Barefoot Mt. Maculot pioneer batch (c) Ms. My

In an earlier post, I've made it clear that I'm not a mountain-climbing type of person. Last January, however, I decided to give it another try. What changed you ask? Well,  Mt. Maculot happened, that's why. As simple as that. 

I fell in love as soon as I saw a photo of Mt. Maculot on the internet. It's nothing like I've seen before, really. Located at Cuenca, Batangas, it is one of the few mountains in the Philippines overlooking a lake, or water for that matter. 

With months of inactivity, an all-ascend trail (well, most if not all) is certainly not the first thing you'd like to try, which otherwise happened to me. Bummer. So to divert my attention from  the challenging trail and the pain that's starting to linger in my thighs,  I let my mind wander from time to time. Thus, I give you eight of my realizations (which are applicable both in real life and in this climb)  in Mt. Maculot. For the record, I was supposed to give you guys ten, believe me, I tried to make it ten but I guess eight's all I got. Ha-ha!

En route to the Rockies.

Anywho, let's begin with the obvious. (1) There's no glamorous path to success. Figuratively and literally. There's are no easy paths and shortcuts to anything. One has to work hard, in one way or another. The same applies for this climb.

(2) Strangers are not the strangest people you'll meet on earth. Another thing that I noticed from this experience was that whenever hikers come across each other on the trail, they greet each other regardless if whether or not they're from the same group. I don't know if its customary or those people are just courteous.

(3) No matter how prepared you think you are, life always has its way to surprise you. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. For this climb, I wasn't physically prepared, as I have mentioned earlier, but some of us were. To my surprise though, they too found the trail challenging. 

The next one hit me as soon as we reached the so-called 711 in Maculot. (4) Sometimes the best things in life are the simplest. Don't believe me? Try having pancit canton (instant noodles), halo-halo (shaved ice with milk, fruits and sweet beans), or even a humble buko (coconut) juice after a tiring hike. Trust me, you'll get a taste of heaven. 

(5) Learn when to hold on and when to let go. I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to dozens of tall grasses and yards of vines that I pulled just to keep myself from rolling downhill. Haha. 

Earth, Air and Water

(6) Keep your gaze forward and never look back. Things are behind us for a reason. Focus on what's ahead and not what's behind you. Remember this whenever the past hunts you or when you take your final ascend to the Rockies.  :)

(7) When you're one with nature you'll never be truly alone. Of course, I'm not really alone during the hike but you get the gist. 

Ms. My of Barefoot Travels doing her headstand. 

(8) The hardest paths are the most rewarding. Inhale. Exhale. They are not exaggerating. The view is truly breathtaking! All those ascends are totally worth it. 

We survived the rockies! Well done! (c) Patty Platon

Note:

For this climb my cousins and I joined  Barefoot Travels day hike to Maculot. This, I must say, is the best public group tour I've ever joined. They truly deliver a hassle free trip and their coordinators were sooo accommodating and fun to be with. Are their group tours solo friendly? Yes, actually we had three solo travelers in the group. Would I join their group tours again? Definitely! For more details and destinations, please visit their page.  xxx

This La Union trekking-surfing trip was initially planned as another getaway with le cousins but it later turned out that only Jenny and I were available that day. We were ready to travel on our own until our folks learned about our getaway and started nagging to take them with us. We saw the trip as a mini family reunion , so we agreed. We prepared everything, making sure everything will be comfortable for our folks without compromising the thrill out of the trip. We even oriented them about our itinerary and what to expect. Much to our surprise, as soon as we got to the hostel, they started complaining about everything. I don't remember them to be so grumpy and honestly for a minute, I was pissed. The other guests were already looking at us. Oh well, this was not the best idea after all, wasn't it?

"Bad vibes, be gone." I chanted to myself. After series of explanations, our folks were already convinced and finally,  we were able to proceed with our itinerary. Whew! High five, Jenny! This is nothing but another spice added to our adventure!

Tangadan falls is located at San Gabriel, La Union, around 30 minutes to the jump off point from Urbiztondo, San Juan via jeepney. We inquired by the hostel's front desk and decided to join the other groups. The more the merrier, as they say. 

From the jump off point, it would usually take one to two hours of river trekking to reach the falls but it would still depend on your pacing, of course. We went on a rainy season and it was mostly cloudy during the trek but we're still lucky for not being rained on. There were no ascends but don't underestimate the terrain, it's not exactly a walk in the park either. The irregular and mossy rocks made the trek really challenging. 

Me, Cousin Jenny, and Aunt Emy. (c) Uncle Jojo

We had our lunch by the cliff jumping site.  The others rested for a bit then got themselves ready for the jump. As for me,  I got my camera ready for documentation.  I was hesitant to jump at first. Since I came from a night shift, I was only able to sleep for 2 hours. I worry that my body can't handle the fatigue and won't be able to resurface. However, the thought that it's a 25-foot jump, awakened the adventurous in me. The fear and doubts were all worth it, let me tell you. I would've jumped twice or thrice if only we weren't in a hurry. 

Cousin Jenny taking the leap. Way to go! Unlike her, I don't have a photo of my jump to boast. Hehe

By the time we reached the falls, I'm already shivering. It was a bit windy plus we're soaking wet. 

Tangadan Falls has to be the biggest falls I have seen. The vigorous gushing of the waters from the hill was overwhelming. The current was so strong that we didn't even dare to swim near it. On my next visit, I'll make sure to include this again in my itinerary. ☺

TIP BITS:

1. It's better to trek during the summer season as the water level of the river is lower. The current is weaker making river crossings easier. 

