Manalmon-Gola: Complete Itinerary and a How to Guide |
| Mt. Manalmon (Right) and Mt. Gola (left) |
Aside from being a hiking and outdoor destination, it is also a good place to acquaint one's self to history and folklores. Mt. Manalmon is a silent witness to some of the most important events in Philippine History as well as few mystical stories to keep you entertained or creeped out for the entire duration of your hike.
Quickfacts
Height? 196 MASL according to Pinoymountaineer.com
Trail Difficulty? 2/9
Jump-off? Brgy. Bayukbok, San Miguel, Bulacan
Roped Segment? None
Roped Segment? None
Guide? Required. Available at the JOP
Beginner friendly? 100% YES!
Beginner friendly? 100% YES!
The Team
Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola are one of the earliest treks of Team Restless Soles. Same as always, there were only two of us in the team. Pearliloo and Iantot. Date of the climb was May 13-14, 2017.
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| The Restless Soles |
How to get there
1. Go to Cubao. Look for Baliuag Bus Lines. It is just across Victory Liner, near the footbridge.
2. Ride a bus going to Cabanatuan, and tell the driver to drop you off at San Miguel, Bulacan. Fare is around 150 pesos each. Travel time is 2 - 3 hours, depending on the traffic situation.
3. Alight at San Miguel, Bulacan. Ride a tricycle at the trike terminal going to Sitio Madlum. Fare is around 200 pesos. Travel time is 30 - 40 minutes.
Things to Consider before Visiting Mt. Manalmon
Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola are both situated within a protected landscape - The Biak na Bato Reserves. The LGU is regulating the number of people entering the protected reserves by requiring an advance reservation for anyone who wants to climb either or both mountains.
To make your advance reservation, text or call Tata Carling at this number, 09195746470 or send them an email at rrboyflorencio@yahoo.com. To be sure, send a text and an email.
Tale of the Trail
The excitement starts even before the hike itself. The initial part of the road leading to Sitio Madlum cuts through residential area. But few minutes into the ride, the cemented road ended and we were bouncing up and down as the rugged tricycle navigated the rough road that will take us to our destination.
You will notice the drastic change of environment as you continue with your travel. No electrical post and sparsely populated, you'll realize that you already left "civilization" behind.
There will be one or two "toll gates" (I don't remember, sorry) along the way which you have to pay 20 pesos each. The money collected is used in the local community development fund according to the people we had talked to.
After 40 minutes of butt-numbing tricycle ride, you will be greeted by a bridge made of wooden beam.
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| Crossing the hanging bridge to Mt. Manalmon |
The hike will commence at the wooden bridge. Upon crossing it, you will pass by the house / store of Tata Carling. Your advance reservation will be validated by leafing thru the printed permission letters.
Good thing about this is that the staff of Biak na Bato will be the one to print your permission letters with information lifted from the email you sent, so make sure to include the necessary info when you contact them. Yey!
A small hitch occurred when Tata Carling cannot find our permission letters from the pile. But instead of sending us back, he decided to let us continue since we came all the way from Cavite.
We were assigned a guide, Kuya Robert, for our climb. Kuya Robert is a serious but very helpful and awesomely knowledgeable of both the history and folklores surrounding the two mountains.
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| Yehey! We're halfway to the summit! |
A mandatory orientation was given to us as part of the protocol of the nature reserve. After the briefing, we started our hike.
The first part of the trail is a walk through a forest. The trail is shaded so you don't have worry about sunburn. The ground was a bit rocky and sandy, like walking along a river bank. This part of the trail will continue on for about 15 - 20 minutes until you reach the Madlum River. You will cross this river, so make sure you have the proper footwear.
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| Kuya Robert for Scale! |
The water was shallow, with the deepest part of the crossing only reaching our knees. But according to our guide, this river becomes a raging torrent during the rainy season.
We rested for a few minutes and had a bit Kodakan (photoshoot) with Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola at the backdrop. According to the legend, a Filipino supernatural hero named Bernardo Carpio was imprisoned between two large rocks. These rocks were splitted when Bernardo escaped, thus the creation of the two mountains.
After our extended rest (hahaha!), we continued on to Mt. Manalmon since this mountain is more suitable for camping than Mt. Gola. From the river, you will have to walk for about 10 minutes before you reach the actual foot of Mt. Manalmon.
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| Welcome to Mt. Manalmon |
There are two trails leading to the summit of Mt. Manalmon - the difficult, and the easy trail. Well you know how it is. Why make life more difficult? So we chose the easy trial.
From the marker, the angle of the trail becomes steeper with every step. The trail was rocky and solid but shaded nonetheless.
