Summer is now about to end with the
rainy season already gearing up for the long months of showers and cold nights
(hopefully). As for my summer experience, well unlike the others I wasn’t able
to visit any of the beautiful beaches this year but that didn’t make my summer
any less fun and exciting.
When people think of summer they
think instantly of the next best spot to visit which is the beach. But aside
from the salty breeze, pristine sands and turquoise ocean water, there are lots
of other things to explore during the summer days. If you feel like craving for
new experiences then you should try doing other activities such as trekking and
spelunking. Whether you are a beginner or a pro in mountaineering, you will
surely love experiencing the fun at Mt. Manalmon in Sitio Madlum, San Miguel
Bulacan.
THE HIDDEN PARADISE
Beautiful big rock formations,
astounding river splendour and refreshing verdant trees – those are just three
of the handful beautiful sights that will greet you at the jump-off in the Sitio
Madlum, San Miguel Bulacan.
I'm always craving for such
rejuvenating spectacles that will connect me to the nature and to its amazing
architecture. To this generation where the metro and its nearby provinces are
already exploited, I never expected that a beautiful place like this still
exists in place like Bulacan. The awe inspiring sight of the river with the big
boulders of rocks, which have been formed thousands or maybe million of years
ago have made for a perfect paradise that nestle in the outdoor corner of the
Biak na Bato National Park.
There’s the hanging bridge to cross from the other side of the river going to the side where the trek to Mt. Manalmon
starts. Before that bridge has been installed, mountaineers and the residents
there are crossing the river through two options: through a balsa (raft) or
through the monkey bridge. The monkey bridge is made up of two cables tied in
boulders in both ends of the Madlum River. Its length is approximately 20-30
meter long. I really don’t have plans
of crossing it but due to peer pressure and to the persistence of my adventurous side, I swallowed my fear and dared.
The journey from one side to the other
was seemed like years due to my very slow pacing (you can’t blame me, my fear
of height suddenly attacked), I must admit that it really scared the hell out
of me, first, because I don’t know how to swim; and second, I feared the impact
of my fall if ever I slipped on the cable or my hands failed to hold on tightly to the
wire. Oh well, I’m still alive now, I conquered the monkey bridge despite all
the emotional difficulties that I went through. This monkey bridge was
featured in Jay Taruc’s motorcycle diary with the episode title “Tulay”, then
after that a hanging bridge was instantly installed. Thanks for the feature;
the children will no longer have to risk their lives crossing that monkey
bridge just to get to school.
Finally when we reached the other
end of the river, we registered and meet our guide Kuya Ian – a jolly and funny guide who accompanied us on our way up to the Mt. Manalmon peak.
TREKKING TO THE BREATHTAKING SUMMIT
The trail to Mt. Manalmon peak is
easy and fun. Of course you have to endure the scorching heat but with a proper
covering against it, everything about the sun is tolerable. You will be passing
along the luxuriant forest with lots of mango trees that are generous in
sharing their abundant fruits – sweet and delicious – the experience of
indulging on ripe mangoes while inhaling the earthy greenish scents along the
trail is indeed, priceless.
The estimated time of trekking is 1
hour to 2 hours depending on the frequency of stopovers for taking pictures.
You can stop for a break at any time that you want since it’s not difficult to find a
shady place there to relax. Many of the mountaineers that we met
along the way were carrying loads of food – having picnic lunch at the camping
site is a good idea though we never did that because we were not able to bring
lunch food items. You can also camp there overnight to fully enjoy the place and
the amiably embracing atmosphere.
Finally upon reaching the top we
rested for a while in the camping site. It was only few walks away from
the peak but one of our friends needed to take a break (she has gotten straight
from work so without a sleep and enough rest, just imagine how hard it was for
her to endure the long walks and the heat of the sun). After some time, we then
proceeded to the peak and we were greeted by the breathtaking sight of the
flourishing greenery below and the river that graciously flow in the valley –
ahh such a splendid landscape to behold!