2. Start your trek in the morning. First, to save yourself from the scorching heat. Second, in case you got lost, you'll still be able to return before dawn.

4. If you came to LU mainly to surf, make sure to check the surf forecast first. The waves were too flat when we went there but worry not. There are a lot of activities you can do in LU aside from surfing. ☺

3. If you're looking for a cheap and unique accommodation in LU, I highly recommend The Circle Hostel. Truly living up to their motto, "There are no strangers", the staff and guests treat each other as family. Their rates ranges from 350 to 550 PhP depending on what month you'll visit. 

Nowadays, people my age are slowly engaging in outdoor activities. Can't blame them. Hours in the office are, indeed, more tiring compared to hours spent outdoors. Most people find hiking and trekking, exhilarating. Long treks, challenging terrains and breathtaking views as rewards? C'mon, you can't argue with that! As for me though, I found something else. 

This is not known to many of my friends,  but being born and raised in a  mountainous province, I grew up trekking just for the sake of it. I lost count on how many times we have trekked the mountains of  nearby towns. When we were still in high school, we would trek every friday after class. No guides or trails, just our adventurous selves and our instincts. Now that I think of it, I kind of miss washing the mud off my PE shoes. Haha.

We're truly lucky to have experienced these activities while growing up. Its just rather paradoxical that neither of us engaged in mountain climbing after high school despite the fact that we were exposed in it at an early age. Perhaps it is that which consequently inspired us to try new activities as we grew older, to explore more. 

Since I enjoy challenging terrains and I'm in-love with water-related activities even as a kid, my kind of adventure should at least include both. Hence, my love for river/waterfall trekking, cave exploring/swimming or any of the sort. For me, there's nothing more rewarding than swimming in the deep, icy cold waters after a strenuous trek or cave exploration. It's like getting the best of both worlds. The panorama may not be as breathtaking as that of a summit,  but it's just as fulfilling. Plus, if you're up for thrills, go diving off a waterfall or a cliff. The higher and the deeper the water, the better. (For the record, I'm not a swimmer nor am I familiar with the technicalities of swimming. I'm a self-taught one but I can swim enough not to drown.) Diving is just an awesome way to top it off. I cannot justify this enough but trust me it's worth the fall. :)

                 

How about you? Have you found your happy medium?


(Photo credit: Jenny Siticer)

Way back in highschool, we were asked to identify one historical place in Zambales, visit the site, make a presentation and paper about it as a part of our final requirement in History. This shouldn't be a problem since there are a lot of historical places in the province that are accessible, plus written sources are readily available. However, our group wanted to take it to the next level, so we rooted for Mt. Pinatubo. 

Geographically speaking, Mt. Pinatubo is situated at Botolan, Zambales, which is just about an hour away from our hometown, San Narciso. Going to the actual site from Botolan proper is another story. We were told that the trail was only known to the Aetas and that it would take us days to reach the crater. With that being said, we opted for our Plan B. Not a bad choice actually, we still got a high grade. Hehe

Anyhow, it was not until 2013, when I resided in Clark, Pampaga,  that I learned about the alternative route to Mt. Pinatubo --- via Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. The route is safer and easier that the trek can be done in a day. I told myself I have to go ASAP while I'm still not that busy. I intended to travel DIY style, as always,  but this time it turned out to be more expensive to travel solo, so I searched for the cheapest public tour online. 

Gladly, I found TriPinas!  They were offering the cheapest All-in Pinatubo public tour so I booked immediately. My transaction with them was uber fast and hassle-free, I must say. 

I told my father about my plan and he asked if he can tag along. Though I wasn't that sure if he is still fit to do so, it's not everyday that he would volunteer on trips like that so I agreed without hesitations. Perfect timing as this served as our Father-Daughter Post-Valentines date. I'm not loveless, mind you, but I just wanted to approach this day differently, meaning, to stray away from all the cheesiness, or bitterness, if I may add, that this day usually brings. Ergo, yes to the outdoors! :)

(Grand) Canyon de Pinatubo? Look how happy he is. :)

Ms. Ann herself,  the head/founder of TriPinas, was our tour coordinator that day. Everything was organized and in accordance to the itinerary. Kudos!

Considered as a minor hike, the trail's easy and beginner-friendly. Perfect for those who want to try hiking or trekking for the first time. We used the old way so it took us more or less two hours to reach the crater. The first part of the trail was a lahar (lava) area so almost everything's just dry and hot, hot, hot. For me, the scorching sun had to be the biggest hurdle in this terrain, as there were no trees or huge rocks to seek shade to. Good thing there were some small stream crossings which helped us cool down a bit. As we passed through some lush vegetation, we knew that we're just a few steps away from the crater. 

I wasn't expecting to be this chilly here, so hello for a sunbath! :)

Upon reaching the crater, Ms. Ann gave a quick lecture about the history of Mt. Pinatubo. She also explained why the color of crater lake differ from time to time. Apparently, we were eluded by the blue green algae, the ones responsible for the turquoise color of the lake. The lake was somewhere between dark green to blue green when we were there.  Nonetheless, it's just as rewarding. 

The Majestic Mt. Pinatubo, February 2014.

Adieu, Your Majesty. Hope to see you soon in turquoise. :)

(All photos were taken by yours truly. Self portraits were shot with the use of an improvised tripod.)