Mount Manabo - Day 1

Quick Facts:
Coordinates (peak): 13.9938N, 121.2361E
Location: Batangas
Jump Off Point: Sulok (Barangay Sta. Cruz), Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Elevation (peak): 830 masl (but Shiny the Techy Phone tagged the peak at 809 masl)
Elevation (campsite): 762 masl
Climb Level: 1 (Easy Climb)
Estimated climbing time: 2-3 hours

* Mount Manabo is one of several mountains of the Malepunyo range (Malaraya to the locals).
* At the peak, there's a huge cross marker and a 360 view of the surrounding provinces of Quezon, Batangas, and Laguna.
* The word "Manabo" came from the phrase "Mataas na Bundok".

*****

Pictures are now available at my Multiply site:
Album 1 (Click Here)
Album 2 (Click Here)
Album 3 (Click Here)

Credit for the very very awesome pics goes to Mandric!

*****

It was a couple of minutes past 6AM on the 15th of March when the group headed to Batangas for the year's first climb.

Team AIM (Akyat I.T. Mountaineers) attendance: Obi, Mandric, Leo, Nixon, Tata, Dan, Ayn, Vic

L-R: Ric the KBL Dude, Boss Vic, Dark Leo, Tata the Lost, Nixon Ang Tanggero, Dan the Flash, Ayn the Ghost Model, Field Reporter Obi

We met Ayn's dad in Lipa City (8:22AM) and had our breakfast there (bumili na din ng packed baon for the climb) before heading to the South Supermarket (9:07AM) in Sabang for some last minute groceries. From there, we went on to the Barangay Outpost in Barangay Sta. Cruz (more popularly known as "Sulok" to the locals) to register our climb with the local officials (9:36AM). Only then that we proceeded to the dropoff point, not so far from the Barangay Outpost.

Iwan na naman si Kuya Driver sa van for the rest of our hike. Tinatakot namin na may nangunguha dun ng dayuhan at tinatanggal ang sex organ para ibenta. Waha.

Anyway, we started the journey and here's where I started writing on a four-parts-folded bond paper that served as my travel journal...

*****

(Entries were taken from my journal in verbatim)

Day 1 - Fold 1
* 9:53AM - Sulok Jump Off (Station 1)
(May Manang dito na very accomodating. Nagpabayad lang siya ng sampung piso for the overnight parking ng van. Pwede maligo dito pero may bayad. Sabi namin, mas kikita siya kung halo-halo ang tinda niya. Nagpakilala akong taga Batangas, sabay lagay ng accent sa salita ko... na nagulat ako na kaya ko pa pala after years na hindi umuuwi sa Lipa. Natuwa naman siya't nag-"huntahan" kami ng kung ano anong chechebureche.)

Nakaka-inggit ang camera ni Ric. Alangya.
* 10:13 - Start Trek
- Class Picture
* 10:30 - Locals encounter (Kubo)
- Gumana na GPS ni Shiny the Techy Phone (my N82)
(I tagged the GPS coordinates of our present location as "Manabo Foot": 13.9867N, 121.2224EE, 456m above sea level. And if I remember right, sabi ni Shiny - after feeding the coordinates of the Manabo Peak - less than 1.5km to go at nasa destination point na kami.)
- buko break
(Pag balik na lang daw namin, so hindi natuloy ang laklakan ng buko.)
- alamid (wild cat)
(May mga alagang hayop sila Manang. May alamid, kabayo, mga ibon, aso, at unggoy na putol ang isang kamay... wawa. Kinuwento din ni Manang ang genealogy ng angkan nila simula sa mga apo niya hanggang sa marami niyang anak.)
- Station 2
- 455 meters above sea level

* 10: 36 - resume trek
* 10:47 - raining now
(Tumigil kami sandali para mag-ayos ng gamit. Lumalakas na kasi yung ulan. Nilagay ko na yung cover ni Mister Backpack. All synthetic ang suot ko para sa mga gentong instances. Pag cotton kasi, mabigat sa katawan pag nababasa. Gusto ng karamihan na umulan. Mas exciting ang trek at hindi mainit. Anticipated namin na madali lang ang climb since most of the reviews told it was only at a beginner's level but the rain changed it all. Dumulas yung trail dahil sa putik.)

