OVERVIEW
MT. DARAITAN
Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon
Major jumpoff: Brgy. Daraitan (village centre), Tanay
Minor jumpoff: Sitio Cablao Brgy. Pagsangahan, General Nakar
LLA: 14°36′48.5′′N 121°26′19.5′′ E, 739 MASL (+600)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2.5-4 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Tropical forest, limestone formations, river trek
Credit: Pinoy Mountaineer
BACKGROUND
A gem at the heart of the great Sierra Madre mountain range, close enough to Manila to do as a dayhike, is Mt. Daraitan, which sits near the border of Tanay, Rizal and General Nakar, Quezon. A former logging area, the village that bears the mountain’s name is now an ecotourism site that offers outdoor attractions such as caves, springs, natural pools, and limestone formations.
Mt. Daraitan is a great sampler for hiking up the relatively unexplored Sierra Madre mountains, and along with the other attractions in Daraitan, particularly the scenic, lunaresque Tinipak River, is a highly recommended dayhike or overnight destination from Manila. Credit: Pinoy Mountaineer
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| Backpacking for an overnight adventure. |
It was April 2016 when we planned to hike another mountain, Mt. Daraitan was the trending among mountain hiking enthusiast back then. We read lots of stories about how difficult to hike this mountain so we agreed to accept the challenge. We planned for a week to prepare our itinerary, budget and list of activities for the overnight adventure.
Apr 16 : We rented a van that brought us to Brgy. Daraitan, Tanay Rizal. We reached Brgy. Daraitan at almost 10 in the morning after a 2 hour travel from Muntinlupa.
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| Hiking buds. :) |
Arriving at the Tinipak River Jump off we crossed a wooden bridge and rode a tricycle going to Barangay Hall of Daraitan.
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| Ride to Barangay Hall - Php 20.00/pax |
We arrived at the registration around 10:00 AM, the lady in-charge sadly informed us that they will not be able to cater us since only 400 hikers per day is allowed. The original plan was to hike Mt. Daraitan at Day 1, but due to the circumstances we need to adjust the itinerary. We cannot give up that easily so we asked what are the options she can give us. Luckily, she said that there are still slot for the next day. We grabbed that offer and paid all necessary fees, we were also assigned with our guide. (Please be considerate, don't try to haggle for the guides fee, it's our way to help the locals, the community and the tourism in the area.)
Reference
Environmental Fee - Php 20.00/ pax
Tinipak River - Php 50.00/ pax
Tour Guide - Php 500.00 Day Hike
Tour Guide - Php 1,250.00 Overnight Hike
*10 Guest is equivalent to One (1) Tour Guide
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| Mandatory Groupie! Cheese! |
After a 5 minute orientation, we started the trek.
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| Along the riverside trail a lot of big boulders of white rock dominates the area. |
After almost 2 hours of trekking we finally reached the camping ground. Since it's weekend, there were lots of people of all ages and walks of life in the campsite. Children, teenagers and adults who were there to commune with nature.
Our guide was able to secure a slot for our tent. We rested up our tired legs for a couple of minutes and grab a quick snack. We pitched our tent near the store in the area.
After an hour of rest, we prepare to cook our food and had our late lunch.
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| Ginagawa mo?? |
After our delightful lunch, we prepped to go to Tinipak River and Maytuntong Cave. As per our guide, a quick 10 minute trek is all you need to reach the scenic spots. However, due to the flock of guest that day we lined up for about 30 minutes just to get to the river.
Finally, almost an hour of waiting! Hi Tinipak River! Look at the different limestone formations that makes the river unique and beautiful.
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| Look at that! |
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| Selfie is a must! Lol! |
After dipping in the waters of Tinipak River, we moved to Maytuntong Cave. A makeshift wooden bridge marks the entrance to the cave and only few people are allowed inside. 15 minutes is the only allotted time per group.
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Head flashlight can be rented on the stores near the bridge. Php 20.00 |
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| While waiting for our turn. Cheese! |
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The entrance of the cave is a narrow hole in the ground with wooden ladder. |
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| Stalactites and stalagmites dominates the cave. |
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Into the unknown! Char! |
In the end of the passageway is a natural pool. Bathing on the cold waters of the pool is perfect to soothe tired muscles and soul (Haha!). Water comes out from the inside of the mountain making it so majestic.
After our caving experience, we head back to the campsite to change our clothes and prepped for dinner. We agreed to start the trek to Mt Daraitan at 3:30 AM the next day. We had our early dinner and start to sleep to gain energy for the next day adventure.
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