I don’t know with the other times
but during then, the air was strong but not too much to make you feel like
being carried away (that’s how I was feeling at Mt. Batulao). It was refreshing
there at the summit, if only we could take some of the zesty air to slid it
into the box and bring it to the Metro. But of course that’s not possible so we just spend
enough time there in the peak, cherishing and savouring the nature's grandeur beauty. 
We wanted to stay there as long as
we could but since we still have another activity to do, we then decided to get
off after taking enough pictures.
On our way back to the registration
camp, we had a stop-over at Madlum River where you can plunge and enjoy the
fresh water. We were not able to swim since our time was
limited (if you want to enjoy all that Manalmon has to offer, better camp there
overnight).
SPELUNKING ESCAPADE – THE BAYUKBOK CAVE CHALLENGE
Bayukbok Cave was my second
spelunking experience and it was really an exciting one. No more bats were in
there due to many tourists who often get inside the cave. Like any other caves in
the Philippines – or should I say like all the other caves, this one used to be
one of the hiding places and meet up venues of the Katipuneros during the
revolution.
To go inside the cave you have to go down through a rope that was set up there in the entryway. Rappelling wasn’t my cup of tea so good thing Kuya Ian was there to guide us through.
To go inside the cave you have to go down through a rope that was set up there in the entryway. Rappelling wasn’t my cup of tea so good thing Kuya Ian was there to guide us through.
The Bayukbok Cave Spelunking was
much harder and challenging compared to the Mt. Manalmon trekking. Along our
trail within the cave there were instances that we needed to squeeze ourselves
in narrow holes, carry our weight up to high levels with only the protruding
parts of rocks to hold on to. It was extremely dark inside thus a flashlight is a
must when you go in. Head lamp is a much better option because a
hand carry flashlight would only make it difficult for you to keep your balance
since one hand only will be available to hold onto the rocks.
Kuya Ian, our guide, named the different sections of the cave that we passed through. First was the “Music Room” where some rocks produced sounds when you tapped them, then next was the "Body Language" wherein your body would communicate with the cave’s elements as you twisted and squeezed your way in between giant and edgy rocks, and then there was the “Spiral” of which name was self explanatory why it was called as such. The way up to the spiral cave path was quite scary because the trail was narrow and one wrong move would lead you down the rocky slope.
Compared to my first spelunking which was in Calinawan Cave, the Bayukbok Cave journey was shorter but far more challenging and risky; the spelunking there entailed a remarkable cave adventure that added to my list of superb travel experiences.
For those who also want to
experience the Mt. Manalmon trekking and Bayukbok Cave Spelunking here’s our
itinerary for the day hiking:
6AM - Departure from Cubao Five Star Bus Station (take Cabanatuan-bound
bus and tell the driver to drop you in Brgy. Kamias, San Miguel Bulacan.
8:30AM Arrival at Kamias. Ride a tricycle there going to jump off
Sition Madlum (fare is PHP 240, with estimated 30mins of travel)
9AM Arrival at Jump Off Sition Madlum
9:15AM Start Trekking
11:15AM Reaching the Summit
12:30PM Start descending
1PM Stopover at the River (You can swim there)
1:20 Resume walking back to the jump-off
2PM Back to Jump off (then we had a quick bites, since all of us are
not yet feeling that hungry to eat heavy meal)
2:30PM Spelunking Adventure (Bayukbok Cave)
4PM Conquering the Monkey Bridge
5PM Departure from Sitio Madlum
5:30PM Bus bound to Cubao
8PM Arrival at Cubao
For our over-all expenses:
Bus to Kamias 117
Tric to Madlum 240 (divided to us 4) 60
Entrance Fee of Tric 15
Registration Fee 5
Guide (Mandatory) 300(day
hike) 75 +200 (spelunking)+100 (bonus to Kuya Ian) 100
*guide’s
fee divided to us 4
Shirt Souvenir 200
CR 5
(times 3 for me)
Drinks 45
Tric to Kamias 240
(Divided to us 4) 60
Bus to Cubao 117
My over all personal expenses
total: PHP849
