lemery to Buendia 2000
Lemery to Cubao 1930
Lipa to Buendia 2100
Lipa to Cubao 1930
Source: Jam Liner
...
It’s been months since my Tagapo climb. Darn rainy season! I just spent reading blogs about mountains and embraced nostalgia whenever I browse the pictures of my previous climbs to cope up with my desire for hiking. A month ago I re – post this Tarak climb picture in Facebook. In this picture I’m at Papaya River with my awesome friends. Someone called us Kitty Gurls, sounds irritating…really irritating… but cute enough… and funny. Then we planned a day hike in Mt. Maculot. Why Mt. Maculot? Gosh…I’ve been to Ugo, Ate Tessa to Pulag and all of the four of us went to Tarak which are farther than Batangas and almost all of our hiking buddies already hiked Maculots. We felt being left out so we pushed it.
It wasn’t my first time to organize a climbing event but the planning and preparing phase for this one ate a considerable amount of my precious time. Thank God, there’s semester break so I could focus more on this one. Usually, whenever I want to climb I just ask some of my friends to join me, no itineraries, just hike! But this one gave me a real challenge. Even the weather worried me to the point that I want to require my participants to do sun dance… but I’m not that desperate. Haha………I just did it alone ^^…One thing I realized from this organizing experience is to always pay respect to those climbing organizers who are not afraid to take responsibilities and selflessly spend some of their precious time for other climbers….Speaking of climbing organizers…I consulted everything to Kuya Von, he introduced hiking to me and lead most of my climbs, then he suggested a Twin Day Hike…para sulit!....Then our plan became Maculot until Rockies only…..kung kaya pa umakyat ng Manabu…go!...kung hindi na kaya….mag party ka sa jump off ng Manabu o kaya magkulong ka sa jeep ^^ We also decided to be 2 hours earlier than the time frame of our itinerary to enjoy the trail more and to avoid exhausting ourselves.
Hitting Two Glorious Mountains in One God’s Blessed Day
I arrived early at the meeting place that I chose….thank God! It was in Caltex EDSA Corner Boni. Ave. It’s a very convenient place for the meet up because there’s newly renovated 7/11 where you can have breakfast before boarding and the majority of us are near to that place….majority rules! I’m so happy that everyone came on time. We boarded at past 3 and had a joyride.
When we arrived at the jump off, we paid 10php each for the registration fee. Don’t forget to bring your I. D. because they will be asking for at least one for your group. Since we have jeep, we just brought important and necessary things with us and leave others. I put them in my extra bag which is lighter than the bag that I usually bring.
THE ROAD SIGN
We started dim-trekking at around 6…DST…I usually forget to gather data whenever I started trekking….I badly need to practice on this one. Anyway, before going to the Rocky Rd. we prayed for our safety and good weather. I was the lead, I pull them and Kuya Von was the sweeper.
I love Maculot’s trail. It was established. It was easy for me, I even done trail run at first but suddenly before reaching the first rest station I started to feel dizziness. I’m so worried that I’m nearly to faint. I felt like swinging and nearly miss a step. During that time I had no idea what’s happening to me.
EAT BREAKFAST_ SLOW PHASE AT FIRST…pasaway!
When we reached the first rest station I planned to lie down on the table but they prevented me from doing that. During that time I was thinking of going back, but I couldn’t surrender like that. I’m so thankful they cheered me up. Indeed, laughter is the best medicine. I ate breakfast and rested. After a couple of minutes I dramatically regain my strength. Unfortunately, dizziness and nearly to faint feeling was passed to TM Ninya, however, she managed to recover as well. Thank God we started trekking early, we don’t have to rush…petiks lang…. We just encountered one group of hikers along the trail near the campsite. The rest stations in Maculots are over flowing that I can’t helped to laugh whenever I see one.
I’m back
To the Rockies
Sneak Peek of Taal Lake
TO THE ROCKIES
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Thank You, God, for the wonderful reward of mountaineering. Please bless us more mountains to climb. Please guide us along our way and keep us all safe from the danger of mountaineering. Amen.
