Mt Asog (Iriga)

Located in Camarines Sur, Mt Asog was named after a Datu chieftain of the Agtas tribe called Asog. Also known as Mt Iriga which has become a prominent landmark of the said city.  It is a stratovolcano of about a kilometer from Lake Buhi which stands at 3,924ft and a base diameter of 10 kilometers.

There are several trails that leads to the different peaks of Mt Asog. We hiked via the Sitio Ilian  trail which is considered as the shortest and the most recommended for dayhikers since we went on a DIY KKB through a public transportation. There is another trail called the Esplana trail which starts from Cabatuan, Buhi and requires around one to two days to reach the summit.

The trail from Sitio Ilian starts by passing through a series of coconut trees, and other fruit bearing trees which is moderately forested with gradual ascent until reaching Mt Asog's base. From there on, the trail becomes densely forested composed of ferns which also include mossy forest at some portions. The trail is mostly straight forward, enveloped with dense cogon grass for a total of 3360ft elevation from the jump-off to the crater summit.

The hike is relatively short which is only 5.6km to reach the summit in comparison to its elevation gain. It only means that the trail is purely cardiac trail with full assault comprised of some portions between 45 and 60 degrees that resembles Pantingan trail except that there are no Limatiks in the area.

Mt. Asog's summit has a 360 degrees unobstructed view comprised of Mt Asog's broken caldera, Mt Isarog, Mt Malinao, Lake Bato, Lake Buhi and Mt Mayon can be seen from afar.

View from the summit

The blogger strikes a pose

One of Mt Asog's summit peak

Master Pogi

Lake Buhi

Commanding view of Iriga City

Mt Asog's crater

Mossy Forest

Ferns throughout the trail

How to Get There:

1. Book a bus ticket bound to Iriga City (Philtranco)

2. Ride a trike towards to Brgy San Nicolas (register)

3. You will then proceed to Sitio Ilian

Mt Pinatubo via Sapang Uwak (Delta V)

Mt. Pinatubo is situated between the provinces of Pampanga, Zambales and Tarlac. It is considered as the beauty that rose from destruction which is one of the most famous destination in Central Luzon.

When Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it became the second largest eruption in the 20th century that causes billions of damages to properties, crops and deaths to countless lives. 

My first visit to Mt Pinatubo's crater lake is via the Skyway and my second visit which I am sharing in this blog is our dayhike to Mt Pinatubo via Sapang Uwak that traverses around Pinatubo's crater rim and also traverses nearby Mt. McDonald.

Based on my Strava recording, Pinatubo via Sapang Uwak or Delta V has a total trail distance of 46.2km, if you ride a "habal-habal" it means you only hike 38.5km.

From the registration center the trail starts with a cemented/rough road with a gradual to moderate ascend until reaching the junction for a total of 1000ft elevation gain. From there on, one will descend a very steep forested pathway composed of loosed sand/ashes for a total of 1100 ft which then leads to a river bank that signifies the start of river crossing in Sapang Uwak.

"Sapang Uwak" is actually part of the Pasig Potrero river, and during the lahar flooding in the early 90's, the Army set a watch point in the river whose company are called Delta V. Traversing Sapang Uwak is quite an adventure itself which also requires river trekking which at some point the current are quite treacherous most especially during heavy rain. There are also some portions that requires bouldering among huge rocks. 

Sapang Uwak

Further river trekking would lead to Apo Mallari falls which signals the end of the river trekking. Apo Mallari Falls is actually 12.5km from the jump off point.

Apo Mallari Falls

From the falls, the trail that then leads to Pinatubo's crater rim is moderate hike that passes through huge rocks which also requires bouldering and technical climbing on two vertical walls (10 and 15ft). When you have reached the crater rim it means you have hiked a total distance of 25km from the jump-off with a total of 3600 ft elevation gain. The Sapang Uwak trail would lead you around the crater rim composed of loose ashes/sand which at some point may collapse and cause landslide. 

It offers unobstructed view of Mt Pinatubo's crater including, the nearby Mt Mcdo and the other unnamed mountains in the nearby terrain.

Mt Pinatubo Crater Rim

With Jem Paz and Kuya guide

We took some pictures and rest for a few minutes then decided to proceed with the hike. It started to rain pretty hard when we descended Mt Pinatubo for a total of 700 ft until we reached a valley. From there on, our guide told us that we need to ascend a vertical wall of around 900ft in order to reach Mt. McDonald's summit. It was raining and the trail/stones were quite slippery and it requires great focus because the ascent requires technical climbing. The summit of Mt McDo marks the 27th km of the trail.

Mt McDo's summit is like a huge plateau which is actually called a helipad. The summit itself is characterized by a 360 degrees picturesque view of nearby Mt. Negron, Mt Pinatubo's summit crater, hills, and unnamed peaks. 

We waited and regrouped in the summit for more than an hour. Furthermore, the guide told us that the Zombie trail during the descend is actually confusing and tiring, thus hiking as a group is greatly encouraged.

