Thursday, April 14, 2011
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
MT. ARAYAT | With my 4 Gregarious FB Contac
This is a climb to Mount Arayat, a traverse climb from
Magalang to Arayat with my FB mesomorph contacts named…
Rheyson, Carlos,
Kevin, Adonis, ME
It just so happened all in a Facebook Group. I was aboard on to a bus from Pampanga to Manila Saturday night. While in the bus I just got an imagination and a preview of the upcoming creation. A thought of climbing Mt. Arayat penetrate my thinking and then incorporated a feeling of eagerness. And I went home, check for my computer social updates and post onto a FB group at exactly 10 in the evening.
Luckily, Sir Adonis had made a post earlier inviting members of that group to join him in his venture to Mt. Arayat Traverse. I don’t know him but I got the courage to add him up and asked the information of his event. He warmly added me up and answered me with diplomacy. Exchanging messages thru phone regarding this event.
Finally, Have conquered my 5th mountain.
Mt Arayat is 3385 fasl (Magalang Elevation) according to Lagataw. It is said that Mt Arayat is an extinct stratovolcano on Central Luzon Islands and no eruption has been recorded in cultural records of historical eruptions. It is considered to be the mystical mountain in Philippine Folklore (The Legendary Abode of Fairy Mariang Sinukuan). The mountain has two peaks secondary to the collapsed crater when it is once believed to be erupted 2000 years ago.. The highest peak to be considered by some of locals is the North Peak.
HIKING IS POSSIBLE IN TWO TRAILS and TRAVERSE IN TWO PEAKS
Ascent and descent to the summit of 2 peaks is possible
in traverse, it is whether you start from magalang – arayat like we did or
arayat to magalang trail. Choose and decide wherever you think is preferable to
furnish your satisfaction.
START TREK at MAGALANG
PAMPANGA TRAIL / NORTH PEAK
The higher peak known as Northern Peak / Sinukuan Peak /
Peak 2 has trail from Pampanga Agricultural College in Magalang Pampanga which trail takes you through Arayat Amphitheater
and white Rock (Abode of Fairy Sinukuan)
Of course before you start your way to Sinukuan peak, hikers
are required to log their names at the Barangay hall in Arayat. No fees were
being collected.
At exactly 8:30am, on a very sunny day, overlooking to DENR mark it’s been a long lengthy road that would exhaust us in this earlier stage. Fortunately, few steps ahead, a local priest from the open tinted window of a pickup car, suggested us to catch a free ride with them for half of the length of the path to DENR.
From DENR marker, ascend to the left trail you’ll reach the The
Amphitheater via White Rocks
I’m pretty sure you’re eager to witness the amazing view of breathtaking views of Pampanga, the lovable sceneries you’ll never forsake to any at the moment and the Pampanga River which is believed to be made rerouted according to theory of once it was erupted in the history. Near the white rock you’ll encounter a split, just enter the trail to the right to Andesitic Dome, THE WHITE ROCK, then sat by the slopes view of the river and the vast palace of central Luzon were possible. Trail to the left from the split is your advent to Sinukuan Peak.
Some sort of Photos to White Rocks
I just believe you want something more to as making it to
the summit, so moving on and follow the challenging ascent and finally step off
to the SINUKUAN PEAK. Well, it takes almost 3 hours from jump off point to summit.
At peak 2, after the steep ascent and exhausted sunny
weather you’ll meet some military personnel in a solar-powered tower with
before it a set up hut outside whereas you can have your meal as we had take
our lunch together with them. Small talk made with the personnel and then log
our names with no fees. Of course, no one wants to pitch their tents in a proud
sunny day but it accommodates average of ten tents just make sure you won’t
pitch them closer to the cliff. Weather temperature at the summit during
December sometimes reached at its negative according to the personnel. On its
summer days as we went along here, just enough a refreshing air at the summit
to make us feel fueled for another more challenging traverse to PEAK 1 summit.
And…
A TRAVERSE to ARAYAT PAMPANGA TRAIL / SOUTH PEAK
Mt. Arayat National Park at San Juan Bano in Arayat Pampanga has trail to the southern peak / Pinnacle Peak / Peak 1.
It offers the view of Central Luzon and Pampanga River View, Caldera like crater
in western slope, views of Zambales and Bataan mountains to the west and Sierra
Madre range to the east.
