Mt. Manalmon + Bayukbok Cave - Hiking and Spelunking on a rainy day!

Situated within the Biak-na-Bato National Park, Mt. Manalmon is a famous haven for mountaineers and weekend warriors. Last year, it has hugged the limelight due to the unfortunate incident that resulted to the untimely demise of some students of the Bulacan State University. As a result, the LGU, DENR, including the local guides, have decided to strictly enforce a no river-crossing policy as soon as the waters of the mysterious Madlum River becomes knee-high. As an added precaution, hikers are now required to secure permits either from the LGU of San Miguel, Bulacan or of Barangay Sibul. Hence, it is best to coordinate with the guides / coordinators in Sitio Madlum. Hikers are likewise required to sign a waiver at the registration center.

We left Cubao Quezon City at around 0600H and arrived at the jumpoff two hours later. Surprisingly, we saw a lot of mountaineers / hikers preparing their gears. We then crossed the hanging bridge (Thank God we never had to cross the river using the Monkey Bridge) and had to register on the other side of the river.

At the junction...take the rough road on the right.

Hanging Bridge

Looks like the Wawa Gorge

Registration

After paying the mandatory registration fees (Php5.00 per person), we immediately secured a guide and queried whether we can do a twinhike of Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola. Unfortunately, our guide (Jek) informed us that they do not allow river crossings at the Madlum River at that time because of the swollen waters of the river.

Climbing in Tanay, Rizal? - Read This....

The Tanay Tourism Office recently issued a list of guidelines that climbers / hikers / mountaineers should comply. This was posted on the Facebook page of Tanay Tourism and has caused a stir because of the controversial requirement of submitting a medical certificate as proof of one's physical fitness.

Mt. Batolusong's Rangyas Peak and Mapatag Plateau

As copied verbatim from the post in Tanay Tourism Facebook page, the mandatory requirements before climbing include:

"REQUIREMENTS FOR MOUNTAIN CLIMBING/MOUNTAINEERS:
1. Permit/clearance to climb from the municipality of Tanay (and the concerned barangay);

 2. Email your request to climb to jeffpino@gmail.com and/or jeffpino@yahoo.com (please address your letter to Hon. Rafael A. Tanjuatco, attention to Engr. Carlos E. Inofre, Environment Officer, and Mr. Jeffrey M. Pino, Tourism Officer ;

 3. List of persons participating the climb, with complete address and contact numbers and copy of ID's s...hould be provided/attached to the letter;

4. Itinerary of the activity should be attached to the letter/email;

5. Climbing gear and paraphernalia must be provided by the mountaineer;

6. Medical certificate from a competent physician, certifying that the mountaineer is physically fit and medically fit to do such activity must be presented to Tanay Tourism or Barangay Chairman before the mountain climbing activity. No medical certificate – no climb. Medical certificate may also be secured from the Rural Health Unit of Tanay or Barangay Sampaloc;

7. Must register at Barangay Hall, attend a short briefing and orientation, pay required fees, and tour guide assignment;

8. Must comply with the municipality’s ordinance on plastic/styro ban;

9. No alcoholic beverage is to be consumed during the mountain climbing activity;

10. Local tour guide is a MUST;

For further info/inquiry please contact 0917.5229024 / 0936.2284173 / 7361059 or 0998.9881590"


While I believe that the local tourism office only has the best of interests in setting the aforementioned mandatory requirements, submitting a medical certificate as proof of physical fitness will make a lot of mountaineers shy away from climbing in Tanay, Rizal. Among the popular climbs in the area are Mt. Irid, Mt. Batolusong, and Mt. Daraitan.

Filipinos are known for their aversion of going to the doctor since many view it as an added and unnecessary expense. Also most mountaineers are actually trying to enjoy the outdoors while  possibly having the least spending. And whatever happened to the good old waiver? Isn't the waiver also a declaration that one is fit enough to climb mountains? And I remember, we had to sign a waiver when we climbed Mt. Batolusong twice earlier this year. Just my two cents though.

In view of the foregoing, mountaineers and occasional hikers should be aware of the rules that are being implemented in Tanay and coordinate with the authorities prior to their scheduled climb.

*There are claims that hikers without medical certificates are allowed to proceed as long as they sign a waiver at the jumpoff

Tramping Advisory 002
Medical Certificate - Tanay, Rizal

Mt. Ayaas - Wawa Dam traverse to Mascap

To climb or not to climb is not the question that we are to answer. Instead we were at that time asking ourselves, where to now? This is what actually transpired when we climbed Mt. Ayaas, a mountain situated in the up-and-coming mountaineering hotbed, that is Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal.

Mt. Ayaas taken from the Bulakan Tree

 Days prior to the planned hike we were endlessly trying to contact Emman, the guide extraordinaire when it comes to the mountains of Montalban, and with supposed contact for our fallback climb being likewise unreachable, we surprisingly have nowhere to go.

Making our way towards the Wawa Dam

It was already 0445H when I was able to fetch the Engineer at our usual meeting place (Mcdonald’s Eton Centris). With a dilemma of having nowhere to climb, we made a last ditch effort of contacting Emman. Providentially, the other line rang. And from then, Emman told us to meet him at the DENR in Sitio Wawa at 0700H. Consequently, we found ourselves buying for additional supplies and eating our favorite breakfast every climb (Jollibee Corned Beef Meal weehee…”nasa Mcdo na nag-Jollibee pa”.). In that regard, it was already 0545H when we left Timog Avenue, Quezon City for Wawa Dam.

Although we took easy on the gas, we arrived in Wawa still 30 minutes early. Thus, we decided to park at the Multi-Purpose Hall in the hope getting additional sleep. But we were roused by a knock in the front passenger seat window by a smiling man, who turned out to be Emman, our guide for the day.