Mt. Arayat- first major day climb [traverse]

This marked the fenced military camp just along the North Peak. 

[View larger version here]
After a few photos, we had lunch here and rested a bit. We then proceeded to Haring Bato. 

[View larger version here]

Taking a few photos by Haring Bato with a view of the South Peak and viewing deck

We then proceeded to descend going to South Peak. This 90° boulder was just the start of many tricky portions. We weren't expecting the technicality of the next part of the trail. 

No more photos of the climb up South Peak since it was a series of deadly 85° to almost 90° slopes. 

One last group photo before descending!

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QUICK FACTS
Mt. ARAYAT (MAGALANG-ARAYAT TRAVERSE) 
(source)
Pampanga 
Entry point: Brgy. Ayala, Magalang, Pampanga 
Exit point: Brgy. Juan Bano, Arayat, Pampanga 
LLA: 15.2067N, 120.7441E, 1,030 meters above seal level / 3,379 feet 
Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 5 hours (North Peak) 8 hours (South Peak) 
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 5/9, Trail class 1-4 (10kms)

ITINERARY (source) 0400 Assembly at Victory Liner Cubao EDSA south bound. Take bus passing San Fernando, Pampanga 0500 ETD terminal 0600 Alight at SM Pampanga 0630 Take jeep bound to Magalang 0730 ETA Magalang Jollibee, breakfast, take tricycle to Brgy. Ayala (jump off), register 0830 Commence trek 1200 ETA North Peak (summit), lunch 1300 Resume trek, head to South Peak via ridge 1400 ETA Haring Bato 1500 ETA South Peak 1530 Descent 1730 ETA Bgy. San Juan Baño, Arayat 1830 Take tricycle to bayan, then jeep to SM Pampanga 1900 ETA SM Pampanga, dinner/snacks/post-climb 2200 ETA Manila

EXPENSES
Bus: Cubao to San Fernando, Pampanga - P102
Jeep: San Fernando to Magalang - P35
Tricycle: Magalang to Bgy. Ayala registration desk (jump off) - 70/trip
Tricycle: Bgy. Juan Bano to bayan - P50/trip
Jeep: to SM Pampanga - P25
Bus: San Fernando to Manila - P102
Guide: he charged us P1,100- obviously overpriced for a group of 3!
(Piece of advice for hiring guides- agree to his fee before beginning your trek and haggle!) 

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Ayen, Jed and I were quite impulsive when we decided to head over to Mt. Arayat a few Saturdays ago. I just quickly read the itinerary and list of expenses. Jed didn't even confirm he was joining us until he showed up at the terminal. We knew this was a "major" day climb but we proceeded even if we all felt like we weren't as fit as we always were during our other climbs. 

I had a hard time especially since my ankles were hurting a lot, but we managed to reach the summit on schedule. The trail consisted of a lot of boulders and roots. It resembled most parts of the climb to Tarak. 

This was the most challenging mountain to date. Jed said he found it harder than our scary experience in Tarak, having our tents wrecked and not sleeping a wink since we were at the wall of the eye of the storm during Typhoon Gorio. This isn't the hardest mountain to climb but we were shocked at the "buwis-buhay" part which was, true enough, deadly, on the way to South Peak. We scrambled through 85°-90° slopes and was holding on for dear life just to advance. Ayen would signal me when to go and I would signal Jed just to make sure we weren't eating dust while going up. There were no roped segments and if you slipped, well.. goodbye. We had to make sure that each branch and root was sturdy enough for us to grab on to. We didn't take photos during this part (most of our afternoon) since "we were busy trying not to die" (Jed, LOL). 

Overall, we really appreciated the challenge. We loved it more than the beautiful view since we felt like it was the real deal! The other climbs we've done are chicken sh*t in comparison. Not that any of them were easy- you have to be fit to climb, you don't climb to get fit! This is a great mountain for those with a bit of experience since it takes 8-9 hours (traverse). Hire a guide if it's your first time since the landslides are constantly changing the trails. 

