Mt. Gulugod Baboy: Complete Itinerary and How-To-Guide

Mt. Gulugod Baboy

Are you going for a swim or a hike? This is a usual trade-off for climbers especially during the summer months. However, what if I tell you that there is a climbing destination that can satisfy your need to climb and can get you your beach tan at the same time?

Let me introduce you to Mt. Gulugod Baboy.

Quickfacts

Height? 525 MASL according to Pinoymountaineer.com

Trail Difficulty? 2/9

Jump-off? Philpan Resort, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas

Roped Segment? None

Guide? Not required but available at the JOP

Beginner friendly? 100% YES!

How to get to Mt. Manabu

1. Ride a bus going to Batangas City. Alight at Batangas Grand Terminal. 

2. From the grand terminal, ride a jeepney going to Mabini
3. Alight at the Mabini Junction. There, you will see a tricycle going to PhilPan Resort. Ride the trike and tell them you plan on hiking Mt. Gulugod Baboy. 

Tale of the Trail

After a 30 minute tricycle ride, we were dropped off at the JOP. It is just a waiting shed with tables on it. It was already lunch time so the place was empty aside from the people manning the registration.

Everyone who's planning to climb the mountain is required to register at the JOP. You can go up without a guide since the trail is well-established and straight forward. But for us, we chose to get a guide since we were not very comfortable with our orienteering skills. (HAHAHAHAHA!)

We were assigned a seven-year old girl as our guide! I was starting to feel regret for getting a guide when Pearl struck a conversation with Sarah (our little guide) so I realized that our guide fee will go a long way.

The initial part of the trek starts at the earthen stairs at the left side of the registration area. You'll climb it for about 5 - 10 minutes until you reach a concrete road. Turn right and walk straight ahead until you see an ascending trail at your left.

The ascending trail is the formal start of your climb to Mt. Gulugod Baboy. Going up is through a mini-forest so you'll be protected from the sun all through out. Take note that the trail of Gulugod Baboy is quite short, but a continuous ascent with very minimal flat area.

It was surprisingly tiring, given that many of the online sources explicitly says that this mountain is easy. (Thanks ha!! JK)  However, the wit and the childish stories of Sarah kept us entertained the entire time.

After an hour of walking through the forest, we finally reached an open area that will take us to the summit of Mt. Gulugod Baboy.

At this point, Sarah told us that she can no longer accompany us since she had to go home and their house is still a long way. In other circumstances, I may have argued that our fee is supposed to take us to the summit but since Sarah is just seven years old, we gave her the money and some of our snacks and bid her goodbye.

When you reach the grassland, it means that the summit is just less than 30 minutes away. We were quick in finding a suitable campsite when we reached this spot. Be wary of cow dung! It would really be a hassle if you mistakenly pitch your camp atop of this organic bomb.

The summit! Yey!

Since there are only two of us, we pitched our tent first before we assaulted the summit. We were a bit nervous that our things might get stolen so every minute we were throwing glances on our camp. 

Assault to the summit

The trek up the summit was a breeze. We were both excited to see what was in store for us. At the summit, you'll have one of the best views of sunset ever. Feast your eyes on the beaches of Anilao, the Maricaban Strait and the distant Mindoro Island. Try to find the famous Sombrero Island if you're at the summit.

The blogger

The sun quickly set but fortunately we already pitched our tent earlier. Some of the other trekkers found it hard to pitch tent since the evening wind came with punishing strength that blew away anything not weighted down or pegged. We took our dinner and prepared to go to sleep. 

It was a good hike in Mt. Gulugod Baboy. However, when the night came, so are the other "elementals".  These people were (for lack of other term) a nuisance to all climbers that night. I am betting my money that these bunch are not mountaineers since they don't have any idea of proper mountain etiquette. 

They were pointing there strong flashlights on tents, talking, ehrrmm, shouting without any care to others, minding other people's business, and just being invasive. 

I was tempted many times to tell-off these people but Pearliloo kept on reminding me that they are probably drunk and I may end up beaten up by this people. It was a sleepless night,  trying to shut-off the shoutings and other noises emanating from their camp.

Garbage! oooh! Another garbage!

This was what greeted us in the morning! Garbage, and oooh, more garbage. There were lots of empty alcohol bottles strewn around the campsite but the people responsible were nowhere in sight. 

We picked up some of the garbages near our camp but unfortunately, we cannot carry more on our trash bag. I personally reported the incident to the person-in-charge that morning and he said that they'll burn the rubbish later. 

