I, Mark "Maj"

Monday, October 29, 2012

Mt. Banahaw via Turos Kanan trail UPM OD TC2 2012

Mt. Banahaw we have met again it has been a few years since I have been in your realm and now im back trying one of your numerous trails up.

Sept. 1-2, 2012

Mt. Banahaw via Turos Kanan trail

JOP: Brgy. Luquin, Liliw Laguna (400masl)

Elevation: (of Turos Kanan Campsite) 1560masl

Difficulty: On a scale of 9 being the highest most technical, 5/9

Trail: Muddy Farmers trail (w/horse trails), Cogon area assault w/limatik in this area, muddy trail along forest up to the mossy forest area with plenty of teka-teka and fern like plants with long sharp needles in its body

Temperature: The Cogon area is exposed to the sun but as you enter the forest line and into the mossy area coupled with rains then expect a 28oC then to the mossy forest a whopping 22oC then averaging at 26-28oC at the campsite

Trek Time : Ascent: 5hrs 25mins Descent: 4hrs

Actual Itinerary: (credits to scribe Sir R.Z and photos by Sir G.M)

Day 1 Sept. 1

01:25 HM Bus Terminal, Cubao, Q.C.
Some already arrived earlier and were sleeping on the benches.

02:40 Load Up

03:05 Depart Cubao, All soon took much needed sleep.

04:00 Calamba, Laguna

04:55 Arrive at HM Bus Terminal, Pagsanjan, Laguna

05:30 Leave Pagsanjan for Liliw, Laguna, by jeepney
Five peeps had to ride top-load with the packs.

06:00 Arrive at Liliw poblacion
Quick re-supply at Liliw Public Market, met the guides
The town has a sweeping view of the three peaks of the Banahaw-San Cristobal National Park. To the left, the distinctive cone of Mt. Banahaw de Lucban, Mt. Cristobal with its characteristic three peaks to our right, and beckoning majestically before us, Mt. Banahaw

06:35 Depart Liliw poblacion

07:00 Arrive at Jump-off, Brgy. Luquin (400MASL) Registration and Breakfast

07:30 Start Trek. Follow the yellow brick road; Mt. Cristobal, with its sensuous slopes, seemed accompany us as we began our climb.

07:55 Compression stop at a vegetable garden. Good view of Laguna de Bay, with Mt. Sembrano across the lake. A hazy Mt. Makiling at a distance and Mt. Kalisungan at the foreground. Mistook Mt. Kalisungan for Manlipunyo-Manabu Range which was actually at the back of Mt. Cristobal.

08:15 Compression stop at “limatik garden”, hike down to falls

08:40 Rest at falls (820MASL)

08:55 Resume Trek, from here on it was all uphill!

09:05 Take 5

09:30 Take 5 (960MASL)

09:40 Resume climb, through more vegetable gardens.

09:50 Walk through cogonal area (1110MASL)

10:00 Forest Line (1150MASL), the party was over.

10:30 Take 5

11:00 Take 5

11:30 Take 5 (1350MASL)

11:45 Lunch (1375MASL)

12:40 Resume trek

14:15 Arrive at campsite (1560MASL) Set-up tempo shelters and campsite

17:30 Prep Dinner. Braised pork in tomato sauce w/ potatoes, red bell pepper, carrots
and essence of Magic Sarap. Kare-kare from another group and for dessert Sir Ramon’s special halo-halo for dessert

19:00 Socials

22:00 Lights Off *this starts our long 7hrs sleep time J

Day 2 Sept.2

05:00 Wake-Up call. Prep Breakfast, Tapsilog.

