Mt. Maynuba Sunday Adventure
- Czariina Mae E. Gaspar
- Mar 14, 2018
- 6 min read
What’s up nookfinder?
Well if you are going to ask me the same question, my answer would be, ‘I am super tanned today’. I recently embarked on an amazing Coron, Palawan excursion and the sun screen didn’t do much for my skin lol. Before that, we also hiked a mountain with minimal shade hence my very sun-burnt skin. The climb was Mt. Maynuba.
If you are looking for the wide-range version of this climb with the Mt. Cayabu twin hike and the eight waterfalls traverse, then this entry is not for you. I would call this the pabebe version nonetheless a very special edition because we got to tag my boyfriend’s parents along with us.
Climb: Mt. Maynuba
Location: Brgay. Cayabu , Tanay Rizal
Difficulty: 3/9
Registration fee: 100 Php per head
Tour guide: 500 per tourguide- for a maximum of 5 hikers
The night before the climb, Robin and I had a petty fight. I was supposed to do an overnight in their house but I assumed that it wouldn’t push through since we fought and he went home late from a Saturday overtime work. But came 5am in the morning the dude called me requesting me to go with them because his parents asked him to. lol. For everyone’s info, Im not really that much of a complicated girlfriend. I would just go as if I’ve completely forgotten about the ordeal. So minus the normal hairblowing/ironing routine, I took a quick shower, met them halfway and off we went to our little Sunday adventure.
LOST
Robin being the happy-go-lucky type did not really reviewed nor researched the directions well. Good thing his dad copied the directions from the internet and jot it down in a yellow paper. Yep, we got lost. I was only looking at the other side of the paper when actually there is a more detailed description of landmarks at the back. We reached the town proper when we realized we still couldn’t see the San Andres arch that the directions asked us to look for. We then had to go back a few kilometers to finally see the arch at Batangasan.
HOW TO GET THERE
By Car:
Drive to Tanay through Marcos highway. Just after post 51, you will see a group of tricycles lining up at Batangasan with a green arch in the left with “San Andres” on it. This is a bit tricky and the arch is actually not noticeable so just keep an eye in the left after the said landmarks. Turn left entering the arch then go on with the rocky road. Road construction is ongoing so it could be dusty and rough depending on the vehicle you are using. Go through Barangay San Andres and once you reach an option to go left or right, go left to an upper road and drive until you reach Barangay Cayabu’s Elementary school and Barangay Hall. There you will only have to ask where the registration is.
Commute:
Ride a jeep to Batangasan and tell the driver to drop you off there. From the arch as stated above, ride a trike to reach the registration point. When you’re commuting, be sure to ride home before 7 pm because transpo is not available after the said time.
We touched the registration point past 8 am. We parked the car at the local covered court but there is actually a parking area at the jump off point which was the old registration area. we paid the the 100Php per head registration. We were four so that’s 400 pesos in total. Here’s how the amount is allocated based on the receipt provided to us after the hike<sorry for the dirty nail, i blame the hike for it>.
We were then familiarized with our guide, Maricar, a 23 year old local and a mom of two . It is our first time to have a female tour guide and I guess it was perfect timing because we needed someone who could be more patient given that we were with Robin’s parents. I have nothing against male guides, they are great and very helpful during difficult climbs but a few can get quite cocky pushing hikers to challenge themselves and go on. I felt instantly at ease with Maricar firmly believing she could handle our group well.
I led a short prayer and then we started at 9 am by doing a 100 meters walk to the jump-off point where hikers can actually park,buy necessities and and eat at a local carinderia. The beginning of the actual hike starts with a farm-feels walk. On our way, we were warned twice by descending hikers that it is already hot. The suggested time to register is actually at 3 am to reach the summit between 7 am to 9am for a chance to view the sea of clouds. The mountain has a very successful rate in that area so make sure to check it out If that’s what you’re aiming for.
Initially, we were supposed to do the twin-hike: Mt. Cayabu+ Mt Maynuba and the eight waterfalls traverse but it was obviously too much for Robin’s parents so we decided to tweak our itinerary and just go with the Mt. Maynuba traversing on the same trail used in the ascent. Well, I had nothing to do with the planning so I just went with the flow. The most imperative thing for us was to prioritize everyone’s safety. Here's a pic of our group a few minutes after the hike kicked off.
The Mt. Maynuba trail is just an easy peasy climb for those who normally hike which made it perfect for our company. You're only protagonist especially if you climbed at a time like ours is heat due to minimal to no shade at all especially on the two assaults before the summit. Nevertheless, I think it could get tricky and dangerous when pouring because the trail is pure soil which can be muddy and hazardously slippery when wet.
During the climb we had to take many breathers to give enough rest time for the parents. I was not able to have any breakfast but Tita Grace bought a lot of boiled egg and bananas to save me from feeling weak. Along the way the first sign that you are approaching the first assualt would be this beautiful tree which according to Maricar is called “Dapdap”.
The assault is a long series of continuous steps ascending until you reach Camp one. Except for the said camp, there are actually no stopovers in Mt. Maynuba hence there are NO stores to cater food and refreshments so you have to be well prepped.
In the middle of the first assault we were able to take a look and appreciate the ambiance.
A few minutes after our short stop over, Tita Grace felt dizzy from the scorching heat so she decided to no longer move on. Being the cool mom that she is, she didn’t ruin the fun and encouraged us to go on and that she’ll just wait for us. I was concerned because I wasn’t sure how long it will take for us to reach the summit to go back to her but Maricar assured us it won't take long. Tito Roel still went along with us and Maricar was kind enough to escort Tita to some nook where she could safely wait. Maricar came back and we were motivated to finish fast.We arrived at Camp 1 and ate some sandwiches before moving forward.We then had to face this trail which was a bit lengthy until we reached the 2nd assault to finally reach the summit
But don't get too excited because just before the second assault, you've got this view waiting for you to see!
An atlast , we have reached the final assault to the summit! We did some photo ops before facing the final phase to give our thighs a rest.
So off we conquered this very short assault. Except for the length of the trail and the long grass feels, this has no difference with the first one. It’s pretty safe because ropes are established for you to hold on to.
Finally, we successfully arrived at the summit! Yuhoo! Glad to be able to atleast bring Tito Roel to the top. He even wore a shirt with “ Believe and Achieve” statement for our little event!
After taking a pics and lived in the moment with the winning scenery in front of us, we then hurriedly came down to reunite with Tita grace and avoid the upcoming rain.
Upon descent at a littles past 1 PM, Robin logged us all out from the same registration point. We bid our goodbye to this ever-so-patient lady and gave her a 600 fee instead of 500. Thank you Maricar!
My realization from this climb is to prioritize the bonding moments with people close to your heart without need of pushing them beyond their limits. I could see that both of Robin's parents enjoyed and they even commented that hiking was an effective way to perspire and burn some fats. It was such a great way to bond while exercising although we immediately headed to a restaurant to eat right after. Well I ate a good for two Bagnet platter with binagoongan rice. How about that? Haha So that’s how our Mt. Maynuba tale rolled. See you in my next blog!
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