A little more before the summit, Kuya Robert led us to another trail which is more precipitous but at the same time more picturesque by a thousand times. This is considered as a viewing deck and the photography spot especially during sunset. This is where we had our favourite silhouette shot courtesy of Kuya Robert.
P.S The rock we were walking was not flat but rather rounded, so caution is required.
P.S The rock we were walking was not flat but rather rounded, so caution is required.
From the viewing deck, the summit is just 5 - 10 minutes away. Before reaching the summit, you will pass by the campsite where you can leave your things first before assaulting the summit.
We unslung our backpacks on the campsite and jogged to the summit. Assaulting the summit of Mt. Manalmon means you will have to climb atop large, smooth, rounded rocks. Good thing it did not rain during our climb or the trail leading to the summit will be slippery and many times more dangerous since falling off the side will likely result to a fatal drop.
After a few minutes of knee-shaking assault, we finally reached the summit, and it was worth it! From here, you can see the Madlum River and the distant mountain range.
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| Yes! Summit! |
In the opposite direction, feast your eyes with the flatlands of Region 3 and the majesty of Mariang Sinukuan or Mt. Arayat.
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| Uy! Si Arayat! |
We stayed on the summit of Mt. Manalmon for about half an hour before we decided to go back to the campsite.
I quickly set up our tent while Pearliloo attended to our dinner. We had the entire mountain for ourselves so we had the privilege of occupying the best spot in the campsite.
After dinner and a little talk, we finally called it a night to prepare for more adventures the next day.
Day 2
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| Cooking Skills Level: 53 |
After loafing on the summit for an hour, we descended on the campsite and prepared our breakfast; hotdog, salted egg and rice.
After eating and a few minute-rest, we quickly descended Mt. Manalmon and to the foot of Mt. Gola.
Climbing Mt. Gola
The trail going to the summit of Mt. Gola was really, as in, really difficult compared with Mt. Manalmon. At some point, the angle of the trail can be as steep as 65 degrees or more. It was also craggy that going 4x4 (on hands and knees) was painful.
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| Mt. Mabio |
The assault going to the viewing deck of Mt. Gola is about 20 - 30 minutes, depending to your pacing. It is not an exaggeration to say that climbing Mt. Gola is twice difficult than Mt. Manalmon.
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| With a little photography skills, you can use the sparse vegetation as effects for your phoro |
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| Mt. Gola Marker |
According to Kuya Robert, the only thing you can see in the summit of Mt. Gola is the marker since it is covered by vegetation. We decided not to summit Mt. Gola. But if you want, the summit is just under an hour away from the deck.
We were quick on the way down, not because of ease but because we want to get over the difficult terrain fast. (hahaha!)
From the foot of Mt. Gola, you'll have to cross Madlum River once again, and backtrack towards the jump-off point.
What to do After Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola
Is this the end of your Bulacan trip?
Of course not! there are lots of other activities that you can do after your hike.
Of course not! there are lots of other activities that you can do after your hike.
1. Spelunking at Bayukbok Caves
Bayukbok Caves are a series of underground caves that were used by both Filipino Revolutionaries and guerillas of World War II. Exploring this cave system will take you about an hour. Experience what our forefathers experienced before, look closely to the natural wonders like stalactites, stalagmites, stone pillars and many more.
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| Entrance of Bayukbok Cave |
2. Cross the Monkey Bridge
If ever you feel a bit ballsy, then make sure to cross the "Infamous" Monkey Bridge of Mt. Manalmon. Probably fifty feet in the air, and a length of more than its height, this is surely for the dudes and gals with serious cajones. Try it! I double dare you!
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| Monkey Bridge of Mt. Manalmon |
3. Swim or wade in the Madlum River
This is a seasonal thing. During the summer season the water is too shallow and has debris since the flow of the river is quite slow. But during the rainy season, it swells to a dangerous depth. Be guided.
Things to Remember
1. For the nth time, follow Leave no Trace Principle. There was a time when visitors don't have to go through the mandatory orientation. But due to recklessness and irresponsibility of others, the government has to be more strict.
2. Do not touch stone formations like stalagmites, stalactites and stone pillars. These speleothem has a distinct shine. But if you touch them, oil from your hands will stick to it so it will no longer be shiny. This effect is irreversible.
3. Contact the caretaker of the natural reserve beforehand. Use the contact number and email above to reach them.
4. Prepare yourself physically, mentally and financially. As always, all mountains are difficult for the unprepared.
So here we are at the end! I hope you found this guide helpful for your trip. Do you have any questions or anything to say? Let us know in the comment. We would like to hear from you.
