Life is all about making choices. If you have P500, how would you spend it? Either you choose to buy a venti frappe complemented by a slice of blueberry cheesecake with few coins to spare, or watch a movie in the cinema and buy a large butter popcorn and drinks.
But wait, we have a better option aside from all that. How about you spend that money on a quick getaway near Manila? A place where you can inhale fresh air and just be mesmerized by the stunning city lights at night and the Sierra Madre mountains in the morning?
Then let us introduce you to one of our favorite mountains, Mt. Balagbag.
Quick Facts
Height? 777 MASL according to Pinoymountaineer.com
Trail Difficulty? 3/9
Jump-off? Barangay Hall, Sitio Balagbag
Roped Segment? NONE
Guide? Not required but available at the Brgy. Hall
Beginner friendly? 100% YES!
Mt. Balagbag is one of the numerous landforms connected to the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. It offers a spectacular view of the Sierra Madre mountain range to one side and the picturesque city of lights of Metro Manila. It is located in Sitio Balagbag, in the city of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.
By far, Mt. Balagbag is one of the easiest yet wonderfully beautiful mountains near Manila.
There are only two of us in our climb. Our climb date was November 27-28, 2017.
By far, Mt. Balagbag is one of the easiest yet wonderfully beautiful mountains near Manila.
The Team
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| Pearliloo and Iantot, the restless soles of Balagbag |
How to get There
- Ride a bus going to Tungko
- Alight at Tungko, then go to BDO building. There is a jeepeney terminal behind it.
- Go directly to the last line of jeepneys and look for those with Licao-Licao signboard. Fare is 27 pesos, one hour travel time
- From Licao-Licao, you may choose between riding a trike which will cost you 30 pesos each (5-10 minutes) or just walk to the barangay hall which is considered the official jump-off (20 - 25 minutes).
Tale of the Trail
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| The initial part of the trail |
The trail from the jeepney terminal to the barangay hall is a rough road with minimal ascent. It is well established since Sitio Balagbag is still up ahead and locals constantly ply through it.
It will take you about 20 - 30 mins to reach the Barangay hall if you decide to walk. For us, we chose to walk for a more fulfilling experience since the trail from the jump-off to the summit will be just an hour long.
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| Barangay hall serves as the registration area for climbers |
Everyone is required to register at the barangay hall and pay the registration fee of 20 pesos per head. For everyone's safety, it is prudent to list down all the names of members of your team and save the cellphone number of the person in charge in case of emergency.
From the barangay hall, the trail becomes a bit steeper but still manageable. However, it is more exposed than the previous part of the trail so sun exposure will surely be an issue during the hottest part of the day.
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| The trail to the summit |
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| The gate to the summit |
The Summit
The best way to appreciate Mt. Balagbag is to spend the night at its summit. Be mesmerized by the Manila Skyline at the distance that gives a very romantic vibe to anyone. Though I want to share everything, my photography skills cannot give justice to the view that we had seen atop Mt. Balagbag.
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| Poor photography skill |
Since it was already sunset when we arrived at the summit, we quickly pitched our tent and prepare our dinner. We did not have much time to explore the summit so we just waited until the next morning to do just that.
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| Our dinner, luncheon meat and rice |
Funny thing is that, we had everything we need. We even brought our beach mat just for comfort but we totally forgot to bring utensils so we have no choice but to eat with our bare hands.
The sky decided to give us a light rain shower that night so we have to call an early lights out.
We finally had our chance to explore the summit the next morning. There are numerous nipa huts in the summit. According to the locals, it was constructed for other climbers who do not have tents with them. We are yet to know if there is a fee to use those huts since no one really supervise it.
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| Start your day right! Drink Milo everyday. hahaha! |
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| Nipa huts at the summit of Mt. Balagbag |
Aside from the summit itself, there are lots of interesting things to see.
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| Stone cairns or better yet, stone stacks |
First, there are lots of stone cairns at the summit and the path going down. Stone cairns are used by people for different purposes. One of which is to tell other hikers the right path. NOTE: Do not stack stones just for the fun of it. It may cause people to get lost in the wilderness. Luckily, Mt. Balagbag is not circuitous so getting lost is not really a problem.
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| The "fauna" of Mt. Balagbag |
By "fauna", what we really mean are the dogs and cats of Mt. Balagbag. Cute doggos kept as company during the night and all morning. We even had an experience when a small puppy took shelter in the second wall of our tent. The most popular of them is the orange cat which has the moniker "Garfield". This cat is really accustomed to the company of climbers that it will comfortably approach you to have a back scratch.
Going Down
The hike going down is a lot faster and easier which will only take you less than an hour to reach the jump-off point. However, the beautiful sceneries kept our pace slow and enjoyable. On the way down, the UNIVERSE GRANTED US a double rainbow.
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| Pearliloo's special skill: Ability to summon rainbow |
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| Feel the wind blowing |
Shower facilities and stores are available at the barangay hall. There are also food stalls and carinderia if ever you feel hungry.
It took us almost an hour since we deliberately slowed down our pace. Always remember that the destination is not everything there is. The process of going there, the travel, is sometimes more important than your destination. After using the facilities, we decided to ride the trike so that we will not be sweaty, (and smelly) by the time we reach the bus stop.
We bid our farewell to the people at the barangay hall, and rode the trike with satisfied hearts. As we look back, we longingly declare, we will be back.
- Pearl and Adrian, March 2018
Tip and Concerns
- As always, practice LNT Principle. If you are not familiar with it, I suggest you research for it first before climbing a mountain. The mountaineer's creed; Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprint and kill nothing but time.
- DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE A MOUNTAIN. Even if we say that this is an easy mountain, it doesn't mean that you should not prepare for it. Take note that the difficulty of the mountain is all about the condition of your body and your equipment.
RIP Shoes - Always register and get the contact number of the people at the registration in case of emergency.
- The entire trail of Mt. Balagbag is relatively short, compared to other Rizal mountains. Since the highlight of the climb is usually the city lights and the sunrise the next day, I advise you to start your trek at around 4PM. Hiking too early will mean that you will have to spend more time at the summit under the sun.
CRIMES at Mt. Balagbag
The most compelling reason that some climbers avoided Mt. Balagbag now are some cases of theft in the area. And last January 2018, the mountain witness yet another case of robbery and physical injury done by scoundrel to our fellow climbers. In light of this event, some climbers were proposing a temporary boycott on the mountain until the case is resolved.
We climbed this mountain with only two of us in the team. Luckily, we did not experience any of it.
Here are some suggestions
- Have a large group. Large groups usually deter robbers and thief from approaching the camp
- REGISTER so local officials know where you are.
- Tell people at home where you are going and what time you should be back at home.
- Avoid hiking late at night
Despite everything, I want you to understand that this mountain is calling upon us. Everything will be back where it should be, in the future. So what are you waiting for? Let's go and make memories!
