Mount Hapunang Banoi

View from the top

Welcome to my very first Soshal Climber post, Beshies!

Philippines is composed of 7,107 islands blah blah blah. The country is famous for having the most beautiful beaches in the world, Manny Pacquiao, beaches again, exotic pinay beauties, food, and then beaches again, hospitable people and traffic congestion LOL. Most of the websites I've visited promotes beaches, surfing, diving and all the water activities that can be offered. I haven't seen any that encourages other nationalities to do hiking, trekking, mountain climbing or any activities that outdoor people might be interested with.

The Soshal Climbers

Did you know that there are thousands of mountains in the PH. And every year they open new trails for public. But take note, mountain climbing in the PH is a little different from other countries. In some, you can just follow the trail without the help from locals. But in PH, it's a no no no. You need to have a guide, a certified mountaineering guide. It's for your own good, Beshies. Because some trails are bipolar, what I mean is some part has established trails, some doesn't.

Climbing like a Monkey

To start with our mountain hopping journey I would like to introduce Mt. Hapunang Banoi. With 4/9 difficulty, steep trails and limestone karst. Standing 1696+ feet tall, featuring limestone formations, scenic views of Rizal province & Sierra Madre, and breathtaking sunrise. Located in Brgy. Wawa, Rodriguez, Rizal which is approximately 2-hour drive from Manila. But if you're planning to go during rush hour, it might take longer than that (traffic congestion as usual).

Struggle is Real

There's 40php entrance fee per car, 40php per head environmental fee, and donation (any amount) for the trail maintenance. The guide fee is 500php per mountain, so invite your Beshies to hike with you. If you like to support locals, there are small stores at the jump off and junction that sells a little pricey goods. They offer bottled water & juices, snacks, breakfast food etc. But if you're on a tight budget, you can always bring your own baon/food. FYI: don't leave your trash, Bitches.

EmjayClimbing

 The hike starts at the Brgy. Health Clinic of Wawa to warm you up a little. There are 4 stops going up where you can rest, recharge and chit-chat. Anyone can hike this beauty, even the pabebes (annoyingly kind of baby-acting) but it might take 10 year (double or triple than the normal time) for them to get to the summit. Because they like to take advantage of all the stops. LOL. If you're fit and healthy like me #charot no need to rest Beshie just keep on going up, up, up. If you need to go to the loo, there's one at the 4th stop.

Scary but worth it

 The best time to start the climb is 4:30AM. Don't know what time to leave? Use my BFF google map, it will be delighted to give you the ETA. But why so early? Simple, to be the first at the summit #competitive, catch the beautiful sunrise, and avoid the noisy and loud millennials. Trust me they're irritating. And expect hundreds of climbers every day especially on weekends. And if you get to the top late, it will take time for you to get a picture perfect because there's always a long line.

Expectation

 Beshies, a little reminder from your soshal climber. Wear hiking pants or tight to protect your smooth skin from insect bites. Bring gloves to protect your soft hands as you climb like a monkey along limestone karst. Wear hiking shoes to protect your tired feet from the pointy and sharp stone as you ascend this beauty. Millennials, have mercy on your feet so please don't wear running shoes for hiking. Lol

Reality. Scared to Death

 What's so special about this mountain? It's for you to find out #Charot. I can't find the right word to describe the feeling I had while I was at the top watching the Sun rises. All I know is that it's magical.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to leave a comment. 

K Thanks Bye