Mt McDo

The start of the Zombie trail would enter a grassland composed of overgrown "Talahibs", it has a total of 12km which also passes a forested trail that seems to be endless and at some portion creepy until reaching the junction which marks end of the trail. It is also the start of the established road which means you have hiked a total of 38.5km.

There are options to ride a habal-habal or proceed with the hike, I chose to proceed with the hike together with Michael, Ate Angel, Kuya Jeh, Jordan and Joshua to complete the full 46.2km of Pinatubo via Sapang Uwak.

Mt Isarog Dayhike

It was almost three years since we had our dayhike at Mt. Isarog which is considered as the second highest peak in Bicol region next to Mt Mayon and it stands at 6450ft above sea level.

Mt Isarog is considered as South Luzon’s highest forested peak teeming with flora & fauna, rich biodiversity that includes the endemic species of Mt. Isarog Shrew Mouse, Isarog Striped Shrew Rat, the Isarog Shrew Rat and the Isolated Forest Frog.

Six municipalities and a city namely: Calabanga, Tinambac, Ocampo, Tigaon, Goa, Pili, and Naga City have territorial jurisdiction, thus there are 5 trail which leads to the summit each with different peak around the crater rim.

We took the Panicuason trail which is located in Naga City. The trail starts at DENR station which also has a fork that leads to Malabsay Falls characterized by crystal clear water and large catch basin ideal for swimming (I was the only one in our group to visit Malabsay Falls since I was the first to descend early). From the ranger station until the summit it has a total of 4790ft elevation gain so you can just imagine the trail which is pretty underrated for a 5/9 rating. 

There are several campsites until reaching the summit which is near Camp 6. The trail is composed of densely forested jungle and surrounded by thick mossy forest. Trail class is between 1-4 which involves some technical climbing from moderate to full assault. Somehow, trail is comparable to Napulauan except that Mt Isarog is much denser with higher elevation gain and with the abundance in water source. I was the consistent pacer at the lead group and I was able to reach the summit in less than 5 hours. Unfortunately, there is no clearing when I arrived, I actually had a creepy feeling alone at summit surrounded by fog, nothing with darkness. Then after an hour of waiting my teammates started to arrive individually and fortunately we had a clearing by then. At the summit we have a glimpse Mt Isarog’s crater with some sea of clouds partially covering it. On a clear day, our guide told us that a distant Mt. Mayon with its perfect cone can be seen from the south, Bicol peninsula bounded by a vast waters and of course the province of Camarines Sur. 

We took our lunch, and after an hour decided to descend back to the jump off. It was already 2pm and our guide told us that we might not be able to visit the falls but I descended as fast as I could and I was able to reach Malabsay falls in less than 3hours descent at around 4:45pm just in time before it gets dark.

View from Mt Isarog's summit

The blogger at Camp 4

Mossy forest

Mt Isarog's crater covered with cloud

With Team Laqbai

The crater

Malabsay Falls

**I joined an organized hike by Team Laqbai

Remembering Lanawan Ridge

Lanawan Ridge is part of Mt Puro which is under the Upper Marikina Protected Area. It was named after the Lanawan River that meanders through it's base. 

Lanawan Ridge

We hiked Lanawan ridge three years ago, and it was eventually closed by PENRO Rizal in 2019 to hiking and mountaineering activities for some reason. Just recently, I saw online posts that a road is being built along Lanawan ridge which is quite sad for outdoor enthusiasts, not sure if they have appropriate Environmental Compliance Certificate and approval to do so.

Looking back, I just want to share the magnificent splendor of Lanawan ridge. The jump-off and registration is the same with Montalban trilogy which also passes Wawa dam. The first part of the trail is river trekking along Wawa river until reaching the base of Elmer's peak. The trail leading to Elmer's peak is from mild to moderate ascent with a total elevation gain of 700ft. The summit provides a commanding view of the Montalban Trilogy mountain and the nearby river. 

Elmer's Peak

The blogger with CV Mountaineers

From Elmer's peak, one has to descend the equivalent elevation of 700ft towards Lanawan river. One has to continue river trekking along the bank which also includes rock bouldering until reaching the trail that leads to Mt Puro where Lanawan ridge is part of. The trail is composed of bamboos until reaching an open grassland for a total of 600ft ascent until reaching the ridge. From that point, there is another 300ft ascent to reach the viewing deck of Mt Puro.

The viewing deck of Mt Poro

Lanawan River

I truly enjoyed our hike since it offers the best of both world where one can hike with picturesque viwq and swim in the clear and cold Lanawan River afterwards. With it's close proximity to Metro Manila it was one of the ideal hikes to unwind and commune with nature.

The trail is backtrail with a total distance of 12.6km for a total elevation gain of 3200ft.

***Special Thanks to CV Mountaineers for inviting me in their group hike. Shout out to Kuya Christian Vergara, Kap Ronald Dumapias and Jimmy dela Torre.