THAT MUCH NEEDED BREAK | Hundred Islands National Park

Much has happened over two years of no climbs and no adventures. I have been drowned with a lot of big projects. Moved to another company and moved back in again. Still, there was no time for me to really sit back and enjoy nature like I always do.

After a few months of sticking our noses on a stressful casino renovation project, I invited my friend Tina on an adventure to see the Hundred Islands in Alaminos, Pangasinan. She was up for it and we were then tourists for a day!

We met up with the organizer at 10:00 PM in SM Mall of Asia. We left for Alaminos as soon as the rest of the joiners arrived. It was a 6-hour van ride. We then arrived early dawn at the Lucap Wharf. Took us a while for us to be registered, so we had enough time to walk around, have breakfast, buy food for lunch and take some early morning selfies.

Early morning sunrise over at the Hundred Islands

Welcome to Alaminos City!

Finally, around 8:30 in the morning, we were on a boat to the Hundred Islands National Park. That day was quite windy so the waves were a bit scaring us. I had to put my phone in a waterproof case just so it won't get wet with the waves constantly crashing towards us.

The 2nd group on another boat

On our way!

From the name itself, there were hundreds of islands on this part of Pangasinan, but we were to explore only a few. After 20 minutes on the boat, we arrived at our first island--Governor's Island.

Governor's Island

After a few minutes trekking to one of the hilltops, we were on a viewing deck which boasts of a panoramic view of the rest of the islands.

Panoramic view of the rest of the islands

At the viewing deck

We were given 45 minutes to explore the island. After which, we were on the boat again and on the way to the next island--Pilgrimage Island.

Pilgrimage Island

From afar, you can see the big statue of Jesus. The island also has the Stations of the Cross and carvings of scenes from the Bible.

Pilgrimage Island

The Last Supper

View from Pilgrimage Island

Pilgrimage Island

Pilgrimage Island

Pilgrimage Island

After an hour on the Pilgrimage Island, we were off to have lunch at the Scout Island.

Good thing we were able to buy food on the mainland. The restaurant on Scout Island definitely sells super expensive food! For us to get a table, we had to buy drinks from them. While having lunch, others were having fun jumping off the edge of the deck.

Jumping off the deck on Scout Island

Right after having lunch, we proceeded to the next island--Quezon Island. This was where we spent around 2 hours to explore. There were a lot of things to do on this island. You can do the zipline, banana boat ride, jet ski, and a lot more. We just decided to take a rest and do a lot of picture taking.

Quezon Island

Quezon Island

Quezon Island

Quezon Island

Quezon Island

At 2:00 pm, we headed back to the mainland with a camera filled with pictures and a whole lot of good memories too. Along the way, we enjoyed the view of the islands we passed by. The waves were bigger this time around. But we arrived back at Lucap Wharf safely.

On the way back to Lucap Wharf

Banana boat ride

Back at Lucap Wharf

Back at the wharf, we took some time to change our wet clothes, buy some souvenir items and eat some local food. This was definitely a much needed break for the two of us. It was only one day but it was filled with so much fun and good memories!

TWIN HIKE ADVENTURE | Mt. Binacayan (424+) and Mt. Pamitinan (426+)

There was that need for another adventure again. The same usual past time, browsing through posts in the CLIMBER group on Facebook and see what sparks my interest. True enough, I found another one.

I have always been fascinated with the mountains of Rizal province after I climbed Mt. Daraitan. There was something about the sharp-edged stones on its mountains that made me so challenged to trek them. 

There were invitations online for a Penta Climb--five mountains in one day which included Mt. Binacayan, Mt. Pamitinan, Mt. Hapunang Banoi, Mt. Ayaas and Mt. Sipit Ulang. I definitely wanted to but I knew I could not physically do it. 😅

So I settled for just two mountains, Mt. Binacayan and Mt. Pamitinan. I signed up to join the group organized by Chad Cadawas. I knew nobody in the group. But it always thrills me to meet new friends during hikes.

As early as 1:00 AM, we met up at EDSA Starmall in Shaw. When the group was complete, we set out for Brgy. Wawa in Rodriguez, Rizal. We arrived at the jump off and went through the entire registration process. We had a few minutes more to get ready and I bought a pair of rubber gloves to make sure I wouldn't get wounded with those sharp limestone edges.

Mt. Binacayan and Mt. Pamitinan are separated in between by the Wawa Dam. Both mountains are part of a legend of a mythical hero who kept the two mountains from colliding with each other. Mt. Pamitinan is also part of our history books as it is in the Pamitinan Cave where Andres Bonifacio took refuge and where he proclaimed one of the first declarations of our independence.

Other information about these two mountains can be found on this article of Pinoy Mountaineer:

Pinoy Mountaineer - Mt. Pamitinan and Mt. Binacayan

Source: Google Earth

MT. BINACAYAN

We started our trek early since we were after the Sea of Clouds at the summit. On the way up, we came across a rocky path and had to go through bushes and trees. Some were spiky like the limestone from where they stood. 

Going up Mt. Binacayan

Halfway there. Stop muna for the Sea of Clouds.

After a 45-minute trek to halfway of the mountain, there it was. A breathtaking view of Rizal's sea of clouds. It was just as amazing as how the guides described it. The whole panoramic view of Rodriguez, Rizal was covered in thick clouds, while the sun rises on the other side of where we were. It was indeed a beautiful sunrise!

Sea of Clouds

Simply breathtaking!

Selfie muna!

Sunrise at Mt. Binacayan

After an hour of taking selfies and just simply enjoying the view right infront of us, we continued our trek to the summit. Along the way way, we encountered some difficulty on the rocks. You had to walk a path with sharp rocks on both sides. Definitely had to be careful not to take the wrong step!

