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.