Day 1 - Fold 2
10:55AM - Station 3
(Sa sumunod na araw, pag balik namin dito sa same location na ito, wala na yung cardboard signage ng Station 3. Ninenok siguro ng mga pesteng ibang mountaineers na nakasalubong namin along the way. Tae.)

10:58 - Kubo Stop
- Manong Buko
(May kubo na nagbebenta ng buko. Pahinga muna kami. Eto na din yung part ng trail where it'll split into two but both will still lead to the peak of Manabo. We've taken the left trail upon Manong Buko's suggestion. Para madaanan na din daw namin yung "grotto". I guess it was the most common path taken.)

11:08 - resume trek
- still raining
(Ayaw tuminta ng ballpen ko. Nabasa kasi ng bahagya yung papel na gamit ko.)
11:20 - water source
- worm encounter
(May dambuhalang millipede along the way.)
- may Locals kubo
(Here be the "grotto". Isa syang kubo na may grotto sa tabi with running water. This is the only water source of the trip so better replenish your stock sa part na ito. Inabot namin yung owner and her kids. Nagpahinga ulit kami.)

11:50 - may mga nakasalubong na ibang grupo pababa
(May mga mountaineers kaming nakasalubong. Pababa sila sa grotto para kumuha ng tubig. At this point, we were already thinking how easy the climb would be if these guys were from the top and walked all the way back only to fetch some water. Mas nauna sila sa amin ng isang araw sabi ni Manang sa jumpoff point.)
- steep climb part

12:16PM - stop to rest
- mountain side
(We took a break on this hillside spot where there was a view of the Laguna/Quezon side of the mountain. Isa siyang malawak na clearing with dry grass parted down. Photo ops muna at kwentuhan habang pinatugtog ko si Shiny.)

Mga bata, saan ang tamang daan?? Yan, kaya tayo naliligaw eh!

12:30 - resume walk
(This was where it got funky. We got off at the wrong trail which eventually led to us being lost. Along this walk na din namin nakita yung wooden roadblock which ironically was the correct path to the peak! Read on... read on...)

12:57 - Manabo Peak (krus) in sight
(Sa point na ito, kita na yung peak ng Mount Manabo at yung malaking cross sa tuktok nito. Hindi muna kami nag taka at this point kung bakit nasa far right side namin yung peak while our trail was slowly heading left and downhill! Ang iniisip muna namin baka sa dulo ng trail may sudden right turn that will correct our direction towards the peak.)

1:16 - stop over (search the area)
- ...we think we're lost
(Eto na. Tingin na namin naliligaw kami so we decided to stop first and study the area. Tata and Ric went ahead to scout the trail if there was any chance it will thread right and point towards where the peak should be. Coordinate kami using our short-wave radios. Nilabas ko na si Shiny the Techy Phone and activated its GPS. Ayun... na-confirm na we were heading the wrong way. Thing was, after much discussion, hindi namin maisip kung sang path kami nagkamali since sinusundan lang namin yung trail. AND to top it all, soooobrang dulas at soooobrang daming tinik nung current trail na dinadaanan namin.)

Day 1 - Fold 3
1:41 - we're heading back the trail
(We decided to track back and check for any forks along the path that we've missed.)

2:11PM - back to mountainside
- found a new trail
(We're back dun sa grassy clearing na pinag-pahingahan namin earlier. Dito namin nakita na may mas malaking trail nga other than the one we took. Mali nga yung trail na napasukan namin! Araguy!)
- panorama.jpg
- i can see the San Sebastian Cathedral and the Carmelite seminary here (Lipa City)
- eat lunch
(Kumain na lang muna kami ng mga kung ano mang packed meals na binili namin sa Jollibee sa Lipa.)

2:29 - resume trek (new trail)
2:41 - blockaded road reached the second time, but now we're on the other side
(Syete. Nasa kabilang side kami nung roadblock na nakasalubong namin earlier! Isa lang ibig sabihin nun, ang totoong hinaharangan ng roadblock ay yung trail na kinuha namin nung naligaw kami. Anak ng kalabasa naman oh.)

2:48 - Yes, i think we got it right this time. Demmit.

