Fun Climb at Mt Famy

Mt Famy or Mt Romelo in Siniloan Laguna is just two hours ride from Manila and the closest place we have ever been in hiking last 2002. For beginners, this was mostly recommended because it is considered an easy or minor climb.

Famy is different from our other hiking experience since Famy has so many falls and rivers. 

 

The most memorable place to me in Famy is in Batya Batya. The picture of Batya-Batya at the side, which is one of my treasured photos, reminds me of our group strategies in order to have our way through the top of that rock not by swimming, coz most of us are not very good swimmers, but by just holding on to the stones at the side of the river and another is holding on to a fat stick while the stick is being held by Nads and Norman. Our two men are our heroes!

 

Finally at the top of Batya Batya but there's more coz we have to cross another river to go up to Sampaloc Falls. Another river is located at our back in the picture.

Here is a picture from the jump off point. Look at my Montanara red bag... he is my best hiking buddy ever! Also in the picture are four of my keppel officemate and my former pna colleague. It has always been more girls than boys especially if it just a fun or minor climb. 

This is our complete group picture at the top most hill of Mt Famy with extra.. a dog! I remember we labeled the dog as a picture of our guide and protector coz we have been saved from a group of robbers if not for some blessing in disguise. The blessing in disguise? We are supposed to leave Manila at night but one of our group members is late! We hated being late especially when it comes to our itinerary because we will definitely miss out our planned schedules. Because of the late, we missed the last trip and we have to wait the first trip in the morning else hire a private jeepney just for our group. We have several discussions and fiery exchange of comments until we decided to just spend the night in the office waiting. We then took the first trip in the AM and headed to Mt Famy. It is still dawn when we arrived at the jump off point and I felt the pressure around. Some of us are not already happy even before we started the climb. We are worried that our campsite might not be that good since we are late from our itinerary schedule and therefore loose the best camp site. Silence only gives in at the top hill of Mt Famy. We heard that a group of hikers just before our group has been robbed and many things were taken and some of them get hurt. We immediately realized that if not for the “late” drama we will be the group that has been robbed. It was a real blessing in disguise! This realization immediately changed us and our group is back on trail! Fun climb will always be a fun climb!

p.s. next easier than Famy...Majayjay 

Mt Maculot Dayhike

It has been raining these past days and it is just perfect for me to reminisce our only day hike in 2002. The group policy is “no climb” when it’s raining that’s why we always check the weather update days before the climb and on the climb itself. It was not always perfect and we underestimate our day hike that turns into night.      

“You can never conquer the mountain…you can only conquer yourself.” - James Whittaker

It was a beautiful weather in fact there is no sign or report of any low pressure area and we believe that our Day hike in Mt Maculot would be just perfect. Itinerary has been prepared and it is much different from our ordinary climb coz it would be a traverse trek in just one whole day and that’s a real challenge! 

This dayhike was our second climb in Mt Maculot in 2002 and it is when I have conquered my fear of Mt Maculot Rockies and eventually enjoy the spectacular view at that dangerous rockies spot. Our half day itinerary was filled with our ascent using the regular Mt Maculot trail and rockies adventure. We still set up our only tent at the campsite but I remember that due to some time constraint and itinerary schedule, others just prefer to be there watching our things while waiting for us to come back from rockies. We ate our packed lunch together at the campsite and have some sharing on our Rockies experience and again on our Mt Banahaw experience. Other Mt Maculot stories are also on the sides. While we are having our chit chats, I saw a small shell near the tent and I remember having also to found a medium sized shell in Mount Banahaw. We just concluded that if there are shells in Mt Maculot then it has same story as Mt Banahaw where once maybe on thousand years ago, this mountain is also submerge in water. We never run out of stories and enjoyed it but we still have time to catch up and immediately we packed our things to prepare for the descent.  

A few steps from the camp site, we could already see the tall and sharp grasses that covered the trail and Nads told us that it seems that the trail has not been used for a very long time or rather a few hikers only tried to take the Mt Maculot traverse. We had a slight hesitation to continue and what happens to be a joke at first becomes a reality!

I didn’t remember going up from the campsite because of that tall grasses not until we saw that we are on a much higher ground and a steep descent is coming our way. When we reached the peak, the rain already started to pour down without any signs and as expected, we have no raincoat. We are day hikers! We had visualized a perfect day so we didn’t prepare for this kind of weather! I can’t count the number of times it rains then it stops for a while then it rains again.

First few steps down were already a challenge since we have to use a rope because it is almost a vertical descent. Sometimes, we also have to use our half body to get in touch with the ground just to make sure we are safe in passing through that slippery and muddy trail. Our two men started to get injured. One got sprained and many times he slipped thru the trail and the other, our sweeper, had his knee pain. We stopped from time to time because of their injuries and to make sure everyone is in sight and nobody is left behind. I was already praying Psalm 23 coz it’s already been two hours or so of descent and we are getting nowhere. We didn’t expect that it would take this long to go down from Summit campsite. We even encountered a two trail that requires decision on which trail to take. Is it left or right? There is no sign in fact, most visible is the right but we decided based on our Mt Banahaw experience that when in confusion of trail going down, always take the left road. Maricel took the courage to take a look of the left trail and indeed she shouted us that there is a trail.