08:20       Start Trek
09:10       Take 5 at the lunch site of the previews day
10:45       Out of forest line
11:40       Lunch at falls. Spicy Buffalo Wings marinated in herbs and spices and dipped in Maj’s secret sauce “Mix#2”

13:30       Back to the yellow brick road
13:40       Arrive at end of trail (Jump-off), Brgy. Luquin
14:40       Leave for resort/Papa Dic’s house at Liliw poblacion
15:10       Arrive at resort
15:40       Leave resort
15:55       Park at Liliw Church, buy pasalubongs
16:35       Leave Liliw for Pagsanjan
17:10       Arrive at HM Bus Station, Pagsanjan
17:20       Leave Pagsanjan for Cubao
21:00       Arrived at HM Station Cubao

Piece of advice, never stay at the front when on the top load In the morning, its gonna be a windy cold trip with a bug’s life hitting your face and whole body

Kami ang mga anak ng Baog Brothers, patunay na di baog an gaming mga tatay

Mt. Cristobal as seen at the Cogon area during our ascent

One of the compression stops. TL at the front followed by Group 1 and then Group 2 (my group), this is the cogon assault area after the waterfalls its all uphill, cogon area is also home of the limatik

11:45am seems like 6pm at the lunch area along the trail. Group 2 was now at the head (groupings are usually shuffled to give chance and for everyone to experience what is like on different parts of the group, this also give chance for the TL and GL’s to assess the status of the group and climb

After lunch, we rest!

Mossy forest, with the rains the temperature here reached 22oC and to lessen the cold, you either brave it all the way or use a poncho or shell to stay comfy. But in the end, when we reached the campsite it was already raining cats and dogs and we still have to find a place for our tempo shelter (3 types! Using ground sheets, trek poles and tying strings and yes there is a proper knot to secure the tempo shelter) and a suitable place for the tents.

GL Ram-mon preparing his halo-halo treat to his groupmates, group 2! And yes there was enough for other participants to try the halo-halo @ 1560 meters above sea level

Now everyone is given a chance to kaskas the yelo for our halo-halo. Ngayon alam ko na na may talent me sa pagkaskas kasi onting kaskas lang halos puno na ng yelo. Tuloy sa akin pinapuno yung remaining cups hehe

Alas the finish product! Enjoy!

…and YES WE DID ENJOY IT!!

Day 2. Me preparing my things for another slippery trek down, pack seen is my GF’s Deuter 45+10 SL (gusto ko nito! Hahaha) and yes I opted to use my thermal leggings for the trek instead of wearing again my black leggings because of its freaking wet and cold. Just don’t mind the bulge seen at the lower part of my mid section hahaha. Instead of using water containers, I used two 2L bladders to minimize space after water has been spent.Thanks Love for letting me borrow your pack! Hee-hee

Preparing to break camp, the right side was the tempo shelter slash cooking area of groups 1 and 2

Mt. Bahay Kalo UPM OD TC1 2012

August 25-26, 2012

Mt. Bahay Kalo, Lipa Batangas.
875MASL Level 1 Climb
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Trail: Covered forest, grassland and slippery muddy (if raining).
Trek Time: 3hrs 30mins - 4hrs Summit, 1hr Summit-Saddle Camp.

The Mt. Bahay Kalo climb categorized as a Level 1 climb is stretching it a bit. It can be a Level 1 climb but difficulty can cast a doubt why it is under a Level 1 climb. Blame the weather that made the trail muddy and slippery, the trail leading to the summit is moderately established for this is not the usual mountain on the list and only a few are familiar with the trail nor that it existed.

The trail from the summit to the Saddle camp is the difficult part of the trail and will require your hands and good judgment on footing on where to grip and where to land a foot to properly balance your self and not fall the almost non-existent trail which as been eroded.

As seen here, the summit view is blocked by cogon grass and in some areas trees.

This is Group 1’s group shot at the summit

The Summit can only accommodate 1-2 tents max (much smaller than Mt. Maculot's and Makiling's) and you have to descent to reach the saddle camp and have no choice but to go back to the trail back to the summit then down again to finally reach the jop (jump-of-point), it is also recommended (and required) that a sturdy climbing rope be made available (preferably at least 15meters) for the trail is very slippery and not much to hold on to so to make the hike more secure and fast.

Overall the climb was enjoyable not to mention the slide from the grassland hill to the campsite (likes of Mt. Sembrano).

Seen below is the saddle campsite, from there hikers will then ascent back to the summit the descent back to the jump-off-point or JOP

The campsite even if it will rain is shielded from the mud and water because the whole area is covered with cogon grass and its soft to lie down to (crediting that this is not part of the "main stream" mountains that are known and frequently visited.

Team Bahay Kalo’s Apps Group Shot

Apps with UPM members (TL, GL’s and Team X)

Sir Archie (UPM’s Physical Fitness Officer 2012) giving the usual warm-up stretching exercise, a must before every start trek.