Descending the trail to peak 1, a doggie came after us up to the boulder. Reaching the boulder is not that easy because of its confusing entries along the ridge. While following on the right trail, Sir Adonis asked an out of the blue question but a sensible one “imagine it’s raining and there is no trees, no way to handholds of any and we’re crossing the steep ascent and descent ridge?” I just gave him a smile then panting furiously, a scary thought wandered in my mind. So popping out what was inside my mind, he spontaneously articulated these words, “MARAMI NA SIGURONG NALAGLAG SA BANGIN”. I realized God absolutely loves every man in the world for He’s providing everything.
At the boulder, we’ve met a group of climbers came from the opposite route and insisted us that the right way was the descent to the left side of the boulder. And the doggie with her scintillating move not to follow us for following us will cost her life so just follow the tail of the group and returning back to sinukuan peak.
Very much challenging it was that mark it my first time to descent a difficult steep boulder, a breath away experience that will surely cost you your life if you happened to fail an either handhold or foothold on to the treacherous step. Sir Adonis has navigated the access to the continuation of the ridge on the right side of the boulder but the group insisted it was blocked so we agreed to move down to the left. Our way to summit became easier with the blue ribbons tied by the same group.
The “landslide” after the steep descent which is about 50-meter ascent was the troublesome and more challenging part of the climb to peak 1. As landslide was describe by Lagataw as loose soil and advise to know reliable handholds and footholds on this steep ascent. Adonis always reminded us to keep a meter of distance with each other to avoid domino effects so that we’ll able to safely carry over someone who’s falling from the landslide or else cost our lives.
Relieving the easy trail was the trail to peak 1 after the landslide-trail. And a panorama captures of the backdrop breathtaking views of the vast plain of central Luzon.
Vast of Central Luzon Islands and Pampanga River
Along the way to Park Ranger Station we’ve met the Sabiterz Group, join them in rest and made some photo shots with their numbers. After a few minutes of stay, we continued running and hopping to catch the last trip of the 5pm bus bound to manila, grabe yun huh, ansarap ng feeling pero feeling ko maTBI ako (TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY), my head might bump on to something and caused it TBI. oh Well, curse that visualization. It summed up the total fun with these amazing guys I met from FB to real life.
Safely having a take 5 rest from running meters descent. He
then realized a plastic bag of garbage left in the place where we shared rest
all together with the Sabiterz. He ran fast to the place and after 20 minutes
of waiting, he returned and then, whoa! Takbo uli? Hahahhaha
At the ranger station, we paid P30. Wash up a P5-LIGO-bathrooms at public resort approximately 200 meters away from the park ranger station wherein a couple of swimming pools seen in the resort, few food stalls and cottages also make up the resort.
Oops, you barely ask the information to five-peso-ligo and more to some of the locals there but make sure only the information you’ll get or else they’ll cost you amount of money. Lagataw can explain it further. Hehe
I earned the confidence to make friends with the people I
met for the first time. Chat a lot with them and find merely a huge friendship
with these gregarious people in facebook. I have easily trusted them my life.
No doubt they are really amazing guys in this field of mountaineering. I’ve listened to their conversations, not surprisingly, they knew a lot and it was strange for me. They’ve met a lot of hardcore in this activity and I felt I am a total novice.
Someday, step by step I could conquer many mountains, met a lot of same amazing people like them, experience half of they have, could infiltrate recognizable conversation to them and forget out of the place mode.
In the latter, ordinary people I could see them, talks many of connected experiences and I adore them for being such discreet people who’ve nothing against with each other but making the entire experience a cool and unforgettable.
Once more, I’d like to meet them again somewhere only we know, mountains!
Thumbs up for these people.
Also, a special thank to Sir Adonis for making it possible and for everything. (learnings, experience, inspiration, photos, reminders on being a responsible mountaineer and many more)
Something you wanna know.
No known water source in the mountain. (2L of h2o is not
enough during summer, Promise)
Military Personnel at the tower of Sinukuan Peak won’t allow you to take picture of the base camp so as their faces too and you’re required to log your name. No need to elaborate much, you know it already.
Pieces of plastics of any kind were littered around the trail. So please be responsible with your own mess and be glad to serve the Mother Nature with your own little effort to pick up others ignorance, put it all in a bag and bring it to waste management of responsible civilization.
Make no vandalism and don’t even make an added line in many of vandalism especially in faces of rocks. So you won’t count yourself being one of those irresponsible mountaineers.
BE HAPPY for I am pretty much sure you’ll appreciate the beauty of this creation in the latter.
ITINERARY AND EXPENSES
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