Team Brackets Conquered the Gulugod Baboy (Mt. Pinagbanderahan)

Why Team Brackets? Read along for you to find out... (",)

As what some of our friends say, "Many responded, but a few committed." This was the reason why I didn't really felt the excitement the night before our trek to Mt. Pinagbanderahan (Gulugod Baboy). It was planned a month before the said date thinking that many will be able to prepare and join us. Yes! There were fifteen people on the go.... But our number went down as the day of the trek was approaching. Two days before it, I received a confirmation that only 4 of us would be going. Well, at least, I got enough sleep since I was not really thinking about the activity. Aside from worrying that our number would be a "boring crowd", I was also concerned about what are we going to face on our way. I mean, I planned this adventure with just the internet as my reference. Nobody from the group climbed the mountain before, we didn't get a tour guide and my companion might be disappointed with the outcome the plan consider our count as well... I just pretended to be excited when we met at McDonald's in LRT-Gil Puyat at  around 4AM.

And so the start of our adventure... We rode a JAC Liner Bus bound for Batangas Port, which departed at around 5AM. I couldn't take a travel nap since I should be alert of the places we passed by. It will be a hassle if we drop off at the wrong point. After 2 hours, we arrived at Batangas City Public Terminal. We then looked for the jeepney which would bring us to Anilao Port. Luckily, Batangueños around the place were so accommodating, passengers and drivers alike. They helped us find a good bargain to bring us directly to Philpan Beach (where the jump off to Gulugod Baboy is).

A not so good event on our way to Philpan Beach:
The driver of the jeepney we rode in seemed to be suffering from LBM (as what the long forgotten TV AD tells its viewers). He maintains a speed not typical for a narrow busy highway. His brakes isn't smooth either. Unfortunately, the vehicle bump into an approaching tricycle... You might wonder what happened next, huh? Well, what I thought on that moment was the incident taking our most precious time. So, "evil-ish" as it may seemed, I didn't mind seeing the trike's passenger with her bleeding shin. On a good note, there are still people around who helped her.. After shouting for help.. Hmmff!.. *pathetic bystanders. I immediately got our refunded fare from the collector and looked for another jeepney to bring us to our destination.

We arrived at Philpan Beach Resort at around 9AM already. The day was scorching hot. On the contrary, my mood already changed from anxious to excited after seeing beach views and cliffs along the way. I even got more excited when we were already treading up. The view's getting nicer, so as the horizon of  the West Philippine Sea growing wider. We're slowly getting a bird's eye view of Anilao, Batangas.  

So what's with Team Brackets?... go ahead, you're halfway there... (",)  

... Since we didn't hire a guide we got lost on our way up, twice. But, as what locals say, all trails in Gulugod Baboy will lead you to the peak. We reached the campsite of Mt. Pinagbanderahan after 2 hours of trekking.

Being at the campsite was simply amazing. The graduation of colors from green to blue makes you feel cool despite of an open canopy (just a little shade to protect you against the heat of the sun). The sea breeze likewise makes you spread your arms wide open... and let it just kiss you for quite awhile. That time, climbers who came ahead of us were already on their way down. Only the four of us would be spending two hours at the peak... so the place was "exclusively" ours. ‬

We decided to eat our lunch before reaching the topmost part of the mountain. When we were eating, I remembered one Korean movie with a setting almost similar to the peak of Mt. Pinagbanderahan... The stroke of the wind on the grass was like a scene taken from "My Sassy Girl". I then looked for a tree singly standing on the slope. I found many trees but not as similar as that of the movie. I could have burried a time capsule if there is that single tree on the grass-field... Maybe I was late and it was already struck by a lightning... (",) (you who have seen the movie knew what I'm talking about, do you?)

Then, it's time for us to apply additional sunscreen lotion before heading on to the top. (A friendly advise: If you don't wanna get dark, do not climb Gulugod Baboy during the day, unless it's raining and the sun is shy to show himself. Or do a night trek instead. Sun protections are helpful... to make the effect of the heat "subtle". Hehe...(",) In short, just expect a tan to dark complexion after the day trek.

 

So, you now have a little hint about Team Braces?... Better finish reading the article... (",) 

We were like children running and jumping off on top of Mt. Pinagbanderahan. Can't help but appreciate another beauty of God's creation. To express this appreciation, we did a lot of jump shots. Here are a few of them (",)

After feeling tired, we decided to descend from the peak. We wanted to take a little more time at the beach so we took a faster pace during our descent. But of course, since we need some replenishment we dropped by the halu-halo station. Aha! There are about three houses along the way offering ice cold drinks, halu-halo and fresh coconut juice. 

A plunge after the tiring trek. 

Since we still have time to enjoy the beach, we rented a cottage at Philpan Resort. Swimming after a climb is really a relief. Anilao waters is also cold despite the, still, hot summer afternoon. We got off of Philpan Beach at around 5PM already. I admit, I was wrong when I thought 4 is a "boring crowd". I got used of trekking in a group of 10 or more. But at this time, I should say, this is the happiest group climb ever. (",)

Maybe some of you could have found out why we came up with Team Brackets, huh? Well, for those who are just curious and did not read the whole article, just take a look at our photos... What do we have in common?