Group 1 preparing dinner at the campsite

The groupings are always shuffled along the trail and when we descent back to the JOP. Now its Group 1’s time to be at the tail end after being the 1^st at the campsite the other day.

This is the JOP

Mountain 1^st Aid 101. Moral of the story, never assume that a knife is safe enough to be used as a can opener, best if you ask others first for a can opener before using the knife as one. He survived the deep cut and was happily stitched up (5 stitches to be exact).

The blood that came from the deep cut…

Mountain at the back is Mt. Bahay Kalo

Photo Credits to Ms. Tobey, OD and Sir Ferdi Muro, UPM

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Kaangrian Waterfalls and Kapurpurawan Rock Formation April 2012

Kaangrian Waterfalls and Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

By Maj Villacorta

Since we have arrived 2days before the scheduled One Degree Mountaineering Group (ODMG) 1^st Mt. Sicapoo Invitational Climb, we have decided to do a side trip first! Jin, Khaye and I planned a Saturday trip to Burgos but since it was already getting late in the afternoon and we don’t know the travel time between Kaangrian and Kapurpurawan and the possibility of not catching the last trip from Pagudpud or Cagayan of buses bound for Laoag City, we delayed it for Sunday and instead ate at the famous local Empanada spot (another blog will be written about this for it deserves its own spot to fame).

Come Sunday, after we ate breakfast we then proceeded to buy Yum Burgers at Jollibee Bacarra Branch (the Official Packed Lunch of all Sicapooers) and then walked to the mini bus terminal bound for Pagudpud. We have only seen pictures and seen a segment in PopTalk about Kaangrian so its pretty much a 1^st time to all even to me.

After passing by Pasuquin we have come across the signage and signaled the conductor that we will alight.

We waited for a trike to come by and take us to Kaangrian, after some haggling of the price and that manong driver will also serve as our guide we then proceed to the rough road leading to the jump-off point, cars will have a problem going in so leave it to the most practical and easiest way to travel in these hidden wonder, the Tricycle or commonly know as the “trike”.

Also include in your travel packs lotsa water for the weather during summer months in the ilocos region can go as high as 34deg in the sun but cooler under the shades.

The trek to the waterfalls is quite a challenge to 1^st timers compared to Kabigan Waterfalls and I would advise footwear that is more sturdier and or for the off-road kind not to mention if you would include kids to this place be sure that they are properly supervised and slips and minor falls may occur.

The trail is established with plenty of branched of trees to hold on. We didn’t take a dip into the clear blue-green waters of the falls and just contented ourselves looking at this majestic natural wonder.

The only downside is that since it’s the summer season, the water flow is quite in moderation but there are still pools in the area that you can swim in, we estimated that some of the pools are more than 5feet in depth, so caution should be applied. There is also a part of the falls that has no water running on it, manong driver said that a big crack on top was the main culprit thus the water instead of cascading down seeps to the big crack but overall its still a good place to have a swim and a picnic.

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

I noticed that the road leading to the tourist area or JOP have been paved clean, widened and was also surprised to see a tourist bus at the JOP, last December a regular sized car would have a difficult time not to mention to fit it going to the tourist area.

A Tourist Center tent is also present at the hi-way manned also by Barangay at Police Officers to give assistance to visitors. The Tourist area is equipped with comfort rooms and 2-3 stores are present that are selling refreshments and some fruits, it can easily accommodate a large bus (as seen by the author) and any types of vehicles.

A barangay official will let you sign a logbook but no fees are (as of now) being collected.

The “Original” rock formation is closed to the public and can only be viewed from a distance, it is because to preserve its natural “white” powdery color, since numerous tourists flock the formation the white color tended to fade due to wear and tear so the local government unit decided to close it so that it can return to its natural state but a “sister” formation can be accessed at the other side of the original one and is almost quite the same. Another barangay official is at guard since one can go to the edge and may fall at the sharp rocks below pummeled by the raging waves than can reach more than 10feet high.

There are many people that time, tourist coming back and forth, even locals can be seen enjoying the view and the “gale” force like winds (bearable that even small kids walk casually along the dried up coral trails).