We are already hearing conversations echoes and we felt that we are almost near the jump off point with just a few more steps. However, we realized that we are still at the top when we saw another mountain across and that’s even after so many hours of descent. We are so frustrated and it is already dusk and we have only one small flashlight and estimated to last for a few hours only. We begin to make inventory to check if we can stay there but it is not safe since it is not a campsite and we just trust that little flashlight and the bright moon could lead us back down and return home safe and sound. What made us hopeful is the Grotto across the mountain. We had a short visit to the Grotto and prayed silently that God will see us through in this difficult and seems to be unending trail. The trail from Grotto going down is exposed and has cemented stairs so we don’t have problem on the trail tracking even though it is already dark. We do not need to worry about the time but our two injured men so we have to stop from time to time.

It was very late at night when we reached the jump off but it was really a great relief! Yes, it was another freedom! We decided to go to Maricel home in Taal instead of going back to Manila so we can have our rest and fix our self. We are tired and hungry and the first thing we do upon arrival in Maricel’s home is to get a good shower and change our wet and dirty clothes and hung it dry. We still manage to share on the day experience with Maricel’s family and told us that we are lucky that we didn’t get lost. Maricel and Nads also shared their creepy experience during our descent.  Maricel really didn’t found the missing trail all by herself but she somehow saw someone who passed by in the middle of the tall grasses that made her realize that there is really a trail. Nads also shared that while being a sweeper he saw a light focusing on our way but he knows that there is no one at his back. Maybe there are mountain spirits but I believe that Angels are spirits too! I just thanked God that although there are injuries, we are still safe and sound! Even if our Day trek turns into night…the night has its moonlight! 

p.s. In my next blogs, I will post some pictures of our “fun climb” in Famy and Majayjay and hope some other climbs too!

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Mount Maculot...Fun and thrilling!

Mount Maculot is located in Brgy Poblacion Cuenca Batangas. We have two or three climbs up there in 2002 simply maybe because the climb as we often call it is always a "fun climb".  Rockies is my favorite spot. The picture tells it so! It was a shot made after we have overcome a cliff and a moving rock. "I AM FREE!!!", a shout I would never forget!  

Mount Maculot climb is our second climbing experience, a month after the first BIG climb at Mt Banahaw. We have now our guide who usually climbs Mt Maculot even on just a day hike. Yes, you can climb Mt Maculot even on a day hike! It was just a two hours trek up the mountain if you will be using the usual trail to the summit. I admit that I am still ill-at-ease at that time coz the fear of what just happened in my first climbing experience still creeps within. But this time, we are prepared!

We have checked our things, I have brought my first ever Montanara red hiking bag. Helen also bought the same bag with gray color. Those first timers, our officemates who had been curious enough to go because of our Mt Banahaw stories, are bringing backpacks. We had a pre-climb meeting and assignments and checklists are also given. I remember almost every essential things that are needed in the climb were mentioned, the tents and how many can it accommodate, the hiking stove, a swiss knife, an extra shirt, sunblock, bottled water at around 2 liters each, canned goods, rice, trail food. It is also my first time to hear about the earth pad and the proper way to put all that in your hiking bag. Purpose: Distributing weight and for comfort and safety. 

It was really a fun climbing experience at Mt Maculot. No stiff rock just slippery trail because of the dry leaves scattered around the trail. We had a great time climbing up especially when I see the reactions and actions of the first timers. What's really fun about our going up is that Janet, who is very consistent in her beauty regimen, wears make up and I think she also brought an umbrella. (",) Well, you know the rest is history! We also had a great time at the summit, stories and many more stories! The view at the top? It is breathtaking! I could really appreciate the beauty it shows! The view of the other mountains, Taal Volcano, the river, the green fields, the birds, the breeze of the wind...and the voices of the people in the summit! Everything is beautiful!

Rockies is one of my Mt Maculot challenge. My first time to go there was not a success because I was overwhelmed by the fear of falling and my feet slipping. All I have to do was to just watch their courage as they go to the most beautiful Rockies spot. After that first fun climb, I regret about it! I failed because I have not tried at all! I then promise myself to at least give it a try and trust that my feet would bring me to the place safely. My second time try, was a success! The picture above was my second try. All along, while I was going on that cliff, while holding my companion's hand, my heart was beating fast and I could almost hear it. After that, all I could do was shouting...I AM FREE!!! I am free because I know I have overcome my fear of heights...I have overcome my fear thoughts...I have overcome my weak myself!

Next...Day Hike at Mt Maculot!

;Des