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. Manabu: Travel Guide and Itinerary

Mt. Manabu: Travel Guide and Itinerary

The Cross at the Mt. Manabu Summit

Mt. Manabu is one of the most popular hiking destinations for beginners and experienced climbers alike due to its close proximity to Metro Manila and its relative ease. But do not commit the mistake of missing this mountain whether you're a seasoned climber or not. It has a lot to offer - from a magnificent view of Batangas, forest walk, and of course free civet coffee!

Quickfacts

Height? 760 MASL according to Pinoymountaineer.com

Trail Difficulty? 2/9

Jump-off? Sulok, Brgy. Sta. Cruz
Roped Segment? Yes

Guide? Not required but available at the Brgy. Hall

Beginner friendly? 100% YES!

Manabu is the short term for "MAtaas NA BUndok".

The Team

Pearliloo and Ianpot, the restless soles of Mt. Manabu

There are only two of us in the team. The climb date was March 10, 2018.

How to get to Mt. Manabu

1. Ride a bus going to Lipa. Alight either on SM Lipa or Festival Mall junction. 

2. Ride a trike going to Sulok, Brgy. Sta Cruz. Fare is around 60 - 100 pesos one way. 

3. Halfway thru the trike ride, you will have to alight to the barangay hall and register.

4. Registration fee is 20 pesos per pax. Barangay officials will ask you to save their cellphone number in case of emergency. 

5.  Guide services are available for 500 pesos day hike but not required. 

Tale of the Trail

Initial part of the trail

From the barangay hall, the actual jump-off point is still a 10-minute ride away. The main landmark that you are already in the jump-off point is a sari-sari store and a gated parking lot. 

Do not go inside the gated property but rather turn right to the dirt road. There is a water tank there that serves as the First Station. There are eight stations along the trail of Mt. Manabu all together. 

The Map of Mt. Manabu

The trail is shaded by trees all through out, so getting sunburned is out of the question. From stations 1 to 4, the trail features gentle slope and some brook crossing. But during our climb, the sky decided to gave us a downpour which made the hike a bit more difficult than expected. 

The trail is rocky so we have to watch our step so we don't slip on the wet stones. 

One of the streams you have to cross while climbing Mt. Manabu

There are other groups when we started but when the rain turned into a downpour, a lot of them decided not to continue on since they were not able to waterproof their belongings. Pearly had her poncho with her while I used garbage bag as an expedient raincoat (improvise, adapt and overcome!).

Station 2 

We are making good time so we reached Station 2 in under 15 minutes. We stayed there for a few minutes and waited for the rain to peter out but with not much luck. We soldiered on to the next station while I pray that my garbage bag/raincoat holds until the end of our climb. 

Tatay Tino's Residence

Half-way to the summit, you will pass by the residence of Tatay Tino, the brother of Tatay Pirye, the "Man of Mt. Manabu". Here, you can have your share of unlimited civet coffee that for me, beats the pricey cup of Starbucks and other coño coffee shops in the city. 

We really enjoyed our pit stop at Tatay Tino's residence not only because of the free coffee but also because of the warm welcome we experienced from them. 

Tatay Tino: The Man of Mt. Manabu

We bought a couple of small jars of civet coffee as pasalubong before we left Tatay Tino's. Aside from the coffee, you can also try their home made lumpiang gulay  or vegetable springroll made of sayote. 

Naughty naughty!

Civet Coffee for Sale!

From Tatay Tino's, the trail diverge into two trails. The left trail leads to the grotto, while the right trail is the traditional trail. You can use both trail to complete the rosary trail of Mt. Manabu, ascending from either of the two then descending on the other. 

But for our case, we are not able to do so since the grotto trail was closed-off due to the bad weather. According to some locals, the grotto trail is steeper than the traditional so more perilous especially in bad weather.

From Station 4 to the small cross, is a whole lot steeper so prepare yourself. But don't worry since fixed ropes are in place to help you on your ascent and descent.

One of the roped segments in Mt. Manabu

It took us 30 minutes to jump this hurdle before we arrive on a small clearing where you can see the small cross. The sun finally peaks shortly after we arrived on the clearing.

Mt. Susong Dalaga as seen from the clearing of Mt. Manabu

From this vantage point, you have a clear view of the Malarayat Mountain Range. We decided to have a breather and just enjoy the view of Batangas and the cold weather that day.

The Small Cross

From the clearing, the actual summit is just about 5 - 10 minutes away so we decided to continue on to avoid the glaring noon sun.

The Cross at the Summit

The summit is marked by a large cross and a small altar made of stone. The view here is magnificent. From below, you can see the towns and cities of Batangas and the other nearby mountains like Susong Dalaga and Maculot in Cuenca. 

Admiring the scene from the Summit of Mt. Manabu

We loafed around the summit for about 30 minutes before we decided to descend since the sky darkened once more. We back-trailed since the trail leading to the grotto was closed-off due to heavy rains. 

The descent was painfully difficult because of the mud and slippery rocks. Mud caked our boots, making each step laborious and a bit dangerous but fun nonetheless!

We made light of the situation by making fun and taking unguarded pictures of each other on the way down. 

The slippery descent; laughing despite the difficult trail

Despite the difficulty, we were able to finish the descent in just over an hour. We passed by Tatay Tino's residence again which we bade our farewell. We finally reached the jump-off point a few minutes past 1 PM. 

There are facilities present where you can wash up and have a lunch. Use of shower and bathroom are 25 pesos per head. After washing up, we ordered adobo with rice for only 50 pesos per serving. 

Mt. Maculot in the distance, as seen from the summit of Mt. Manabu

We may have endured the cold rain and the slippery trail but it was not enough to dampen our experience of this beautiful mountain. We were happy when we started this climb, but we descended much, much happier. 

But even how happy an experience is, it all have to end. 

So we rode a trike back to the city, and bade our farewell to yet another beautiful mountain that will have a special place in our hearts. 

Things to Remember 

1. Again, Practice LNT.  I will never get tired of reminding everyone about this. Before your climb, familiarize yourself first about the Leave No Trace Principle. Let's preserve the beauty and the identity of the mountain. 
2. Respect the religious icons you'll find in the mountains. It is disrespectful to hang on the arms of the cross at the summit, or have a rather wacky pose in front of it. It's not worth the few Facebook or Instagram likes peeps. 
3. Never underestimate a mountain. Online resources state that Mt. Manabu has a difficulty level of 2/9. However, if you are not prepared physically and mentally, then all mountains are 9/9. 

So here we are at the end of our post. I hope this post can help you in planning your next getaway. We are happy to be part of your travels and adventure. Aja!

Thank you from the Restless Soles!