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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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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