It was a bit disappointing that such behaviour is being brought to the mountains.

After a quick breakfast, we broke camp and proceeded on our descent. One thing we noticed was a tricycle driver offering a ride down of the mountain.

In order to go down the mountain, you'll have to backtrack to the same trail you used going up. It took us maybe an hour or so to reach the registration area. Remember to log-out at the registration area before anything else.

There are lots of private houses near PhilPan resort where you can use comfort rooms and shower. The fee for the use of the said facilities is 20 pesos per person.

We rode a trike back to the jeepney terminal. As we rolled faster and faster, we caught an amazing glimpse of the sparkling, blue sea of Anilao, Batangas. A place where the water kisses the blue sky.

A place with no past and future. Only present. 

-Adrian Villaflor, 2018 

My thoughts regarding the constructed concrete road leading to the summit of Mt. Gulugod Baboy

Many of Gulugod Baboy's visitors are not mountaineers but rather excursionists who ride their way up the mountain. I based this assumption on our experience since there are only one other group who we had shared the trail going up but the summit is very much crowded.

While it is satisfying to see kids, old people, couples and entire families enjoying the scenic beauty of Batangas from Mt. Gulugod Baboy (made possible by the concrete road), there are some trade-off that we have to consider.

1. More people, greater impact on the mountain. If left unregulated, it is not very long before the beauty of Gulugod Baboy is diminished.
2. Attracting "climbers" who are not really into nature. Since it is far easier to climb this mountain, people who don't have a heart for nature will see this as just another spot to loiter and vandalize. For mountaineers, a mountain is a sacred place.
3. Massive commercialisation on the mountain. This is an inevitable truth for some mountains aside from Gulugod Baboy. During our visit, there are lots of stores and peddlers on the mountain to accommodate the sudden influx of visitors and mountaineers. While earning a living is okay, there must be some regulations to it.

Things to Remember 

1. Practice Leave No Trace Principle. Do not be one of the a***oles who come to the mountain to act like a caveman. Being civilized and disciplined is needed all the time. Okay? If you can't practice LNT, don't go near any nature spots. 
2. If doing it commuters-style, remember to bring extra cash. The trike ride is a bit expensive, 200 pesos one way. 
3. The mountain tends to be very crowded during the summer months especially during holidays and weekends. Consider moving your climb date during off-season or weekdays at least. 

So you've read yet another entry from us. Check out our other stories for more adventure. Always remember, life is made up of experiences, so have as many experiences as possible. 

Thank you from the Restless Soles!

Mt. Humarap: A Complete Travel Guide

At the summit of Mt. Humarap

Mt. Humarap: A Complete Travel Guide

Located 115 kilomoters south of Manila, Paete, Laguna is mostly known as the Carving Capital of the Philippines and is always overlooked as a destination for climbers and nature trippers.

But little did we know that this quaint town has an awesome destination that will be liked by travellers and mountaineers alike.

Mt. Humarap, or Tatlong Krus for the locals, features a scenic bird's eye view of the town of Paete, Laguna de Baie and the foothills of Rizal Province.

Fast Facts

Difficulty: 2/9, Minor Climb
Elevation: 310 MASL at the highest point
Trail Description: Concrete stairs, mini-forest
Starting and exit Point: Brgy. Ilaya, Norte, Paete, Laguna
Guide/s: None, not required
Rope Segments: None

How to get There

1. From Alabang, ride a bus going to Sta. Cruz. Travel time is around 2.5 - 3 hrs. 

2. Alight at Sta. Cruz terminal. From there, ride a jeepney going to Paete, Laguna. Travel time is around 40 mins to 1 hour. Tell the jeepney driver to drop you off at Paete.

3. Ride a tricycle going to the jump-off point of Mt. Humarap. Specifically tell the driver that you are planning on hiking Mt. Humarap since trike can also go on the top of the mountain. 

4. You'll be dropped off by a narrow street. Walk through it until you hit the dirt road leading upwards. That is the start of the hike. If unsure, do not hesitate to ask the locals.

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Tale of the Trail

We were behind our self-imposed itinerary since the commute from Alabang to Sta. Cruz, Laguna had been slow. It was already past 11:00 am when we arrived at our destination. 

The climb will commence the moment you step off the trike. From there, you will walk through a narrow street for 5 to 10 minutes. Initially, it will not feel like you're going on a nature trip since the street looks like any other streets in the Metro. We were telling each other jokes like "Tama ba tong pinuntahan naten?" or "May bundok ba talaga dito?" 