Heading down the peak towards the nearby campsite (Manabo Cross in the background)

Day 1 - Fold 4
2:59 - We reached it! (The Cross of Mount Manabo) ...the peak!
*I love my phone! It pointed us to the right way.
- getting coordinates for Shiny
(Soooobrang ganda ng view sa taas. For a mountain you can climb that quick, sulit siya sobra for the view. Ang napansin ko lang agad ay yung mga vandalism dun sa white-washed surface ng cross. Ang jologs ang potah...)

Warning... rant underway:
Alam mo agad na wala sa mga jologs na ito yung essence ng pag akyat sa bundok. May mga date pa ang mga pinagsusulat ng mga hinagupak! Parang likuran lang ng upuan ng bus o dingding ng public toilet yung krus. Kulang na lang may mga maglagay ng "Inday loves Jokjok", "Kong Kong was here", "Jologs Gangsta Clan porebah", "I'm Bogart, Text Mate Wanted", at iba pang kagaguhang iskwater. E ano ngayon kung nakakarating na ng bundok ang mga jologs at adik na katulad nyo! Hindi nyo kelangang ilathala yan at babuyin yung krus dahil kahit anong basa ang gawin ng mga mountaineers sa mga pinagsusulat nyo, hindi kayo yayaman, sisikat, o gagwapo at lalo niyo lang pinatunayang iskwater kayo! Tangena nyo! OO, remembrance nga to na naka-akyat kayo ng bundok. Pero remembrance din to na wala kayong pinag-aralan at ambaba nyong tao. One time, babalik ako ng Manabo para pinturahan yung krus. Lahat ng abutan kong pangalan na nandun papakulam ko. Tangena nyo!

3:17PM - Campsite (768masl)
(May naunang grupo ng mountaineers sa amin. Eto yung kasama ng mga kumuha ng tubig na nakasalubong namin earlier that day sa trail. Madaming open clearings around the campsite. Kinuha namin yung medyo malayo sa kanila.)

3:46 - tent's up
(Limang tent kami in all.)
- text to Mommy
(Nag text ang mama's boy. May signal sa tuktok. Angas.)
- setup stuffs

5:12 - start cooking
- i took a nap
*4 batches of mountaineers (including us)
(At this point, dumadami na yung mountaineers. Bukod dun sa inabutan namin, may dumating pang dalwang batches. Yung isang grupo sa kanila e galing pang Mount Maculot. Hardcore. Nakatulog ako ng ilang minuto sa damuhan. Pero nagising ako sa lamig.)

6:25 - galamig na!
- still cooking
- lights on
- "Temperature" by Sean Paul on the mp3 player
(Dumidilim at soooobrang lamig na.)

Day 1 - Fold 5
6:47 - DINNER!
Menu: hungarian sausage in sweet-chilli sauce with egg, tuna with egg, adobo with pinya chunks, papaitan
(Panalo yung menu nyo mga pre! Kala ko ba umakyat tayo para maging fit?? Hahaha.)

6:59PM - food decimated
7:20 - new batch of mountaineers passed by
(Andami na naming tao sa tuktok. Buti na lang nauna kami dun sa isang section ng campsite farther away than most of the other batches.)

7:33 - photo lettering
(Night photography trippings with Mandric the photography guru.)

Mabuhay ang amats! Ahooo! Ahooo!
7:53 - INUMAN TIME (yeps, i wrote em in all caps)
8:30 - "Ghost Photography" trippings

9:26PM - Photo ops at the cross (peak)
(Most of the guys being bonkers with alcohol and all headed to their tents to sleep. Ako, si Mandric, si Vic, at si Dan e naglakad lakad pa pabalik ng peak. Dumaan kami dun sa part ng campsite kung san yung rest ng mga hikers from the other groups camped. Isang group na lang ang gising. Malamang nagtataka kung anong trippings meron kami at umaakyat kami pabalik ng krus. Nakakatakot sa peak. Balot kami ng ulap and c'mon, may krus na di mo alam kung bakit pinatayo dun!)

Sooobrang angas ng shot na 'to! No edits. Good camera, abused trick, cool creativity, and a nice location lang!
L-R: Ric, Dan, Obi, Vic (Lipa City at night on the background)

9:43 - cross arrival
10:08 - back to campsite
(Nag lowbatt na yung camera ni Ric. Conserve na muna't may bukas pa.)

10:18 - lights off
- photo ops muna with Hush ang Manikang Palaboy
- good night!

*****

Day 2 to be continued...