Rocky path to the summit

After another 30 minutes, we reached the summit and had to wait in line for us to take a group picture. There were other groups who reached the summit before we did. For less than 15 minutes, we had to take the same path down the mountain and head on to our 2nd mountain of the day.

At the summit of Mt. Binacayan

Mountain #1 for the day!

Headed to Mt. Pamitinan (that mountain on the background)

MT. PAMITINAN

From the same jump-off, we had to cross the bridge over the Wawa River in order to reach the base of Mt. Pamitinan. On the bridge, you can see the two mountains facing each other. Looks like a hill from where I stood, but definitely not an easy climb.

Bridge to Mt. Pamitinan

Mt. Pamitinan and Mt. Binacayan

The trek starts with a usual terrain, like any other mountain. Midway to the summit, that's when the challenge starts. You have to climb a steep wall of sharp edges and make sure you don't cut yourself along the way. It was a risky type of rock climbing with no harness whatsoever.

The most difficult part

Posing on one of the limestone rock formations on the way to the summit

Waiting in line to have pictures on the rock platform

After another hour, we reached the summit of Mt. Pamitinan. Our second mountain of the day!

At the summit of Mt. Pamitinan (with Mt. Binacayan on the background)

It was definitely worth all the cuts and bruises. We went down on the same path. Good enough, everyone came down safe. We took a break at the base of the mountain. The cold buko juice quenched our thirst and made us feel high again. There was even an invite to climb Mt. Hapunang Banoi since we still had enough time! We all refused and decided to return to Manila instead.

New friends, new adventure! That is always the highlight of every climb.

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ACTUAL ITINERARY

1:00 AM - Meet up at EDSA Starmall McDonalds

2:30 AM - Left for Rodriguez, Rizal

3:30 AM - Registration at the Jump-Off

4:30 AM - Started the climb to Mt. Binacayan

5:15 AM - Stopped for the Sea of Clouds

6:30 AM - Reached the summit of Mt. Binacayan

8:00 AM - Crossed the bridge and started the trek on Mt. Pamitinan

9:30 AM - Stopped for pictures on the rock formation

11:00 AM - Reached the summit of Mt. Pamitinan

12:00 PM - Trek back to the base of the mountain for lunch

1:30 PM - Trek back to Jump-Off

3:00 PM - Back to Manila

5:00 PM - Arrived in Manila

THAT FEB-IBIG CLIMB | Mt. Ulap (1846+)

While everyone else was excited for Valentine's Day, I was busy packing my things for a special date--another adventurous date with myself!

I wasn't going to let the love weekend bother my senses. Being single on Valentine's Day sucks. It really does actually. But I wasn't going to be like those hugot-filled individuals who would almost cry over with the visions of lovers everywhere. I had better plans for myself.

I got an invite for Mt. Pulag which was eventually cancelled. An alternative was offered, Mt. Ulap. I heard a few things about the mountain. It was even the location shoot for a recent Tagalog movie. Initially, my excitement was not that much. But as soon as I saw what the mountain had to offer, it immediately became my new most favorite climb to date!

AMPUCAO-STA. FE RIDGE

Our meet-up place was in Cubao at 10:00 PM. Around 11:00 PM, all 11 participants left in a chartered van to Ampucao, Benguet. After several stops, we safely reached the jump-off at around 4:30 AM.

The Mt. Ulap Eco-Trail spans around 8 kilometers along several peaks of the Ampucao-Sta. Fe Ridge. The said peaks include: Ambanao Paoay (1788+), Gungal (1814+) and Mt. Ulap itself. Entry point is at Brgy. Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet. Exit point is at Brgy. Sta. Fe, Itogon, Benguet. 

At the barangay hall, we registered and was given a short orientation. A pretty guide was assigned to us. She was a Liza Soberano look-a-like so it became more pleasing to each of us. We then started our climb at 5:30 AM. 

Both left and right, there was a panoramic view of Benguet and Baguio City nearby. Pine trees and seemingly endless grasslands made the experience more breathtaking. The trail was too beautiful that we spent so much time on taking pictures along the way. It was too cold when we trekked early in the morning, then turned too hot as we reached the summit.

About mid-way to the summit, we stopped and took pictures of ourselves on the Gungal Rock. It is one of Mt. Ulap's trademark stops. The gigantic rock stood out from a group of rockies. It may look simple to walk across, but it is actually inclined. One wrong step can send you falling several meters off the cliffside.

This was another one of those buwis-buhay pictures taken for me. My knees were numb, literally took my breath away as I glanced on what was deep down below.

Along the way, we had several stops and all we did was just sit down on one corner, appreciate the view and live the experience. 

These are the moments when you ponder upon God's creations and realize how wonderful He is for creating such lovely landscapes. 

It was around noon when we arrived at the summit. We took our lunch and took a short nap. The green grass, pine trees and the lovely panoramic view seemed unreal. Truly another great adventure for the passionate traveler's soul!

This group was a fun group to be with. Another adventure, another set of friends!

It was indeed the best choice to do a Feb-ibig climb. It's an experience that makes you forget all the worries in the city. Nature at its finest once again.


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ACTUAL ITINERARY

10:00 PM - Meet up at Cubao
11:00 PM - Van left for Ampucao, Benguet
3:00 AM - Stop over at Pangasinan, Early Breakfast
4:30 AM - Arrived at the Jump-off (Ampucao)
5:30 AM - Started trek 
11:30 AM - Arrived at the summit
12:30 PM - Started descent
3:00 PM - Arrived at the Jump-off (Sta. Fe)
5:00 PM - Left for Manila
8:00 PM - Arrival at Clark (my own side trip for the Air Balloon Festival)