Mt. Balagbag - Mt. Maranat

Our meetup place for this hike is the Jollibee in along EDSA in Kamuning. After all the members of our group that will be coming from Manila have been assembled at around 10am, we were on our way to Tungko by taking a Fairview-Tungko ordinary bus with the fare costing of P35. We alighted at Jollibee Tungko to wait for the other members coming from fairview area and so we procedeed to have an early lunch at Jollibee. After buying our supplies at the market just behind Jollibee, we were on our way to the jeepney station with the jeeps on route to Licao-licao at around 1pm.

Photo ops at the jeep to licao licao terminal while waiting for the next jeepney to leave

Eventhough it was a weekend, we waited quite a long time for the jeepney to leave because it has to be filled with passengers first and when the jeep left the station, the time was already around 2pm. The fare rate for the jeepney ride was P26 and the trip would take around 20 to 30 minutes.

Chilling at a hammock in one of the Sari-sari stores at the jumpoff in Licao-Licao

Halo-halo at the sari-sari store for P20

The front of the sari-sari store

A huge beetle type insect which came flying around us while we were resting at the store >.<

We arrived at Licao-licao around 2:30 pm and that place is already the jumpoff for the trek to our orginal destination, Mt. Balagbag. Upon arriving at the store, we met Sir Oliver who frequents Mt. Maranat and he is about to guide a group who is about to go night trekking there. We told him our original plans to go to Mt. Balagbag, spent the night camping there and descend early in morning. He told us that it would just be a waste if we would just end our trip like that so he invited us instead to traverse Mt. Balagbag and head to Mt. Maranat instead. After a few discussions within our group, we decided to go with his plans and so our group got ready for what he said would be a 2-3 hours hike to the camp at Mt. Maranat. The plan was we would go ahead first and Sir Oliver would just catch up with us riding his mountain bike as he was still waiting for the group that he is about guide at the jumpoff. Sir Oliver said that he would leave the other group to his other companion guide who is also at the store with him and he would guide us to Mt. Maranat instead. We left the store at around 3:30 pm which commences the start of our trek.

Upon leaving the jumpoff, the road is still made of concrete.

The road gets rough later on.

View of the Sierra Madre Mounain ranges from the start of the trail.

Around 30 minutes after we started our trek, we reached a  small market place and so we decided to take a rest stop there. While resting, Sir Oliver caught up to us riding his mountain bike and so we continued on with our trek. A few minutes after passing the market, Sir Oliver reached an acquaintance's house where he left his mountain bike. He also told us that we can use that house to take a bath and freshen up by the time we would descend the next day. The whole time we were walking, the skies have already started to turn dark and we feared that we would be trekking under the rain, and sure enough the rain did fall. The jacket I was wearing isn't waterproof but the good thing is that I brought my umbrella! :p

After drenching for around 20 minutes, the rain eventually stopped and at around that time, we reached a sari-sari store along the trail which is also the last store you will encounter along the trail. Our group decided to have a rest stop there.

Different kinds of flowers on display in front of the sari-sari store.

How our footwear looked like after trekking in the rain.

The front of the sari-sari store.

Picture picture din pag may time :)

We left the store at around 4:45 pm and Sir Oliver informed us that our next would be at the Nursery where we would be buying a seedling to be planted on Mt. Maranat. The trail was still quite easy and by around 5 pm, we were already at the nursery.

The hut at the nursery where the caretaker resides, too bad he wasn't around when we got there.

A view of the vast Sierra Madre mountain ranges from the Nursery

A landslide happened right in front of the Nursery as seen on the background.

Narra seedlings for P10

My cute seedling attached to my backpack :)

After each of us got our own seedling, we left the nursery and heightened our pace as the sun is already starting to set. We continued on with our trek and soon after, darkness has started to cover the trails. We were caught unprepared as most of us doesn't have a flashlight at hand because our original plan of climbing Mt. Balagbag doesn't involve night trekking. After we reached a vantage point called 'Tibag', where you can see the campsite at Mt. Maranat and also Maranat Falls, Sir Oliver told us to prepare ourselves for the steep descent going down to the river as I was about to have my first river crossing experience! The descent down to Ippo River felt like an eternity as it was very steep and our group has to share the light from a few flashlights. Soon enough, we reached the river at around 7 pm, and since there was a light rain a few hours ago, the water level at the river has risen a bit. We prepared to cross the river and so we removed our shoes as we have to cross the river barefoot because the mud at the bottom is very slippery. When it was my turn to cross, I got really scared as the water level slowly reached up to my hips! When I was almost about to finish crossing, I slipped on a very slippery part of the river but the good thing is that I was able to recover and support my self before I completely fall down into river. The bad thing is that the clothes on the bottom part of my bag got a bit wet and I didn't have any waterproofing preparations beforehand as our original trip doesn't even involve river crossing! And at night! :p

