MT. MAKILING TRAVERSE DAYHIKE - STO. TOMAS TO UPLB

We took off at the Cabaong Bridge at around 6am and by 630am, we surpassed the last section of the housing development leading to the Makiling trail.

Most of the team were Maktrav hardcore in their college years but with the housing and commercial progress in the area, we got lost on our way up.  We faced boulders unpassable that we backtracked until the recollection of the right trail appeared.

At 9am, we reached a marker that bears a “Municipality of Sto. Tomas, Province of Batangas” engrave.  I looked for the flora around while the team was figuring out the next trail…

Because it’s the Sipit trail that the mountaineers usually undertake for traverse, the track of this Palanggana trail is quite unspoiled, no traces to guide along… We had several stops and recon in search for the correct way… well…

At the plantation area before the "big rock point", the trellis splitting property rights looked foreign to the group.  Thanks to the kind rancher for escorting our route. 

It was near 1130 when we reached the Palangga and Sipit trail joint and the view was marvelous.

Two hours more and we were at Melkas Campsite with a tree bearing a Station 15 mark.

It was at 2pm when we navigated the ridge leading to Haring Bato and finally Peak 3.

Before 3pm, I found myself trekking solo at the Wild Boar’s Trail… This so far was the most challenging part for me… Countless bends, stretches, crawls, jumps plus the thorns, the twigs but thankfully, I emerged at Peak 2 an hour thereafter without a leech encounter.

We ran our descent but darkness engulfed our course towards the Agila Base point.  It was already 630pm when we arrived at the habal habal location. We trekked for nearly 12 hours and despite the blunders and the pain, we had great moments... until next time...

Travel Date: March 2014