TraveLORE: Date with Mt. Gulugod-Baboy (Feb. 14, 2016)

What could be the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day but with nature? Weeks before the “V-Day” I have thought of planning a hike for the 14th of Feb. Just a fun tripping of who would be willing to go. Surprisingly, many of my friends heeded the call. Well, to these days there was not much thrill spending the Hearts’ Day in overcrowded restaurants and other so-called romantic places in the metro. So there, we finalized the hike para sa mga walang ganap sa Valentine’s Day. 

How to get there

I chose Mt. Gulugod because I was inspired by the photos I saw in the net. It seemed to be an easy hike but promised a rewarding spectacle. We were 13 hikers in the group (good thing it wasn’t Friday, eekkk). We assembled 4AM at the DLTB bus terminal at Buendia. The travel was fast, maybe because it was Sunday. By 5:30AM we were already there at Batangas Grand Terminal. To reach the jump-off you have the option to ride a jeep bound to Mabini. You’d get off at the tricycle terminal and ride a tric going to Philpan Dive Resort. We made it the other way though. We rented a jeep and paid PHp100 each so we could get straight to the jump-off. The travel was around 45mins long. 

The Mt. Gulugod-Baboy System

If you want to go straight to the itinerary you can skip this part. The itinerary and expenses were summarized below. I just wanted to discuss some few things here as a concerned hiker. Guide in Mt. Gulugod was not mandatory unlike with the other mountains. I didn’t see any problem with this since the trail was easy to trace. Experienced hikers could go with it even with their eyes closed (eekk again!).

In Mt. Gulugod you can hire a guide for PHP500 regardless of how many are you in the group. In other mountains, one guide is for maximum of five hikers only. However, once you reached the peak, the guide will leave you on your own. You can ask for them to stay with you until you descend but you have to add another PHP200. Again, I didn’t see the add-on as a problem if that’s the rate policy.

I just couldn’t see here the sincere effort from the local administrators to ensure the safety of the hikers. Let us disregard the fact that it was an easy trail. Shouldn't the guide not only leading the direction but also ensuring the welfare of the hikers? I just couldn’t help comparing it with the other hiking guides we had (some of the best were the guides from Mt. Maculot, Mt. Talamitam, & Mt. Manalmon). The guide we had at Mt. Gulugod was nice and helpful. It was the entire system I was concerned of. Mt. Gulugod could still better improve its protocol for everyone’s safety. 

The registration fee was PHP35. So far, it was the most expensive fee I’ve encountered in the near-the-metro mountains. Usually it was only around PHP20-PHP25. The fee would have not mattered if I didn’t see a problem with the maintenance of the mountain. Few strides from the jump-off, still on the cemented assault, you’d see a portion there where Smokey Mountain seemed to build its branch. On one side of the precipice near the jump-off there were mounts of garbage piles. Unpleasant smells were coming from the improperly disposed trashes. In few years time the place could be a new prospect for dumpsite. Hope the Mt. Gulugod administration does something about it and hope the hikers would be responsible enough to not throw their garbage there! 

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy is a beautiful mountain

Like all the works of His majesty’s hands, Mt. Gulugod-Baboy was a breathtaking masterpiece. The trail was easy and perfect for the beginners. There were few assaults and if you were not warmed up you could strain your leg’s muscles. So even if you were already an experienced hiker, don’t hesitate to take a rest when you feel that you have to. I don’t believe that hiking was a race and a competition with the others. I hike because I wanted to experience the nature – it was actually one of my story-imagining-time. I  looked forward to that feeling of focusing on your breathing while smelling the leafy scents in the air; the struggle to endure the rough trail and see the pretty scenery that awaited on the top.

There was no clearing that day. As much as I wanted to enjoy the azure water below, the fog kept on blurring my eyesight (bad foggy!). The air was refreshingly cold. Around 9AM the sun should be warming us already but the sky was as pale blue as it was earlier. There were some steep trails but it was easily manageable (I was confident with a heart). 

There were lots of resting places where you could stop over and collect more airs for your lungs. We made it at the foothill of the first peak at around 10AM and yes, it was an extremely exciting sight. You’d be torn between staying there at the foothill, watching its glory or making your way up there to experience its peak. 

I was reminded of Mt. Talamitam though their beauties were still unique in their own ways. Before you get too excited to hike the top I suggest you take some moments there at the foothill. Sometimes we get too anxious to reach the peak without savoring yet its view from downhill -– so pristine and beautiful. After taking photos we proceeded to the peak and from there we saw another astounding gift of nature. The Peak 2 of Mt. Gulugod-Baboy was as beautiful as the first peak.

It was refreshingly cold on the top of the mountain. The grasslands were a soft carpet in the mounds of soil. We laid there and enjoyed the fresh air while looking at still foggy, but nonetheless beautiful sights of the plains and seawaters below. Everywhere you see were grasslands in blends of dark green and brown. The colours were not as brightly green as in Mt. Talamitam, but perhaps it was only due to the season. 

After an hour of taking pictures, we decided to start our descent. It was a fast way down. By lunchtime we were already at the jump-off. We cancelled the plan for Sombrero Island and just rented a cottage at Philpan Dive Resort for PHP500 plus the entrance fee of PHP100 each. We enjoyed the clear water and had some “Valentine’s drinks” to cap off the day. 

Photo credits to Vin Butchayo

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy is one of the treasures of Anilao, Batangas. We hikers should not exploit it. As hikers let us all be responsible in all mountains that we visited. Many mountains and other tourist sites are closing to public now; let’s not add Mt. Gulugod-Baboy to the growing list.

Itinerary & Expenses:
3:30 AM: BUENDIA LRT-TAFT - Take Batangas/pier bound bus (DLTB, Jam, Jac Liner, ALPS). (php140+)
4:00 AM: ETD to Anilao Batangas
6:00 AM: ETA: Batangas City Grand Terminal in Balagtas, Batangas City / Bauan Diversion Take Anilao/Mabini-bound jeepney and tell the driver that you're going to Philpan Dive Resort – (php35) You’ll be dropped off to tricycle terminal, take tric going to Philpan Dive Resort (PHP100) per tric (OTHER OPTION: RENT A JEEP TO TAKE YOUR GROUP STRAIGHT TO PHILPAN DIVER RESORT - we did this and paid PHP100 each )
6:30 AM Jump-off, Registration (php35) Guide (php500)
10:00 AM: Summit
11:00 AM: Start Descent
1:00 PM: ETA: Jump off, – Lunch PHP100
12:00PM: Swimming at Philpan Dive Resort – entrance php100, cottage PHP500
4:00 PM: ETA – Jump off, wash up
6:00 PM: ETD – Manila
8:30 PM – ETA – Manila

Estimated budget: PHP700-PHP1000

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