Ikaw? Sino'ng Napasaya mo Today? (",)

OUR ITINERARY and EXPENSES:

5:00-7:00 Pasay (JAC Liner)- Batangas City Public Terminal -[120.00]
7:00-8:30 Batangas City Public Terminal (jeep)- Philpan Beach Resort [125.00]
8:00-9:00 Registration @ Philpan Beach [20.00]
9:00-11:00 Trek to Summit (Pinagbanderahan Peak)
11:00-13:00 (Explore the Peak, 360 view of Batangas)
13:00-15:00 Descent to Philpan Beach Resort
15:00-17:00 Beach Exploration (Philpan Entrance-60.00 Cottage 300.00/4heads)
17:00-18:30 Back to Batangas City Public  Terminal (100.00)
19:00-22:00 Grand Terminal to Manila [100.00]


My expenses, others:
Buko- 25.00
1.5L Coke- 60.00
Phone Charging- 20.00

Food - 250.00

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Mt. Pico de Loro- Laagan Adventures' First Luzon Mountain

Because I was excited for my first encounter in the mountains of Luzon, I only had a little time to sleep the night before our Mt. Pico de Loro trek. It was 1A.M. when I woke up to prepare my stuff and our meeting time was 5AM. Wasn't that an enthusiastic first timer? Well, of course, I needed to prepare all my trekking gears that time (my bag, my bottled water and food, and my cellphone). Hmmm... Quite a lot of stuff to prepare.

I never saw the sceneries on our way to Ternate, Cavite because that was my only chance to gain some strengths for the climb. Actually, all of us (except the driver) were asleep the whole time we traveled. I woke up realizing we're already in, what was called, Magnetic Hill in Cavite. The name of the hill didn't catch my interest. Maybe because, it was covered up with my excitement of conquering the Parrot's Beak... As people were saying, the hill was claimed to be a magnetic area. And to experience this, you just have to put your vehicle's engine in neutral mode, and then let the hill pull you up. Mysterious huh?.. But as per my "brother" Kuya Kim, it's optical illusion (",)

Anyway, we arrived at the DENR office in Ternate, Cavite at around 7AM. In here, you have to pay Php20.00 as registration fee, aside from the maintenance fee (Php20.00) which you also have to pay at Basecamp 1 5minutes away from DENR jumpoff point. (a sum of Php40.00 for the registration). 

Some of us were first time climbers, thus, our pacing was slow. Fortunately, the trail was dry making it easier for us to maintain our tread. We had a lot of stopovers, but we're able to reach the campsite after three hours. We were greeted by climbers who reached the site ahead of us, likewise, a family who maintains a food-store. Yes, you don't need to worry of running out of food because there's a "sari-sari" store at the campsite. 

 

There is a part of the campsite, the viewdeck, which enables you to have a wide view of Cavite, the West Philippine Sea all the way to the historic Island of Corregidor. From this point, you'll also have a perfect front view of the "Parrot's Beak". The wind was blowing so hard but it didn't stop us in doing lots of photo ops at the viewdeck.

After consuming our morning snacks, we decided to climb up to the summit. For some of us, that was the most difficult part of our day trek. The trail is steep and narrow. You can hardly hold on for a branch/bush to help you pull yourself up. Some of us even made use of their "four-wheel drive" (crawling mode).

And at last we reached the summit. It was indeed a fulfillment... For me, because this was my first mountain trek in Luzon and for some of us because this was their first mountain climb.

A much better panoramic view, overlooking Cavite and Batangas, can be experienced at the summit. From there, you can see the monolith or, as called by locals, the Toreng Bato which seems to encourage you to conquer your fear of heights. And yes, four of us were "seduced" by the Toreng Bato. I just found myself trailing forth its wall. (Important Points: The trail going to the wall is a lot narrower and bushy- cliff on both sides. Climbing the monolith should be done with caution and, as much as possible, rock-climbing skills. It is not recommended for beginners.) 

Being on top of monolith is like being on top of the world. The experience is, somehow, priceless! This Pico de Loro climb is another moment in my life which I could be proud of.

After spending almost half an hour at the Toreng Bato, we decided to go back to the campsite for lunch. We spent another hour to rest and feel the wind "kissing our cheeks", before we preparing for our descent. Our pace when we descended was faster and we had the chance to divert our way going to one of the waterfalls near Basecamp 1. Since it was a dry season, the view was a bit disappointing. The drop was lesser and the water is shallow. Well, at least, we were able to visit that part of Mt. Pico de Loro. 

We arrived to the DENR office at around 5PM already. The crickets were beginning to get noisier since it was already getting dark. The day was tiring but it was full of fun memories which will never be forgotten. Still, Laagan Adventures do not end here. There are a lot more adventures to conquer... more fulfillments to experience... to be continued....  (",) 

For Your Information (from www.pinoymountaineer.com):
PICO DE LORO
Ternate, Cavite
Major jump-off: Magnetic Hill, Ternate
LLA: 14° 12.855 N; 120° 38.785 E; 664 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 2-5 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

Our EXPENSES:

Van Rental (Manila to Cavite to Manila) - Php 500.00/head (group of 10)
Registration Fee - Php 40.00/head
Food/Snacks - approx. Php 250.00

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