mt. tagapo

I think January is a lovely time to hike. The breeze is cool but not cold that will require me to wear fleece. The sun shines just enough to warm me up but not too much that it burns my skin. It's not humid and it doesn't normally rain (I personally don't like being in the mountains when it rains). So I was happy to pass up my yoga classes one Saturday in January to hike Mt. Tagapo.

It was my first time to visit Binangonan and I was surprised at how unhurried the town felt when we arrived at the port of Binangonan (also called Pritil). It reminded me of Coloane in Macau minus the trimmings of a Portuguese influence but it felt the same - sleepy, calm, and unhurried - so different from the frantic pace in the Metro.

Binangonan, Rizal
January 24, 2015

We rode a boat going to Talim Island where we passed fishing villages (on the right) and fish pens (on the left). The water of Laguna Bay is calm but it is vast, much like an ocean. Since it was early morning when we took the boat, it was still quite chilly. It made me wish I had something warm to cover me up.

Fish pens in Laguna Bay

Fishing villages along Laguna Bay

The boat made a couple of stops before we reached Barangay Janosa, the jump-off point for Mt. Tagapo. Upon registering, we found Orly who served as our guide for the day.

From the church, we began our trek, passing by residential areas until there were no more houses.

 

Instead there were trees, grass and stones along the path. It was an easy trek, among the easiest I've had. It helped that it wasn't too hot. Along the trail we passed by several locals who were carrying bamboo. Orly, our guide, said that the locals made bamboo furniture. Indeed, we passed by bamboo groves.

Eventually, we heard the powerful sound of the wind. It reminded me of the sound of waterfalls and oceans. The bamboo groves were out of sight and before us lay a grassland. The grasses towered me and for a moment I felt scared when I could no longer see J and Orly in front of me. The good thing though was that there was only a single trail, which made sure I was reunited with my companions.

The grassland was a sight to behold. The wind blew so hard that it made the grass dance, moving like a wave of green. It was magical.

Mt. Tagapo
January 24, 2015

J and I making our way through the grassland.

Tree pose along the trail of Mt. Tagapo

The hike to the summit was not very difficult. The view from the peak was lovely. I saw the rest of Talim Island. Orly pointed at Mt. Makiling, Mt. Cristobal, Mt. Maculot, and Mt. Sembrano from the distance. I also saw the business district of Ortigas on the horizon. It was such a stark contrast from the untouched lands within sight.

J and I at the summit of Mt. Tagapo

After having lunch at the peak, we started our descent and dropped by the campsite. It also had a nice view of the summit.

It took us a little over 3 hours to complete the hike. Orly was nice enough to offer his house as a place to clean up. The only thing that took time was waiting for the boat back to the port. We waited for over two hours and the boat ride back took longer than the one going to Barangay Janosa as the boat made numerous stops.

I immensely enjoyed hiking Mt. Tagapo. The sound of the wind is still ringing in my ears and the dancing of the grass is etched in my mind.