Mt. Batulao

"To be honest, I was really sleepy and would rather stay in bed. But I just can't miss the chance to breathe fresh air, and have another mountain top experience all over again!"

Regular readers of my blog know I have a passion for climbing mountains. It’s been a while though since my last, as the activities of the latter part of 2012 have kept me quite busy. So I decided that even before my schedule begins to get out of control for 2013, I might as well call our good friend Pinoy Mountaineer Gideon Lasco for his recommendation.

The Mountain

Gideon’s choice was Mt. Batulao. I’ve always heard from friends that Mt.Batulao is a “must” day hike. Sadly, an unfortunate accident made the mountain famous in a different way, though locals say that people are starting to get over it and have been back with renewed enthusiasm.

The Numbers

Mt. Batulao is found in Nasugbu, Batangas, and stands at 812 meters above sea level. Without taking too many breaks and a moderate pace, we reached the peak in only two hours. Going down another trail, we reached the base a little less than three hours. Some of the people in our group were first time hikers, so you can perhaps use that information as a basis for your own pace.

Registration fee for a day hike is at 20PHP, and for overnight it is 30PHP. Since we took two different trails going up and going down, we had to pay twice which was a total of 40PHP. Other than that, consider gas, toll, or bus and tricycle fees, and a few more pesos for fresh buko that might entice you along the way. 

The Feel

Batulao is indeed, a pleasant hike. I personally think this is the day hike that serves as the counterpart of my 27-kilometer-Mt.Ugo Traverse (see this blog for detailshttp://realrica.com/blog/ugo-traverse-march-9-11-2012/), where a few straightforward, super steep parts, did not feel so bad as the majority of the climb may be described as simply “rolling.” I also thought that Batulao's spread of green hills are reminiscent of some spots going up to Mt. Pulag.

Thankfully, we also had good weather the day we went as it was slightly overcast. I can see that the only possible source of exasperation from climbing this mountain would be due to its openness to the sky. With barely any covering and much exposure to the heat, energy can easily run out. So cover up or pray that clouds will come to be your shade!

A Word of Caution

I can see why someone can just easily fall off this mountain, as it asks us to tread on narrow trails. But in my experience, however limited, narrow and sometimes even non-existent trails are commonplace to most mountains. Even well established trails are prone to being altered by the different forces of nature, i.e., heat, movement of the earth, rain. And this is why they say “you can never climb the same mountain.”

Nevertheless, we can all be consistent about taking extra caution. I always tell my friends that hiking is just as much mental as it is physical. That is, every step must be well thought of and that the more you do it, the quicker your calculations relative to the character of your trail and mountain, as well as your capabilities, are going to be.

The Rewards

If you have never tried any mountain before, Batulao is a good place to start. Everything about it is encouraging- from scenery, to level of difficulty, to efficiency. We started trekking at around 6:30 A.M. and found ourselves back at the base by 11:30 A.M. By lunch time, I was already enjoying a feast of Agedashi Tofu and Japanese Rice in Tagaytay. And finally at 8:30 P.M., with my eyes closed and a smile on my face, I thought, what a full and happy day that was! 

(For more information, you may also visit Gideon Lasco’s website: http://www.pinoymountaineer.com/2007/08/mt-batulao-811.html [1])