After resting up a bit, we continued our hike to the campsite. The trail again, just like when we descended into the river was a bit steep and it took all my effort just to finally reach the campsite before it was 8 pm. We only need to register our names at the campsite and there are no registration fees required. After pitching up our tents, some of us started to cook our dinner and the others started to clean and freshen up using the fresh water source at the campsite straight from Maranat Falls.

Lots of pet cats and dogs at the campsite

Our dinner, with the tent of one of our members as our groundsheet :p

We had our dinner at around 9 pm. We were about to start our socials after cleaning up when it suddenly started to drizzle again. Just as we were about to take cover inside our tents, Sir Oliver and Tatay Nestor, who is the caretaker of campsite, invited us into his hut. There are hammocks that are hanging in his hut and I crept into one of them. The other members of our group were starting to have their socials while I was cozily resting in the hammock :p

When the rain stopped slightly at almost 12 midnight, we started to go back to our tents for our night's rest. It was a really cold night there at the campsite in Mt. Maranat as it was raining all throughout the night.

Mt. Balagbag viewed from the campsite.

Tatay Nestor's hut.

Our call time in the morning was at 5 am as we had to prepare our light breakfast and break our camp as we will be bouldering Maranat Falls before going home! After packing our things, we are now on our way to Maranat Falls which is just a few meters away from the campsite. Upon arriving, I was amazed at its beauty as the falls really stretch a long way down until to Ippo River. We started by exploring the higher parts of the falls up until the source of the water that flows to the falls. At around this part some members of our group started to take a dip into the cold waters of Maranat Falls. :p

Log bridge used to cross to the other side of the falls

Ligo ligo din pag may time :p

Ha!? Walang signal sa bundok?! >.<

After exploring the higher parts, we started our bouldering down the falls. Some parts of the descent were easy and some parts are extremely hard, like for example when you only have some swinging roots of trees to hold on while descending a huge rock! Extra care is needed when stepping on the rocks as it gets really slippery when its wet. Our slippers made it worse so Sir Oliver told us to just continue our descent barefeet.

Caution: Slippery when wet! >.<

Some of the breathtaking view from the falls.

The twin falls.

Buwis buhay jump shot o_O

We finished our descent at around 9 am and we were back at the campsite after 20 minutes of hiking up the trail from the river up to the campsite again. After resting up a bit, we started to prepare our early lunch so that we won't have to stop along the trails to eat. Also at around this time, some members of our group has started to plant the Narra seedlings the we bought from the nursery at a spot near the campsite but I wasn't able to join them as I was once again cozily resting at a hammock because I got tired from the Maranat Falls bouldering :p

After refilling our water supply with just the right amount for lighter backpacks as there are a lot of water sources that we will pass by along the trail, we bid our thanks and goodbyes to Tatay Nestor, and we left the campsite at around 11 am.

Tatay Nestor and his son.

We started our trek back home under the heat of the sun and this time, the pace of the group was real slow as the extreme heat got the best of us.

Back at the river crossing on Ippo River

After many countless rest stops under the shades of trees, we finally reached back the Nursery at around 3 pm to have our real rest stop. Due to so much fatigue, I took a nap for around 15 minutes at the hut in the Nursery and after everyone in our group has recovered, we continued on at around 3:30 pm.

All is well until after passing the store we stopped by yesterday, we got lost twice and we have to backtrack as we don't have Sir Oliver with us anymore as he got ahead first because he still has to go to work on a night shift. After some local kids guided us the correct way, we were back on our way to the house we stopped by before where Sir Oliver left his bike. The owner of the house let us use his outhouse with a supply of fresh water that we used to change our clothes and freshen up for the last part of our walking down to the mini market place. After arriving at the mini market place, we were asking around where can we get a tricycle ride to go down directly to Licao-licao jeepney station as we won't be able to reach it in time if we would walk because the last jeep leaves at 6 pm and the time was already past 5:30. And that was when a jeepney with a Novaliches route offered us that we can ride together with them up to Tungko for P300 pesos. We took their offer and that it was just convenient because after alighting down at Tungko, we can now ride buses/jeepneys back to Manila.