OVERVIEW
(CAYABU-MAYNOBA LOOP)
Tanay, Rizal
Trailhead: Brgy. Cayabu, Tanay, Rizal
LLA: 14°36′22.4′′N, 121°25′18.6′′ E, 728 MASL (+470m)
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-3 hours
Specs: Minor hike, Difficulty 3/9 (Summit); 4/9 (Loop hike), Trail class 1-4
Features: Sea of clouds, scenic views of the Sierra Madre, waterfalls
Credit: Pinoy Mountaineer
BACKGROUND
Arguably the mountain with the highest success rate of viewing the sea of clouds of all the Rizal mountains, Mt. Maynoba (pronounced may-noo-ba) was an instant hit from its opening as a hiking destination in early 2016. Easy enough to do in a few hours – and reachable from Metro Manila by private transport in an hour or two, this mountain at the foothills of the Sierra Madre in Tanay, Rizal offers breathtaking views of the Sierra Madre mountains, and enough variety in the trail to sustain one’s interest throughout the loop hike – from a steep, forested ascent up the so-called “Mt. Cayabu” (which is actually more of a subsidiary peak of Maynoba), a grassy, open trek at the higher reaches, and a descent through woodland that culminates in a small river system with a good number of waterfalls.Credit: Pinoy Mountaineer
It all started with my curiosity on what it feels like to go climb a mountain with total strangers. It was June 2016, when I happened to see a Facebook event posted by Layag Malaya Backpackers. They were organizing an event to climb Mt Maynoba and Mt Cayabu. These mountains went viral for several times for its sea of clouds.
So, My curiosity + Sea of clouds = Why not give it a try?
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| Visit their page. Layag Malaya Backpackers |
The group headed to Tanay Rizal at exactly 1:00 AM and I was able to sleep for like 2 hours in the van. We arrived at the jump-off site at around 3:00 AM. There were lots of parked van so I guess it's gonna be a one crowded climb again! There was a long queue during the registration so I had some coffee and noodles while waiting. : )
Around 3:30 when the organizer was able to secure a guide. We had a short orientation and a prayer before the trek.
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| See AllTrails for more details. |
We started the trek after the final roll call of participants. It's challenging since it was still dark and the trail was so muddy. The trail was mostly assault but I did not feel so drained since we have to stop multiple times due to the heavy traffic of mountain enthusiast.
After almost an hour, we reached the summit of Mt. Cayabu. We rested for just a couple of minutes and did not stay there for too long because the guide told us that if we want to witness the sea of clouds we need to reach Mt Maynoba before the sun rise.
The trail going down the base of Mt. Cayabu was steep and muddy. There were rope on some portions that serve as handrails or support. We rested for 5 minutes then proceed to the ascent to Mt Maynoba. I slipped a lot of times due to the muddy assault but I don't really care my mind was too focused to reach the summit of Mt Maynoba. My mind was like sea of clouds, sea of clouds, sea of clouds it just keep on repeating coz I badly wanted to see it.
I initially recorded the video to have a glimpse of where we were heading and the still dark surroundings but when I pan the camera to the left I was in a state of wonderstruck. I quicken my pace to see a better view and behold - ladies and gentlemen the spellbinding sea of clouds of Mt Maynoba.
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I have always wanted to have that sea of clouds experience and Mt Maynoba did not fail me. |
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I gave myself some time to just look, stare and appreciate the beauty of the clouds. Oh my! The power of aloneness! Happy kid! |
Seeing those clouds, I hurriedly went up to the summit of Mt Maynoba. The summit of Mt Maynoba was already jam-packed! Beside the Sea of Clouds, the sea of CROWDS were literally and figuratively dominates the area!
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| The sea of clouds seen from the summit of Mt. Maynoba. |
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| The sun starting to rise. |
We then proceeded to the campsite to have some snack. We stayed and rested for an hour in the campsite. It was around 7 AM when we started our descent. The hike down the waterfalls, has short sections of trekking on rocks. We visited all of the eight waterfalls and it was so pristine.
After finishing all the activity we started to descent to Barangay Cayabu jump-off .
I only have few pictures for this climb coz it rained on our way down. I was not able to bring my cellphone protection case and it was a bit awkward to take a lot of selfies.
I won’t lie. I was nervous about joining an event for the first time but I very much enjoyed it. My curiosity on what it feels like to go climb a mountain with total strangers developed an appreciation for going on a tour as a joiner.
Here are a few of the many things I've learned from this tour,
- Organized tour are less stressful since the itinerary is already set and the cost is way cheaper.
- Traveling with people you don’t know is an opportunity to make new friends and experience new adventures.
- No one is too old or too young to travel. Travel doesn’t have age limits. It's nice to meet and see people of all ages and walks of life enjoy the gift of nature.
- If you open yourself up to other people, you’ll find it easy to make connections that will turn into lasting memories.
ITINERARY
Mt. Cayabu traverse Mt. Maynoba + Maynoba Waterfalls (June 26)
Itinerary:
0000 Meet up Jollibee Cubao near MRT Station
0100 ETD Barangay Cayabu
0300 ETA Barangay Cayabu (Secure Guides)
0315 Start Trek
0415 Mt Cayabu Summit
0515 Mt Maynoba Summit (Sea of Clouds Viewing + Sunrise)
0600 Breakfast
0700 Descent to Maynoba Wonderfalls
0800 8th Waterfall
0815 7th Waterfall
0830 6th & 5th Waterfall
---Open IT---
1300 ETA Barangay Cayabu jump-off/Wash-up
1500 ETD to Manila
1700 ETA Manila
TOUR FEE
Php 550.00
Inclusions:
Van Transfers
Guide Fee
Environmental Fee
THINGS TO BRING
Trail food
Trail water
Extra clothes
Toiletries
Packed lunch
For more details regarding this mountain see PRACTICALITIES: MT. MAYNOBA.
That's all for now. See you around!
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