I was invited by a friend, Aiza, who's into mountain climbing and trekking to join her and Lerry, my "kaladkarin" friend when it comes to traveling, to conquer Mt Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas. At first, I was hesitant because I was not physically and mentally prepared that time and haven't checked online what Mt Maculot has to offer.
Since I have nothing to do on that weekend and it was September where I refrain to travel due to unpredictable weather in the Philippines, I said yes and met up with them at 4am in LRT Buendia. We rode bus going to Lemery as they will pass the town of Cuenca. Be sure to inform the bus driver or conductor to drop you off to Mt Maculot.
Ilonggos represent!!!
It took us almost 2.5 to 3 hours bus ride going to Cuenca, so I strongly suggest that you leave early to start the trek early. There are a lot of stores where you can buy stuff (food and water) so you don't have to hassle yourself all the way from Manila. It's one way also to support the tourism of Cuenca. If you're climbing on a weekend, there are even stalls along the trails where you can buy buko juice (so you don't really have to carry gallons of water with you).
From where the bus dropped us off, we rode a tricycle, paid the entrance/environmental fee, and the guide (see below for the expenses). The guide we hired is a college student and would do it as a part time every weekends to support his studies. I strongly suggest to give extra, especially if you're in a big group, as a way to help these guides in supporting their studies. You don't really have to book in advance; there are a lot of guides and all you have to do is to show up there. Rates are also published in a laminated paper so no need to haggle for the price.
It rained the day before so the climb is a little slippery and there were clouds with a little chance of visibility upon reaching the Rockies Point. What I liked about mountain climbing (trust me, it's not the climb), are the fellow climbers who are very warm and encouraging to each other. It's easy to start a conversation with them as if they're not strangers to you. I even throw a few jokes to people I haven't met and they'll just laugh without taking offense.
We're already 2/3 of the the climb and suddenly, I had cramps in one of my legs and had to stop from time to time to relax and ease the pain. I never had any physical activities for a year and the last time I climbed (which is Mt Romelo) was 2013. It was really a struggle but to quit was never an option for me. I guess it took us 3 hours to reach Rockies Point.
I thought there were only a few climbers at that time but I was wrong. They were there earlier than us. It means, we have to queue and wait for our turn to have our photos taken. This side is facing Taal Volcano though, it's way too far.
The Rockies Point is located on the other side, so you have to descend and climb again for you to reach and the see the view from there. I can say, that the hours of ascending, the cramps, the sweat, and the all the cursing along the trails were all worth it. The view is really amazing up there.
This side is the most photographed where you have to stand in a rock, balance yourself and take the risk of falling (parang love, sobrang ganda pero may chance mahulog. char!). It's where the lady in red, emoting, and trying to capture the moment.
We were lucky that the sky cleared up. It's like you've reached heaven where the clouds willingly open and show us what's hidden from behind. It stayed like that for almost 30 minutes and we took that opportunity to capture each side of the views from the top.
I don't suggest an overnight stay though in Mt Maculot. There's no fresh water like river or falls for you to bathe. A day climb can already suffice the struggles going up there especially for newbies like me. Make sure to make friends, be responsible with your trash, and have fun along the way.
Total expenses:
Bus (LRT Buendia-Cuenca) roundtrip - P300
Tricycle (roundtrip) - P40
Registration/Environmental Fee - P20
Guide Fee - P400/3 (we added extra to our guide) - 140
Shower (P15/timba) - P30
Food and Water - P300
Total - P830
Try to go there as a group to even lower down the cost. If you're not as hungry as me, you can just spend at least P150 for food and water to survive the day hike.
2 comments
Oh my!!!! You're site got a new spanking overhaul!!! cool cool cool!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks, James! Still trying to make it look more cool. Not that techie when it comes to URLs and HTMLs. :)
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