Cawag Hexa

With all honesty, Cawag Hexa is one of my favorite day hikes because of its picturesque view under hellish conditions. I can describe it as both physically and mentally challenging most especially when done during the scorching heat. I was able to do a Cawag Hexa day hikes both during summertime (April and May respectively) with only 2 weeks interval. It is composed of 6 mountains located in the Zambales mountain ranges, namely: Balingkilat, BiraBira, Naulaw, Dayungan, Cinco Picos and Redondo for a total of 33.7km with a combined elevation gain of 5800ft for all the hexa mountains and an elevation loss of 6100ft. I have consistently finished both Cawag Hexa 16hours as part of the lead group.

The first part of the hike passes Mt Balingkilat which requires technical climbing skills through rock walls and boulders with almost 90 degrees vertical climb for a total distance of 7.4km. from the jump-off point to the summit and a total altitude gain of 3100ft. It is best to reach Balingkilat before sunrise when the sun is still not scorching hot. Since we started late in our hike at 4:30am, we arrived at around 7:30am when the Sun was starting to show it's toasting prowess. We just took some pictures and refilled from the water source then proceeded with the descent to BiraBira also known as Mt Nagsasa.

From Balingkilat to BiraBira one must descend a total of 1950ft that passes steep ridges and rocky knife-edge trails that somehow resembles a mini G2. It then becomes a rolling terrain until reaching the final 300ft ascend to reach the summit composed mainly of open grassland. In fact, from Balingkilat's summit to BiraBira it took us 2 hours to see the only tree in the midst of nowhere, and we took some time to rest and regroup. And it came to pass that 5 of our teammates opted to back out from the hike, and I do admire their gestures knowing that continuing the hike without preparation could hamper the whole team.

We proceeded with the trek, passing endless grassland with no trees in sight, taking a rest will only exhaust you, so the best way is to keep moving until we reached Naulaw where we saw a giant antenna/tower. We kept moving until we reached Mt Dayungan's base that also serves as a rest area where we had our lunch and power nap.

Ascending Mt Dayungan during mid-day is a great ordeal, aside from the fact that it is an open grassland, it also has an assault of its own, and what made it worst is that it has a false summit. I thought we were near the summit but as it turns out the real summit of Mt Dayungan was still a haft hour ascend. When we reached the summit all we could think of is finding a tree cover or any shade would do, my umbrella was devastated at that time due to the strong gush of wind. So we proceeded with the descent towards Cinco Pinco where some portions resemble that of the descent to BiraBira except that it is shorter but way much steeper and the scorching heat of the sun gives an extra challenge. We reached a portion of Cinco Picos but we did not really explore the whole mountain because not all peaks are open, took some pictures and decided to proceed with the exit to Redondo.

As easy as may seem, Redondo's trail may be the easiest but it is the longest of them all. I was growing a little bit impatient and wanted to run the trail but we have to regroup occasionally since we only have one guide left and 2 of my teammates were badly injured. Redondo's trail can be described as "so near, yet so far" yes you can see the road and the highway but it can be deceiving, in fact the trail seems to be going nowhere through a densely overgrown grassland, it was a good thing that it was already late afternoon so we started to feel the chilling breeze of the night. We were able to finish the trail in 16hours, 15hours if we did not wait for the injured teammates.

As seen from Balingkilat

Balingkilat's ridge line

With Jaime Dequinon and Vincent Cayda

Cinco Picos as seen from Dayungan

Cinco Picos

Silanguin Cove as seen from Cinco Picos

Mt Dayungan with its false summit

Cinco Picos as seen from the traverse to Redondo

Fast approaching Mt Redondo, so near yet so far.

Nagsasa Cove

How to Get There:

1. Ride a bus bound to Iba, Zambales (Victory Liner) and tell the conductor to drop you off in PNP Station of Subic. You also need to prepare a letter of intent before you can start your hike which will be submitted to PNP Subic.

