MT. BALAGBAG -- Rodriguez, Rizal

MT. BALAGBAG (Dayhike)

Rodriguez, Rizal

First jumpoff: Sitio Karahume, Brgy. Macabud, Rodriguez

second jumpoff: Sitio Balagbag, Brgy. San Isidro, Rodriguez

http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2011/05/mt-balagbag-777-in-rodriguez-rizal.html

Mt. Balagbag -- Rodriguez, Rizal

We climbed Mt. Balagbag to support the tree planting activity of a school-based outdoor group.  We were in-charge of bringing the seedlings to Sitio Balagbag.  

From Commonwealth Ave., we head straight to Tungko then to Licao-Licao.  The entrance marker to Sitio Balagbag is the Flea Market at Licao-Licao.  You can ask for directions if you are in doubt of your route.  The "Welcome to Balagbag" marker ensures you that you are headed the right trail.

We started the trek at 9:30 am.  The trail is wide and is actually passable by a four-wheel vehicle -- no wonder Balagbag is a favorite mountain biker’s destination, with its wide yet challenging terrain. 

Locals live by the trail side, or road side.  As we ascended we saw boys and some men bringing logs and sacks of charcoal down.  The wide array of barren land even in the neighboring mountains is a heart breaking scenery.  I reminded myself to avoid making conclusions because a deeper cause rests beyond the picture that I'm currently seeing.  All I can do at the moment is hope and pray for a sooner reforestation to protect nature and for the next generation to enjoy.

After an hour of scourging trek under the sun, we reached the top.  The Sierra Madre ranges and the famous Bernardo Carpio of Wawa, Montalban made up for the Balagbag panorama. 

 

The descent took about 30 minutes but if you opt to stay for the night, you can either camp at the summit and add Balagbag waterfalls to your IT or you can camp at Balagbag Family Resort for a P100 overnight fee and enjoy a dip in the pool until the morning.

 Travel Date: June 2012