Mount Manabo - Day 1

Quick Facts:
Coordinates (peak): 13.9938N, 121.2361E
Location: Batangas
Jump Off Point: Sulok (Barangay Sta. Cruz), Sto. Tomas, Batangas
Elevation (peak): 830 masl (but Shiny the Techy Phone tagged the peak at 809 masl)
Elevation (campsite): 762 masl
Climb Level: 1 (Easy Climb)
Estimated climbing time: 2-3 hours

* Mount Manabo is one of several mountains of the Malepunyo range (Malaraya to the locals).
* At the peak, there's a huge cross marker and a 360 view of the surrounding provinces of Quezon, Batangas, and Laguna.
* The word "Manabo" came from the phrase "Mataas na Bundok".

*****

Pictures are now available at my Multiply site:
Album 1 (Click Here)
Album 2 (Click Here)
Album 3 (Click Here)

Credit for the very very awesome pics goes to Mandric!

*****

It was a couple of minutes past 6AM on the 15th of March when the group headed to Batangas for the year's first climb.

Team AIM (Akyat I.T. Mountaineers) attendance: Obi, Mandric, Leo, Nixon, Tata, Dan, Ayn, Vic

L-R: Ric the KBL Dude, Boss Vic, Dark Leo, Tata the Lost, Nixon Ang Tanggero, Dan the Flash, Ayn the Ghost Model, Field Reporter Obi

We met Ayn's dad in Lipa City (8:22AM) and had our breakfast there (bumili na din ng packed baon for the climb) before heading to the South Supermarket (9:07AM) in Sabang for some last minute groceries. From there, we went on to the Barangay Outpost in Barangay Sta. Cruz (more popularly known as "Sulok" to the locals) to register our climb with the local officials (9:36AM). Only then that we proceeded to the dropoff point, not so far from the Barangay Outpost.

Iwan na naman si Kuya Driver sa van for the rest of our hike. Tinatakot namin na may nangunguha dun ng dayuhan at tinatanggal ang sex organ para ibenta. Waha.

Anyway, we started the journey and here's where I started writing on a four-parts-folded bond paper that served as my travel journal...

*****

(Entries were taken from my journal in verbatim)

Day 1 - Fold 1
* 9:53AM - Sulok Jump Off (Station 1)
(May Manang dito na very accomodating. Nagpabayad lang siya ng sampung piso for the overnight parking ng van. Pwede maligo dito pero may bayad. Sabi namin, mas kikita siya kung halo-halo ang tinda niya. Nagpakilala akong taga Batangas, sabay lagay ng accent sa salita ko... na nagulat ako na kaya ko pa pala after years na hindi umuuwi sa Lipa. Natuwa naman siya't nag-"huntahan" kami ng kung ano anong chechebureche.)

Nakaka-inggit ang camera ni Ric. Alangya.
* 10:13 - Start Trek
- Class Picture
* 10:30 - Locals encounter (Kubo)
- Gumana na GPS ni Shiny the Techy Phone (my N82)
(I tagged the GPS coordinates of our present location as "Manabo Foot": 13.9867N, 121.2224EE, 456m above sea level. And if I remember right, sabi ni Shiny - after feeding the coordinates of the Manabo Peak - less than 1.5km to go at nasa destination point na kami.)
- buko break
(Pag balik na lang daw namin, so hindi natuloy ang laklakan ng buko.)
- alamid (wild cat)
(May mga alagang hayop sila Manang. May alamid, kabayo, mga ibon, aso, at unggoy na putol ang isang kamay... wawa. Kinuwento din ni Manang ang genealogy ng angkan nila simula sa mga apo niya hanggang sa marami niyang anak.)
- Station 2
- 455 meters above sea level

* 10: 36 - resume trek
* 10:47 - raining now
(Tumigil kami sandali para mag-ayos ng gamit. Lumalakas na kasi yung ulan. Nilagay ko na yung cover ni Mister Backpack. All synthetic ang suot ko para sa mga gentong instances. Pag cotton kasi, mabigat sa katawan pag nababasa. Gusto ng karamihan na umulan. Mas exciting ang trek at hindi mainit. Anticipated namin na madali lang ang climb since most of the reviews told it was only at a beginner's level but the rain changed it all. Dumulas yung trail dahil sa putik.)