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Mt. Maculot day climb (traverse)

I'm livin on the edge!!! 

Check out Steph lounging on the rockies. Just check out that breathtaking view! 

YOLO 

With some new members of RMC! Clockwise from the back- Marco, Eslav, me, Steph, Miki, Ayen and Jovic. 

Posing with Steph cos they wanted to compare the inappropriate vs. appropriate climbing outfits. We actually just hated her cap. :)) 

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MT. MACULOT 
basic facts from Pinoy Mountaineer

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 /  2-4 hr 
specs: Minor, Difficulty 4/9 (Traverse) Trail class 1-3. 
features: Scenic views of Taal Lake, rock formations, forests 

We finally got to climb another mountain last Saturday and we chose Mt. Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas. There was a tragic bus accident again the night before so we decided to take our own cars and just contribute to the gas/toll money. Usually buses are more convenient since we get really tired after each climb but we figured a 2.5-hour drive from the city to Batangas wasn't too bad.

Decided to start our journey through the grotto which was really a challenge for me. I felt like having an asthma attack throughout the 15 stations of the cross made of concrete stairs but I'm so glad I didn't! I just recovered from 3 days of having a fever, colds and cough so I was being really slow. None of us slept the night before as well. I'm just glad I made it through that without fainting. ALSO, I discovered my trekking shoes shrunk! I felt my right foot was a bit squished when I put them on at home and as I went through the hike I slowly felt my feet giving up on me. I shouldn't have given them to my sister's yaya after my last hike- letting them dry out under the sun shrinks the leather and that waterproof layer in between so you're supposed to go half a size up when getting new trekking shoes. Oops. It was the most painful climb ever so don't do what I did!

The trail wasn't bad at all. There were just too many burs along the way that kept sticking to my cotton leggings, headband and sleeves so I had to take them out every few minutes. There were two roped segments (that proved the rope wasn't too useful) and a lot of sections that required holding on to tree branches and roots just like most climbs. There are a few flat trails which makes it a level four climb, so it wasn't too easy nor too difficult.

The first part took us about 3.5 hours. After lunch and resting for an hour at the camp site, we proceeded to the rockies. The view was AMAZING! Pretty sure you can see just how thrilled we were in the photos. Those moments make the gruelling climbs really worth it! If we had planned to stay overnight I would've stayed on the rockies til sunset. I'm doing another Mt. Maculot trip for sure!

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Photodiary- experiencing a hurricane in Tarak Ridge

My group met up with our guide and his group at around 4AM and boarded the bus to Bataan. 

We arrived at around 9AM and proceeded to have breakfast at the Silogan place after registering at the baranggay hall. 

We were also welcomed into this home where we got to chat with a local after mistakingly thinking that this was where the other group was going to meet us. After waiting for quite a while we started to realize that this wasn't the place that our guide meant. We were behind by an hour so we went through half of the trek on our own, relying on trail signs and marks!

The trail is quite clear at first but along the way there are parts where you have to rely on trail marks. At this point we looked for signs for about 10 minutes, til we found a ribbon on a tree. We took turns in passing our rucksacks since this portion was quite steep and the rocks looked loose. 

After 3.5 hours we caught up to the other group at the Papaya River where we had lunch and washed up. Turns out they thought we went ahead of them, so our guide also proceeded to the camp site earlier to see if we were already there. Oh gosh. 

It was beautiful!!!

The rest of the trip became harder...

We had to take breaks every now and then since Dondi had cramps, plus we also needed to stretch because of the strain our backpacks and water supply caused on our backs. 

yoga break!

This part was sooo fun for me. I love climbing! They don't call me shoulders for nothin. 

