Wednesday, February 29, 2012

An Adventure-ful Day at Sitio Madlum

Our adventure in a place called Sitio Madlum at San Miguel, Bulacan offered us not only a mountain to conquer but a lot more activities like river crossing, rock climbing and spelunking. All of which really satisfied our gusto. It's like putting down a group of birds with a single blow.
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Last February 12, I suddenly found myself tripping somewhere in the province of Bulacan. Thanks to sir Sony of yobynos.wordpress.com for inviting me in this adventure-ful trip at Sitio Madlum, San Miguel, Bulacan.

Crossing the River: Monkey Bridge Style

To experience the thrill of adventures that the Sitio Madlum could offer, one must cross the river first. And based on what I've seen around, there are 4 different ways in crossing the great Madlum River:
 1) Ride a raft - for a fee of course (P5 one way)
 2) Zipline - again for a fee (I forgot the price)
 3) the Monkey Bridge - thrilling and fun
 4) walk by foot - the effortless way
Madlum River

For the thrill lovers like me, crossing the Monkey Bridge is highly recommended, it's fun and thrilling. It was a bit shaky when I gave it a try, but isn't that where the fun comes from. Wearing a pair of gloves will be a smart choice too, the cable can be abrasive if crossing is done recklessly.

the Monkey Bridge
that's me crossing the river. photo by Sir Paul Basco
Climbing the Rock

Rock climbing is another fun and challenging activity that Sitio Madlum can offer. Just a few meters from the registration site, is a huge rock ("grotto" as called by the locals) that enthusiasts would definitely enjoy. Like an appetizer for a bigger meal, this rock will fire you up for your next activity which is climbing Mt. Manalmon.

Rock climbing, the rock's edges are pretty sharp. I got cuts on my feet after climbing this rock
Tramping the Mountain

Mt. Manalmon is an easy climb actually, I'm not even sure if it's really a mountain (being 196+ MASL only). At its peak, you'll be able to see the great Mt. Arayat peeking on the horizon. Strong winds brush the summit of Mt. Manalmon, hence it's really cool on top. The huge piece of dome-like rock of this mountain is the gem that attracts the mountaineers. 

Mt. Manalmon's twin mountain, Mt. Gola, is a possible double dayhike.

the large dome-like rock of Mt. Manalmon
at the mountain's summit, with the neighboring Mt. Gola at the background
Spelunking the Cave

Since Sitio Madlum still covers a part of Biak-na-Bato Cave System, spelunking activity is not new to this place. The popular ones are Bayukbok cave which is good enough for cave-lovers, and Victoria cave which is longer and can probably drain all your strength. However, the larger Victoria Cave has been closed to the public for quite a long time already (details on its re-opening is unsure).

inside Bayukbok Cave
our group inside the Bayukbok cave. Photo by Paul Basco

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How to get there:

There are buses in Cubao and Pasay that are bound for Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. Five Star and Baliwag Trans are the popular ones. All these buses will pass by San Miguel, Bulacan. Just tell the driver to drop you at Brgy. Kamias in San Miguel. From there, you can ride a tricycle to Sitio Madlum. 

Budget for this trip can be as low as P500.00 (if you're in a group of 10)


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16 comments:

  1. Wow malapit na pala yan sa Cabanatuan!! Sige yayain ko yung mga pinsan ko pag umuwi kami dyan. Mas madali ba yung daan kesa Pundaquit?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. madali lang sya. and kaya ng isang oras lang yung trail.

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    2. Sama ako ate joan!

      Ang ganda nong first picture! And na amaze ako sa bridge ha. hahaha

      Delete
  2. bigla kitang nam-miss dahil dito, ivan. hehe ...

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  3. the first picture reminded me of the white boulders in Daraitan River.. nice budgeted hike!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. gusto ko na nga din pumunta sa Daraitan e... may bundok din kasi dun.

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    2. I have that kind a bridge about 1 km away from the City

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    3. nakuha ko na ang contacts sa Mt. Daraitan, text moko kung kailan..

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  4. dang! i wanna monkey bridge din... inggit ako...

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  5. May harness ba yung monkey bridge? I wanna try it also.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. lol.. wlang harness harness, buwis buhay ito :)

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  6. Haha, walang harness! Gosh! Free fall ata yun eh. Sarap ng trip nato, lapit pa, Bulacan. It seems so far from Manila kasi.

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  7. i still have two more weeks to spend in san ildefonso, bulacan, the town before san miguel from manila... after two weeks, tapos na ang training ko and i'll be back in manila after... i'll try to go with my friend next weekend... :)

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  8. i enjoyed the caving part with rock climbing (mahilig sa shortcut sinusundan si kuya guide). hehehe...pero mas trilling yung mag-cross ka sa monkey bridge na di ka marunong lumangoy. 50 pesos yung bayad nang zipline...meron ngang lumilipad na eagle sa area na yan. i saw it while crossing the monkey bridge.

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