Day 1 - Fold 2
10:55AM - Station 3
(Sa sumunod na araw, pag balik namin dito sa same location na ito, wala na yung cardboard signage ng Station 3. Ninenok siguro ng mga pesteng ibang mountaineers na nakasalubong namin along the way. Tae.)

10:58 - Kubo Stop
- Manong Buko
(May kubo na nagbebenta ng buko. Pahinga muna kami. Eto na din yung part ng trail where it'll split into two but both will still lead to the peak of Manabo. We've taken the left trail upon Manong Buko's suggestion. Para madaanan na din daw namin yung "grotto". I guess it was the most common path taken.)

11:08 - resume trek
- still raining
(Ayaw tuminta ng ballpen ko. Nabasa kasi ng bahagya yung papel na gamit ko.)
11:20 - water source
- worm encounter
(May dambuhalang millipede along the way.)
- may Locals kubo
(Here be the "grotto". Isa syang kubo na may grotto sa tabi with running water. This is the only water source of the trip so better replenish your stock sa part na ito. Inabot namin yung owner and her kids. Nagpahinga ulit kami.)

11:50 - may mga nakasalubong na ibang grupo pababa
(May mga mountaineers kaming nakasalubong. Pababa sila sa grotto para kumuha ng tubig. At this point, we were already thinking how easy the climb would be if these guys were from the top and walked all the way back only to fetch some water. Mas nauna sila sa amin ng isang araw sabi ni Manang sa jumpoff point.)
- steep climb part

12:16PM - stop to rest
- mountain side
(We took a break on this hillside spot where there was a view of the Laguna/Quezon side of the mountain. Isa siyang malawak na clearing with dry grass parted down. Photo ops muna at kwentuhan habang pinatugtog ko si Shiny.)

Mga bata, saan ang tamang daan?? Yan, kaya tayo naliligaw eh!

12:30 - resume walk
(This was where it got funky. We got off at the wrong trail which eventually led to us being lost. Along this walk na din namin nakita yung wooden roadblock which ironically was the correct path to the peak! Read on... read on...)

12:57 - Manabo Peak (krus) in sight
(Sa point na ito, kita na yung peak ng Mount Manabo at yung malaking cross sa tuktok nito. Hindi muna kami nag taka at this point kung bakit nasa far right side namin yung peak while our trail was slowly heading left and downhill! Ang iniisip muna namin baka sa dulo ng trail may sudden right turn that will correct our direction towards the peak.)

1:16 - stop over (search the area)
- ...we think we're lost
(Eto na. Tingin na namin naliligaw kami so we decided to stop first and study the area. Tata and Ric went ahead to scout the trail if there was any chance it will thread right and point towards where the peak should be. Coordinate kami using our short-wave radios. Nilabas ko na si Shiny the Techy Phone and activated its GPS. Ayun... na-confirm na we were heading the wrong way. Thing was, after much discussion, hindi namin maisip kung sang path kami nagkamali since sinusundan lang namin yung trail. AND to top it all, soooobrang dulas at soooobrang daming tinik nung current trail na dinadaanan namin.)

Day 1 - Fold 3
1:41 - we're heading back the trail
(We decided to track back and check for any forks along the path that we've missed.)

2:11PM - back to mountainside
- found a new trail
(We're back dun sa grassy clearing na pinag-pahingahan namin earlier. Dito namin nakita na may mas malaking trail nga other than the one we took. Mali nga yung trail na napasukan namin! Araguy!)
- panorama.jpg
- i can see the San Sebastian Cathedral and the Carmelite seminary here (Lipa City)
- eat lunch
(Kumain na lang muna kami ng mga kung ano mang packed meals na binili namin sa Jollibee sa Lipa.)

2:29 - resume trek (new trail)
2:41 - blockaded road reached the second time, but now we're on the other side
(Syete. Nasa kabilang side kami nung roadblock na nakasalubong namin earlier! Isa lang ibig sabihin nun, ang totoong hinaharangan ng roadblock ay yung trail na kinuha namin nung naligaw kami. Anak ng kalabasa naman oh.)

2:48 - Yes, i think we got it right this time. Demmit.

