3rd Hike: Montalban Trilogy Version 1

Hiking Leaf # 3: First Trilogy Climb

September 24, 2017 - After almost a month of rest from mountaineering, I once again joined our group's climb. Perhaps it was also because my rest day didn't align with the group's climbing schedule, so I couldn't join them. I was very excited because my body would once again be tested, and of course, the experience I would have, as I am already into #MountainIsLife.

Trilogy climb, meaning, we will climb three mountains in one day! I didn't know if I would finish the climb, complete the three mountains, if I could still walk when I got home, or if I would continue with this climb! But of course, nothing will happen if you don't try.

Appoy did not join on this climb because he was already processing his papers for Taiwan. I felt a bit sad because the one who influenced me to go mountaineering will now pursuing his working abroad. Instead, I was with JP on this climb.

  Upon arriving at the meet-up, we exchanged pleasantries as it had been almost a month since we were last together as a group. There were many new faces in the group, and this always excites me when I have a climb, meeting new friends. I knew Asky, Ate Jin, Jaymark, and Charmaine. After the whole team was complete, we headed towards Rodriguez, Rizal.

I actually fell asleep during the journey, and when I woke up, we were already at the Jump-off point, and my companions were getting ready. There were many hikers in front of the Barangay Hall, and it was my first time seeing that. We had breakfast and bought gloves because according to Ms. Mylene, we needed to wear gloves, though I didn't know why.

4:30 am - We started on the trail towards Binacayan, the first mountain we were going to climb. It was still dark, and it was also my first time! I didn't bring a flashlight, so I had a bit of difficulty along the trail. I just relied on the headlamps and flashlights of my companions. I was really feeling my way along the path! I had to navigate through rocky terrain, large rocks that needed to be crawled over. I had a hard time because not only was the trail new to me, but I also didn't have a flashlight.

The trail continued, with the path full of rocks that you had to hold onto, both rocks and branches. This is where I realised the importance of the gloves that Ms. Mylene mentioned. The rocks were sharp and the branches were also something you had to hold onto. Thankfully, the trail started to become clearer, which eased my difficulty.

Binacayan Summit | Sea of Clouds - Around 5:30 am, we reached the summit of Binacayan. I was surprised to see my companions running towards the summit. I was amazed when I saw the very beautiful view for the first time, the elusive Sea of Clouds at Binacayan. The guide told us that we were very lucky to have witnessed the Sea of Clouds. I was delighted with the view and couldn't resist taking photos.

Wow! Sea of Clouds - Mount Binacayan

Group picture at the summit of Binacayan

After a few minutes, the group decided to descend because we still had two more mountains to climb. We didn't backtrack, so I thought that the path ahead would probably be easy. The rocks we were passing through were very steep and sharp. We also encountered other hikers on the trail, which is why we couldn't proceed continuously on the trail.

We returned to the Jump-off point because the path to Pamitinan and Haponang Banoi was different. There, we passed by a bridge where the Wawa River flowed below. The uphill cemented path made it even more challenging and tiring for me. The wind really hit my body here because of my heavy breathing on the assault trail. I had to take breaks to catch my breath. Why didn't I experience this on Makiling? That experience was really intense. JP, my buddy on the trail, and I pushed on until we reached the Junction. There were stores selling water, soft drinks, chips, coconut, and more. We took a longer break here and the group assembled.

Picture at Junction between Pamitinan and Haponang Banoi

After the break, we ascended towards Pamitinan. The trail was the same, rocky, which is a characteristic of the mountains in Rizal. Around 11:00 am, we reached the summit of Pamitinan. This was where I saw the "life-threatening" shot that I often see on the Climber Group page on Facebook. We had to wait a long time to take pictures at the peak due to the crowd of people we encountered.

"Buwis-Buhay shot" - Mount Pamitinan

Group's "Dub Shot" at the summit of Pamitinan

 After taking pictures at the Peak, we descended back to the Junction. Upon reaching the Junction, we took another break, and Jaypee decided not to continue to Haponang Banoi and opted to stay at the Junction. I tried to persuade him to continue, but he said he was feeling something in his feet, so I didn't push him further.

The trail towards Haponang Banoi was rockier, with many bamboo trees along the way. From what I heard, we took an Easy Trail, so I felt a bit more at ease. The rocks we passed were steep and sharp, so I held onto them tightly. I didn't take selfies on the trail because it was dangerous, and, most importantly, my phone's camera was broken! Lol!

Haponang Banoi resting place

 We reached the hangout spot at Haponang Banoi and rested there for a long time, along with other hikers from different groups. We also took pictures because the view was beautiful. The guide informed us that it wasn't the actual summit of Haponang Banoi, but some of us decided not to climb to the highest point. Of course, I wouldn't waste the climb without reaching the true summit. Along with my six companions, we climbed to the highest point. The rocks here were sharp and the ascent was steep, which may have been why some of us didn't continue. The space at the top was small, but we still managed to take a group picture - we nicknamed our team "Magnificent 7". After a few shots, we returned to the hangout spot and began our descent.

3rd Mountain: Haponang Banoi

The Magnificent Seven!

 As we descended the trail, I started to feel the fatigue in my body. This is when I began to feel indifferent because I felt the need to get back to the Jump-off point. When we passed by the Junction, we didn't stop because we knew Ms. Mylene had already gone to the Jump-off point. Upon reaching the Jump-off point, I found myself sitting at a store and realised that I had fallen asleep! JP woke me up to eat.

After eating, we rested and chatted, and it finally sunk in that I had completed the trilogy. It was an achievement for me, and of course, I was very happy. I once again tested my capabilities in this type of climb. Although it may not be considered a Major Climb, I was still happy because I experienced getting tired and falling asleep without realising it!

JP's stolen shot of me while sleeping

Date of Hike:

September 24, 2017

3rd Hike

My 3rd - 5th mountains

First Trilogy hike

Mt. Binacayan (424+ masl)

Mt. Pamitinan (426+ masl)

Mt. Haponang Banoi (517+ masl)

Minor Hike

Event organiser/group:

Ms. Mylene (momshie) of Galang Paa