2. Then ride a tricycle going to Sitio Cawag, Mt. Nagsasa's jump-off point.

*I joined an event organized by Jaime Dequinon of Akyat Tanaw Mountaineers

**I recommend Kuya Joel Soria as a local guide for Cawag mountains (Balingkilat, Nagsasa, Cinco Picos).

Mt McDonald (McDo)

Located in Pampanga, Mt McDonald is flanked by the much known Mt Pinatubo on North-Western portion and Mt. Negron on the South. It stands at 4363ft above sea level and is actually part of the Pinatubo via Delta V trail. The name may have been given by American serviceman taken from Donald McDonald a British officer, but I still have to research that since there are no references of its origin. According to the locals, the name already existed before they were born. But one theory exists and according to some local, every time an Aeta guide reaches the mountain's helipad they were given "Mcdo meals" thus they have religiously named it as Mt Mcdo.

The summit itself is characterized by a 360 degrees unobstructed view of nearby Mt. Negron, Mt Pinatubo's summit crater, nearby hills, and unnamed peaks. Once you have reached Mt Mcdo's summit it means that you have trekked a total of 26km starting from the jump-off point that passes several river crossing in the Sapang Uwak, Apo Mallari Falls and Mt Pinatubo's crater summit. 

From Mt. Pinatubo's crater, one has to descend a 700ft valley then afterwards, one has to ascend a 900ft trail consists mainly of vertical walls and do some rock scrambling, which for me is the most challenging part most especially when rain set-in making the rock slippery. There are also several Pitcher plants that I've seen along the vertical climb which at that time was something new to me. After a while I have reached the summit which is characterized by an open grassland known as the helipad which also serves as the campsite for those who goes on an overnight hike. The whole place was covered in clouds with strong gush of winds, I could feel the chill so I rested for a while waiting for the rest of the team to regroup. It was a good thing there was a slight clearing when all my teammates arrived, I can honestly say "sulit pag hihintay sa mga ksama nmin ng 2hours", it was worth the wait to witness the surrounding landscape. We were recharged with the scenic view before  embarking on the last portion of trail, known as the zombie trail some even call it as "umay trail" composed of 18km of plain sight.

Mt Negron as seen from Mt McDo

Pitcher Plant

***Mt McDo is part of the Pinatubo Delta V trail, it is another mountain which has it's own unique beauty

Mt Sicapoo via Rosary Trail (Close)

Seasoned mountaineers would all agree that Mt Sicapoo is considered as one of the toughest climbs in Luzon alongside Mt Halcon which are both rated 9/9 on a scale of difficulty. Situtated in Solsona, Ilocos Norte, Mt Sicapoo is known as the rooftop of Ilocos which stands at 7746ft above sea level and this has always been among my dream climbs. Too bad that I had to back out from this DIY event because my dad was at the ICU at that time and eventually led to his demise. I wrote this blog based on Memz Moradillo's account who was the Team Lead of this climb and a good friend.

Though I am unsure of Mt Sicapoo's name origin, friends told me that it originated from the word "Suko Na Po" because of its difficulty. Through an exploration climb, it was first summited in 2009 by One Degree Mountainers together with Pinoy Mountaineer. Back in the days, hikers can choose to do a day hike, 2d1n and 3d2n which were a common practice but due to numerous incidents the local government has decided to make it a 4d3n itinerary to make it manageable for common hikers since this is considered as one of the toughest climbs in the Philippines. The trek would require to ascend, descend and pass nine separate mountains namely: Mt. Balbalitok, Sauklay, Bubuos, Balbalite, Papako, Matalidong, Sicapoo, Timarid Summit, Simagaysay for a total of 39km and more or less a combined of 8000ft elevation gain.

The start of the trek commences with river trekking along the treacherous Gasgas River which has 20 separate river crossings. Gasgas River is characterized by rock and karst formations along its riverbanks. It is best to finish the river crossing before midday when the rain has not set in to avoid flash floods which sometimes go as high as chest-deep that is quite perilous.  After Gasgas River, it commences the steep ascent towards Saulay campsite that passes a thin ridgeline of Balibatok which connects Saulay for a total of 2800ft elevation gain. Hikers would usually spend their first night here.