Heading down the peak towards the nearby campsite (Manabo Cross in the background)

Day 1 - Fold 4
2:59 - We reached it! (The Cross of Mount Manabo) ...the peak!
*I love my phone! It pointed us to the right way.
- getting coordinates for Shiny
(Soooobrang ganda ng view sa taas. For a mountain you can climb that quick, sulit siya sobra for the view. Ang napansin ko lang agad ay yung mga vandalism dun sa white-washed surface ng cross. Ang jologs ang potah...)

Warning... rant underway:
Alam mo agad na wala sa mga jologs na ito yung essence ng pag akyat sa bundok. May mga date pa ang mga pinagsusulat ng mga hinagupak! Parang likuran lang ng upuan ng bus o dingding ng public toilet yung krus. Kulang na lang may mga maglagay ng "Inday loves Jokjok", "Kong Kong was here", "Jologs Gangsta Clan porebah", "I'm Bogart, Text Mate Wanted", at iba pang kagaguhang iskwater. E ano ngayon kung nakakarating na ng bundok ang mga jologs at adik na katulad nyo! Hindi nyo kelangang ilathala yan at babuyin yung krus dahil kahit anong basa ang gawin ng mga mountaineers sa mga pinagsusulat nyo, hindi kayo yayaman, sisikat, o gagwapo at lalo niyo lang pinatunayang iskwater kayo! Tangena nyo! OO, remembrance nga to na naka-akyat kayo ng bundok. Pero remembrance din to na wala kayong pinag-aralan at ambaba nyong tao. One time, babalik ako ng Manabo para pinturahan yung krus. Lahat ng abutan kong pangalan na nandun papakulam ko. Tangena nyo!

3:17PM - Campsite (768masl)
(May naunang grupo ng mountaineers sa amin. Eto yung kasama ng mga kumuha ng tubig na nakasalubong namin earlier that day sa trail. Madaming open clearings around the campsite. Kinuha namin yung medyo malayo sa kanila.)

3:46 - tent's up
(Limang tent kami in all.)
- text to Mommy
(Nag text ang mama's boy. May signal sa tuktok. Angas.)
- setup stuffs

5:12 - start cooking
- i took a nap
*4 batches of mountaineers (including us)
(At this point, dumadami na yung mountaineers. Bukod dun sa inabutan namin, may dumating pang dalwang batches. Yung isang grupo sa kanila e galing pang Mount Maculot. Hardcore. Nakatulog ako ng ilang minuto sa damuhan. Pero nagising ako sa lamig.)

6:25 - galamig na!
- still cooking
- lights on
- "Temperature" by Sean Paul on the mp3 player
(Dumidilim at soooobrang lamig na.)

Day 1 - Fold 5
6:47 - DINNER!
Menu: hungarian sausage in sweet-chilli sauce with egg, tuna with egg, adobo with pinya chunks, papaitan
(Panalo yung menu nyo mga pre! Kala ko ba umakyat tayo para maging fit?? Hahaha.)

6:59PM - food decimated
7:20 - new batch of mountaineers passed by
(Andami na naming tao sa tuktok. Buti na lang nauna kami dun sa isang section ng campsite farther away than most of the other batches.)

7:33 - photo lettering
(Night photography trippings with Mandric the photography guru.)

Mabuhay ang amats! Ahooo! Ahooo!
7:53 - INUMAN TIME (yeps, i wrote em in all caps)
8:30 - "Ghost Photography" trippings

9:26PM - Photo ops at the cross (peak)
(Most of the guys being bonkers with alcohol and all headed to their tents to sleep. Ako, si Mandric, si Vic, at si Dan e naglakad lakad pa pabalik ng peak. Dumaan kami dun sa part ng campsite kung san yung rest ng mga hikers from the other groups camped. Isang group na lang ang gising. Malamang nagtataka kung anong trippings meron kami at umaakyat kami pabalik ng krus. Nakakatakot sa peak. Balot kami ng ulap and c'mon, may krus na di mo alam kung bakit pinatayo dun!)

Sooobrang angas ng shot na 'to! No edits. Good camera, abused trick, cool creativity, and a nice location lang!
L-R: Ric, Dan, Obi, Vic (Lipa City at night on the background)

9:43 - cross arrival
10:08 - back to campsite
(Nag lowbatt na yung camera ni Ric. Conserve na muna't may bukas pa.)

10:18 - lights off
- photo ops muna with Hush ang Manikang Palaboy
- good night!

*****

Day 2 to be continued...