My First Day Hike : Mt. Daguldol
- Admin
- Nov 12, 2017
- 6 min read
Hi Nookfinders!
When I was in college, I earwigged that there was a mountaineering club in the university but I, by no means gave it a chance. Instead, I opted for theater. I don’t regret joining Teatro at all; I was honored to land a lead role on a uni show with legit ticket sales and it was lit. Plus, I met my beau there. I feel no shame whatsoever on snubbing the former but now I must say that I should have at least inquired because fast forward to my current self, I am ecstatic about hiking.
It was mid 2016; I was on my first job when suddenly my boyfriend informed me of an upcoming event that his co-worker, Kuya Bench, was organizing. The event was set for joiners (most of which are from the their company’s I.T. department) who are willing to hike the not so popular Mt. Daguldol in San Juan, Batangas.
It was automatic for a first-timer like me to find my only pair of rubber shoes and be super thrilled that I even bought new leggings and long-sleeved top. So how was it if you may ask? it was so good--I had to do it again.
EVENT DETAILS:
Climb: Mt. Daguldol MASL: 672 Difficulty: 3/9 Jump off point: Brgy. Hugom ,San Juan, Batangas Number of heads: 27 Cost: 850/Head inclusive of the following:
Two van roundtrip transfers
Gas
Toll fees
Hike related fees (ecological fees, tour-guides, and environmental fee)
I was not able to jot down all exact details at that time so please bear with the estimates. The pictures here are from my camera , Robin's, and his office-mate, Joko.
THE MISADVENTURE
Robin and I were early birds that day. We were a big group so we had to wait a few hours for a complete attendance. Two backed out the last minute--we were about 12 to 13 heads in our van. Unfortunately, the 2 hours ride became 5 hours when we got lost due to miscommunication amongst our drivers.
We finally arrived in San Juan Batangas and paid 20 pesos per head for an ecological fee on a mandatory stopover. We reached Barangay Hugom lunch time and was greeted by the beach front.
We were too hungry to appreciate the sea so we just decided to eat before we hike. There is a mini eatery in the registration point so no worries for those who are saving bag space. Robin and I, like we typically do, brought our own lunch pack. We also had a little pear fruit that I solely ate. We had 3.5 liters of water for the hike—ample for the both of us. We had heaps of rice and food so we hoarded some for later.
Despite the misadventure, everyone was in an elated mood. we listed our names and off we went with our two tour guides. Payment is 400 pesos per tour guide then environmental fee is 35 pesos per head.
Daguldol is a small ranged mountain and is great for beginners. It has moderate trails and it showcases so much greenery. Nevertheless,it's a pretty long trek. The tour guide said it often takes trekkers 5 to 8 hours to finish the whole climb depending on speed.
I was in awe looking at this cool sea view during the hike.
I think most of us were first-timers so we looked like this the whole time. Tired but still smiling! :')
When we thought we were already out of breath, we finally arrived at our first official stop.
FIRST TIME FEELS
Some people had cramps, one literally even fell. We were a huge number of heads so it took us a while to wait for each other to be ready to go on in each and every stop. I at one point almost gave up because my knees were failing me-- given that I was only carrying my camera and Robin carried all our stuff. Robin just cheered me on to go forward. I am a sporty person; I aced physical education but at that stretch, I knew I was not used to the activity. Thank God, I eventually got the hang of it.
Halfway to the summit there is a place where you could sip Fresh Buko juice for 25 pesos only.The owner will prepare it for you. I think this is the place that other blog's call Mang Lizardo's place. You could also take a pee here for free.
Another quick stop where you could sit and gulp water. To see firsthand the simplicity of life that residents have in Mt. Daguldol was a very humbling experience.
After a few hours walk you will reach Sitio Catmon signalling that you are near the summit! Another store here sells food that you could chomp on.
Say hi to our new little friends!
Reaching the last stop-over before the summit! You could buy your arrozcaldo or Halo-halo and relish the fresh air which the metro often refuses to bestow us. I applied off lotion on my legs that my hair got sticky when i tried to fix it with my hands. I had to borrow a tie and a comb just to feel comfortable. So girls, dont forget to bring these two essentials.
A few trek from the last stop over, we stopped to appreciate this awesome greenery!
Finally, the summit that gives a mesmerizing sea view. Daguldol’s summit is mostly pasture or for a more precise description—there’s lots of field grass. A few small rock formations are also present. Regardless, the meadow-feels was gratifyingly refreshing. It was also windy given that Daguldol is a coastal mountain.
I am happy to say, all of us, even if not on the same span of time, reached the top! The sound of success and munching on food resonated the summit.
Remember the food we saved for later? I ate most of it at the summit because I was so hungry! Of course I shared some to this poor curly haired guy who carried our stuffs all the way to the top.
I also noticed that my leggings were filled with grains that stick to cloth, i enjoyed removing them!
MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE CLIMB
When I thought the hard part was over, an even tougher circumstance troubled us. We were the first ones to exit the summit because we were chasing nightfall. We hastily hiked back that we reached halfway an hour after our exit.
The next hour was horrible. Nightfall came, We had no headlights and we merely depended on our soon-to-be drained phones. It was pitch black so we had to crawl our way out of the mountain. I didn’t know nor longer cared about the insects that bit me. The feeling of just wanting to get out and get a nice shower devoured us all. I guess this made the hike memorable and distinct.
We touched the registration point past 7 pm. I had a shower at a for-rental kubo near the beach for 50 pesos. We had to wait for the others to descend until past 9 pm. We were worried but we were assured that everyone will have a safe descent. We drank beer at the beach front and shared stories. It was fortunate that we had our private vehicles because the last bus trip from San Juan to Manila is at 6 PM.
Robin and I climbed Mt. Daguldol 3.5 hours up and 2 hours down. It was indeed worth the "Ang hirap." and "Angsakit na ng mga paa ko!". Side-trip choices that we weren't able to grab due to time constraints were Naambon falls and Laiya Beach.
WHAT TO BRING ON A DAY HIKE
1 liter of water depending on your consumption needs.
Rubbers shoes. In a terrain like this hiking sandals are okay. I personally prefer wearing closed shoes rather than having my feet out in the open. I just bring extra slippers for emergency purposes or when there is water involved. Bringing slippers is also good to give your feet a chance to breath after the day-hike.
Dry fit shirt or any comfortable top
Face towel
Off lotion
Lunch Pack
Extra cash
Comb and tie
Shawl or cap to protect you from the sun or unexpected rain
Camera/Phone
Headlights/ flashlights
Gloves- optional depending on the climb. In Daguldol I didn't find the need to use any.
Extra clothes / towel- we normally leave unnecessary stuffs like these if we have a private vehicle.
Basically that's what i normally bring. I never tried over night camping anyway.
The following day, I had work but my whole body was so pained I asked my manager if I could go at a later time and do a half-day instead. I found it hard to walk on stairs especially downwards. My thighs were killing me. But given the experience that I gained, I was most willing to do it again. Besides, it was an achievement unlocked for the relationship.
Hiking is quite a big hit lately especially to millennials or to those who just wants to step out of the concrete jungle they're living in. It is such a good way to exercise and to challenge yourself. Every struggle is compensated with pure bliss, aesthetic scenery, newly-built friendships and more. So how about you nookfinder—When and how was your first hike?
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