The next day would be the trek towards Pakpako campsite which would pass Balbalite and Bubuos that somehow resembles a portion of Cordillera's Mt Ugo consisting of pine forest and cool breeze. The third day would be the trek to Mt Sicapoo passing Mt Matalidong which enters a mossy forest with some limatiks and from there on another hour of the trek for a final 600ft ascent to reach Mt Sicapoo. From Pakpako campsite to Mt Sicapoo it usually takes 4 hours of trekking for a total of 2100ft ascent. Upon reaching the summit, one will be greeted with a huge rock formation that resembles a "Penguin", thus it was always referred to as "The Penguin of the North" that stands tall at 60ft. From the summit, one would usually witness the vast sea of clouds, but on a clear day, mountains from the neighboring province of Apayao can be seen. Since this is a backtrail, the rest of the team headed back to Pakpako campsite to spend the rest of the night with socials and star gazing.

The last and final day would be characterized by a steep descend to Timarid and it's neighboring mountain Mt Simagaysay. Mt Timarid's name originated from Ilocano word which means "sharp", true enough, the trail of this mountain is composed of steep ascend and descends with sharp thin ridges consists of beautiful fine forests. On the other hand, Mt Simagaysay means "comb" in the local language composed of rolling terrains and the last part is composed open terrain that somehow resembles Balingkilat and the last portion is a vast grassland known as "One Degree Plateau", characterized by pastureland at about 900ft above sea level. From there on the trail becomes very manageable until you reach the Solsona Dam which signifies that you have successfully completed the Rosary trail.

The iconic "Penguin" rock of Mt Sicapoo

Memz Moradillo the Team Leader of the hike

With some rock scrambling along Gasgas River

Balbalitok Ridge  to Saulay Camp

Saulay Campsite (Memz with Mojo , Manuel and friends)

The Team Leader & DIY Organizer Memz Moradillo

The descend to Timarid

Rosary trail map

How to Get There:

1. From Manila ride a bus bound to Laoag

2. From Laoag ride a jeep bound to Solsona

2. From Solsona Public Market hire a trike to Poltice Station (registration/jop)

***Special thanks to Memz Moradillo for sharing his pictures and it was based on his personal account that this blog was written.

Mt Pulog

Today I am going to feature the adventures of fellow solo hiker and traveler Reiner Alfante, thus it was based on his pictures and personal testimony that this write-up was made.

Situated in Sorsogon, Mt. Pulog is a peak that is part of Bicol’s Pocdol volcanic mountain range which stands at of 3379 ft above sea level and with a 2300ft elevation gain from Sta. Cruz Brgy hall all the way to the summit. It should not be mistaken with Pulag as some have already do when I asked in Climber, many would annoyingly refer to Pulag. Mt Pulog should not be confused, it is unique in its own way with its crater lake (Lake Danum) and picturesque view of the Pacific Ocean.

The start of the trail passes through forested woodlands composed mostly of Pili, Abaca, Coconut and local "Haggis" trees - somewhat similar to a berry. After 4 km of trekking, one will reach the campsite characterized by open grassland and offers a commanding view of Bacon and the Pacific Ocean that also marks the halfway of the trail.

From there on, one would enter a steep forested trail which is reminiscent of Mt. Cristobal characterized by mossy forest and at some point, there are also friendly limatiks along the way. After 1.5 hours of trekking through the dense jungle, one would reach the cogon trail which signifies the summit or the caldera of Mt. Pulog. On a normal pace, the summit can be reached in 3hours for a total of 7.3km

The main highlight of the summit is the picturesque view of Lake Danum (also called Lake Pulog). Most of the time the crater lake is dried and it only gets filled with water during rainy days. Local legend has circulated among the townsfolk that once the crater overflows, all of Bacon will be razed. The summit also offers a grand view of nearby Rapu Rapu, Paguriran and on a good weather Mt. Bulusan.

Lake Danum (crater lake)

Reiner Alfante on his solo hike

Mossy Forest

Pacific Ocean as seen from the campsite

The initial part of the trail

How to Get There:

1. From Cubao, you can ride a bus going to Sorsogon (Amihan, DLTB Philtranco and ALPS).

2. Once in Sorsogon, you need to ride jeep bound for Bacon (take the one that goes to San Juan) and tell the driver to drop you off in Brgy. Sta Cruz.