Just continue walking until you notice the houses becoming more sparse by the minute. The exact start of the trail is not really pronounced but then you'll see a concrete stairs leading upward. 

The concrete stairs leading to the summit of Mt. Humarap

The concrete stairs are not particularly steep and have handrails for most part so falling down the sides is not really a problem. But you have to be careful from slipping since there are some sections that are covered by moss. 

Half-way through the summit, you will pass by a comfort room, with a small sign that says "Matabungka Falls". If you want to proceed to the summit, continue walking on the concrete stairs, but if you want to visit the falls first, then by all means follow the sign. Matabungka Falls is just 10 minutes away from the comfort room. For us, we chose to visit the falls after summiting the mountain.

At the junction, you will see this comfort room. If you follow the arrow, you will reach Matabungka Falls

The summit is less than 30 minutes away from this point. The stairs will even out just before the viewing point of Mt. Humarap. From this point, we were quite in a hurry since it was already noon time when we reached this point. 

Few minutes into the summit

It was already mid-day when we finally reached the summit of Mt. Humarap. The summit is an airy and grassy hilltop best suited for picnics and family gatherings. There are only few other visitors in the summit, mostly people who used the road to reach the summit since we did not share the trail with other climbers. 

Tatlomg Krus of Mt. Humarap

Certain facilities are available at the summit like comfort room, tables, and chairs since the location also caters for pilgrims during the Holy Week. Instead of renting a table and chairs, we decided to just use our picnic mat and just lie on the green grass under one of the many trees at the summit of Mt. Humarap. We ate lots of doughnut, as in lots of it during our stay here. 

The bloggers, Pearliloo and Iantot

The view of the top made the short hike all the more worth while. From the summit, you can see the entirety of the town of Paete and the largest lake in the Philippines, Laguna de Baie. One thing I noticed was that the shape of Paete looks like an eagle with its wings spread out. Rizal Province is the land mass beyond the lake.

Paete, Laguna de Baie and Mt. Sembrano at the background

If you look closely enough, you can make out the shape of Mt. Sembrano from the distance as well as the Pililia Windmills. It was like playing "I Spy", trying to locate all the familiar shapes and places in the distance. 

We relaxed and loitered for more than an hour in the summit before we head down once more to visit Matabungka Falls. From the summit, Matabungka Falls is just a 15-minute walk on the same trail. 

Matabungka Falls

During our visit, the cascade of the falls were kinda weak since there has been no rains in the last few days. But it is still refreshing. One thing we really like on this destination is that, since it is not very popular, we had the entire Matabungka Falls to ourselves! 

NOTE: This is not always the case. Mt. Humarap is a pilgrimage site so it tends to be very crowded during the Holy Week and other religious festivities. 

We only stayed for thirty minutes in the falls because the sun is already setting. The falls is covered by thick canopy of trees so the place darkens even before the sun actually sets. 

You can use the comfort room at the junction of the trail to change your clothing. However, during our visit, the toilet bowls were clogged so you can just use it as a changing room.

The descent had been a breeze, and were back in the town of Paete in less than thirty minutes. You can stroll in the quaint town of Paete, Laguna like we did. We saw a great deal of the culture of the town by visiting different stores and sculpting studio.

Support Filipino artists by purchasing local products! We bought small trinkets like ref magnets as a souvenir of our trip.

From the town center, ride a jeepney going back to Sta. Cruz. Tell the driver to drop you off at the bus station going back to Manila. Fare is around 25 PHP.

Mt .Humarap

It is not the altitude of the climb that matters, but rather your attitude towards the climb. It was an easy trek, but it was worth the effort. All goodbyes are temporary. We looked back and we know that we'll be back someday. Someday. 

- Adrian Villaflor, 2018

Things to Consider

1. As always, practice LNT. This is the first and foremost if ever you are going on a nature trip. 

2. No guides are required since this is an easy trek. However, never underestimate it. A climb is a climb, so practice proper climbing behaviour. 

3. If coming and going back from Manila, be reminded that you'll have to pass by Calamba, Laguna and Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Both have large volume of traffic so expect road congestion during peak times, 7am - 9am and 5pm - 8pm. 

4. We were not able to ask the caretaker if overnight camping is allowed on the summit. Maybe on your visit, you can ask around and let us know. 

Thank you for reading our story / travel guide. I hope you were able to get something out of it. Please like and subscribe to our facebook page. We would very much love to hear from you. Aja!