Location: Cuenca, Batangas
Elevation: 835 Meters above sea level (courtesy of Ram)
Jump Off point: Mang Manuel’s house (Cuenca, Batangas)
Points of Interest: Majestic views of Taal lake specially from Rockies (a rocky peak separated from the the mountain shoulder)
Paper-cuts. Muddy feet. Aching Greek-god physique.
The debut of my mountain climbing career happened at Mt. Maculot. A tough climb even harder than Mt. Pulag, the pros say. The trail was steep and at the same time slippery (mud, What else could you anticipate from the extraordinarily impressive rains?) – an added flavor to our sprinting pleasures as we push on our way to Rockies.
Holding on to tree roots and vines were the norms. Fail to do so, forget Rockies, worst case scenario, end up on deep ravines.
All our hard work really paid off as we set foot at last to the crest of Rockies. Mother Nature has never been this enthralling (let your brain do the work now.)
This climb is not just all about the beauty of the scenery 835 meters above sea level but also of camaraderie with my co-hikers (how I wish I could call myself a mountaineer) and the challenges we all managed to overcome in two and four-wheel drives.
Au Revoir Mt. Maculot!!!