3. You can walk or ride a trike towards the Brgy Hall.

Darwin Boten 09197757979 (local guide)

Taal Volcano Island (via Tabaro trail)

Taal Volcano may be small but it is considered as the smallest active volcano in the world. It is located in Taal lake which is the third-largest lake in the Philippines located in Batangas and home to the Vulcan point island. It is described as an island within a lake within an island, within a lake in an island, it may sound confusing but that's how complicated it's order. Contrary to popular belief, some may have thought Mt Binintiang Malaki and Mt Balantoc (the most prominent landmark as viewed from Tagaytay) as Taal volcano which is completely wrong.

We visited Taal volcano via Tabaro trail almost 2 years ago since we prefer to see the crater lake up close. If you to visit Taal volcano via the Tabaro trail, boat ride starts from San Nicolas, Batangas where one can see the Alas-as Bird Sanctuary; home of migratory Egrets and the dry lava field. According to our local tour guide, Mt Tabaro's crater was formed during the 1965 phreatomagmatic eruption. The trail starts from a established pathway that passes numerous rock formations that were formed from lava gully, most were black color that signifies rich in Iron mineral. The trail continues until reaching a sandy part filled with ashes which then leads to Mt. Tabaro, it was a backtrail and so we decided to head towards the crater lake of Taal. In order to reach the crater lake, one has to ascend a 340ft trail composed of sandy and ashes, then descend to 360ft to reach the crater lake.

Throughout history, Taal volcano has 34 recorded explosions since 1572 including the recent (January 12, 2020). According to Philvocs, 1754 and 1911 may have been the most devastating eruption.  According to the book The Mysteries of Taal, 1991 written by Thomas R. Hargrove, "Taal Lake was Salt Water prior to 1754. The huge 1754 eruption that lasted for 6 months from May to December 1754 changed the salinity of the water from salt to fresh water. It sank 5 Batangas towns formerly located along the shores like Tanauan, Taal, Lipa, Bauan and a lost town that was never revived named Sala. Because of that tragic eruption, the map of Batangas was drastically changed so you have to respect and adjust with nature and learn from its violent history."

I would describe the crater lake as so blissful and serene but at the same time, dangerous where it constantly smells sulfur due to its volcanic activity.

Taal Volcano crater lake

Taal Volcanic Island

Mt Tabaro on the background

Photo credit: Joen Panado

Black ashes/sand as a prominent part of the trail

Bird sanctuary for Egrets

Mt Binitiang Malaki  & Mt Balantoc often mistaken for Taal Volcano

***I joined an event organized by John Sarco
** Some excerpts were taken from Marra Zambrano's post (The Mysteries of Taal, 1991 written by Thomas R. Hargrove)

The Historic Island of Corregidor

Located about 48 km. of Manila (inland), the word Corregidor comes from the Spanish word “corregir,” which means to correct. According to some historians, during the Spanish time all ships that enters Manila Bay were required to stop and have their documents checked and corrected, the island was called then called “Isla del Corregidor” (Island of the Correction). Another version claims that the island was used as a penitentiary or correctional institution by the Spanish and came to be called “El Corregidor” or Mile-Long Barracks. Corregidor Island is flanked by several islands (Caballo islands, Carabao Island and El Fraile Island) that formed the harbor defenses of Manila.

Contrary to popular belief, Corregidor is actually a part of Cavite with a size of 5 sq. km. that is shaped like a tadpole and the highest elevation of the island is about 650ft above sea level. Corregidor was fortified with several artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of Manila Bay and the City of Manila from attacks by enemy warships. 

During World War II, Corregidor played an important role during the invasion and liberation of the Philippines from Japanese forces. It was actually the second most heavily bombarded island next to Malta. The ruins left on the island serve as a military memorial to American, Filipino and Japanese soldiers who served and lost their lives on the island. 

There are several point of interest inside Corregidor among which are: Pacific War Memorial, numerous gunneries, Ruins, and the Malinta Tunnel, which served as a supply depot, hospital and MacArthur’s headquarters.

Corregidor tour is indeed a must for every Filipino. It is an effective reminder of the sacrifices of soldiers who fought for our freedom.

How to Get There:
1.) The best and most efficient way of going to Corregidor is thru a group tour.
2.) Go to the Esplanade Seaside Terminal located near MOA, you can book a tour at Sun Cruise, tour also includes a buffet meal..