ADVENTURE
Laguna
Local
Luzon
Mountain Climbing
Mountaineering
Mt. Romelo
Philippines
Siniloan
Trekking
Mt. Romelo: My Kind of Valentine
3/26/2014 11:18:00 PM
It was on February 14, Valentines Day, that we decided to climb Mt. Romelo. We're not trying to escape the reality of us being single; it's just a mere coincidence. lol.
Budget - P1.000
Round trip Van Transfer - P300/each
Environmental/Entrance Fee - P50/each
Food - P300/each
Accommodation (Kubo) - P60/each
Guide and Horse carriage (P900) - P60/each
(We're 15 in total, so budget wise, we're able to lower down the expenses.)
Mt. Romelo, as mountaineers would say, is the summit to climb for beginners. It is well known for its several waterfalls, 3 of them we're able to experience. It is located in the southwest of Sierra Madre, in the town of Siniloan, Laguna.
Going there, we met up at Raymond Bus Terminal in Legarda. Since we're 15 in total, we decided to hire a van (good for 18 pax) and pay the extra 3 persons. We left Manila at 10PM, and since it's on a Friday, Valentines, payday, traffic, and all, we arrived at the start point of our trekking at 1AM.
What's nice about the waterfalls in Mt Romelo, is that, they're conveniently located close to each other. You can actually finish visiting all of them in half day.
First falls we visited is the Batya-batya Falls. I guess it is named as such since it is a 3-layered falls with catch-basin in each level where you can swim. We're not able to take photos on the 2nd and 3rd levels for the rocks were hard to climb and you don't want to risk your cameras get crushed.
After the cold dip in the waters, we decided to go back to our base camp for lunch and siesta. Thinking that Batya-batya Falls already completed the experience, we were astounded how picturesque and eye-candy Buruwisan Falls is.
Base camp is situated on top of Buruwisan Falls. Looking down from the top is okay but descending the trail and seeing the emerald waters dropped from a 50-meter high, it's a different experience.
YOLO - Buruwisan Falls, did not rain for a month, still, it's seems like a haven for fairies.
It felt like that time flies so soon that we were only able to visit two waterfalls. At night, temperature up there is so cold that even though I wore coat, blanket, socks, and thick shirt all at the same time, still I was chilling.
The next day, we visited Lanzones Falls. The drop of current there is stronger and the water is colder. There was even a group who brought a bottle of brandy with them, had a gulp before dipping into the falls.
Since they are in close proximity, we pass by Buruwisan Falls the second time. We stayed there even longer and just loving the heat of the rising sun.
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Now, the time has come for us to leave. It was an amazing experience, especially for me who's not into trekking and mountain climbing. Going down the slopes took us less than an hour, but some of our colleagues lost their way and did the trekking for almost 2 hours.
Lucky that the trail was dry since it was my first experience but I wish to experience walking and getting stuck in the mud to make it more epic. lol
My advice, please, bring your trash with you. I noticed that there are lots of trash everywhere. I'm afraid that in a few years time, Mt. Romelo will lost its magic and charm.
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If you got questions and suggestions, don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Thanks!
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