My First Hike: Mt. Maculot and the "Rockies" of Cuenca, Batangas

It's time for some Throwback Thursday (Blog Edition)!

My love for mountain hiking started back in 2009 when I was invited by a college friend to have an overnight on top of a mountain. He has done hiking before and he wanted to encourage others, along with my other college friends, to try out this adventure. Overnight on top of a mountain sounds fun so everybody accepted the invitation... or should I say, the challenge? Paul (the one who invited us) chose Mt Maculot of Cuenca, Batangas. Reasons are: 1) It is considered an average in terms of its height in which it is ideal for newbies like us. 2) He's also familiar with the place because he'd already been to Mt Maculot.

Mt Marami of Maragondon, Cavite

Plenty, lots and many. These are just some of the synonyms for the Tagalog word MARAMI. It was so called Mt Marami because of the many rocks that formed this mountain. If Pico de Loro has "Parrot's Beak", Mt Marami has its own "Silyang Bato". An enormous composite of rock pillars.

Mt Gulugod Baboy of Mabini, Batangas

Gulugod Baboy means "pig's spine", so named because this mountain has lots of outlines/silhouettes of the hills as well as it has a wide surface for a normal mountain trail. Mt Gulugod Baboy is a popular hiking destination for first timers. It is the perfect mountain for those who are starting and wondering what does this activity really is.

Atimonan, Quezon: Mt Pinagbanderahan and Bantakay Falls

A mountain inside a national forest park - That is how I describe Mt Pinagbanderahan. Located in Atimonan Quezon, this mountain is inside a forest park that was built during the American period. Mt Pinagbanderahan is a historic site so people who wanted to visit the place should avoid destroying stuff and maintain the cleanliness of the area. This is a good climb for first timer since it is considered to be a minor trail in terms of its difficulty. It will take 2-3 hours of trek from the jump off point up to the peak; and back again to the jump off point.

Mt Timbak and Mt Tabayoc of Benguet

My first hike this 2013 is not the usual climb that I do because I hiked the 3rd and the 2nd highest mountain in Luzon, which are Mt Timbak and Mt Tabayoc. Both mountains are located in Benguet so expect a cold and freezing trek ahead.

The right clothes
A friend of mine invited me to join Baroc - a mountaineering group, as they will climb the said mountains. So I packed all my mountaineering gears and most importantly my anti cold equipment. I suggest you bring jacket [of course], sweatshirts, gloves [which I forgot to bring], thick socks [have an extra], and If you're planning to stay in a tent at night have a sleeping bag as well. This will prevent you from chilling and have a stress free sleep :]