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| Photo credit: Rene Enriquez/flickr |
Being an avid hiker and mountain climber, I
consider myself lucky to have a great destination that’s just 15 minutes from
my home. As early as 14 years old, I have already experienced trekking the
exotic spots of Mount Makiling, a mountain as legendary as the legend behind
it, and my memories of it are full of wondrous moments with my family and dear
friends. And now in the summer of this year, I indulged again for one more
climb to Peak 2, the mountain’s highest point.
Mount
Makiling is perhaps the most popular tourist destination in Los Baños, Laguna,
and the legend behind its astonishingly familiar figuration just adds to its
mystery. One might even wonder, “Did the legend shape the mountain, or was it
the other way around?” As I made yet another journey with my brother and
cousins, I felt as if the forest trees were telling the story itself – of a
young, beautiful deity, a goddess, a fairy, a diwata in this enchanting forest realm.
Yet
apart from the fairy tale, the hike was similarly fascinating. We took a
jeepney going to the UPLB College of Forestry and from the starting point, we
walked. At first, you’ll clearly make your way through a wide trail surrounded
with a relatively sparse grove of trees, but halfway through the trail becomes
narrower, and you’ll get to pass a much denser forest, with thick branches and
leaves that serve as natural canopy.
It’s
a pity this majestic tree had to go down – it’s probably one of the victims of Milenyo in 2006. On the brighter side,
it served as a good resting point and a picture-taking place. Still, we’re not
halfway through the Peak 2 trail. The path near Stations 15 and 16 were once
confusing, but thankfully we never got lost, as the Mount Makiling Park
Management has made some clearing to make it well-delineated.
Although
we never saw any exotic species of birds, reptiles and snakes, we had the
chance to appreciate some exotic flora and unusual fungal colonies. The picture
above seems like an appendage of some green monster that’s about to whip you
out, but it’s actually a crozier: a coiled fern frond.
Past Station 22
The path is getting steeper
and narrow, and one should really mind his footing, as the ground becomes
slippery and mossy.
The 90-degree
Ascent and the Final Assault
This
marks the highlight of the hike: an ascent in which you have to grab that
coiled vine (previously it was a rope) to overcome that vertical portion. It takes
some degree of effort and careful footing, or you might get a serious, nasty
fall. The last time I was here, somebody from the top of the “90-degree” had to
pull me up. Afterwards, you’ll walk through a network of roots that serves as
natural steps to your target: the peak.
Peak 2
Being
able to reach the seemingly insurmountable Peak 2 brings in a rewarding
experience, and only here can you overlook the vast Laguna de Bay in its full
glory. It was a long and weary 5-hour hike, but the breathtaking view from here
was all worth it. The exotic, mossy shrubs surrounding the peak create a
dramatic shift from the thick forest that you’ve just surpassed.
Even
after 103 years since it was restored, Mount Makiling remains pristine, and its
mystique landscape nonpareil. Should you decide on having a trip to my
hometown, be sure to have this one-of-a-kind experience!
Important notes:
1. Hike
during daytime.
2. Best
season: summer (as the place is infested with limatiks, an endemic type of
leech)
3. Trail
can be slippery due to sudden showers.
4. Bring
ample amounts of water along the way.
Photos by Anna Cadiz and Paolo Cadiz
