What better way to start committing to the promise of making memorable firsts this year by climbing a mountain?
Although technically this isn't my first time as I remember hiking in Leyte some ten years ago- but still.
So the squad (as we call our group in the office) has been planning on hiking since early last year. But just like any set of friends who plan so many activities that never actually push through, 2015 was of course bereft of actual mountain climbing trips.
But what a great way to kickoff the year. Look at us, we finally did it!
Out of influence and sheer curiosity, we chose to climb Mt. Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal. We kept on reading blogs about it so we were mentally prepared for the hike, but the grievous mistake there was not being physically prepared. Out of seven, only one was fit enough to climb the seemingly endless assaults. (We are so glad to have you in the group, Miguel.)
After the usual pre-trip sleepover at Ram's, we left QC at 4:30am. We drove all the way up to Tanay and arrived at 7:30am. If you are bringing a vehicle straight to Daraitan like we did, make sure it's not a small sedan since the rough road could be pretty harsh. If a small vehicle is your only choice, we were informed you can park in front of Mcdonald's in Tanay and take a tricycle to Daraitan.
Upon arrival, you will have to cross a narrow river by boat or raft. There is a tricycle terminal across that could take you to the barangay hall. You'll be asked to pay a registration fee and they have tour guides there who could accompany your group.
We began our ascent at around 7:40am and boy, it wasn't easy. 30 minutes in and we were already panting and complaining. We did not expect more than just muddy slopes. The assault trails were rocky, steep and brutal. You would sometimes need to cling to a tree or a vine to keep yourself from falling off the trail.
We read that Mt. Daraitan is not recommended for beginners, but since we already set our itinerary and planned out everything we had to have a "kaya yan" mindset. Our tour guide said it normally takes 3-4 hours for beginners to climb up. And staying true to our mantra, we did it in about 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Soiled, sweaty, beaten and bruised, we made it 2300 feet up!!!
And since we already made it to the summit, we couldn't help but take buwis buhay shots.
Rume-relationship goals :))
This was the toughest one since I had to balance on nothing but pointed rocks to get here. I don't know how someone with anxiety enjoys death-defying experiences.
Janna having her I'm-on-top-of-the-world moment
We thought it would be an easier trek going down but of course we thought wrong. If the ascent was tiring, the descent was just painful. Since we wanted to go to Tinipak River at the foot of the mountain, we had to take the long trail for 3 hours. Muddy, rocky and steep as aforementioned, accidentally sliding down, tripping or twisting your ankle is not totally far-fetched. Each one of us (except Miguel) had our fair share so we were wobbly and limping when we reached the bottom. My feet were screaming for a foot massage.
But once you see this view, all the pain will be worth it. We literally tried to wash off the pain by dipping our sore feet in the river. Not sure if that was medically a bad idea, but it had to be done. We stayed here for an hour, enjoying the beautiful scenery and the sound of streaming waters. It was so breathtakingly beautiful.
Climbing up (and going down) a mountain was torture but for the love of the great outdoors, I wouldn't mind doing it again.
Thanks to having a photographer/videographer/SDE expert aboard, we were able to document the trip. Credits to my dops, Nica Mangampat for this really awesome video!
Can't wait for more of our #squadventures!
Expenses during the trip:
Boat ride: Php 5/head
Tricycle to (and from) Brgy. Hall: Php 10/head
Tour guide: Php 500/ group (they're planning on putting a cap of 5 persons per tour guide)
Registration fee: Php 20/head
Environmental fee (Tinipak River): Php 10/head
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