Mt. Batulao Day Hike

I was pretty excited about this hike because I got to see my high school friends from Laguna. Plus, this was the second mountain I climbed!

August 1, 2015

Bianca and I met at McDonald's beside Jac Liner at 4am. We rode a DLTB bus going to Nasugbu at the Buendia Terminal. It was the first time we saw each other for years so we just basically caught up with each other the whole trip. Our guide was already waiting for us when we got off at Evercrest Golf course at 7am. However, two other friends, Gem and Jamil, were still on their way so we had to wait for another hour.

We rode a tricycle to the Base camp because we were already behind our schedule and then started our adventure. The weather felt like summer--hot and humid. Unfortunately, I was not aware that there wouldn't be many trees for shades because I thought it would be just like Pico de Loro. My friends had their caps with them while I didn't so I had to endure the scorching heat. 

L-R: Jamil, Bianca, Gem

When there's a horse, there's sure to be some horse droppings nearby hahaha

Nth peak

I found this trail difficult because in addition to the heat, there were also a lot of assaults. Mt. Batulao had ten peaks, ideally marked one by one. However, I only noticed the 1st, 4th, and the 10th. The rest, I wasn't sure if they existed because I was struggling so hard for myself. My legs cried half of the time but I had to keep up with the group. I remember gasping for air like a dog begging for water because of the consecutive assaults we climbed. And for every peak that I saw, I tried estimating the time I needed before I could reach them. haha! Nevertheless, every peak we reached had undeniably great panoramic and photogenic views.

I'm not sure where this was but I think this was an achievement so we had to take this #squadGoals photo. Image by Bianca.

You know it's about to get real when you see a rope. Image by Bianca

#squadGoals. Image by Bianca

Finally reached the summit! Image by Bianca

After two hours and fourteen minutes, we finally reach the 10th peak, which also was the summit. There weren't many hikers when we got there, only a few taking a rest by a mini store. The view was very beautiful as we saw the previous peaks we had just conquered. Our hard work paid off and we outdid ourselves once again. Even as hot as it was, the cool wind was enough to caress my pained body. We had our lunch here and then rested for a while before starting our great descent.

I'm really not good with words so here are some pics instead:

The many peaks of Batulao

View from another angle

Rewarded ourselves with buko salad. Excuse my face. Image by Bianca

The sexy event organizer, Bianca!

time to go down!

Oh, hi! This pose required a lot of arm strength hahaha. Image by Bianca.

Bianca and gem, enjoying a photo op while I struggled. Image by Bianca.

The trail down was more challenging than I expected because it had a lot of steep descents and most of the time, there was nothing to hold on to except for tall grasses that weren't of much help, actually. I think we stopped by every shade we saw because we're honestly tired and pain started to build around my knees.

When we got back to the jump-off point, we rested for a while and congratulated ourselves for surviving Mt. Batulao. After cleaning up and taking a bath, we headed to Bulalo Point at Tagytay for Bula-love.

Fresh-looking girls of Batulao with our awesome guide/photographer! Image by Bianca

recovery food by Bulalo Point: Bulalo, Tawilis, and fresh buko juice. Image by Bianca

Mt. Batulao is truly a wonder, evidently beautiful, and I would love to go back with proper gears next time(like a cap and a good camera). Yes, it was very tiring yet we did enjoy a trip away from the chaos of Metro Manila. And we also did a lot of catching up along the way! The heat and the occasional horse poops might frustrate you but the promising summit view should be good enough to keep you going especially when you have your best friends with you.