We also spotted snakes

I resorted to my biking gloves for this climb since I knew I still needed my fingers when taking photos with the iPhone! I am also obsessed with my new reliable hiking shoes. It's so true that it's easier if you have/wear the right stuff. More grip on your feet = less strain on your legs. Same goes for your rucksack. Only Javy and I had the right bags for this trip, so we were saved from body pains post-climb, even if I had 40L with me and he had 50L on his back. 

More climbing as you go-- look straight and you'll see nothing but the view. 

Faced with loose rocks as you're nearing the peak

Admiring the view after 6 hours of trekking/climbing! 

Well of course I had to pose this way, til Ayen screamed "You're sooooo maarte!" HA! 

So she forced me to do a less-arte pose. 

The guys were in the mood for some brooding shots, too.

Our guide, Dio (in blue), with the rest of the mountaineers who were kind enough to cook for us and guide us downhill after the storm.

The poor tent that we all squeezed into after my tent gave up on Ayen and I, thanks to typhoon Gorio. 

We could feel the winds and it was starting to rain, but since we all thought the storm was headed towards Samar, we didn't worry too much.

We planned to hike towards the summit in the morning....

But at about 9PM Ayen and I could feel that something was terribly wrong. I slept for about an hour til she woke me up, screaming, that our tent couldn't handle the strong winds and the rain anymore. She asked for help and I was scrambling to keep my things- we both didn't have our contact lenses on so it was a huge challenge. I had my headlamp but everything about a foot away was a blurry mess and everything outside of my rucksack was drenched. 

I also tripped on a huge rock my way to the other tent, and this was the time I realised that I needed to get screened for laser eye surgery ASAP. 

The 6 of us slept in a tent made for 4 for about 30 minutes, until all the poles broke and the fly sheet started to let water in. From 10 PM onwards we stayed inside this tent that started to become a pool of water, with the roof right above our faces. We took turns using our arms as poles to support it, but we eventually gave up. Everyone had chills the entire night, except me (thanks to my trusty waterproof running jacket /windbreaker). At about 5AM we decided to form a circle with our backs faced against each other to keep ourselves warm. Our feet were submerged in water the entire night, and all that was saving me from the hypothermic conditions was my wet sleeping bag. I was trying my best to stop the wind from making me shiver. I pitied everyone in the group since nobody could even step outside for a minute since it was too cold (each one came back and gave up after attempting to do so). The fear was SO contagious. I still had hope but the rest kept worrying about not being able to descend Sunday morning. At about 7:30 AM when there was enough light out, JB rushed towards the other camp and asked if we could stay in their tents for a while to change into dry clothes and take a nap. They were so kind, they fed us and welcomed us into their sturdy tents and made sure we had our senses back. We started to feel better an hour after. We got a lot of tips from them, too- apparently one of them handled basic mountaineering seminars. 

Ayen's clothes were all drenched since she didn't pack them in plastic bags, so I lent her my jacket and running shorts. 

After getting "rescued" (LOL) we were all excited to descend and go home!

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This major climb (1,130 meters ASL) was definitely one for the books. It was definitely a wake-up call for all of us- climbing is difficult but rewarding, but you also have to prepare for the worst. It's ironic how we long to get away from the stressful scene in the city, yet we're willing to expend so much energy and time doing so. But it is in these trips that I realize how important exploring the world is to me, and how getting energy off nature is just so incomparable to any other form of recreation. If it weren't for us accidentally getting left behind by the other group, I would've spent more time just staring into everything... it was just too beautiful! Even as we were descending from the peak under the rain and extremely muddy trail, the fog, the cute dragonflies and the water flowing after the storm made me want to stay there... Okay, you guys have to understand that I do have tree-hugging tendencies.. and that my ambition in life is to become a hermit (with a fabulous house), so you'll have to excuse my obsession with the great outdoors! 

For now, Tarak is considered unfinished business since the storm didn't allow us to reach the summit (so close, yet so far! It would've taken us just 20 minutes). I can't wait to head back... We're also planning our next day hike and I'm already daydreaming about it!  

[More info about Tarak Ridge here and here]

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