The outstanding view of Rockies and Taal Lake
MACULOT’s SUMMIT
I’m on my spot to take pictures ^.~
EPIC VIEW....EPIC GALS
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Ate Leny
Ate Tine
Ate Jacky
Ate Cath
Ate Tessa's Cousin
Jak
TM Ninya
Ate Karen
Ate Madz
Ate Tessa
The view from the Rockies and the Rockies itself craters the uniqueness of Mt. Maculot. It was again depicted how artistic our God is.
Kuya Von
Kitty Gurls
MORE AWESOMENESS..COMING UP ^.~
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Make sure that your camera is always ready and you should also provide extra power because at the Rockies…..you will be surrounded with awesome sights.
DILA NG MACULOT
Left to Right (Standing): Ate Madz, TM Ninya, Ate Jacky, Ate Cath (at the back), Ate Karen, Ate Leny, Jak, Ate Tessa’s couz, and Kuya Von Left to Right (Sitting): Ate Tessa and Ate Tine
We’re so thankful that we’re blessed with good weather. The Rockies is an open area so you really need sunblock, especially summer season.
Very Sweet Dog…Jack~
Maculots down Manabu to go!!!
During lunch time, some of us ate packed lunch, and some of us, including me..haha…ate in an eatery. I impose them to bring packed lunch but I didn't….well that’s my rule… for them…not for myself….hehe…kidding!!!!..After eating lunch, we took a nap along the way to the jump off of Manabu and another nap before trekking. We need lots of energy to hike another mountain. We conditioned ourselves physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
When we arrived at Manabu’s jump off we weren't able to pay for the registration fee due to that the barangay people were campaigning for the election tomorrow….we saved 20php. At the jump off we saw many groups of hikers who just finished trekking. They’re shoes were all muddy due to it rained yesterday. One of the hikers suggested us to trek the trail to Grotto because it’s less muddy.
STATION THREE
OUR WAY…STATIONS 1 2 3 4 8 7 6
1 From Tangke ng Tubig
2 Dampa
3 Creek
4 Jackfruit tree
8 To grotto
7 Grotto to Forest
6 Malaking Krus
The trail from stations 1 – 7 is easy. You will also encounter rest stations that could accommodate large group of hikers. From Grotto you will encounter forested trail….mostly assault.
VIEW FROM THE SUMMIT
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Maculots ^^
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We descended at the same trail to avoid muddy trails in stations 6 to 5 to 4. I pulled them until Grotto. Descending at the same trail where we ascended ate a lot of our time causing us to have a night trek. I wasn’t able to lead the pack due to I lend my headlamp to the one of them. I experienced blind trekking from Station 8 to the jump off. It’s a good experience for me though. I just ask one of them to light my path if I’m not sure about the steps that I’m going to make.
After Station 3 we had a new adventure….we got lost! From this station, especially station 2, there are several forks that made us all confused. We just confirmed to ourselves that we were lost when we encountered a very muddy trail along the way that we didn’t encountered when we started trekking. The good thing is we’re all exhausted so we don’t have energy to panic. We just walk the path wherever Kuya Von will lead us. Also, I’m confident that we will find our way back…God is good….He just gave us a challenge…^^…..In the end I’ve just realized that God just gave us a short cut if I will consider the length of the trail we took….but it turns out to be a long cut because we always hesitated to take it….We took the less traveled by…Awesomeness~~
Next time…just follow the barb wire!!! Haha!!
At the jump off, we just cleaned our shoes….It’s so muddy that I could make a slope on it or even baby hills. ^^
After fixing ourselves we had dinner somewhere down the road. I wasn’t able to take the name of the restaurant due to that I’m in the zombie mode. The restaurant serves noodles mostly. We had Pansit Miki for 360php (good for 15 persons)…not bad~~….We just bought 30 pieces pandesal for 30php…and softdrinks....We just pay 40php each for dinner ^.~..and were good.
My Maculot – Manabu climb is worth waiting for. This time two mountains didn’t fail me. It was an awesome experience. Simply going out in your comfort zone depicts the true meaning of happiness. We just need to have the guts to put one step forward…..take responsibilities…know your limitations…appreciate everything around you…get your shoes muddy….and thank God.
Photo Credits: me...., Ninya Victorio, Leny Monforte and Kristine Forlaje
FIN!!!
I will definitely go back to these two wonderful mountain!
'Till next climb!!!
OLI
Loving it! :))
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