Hiking and climbing mountains has now become a popular activity not only for full pledged mountaineers but also for those who are trying explore the world one mountain at a time. And me? I belong to those who wants to explore. I’m no mountaineer. HAHA. And I guess it’s a great thing that we can see the world in a whole new perspective every time we climb new mountains.
Madlum Cave
We came in San Miguel Bulacan to climb only Mt. Manalmon. But as we register, we suddenly just wanted to climb Mt. Gola and try spelunking at Bayukbok cave II. Both Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola has a height of 196m. So if you’re a beginner, these are one of the mountains you should first try out. But don’t think that just because it wasn’t that high, you can go to the peak easily. The trail is a different thing. It’s still exhausting but tolerable. We’ve conquered Mt. Pamitinan which has a rocky trail so Mt. Manalmon and Mt. Gola should be quite easier for us. Well, it wasn’t. Haha. Yes, it’s easier but a climb is still a climb.
Also, if you want to climb this these 2 mountains, you should first email and secure a permit. All of those who’re going to hike should have permits and should be brought with you and submitted to the staff in registration. No permit, no hike. So if you don’t want to waste your precious time, better have a permit on hand on the day of your climb.
Our guide, Kuya Tamang
So we first climb Mt. Gola. As I said, the trail is quite easy compared to Mt. Pamitinan but of course, you would still get tired. But it’s the view on the peak that will make all your sweat and exhaustion go away. As for Mt. Gola, we weren’t able to really go to the peak because our guide, Kuya Tamang said that the peak’s crowded with trees so he instead led us to the viewing deck which has the same height as the peak. Mt. Gola’s viewing deck is superb! Feels like you’re watching a movie in a wide screen. 360 degrees view of everything! No exaggeration! The view is awesome.
After some photo ops, we descended and went straight to climb Mt. Manalmon. You can roughly climb this 2 mountains in 2 hours. Our waiting time to get our pictures in the peak of Mt. manalmon is longer compared to the time it took us to climb to the peak. Haha.
Can I just say one thing? If you’re climbing mountains and reached the peak, please be kind and considerate enough to just take your photos and descend already. Why? Because there are a lot of people waiting to have their pictures taken too. It’s not a coffee shop or something. It’s not a tambayan *guys. I know you worked so hard to get there, but so are the people on queue. I mean, appreciate the view.. have photos. Lots of photos. It’s acceptable. But to sit and be inconsiderate to the others waiting for their turn? We have major problems here. Of course, it’s a case to case basis. If you’re the only ones in the peak, go ahead and enjoy, take your time. Manood ka pa ng movie! Haha. But if there are a lot of other people waiting, please be consderate and just take amazing photos.
Alright. So I ranted well with that. Haha. I just can’t tolerate that kind of attitude.. So, after we descended Mt. Manalmon, we had our lunch beside the Madlum River. There are many side trips you can do in Sitio Madlum. You can try Spelunking, cross the river using the Monkey bridge, or you can also swim in Madlum river. Of course, we tried it all. Haha!
As for spelunking, it wasn’t actually my first time. My first time was in Sagada. But nonetheless, it was a nice experience. Got lots of bruises and head bumps but it’s fine. Things we do for adventure. Lol. Some rocks you climb, some you crawl. There’s nothing special in the cave. But it’s still a good side trip.
Mt. Manalmon’s Peak
Trying out the Monkey Bridge
We spent the whole afternoon in the Madlum river. If you’re worrying if there’s a shower room, there is. So better bring extra clothes and toiletries when you go here. Before we went home, we tried the monkey bridge. Which is very cool! There’s a harness for safety precautions but I bet you don’t even need that. Haha!
Again, t’was a fun Saturday. Looking forward to do this more often. So until then here’s a sunset and a picture of a piglet. :)
{{}}
