Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Mt. Makiling | A Bloody Hike

Will just share my Maktrav experience last 19th of August with some mountaineers who were about to climb Mt. Apo (via Kapatagan-Kidapawan) this coming long weekend.  We took the same trail (Palanggana Trail, San Bartolome jump-off) as my previous maktravs (pang-apat ko na aktuwali), but unlike before, it was a bloody hike. All of Mt. Makiling's defenses were up against us, the limatiks, the thorns, even mosquitoes.

blood!
Photo by sir Jet
MakTrav IV

• We're a group of 11 and we did MakTrav (Sto.Tomas to Station 1) from 06:45 AM to 05:00 PM, a total of 10 hrs and 45 mins trek.

• The weather was good, it did not rain, but the clouds never subsided. So there's no view again :)

•  The limatiks of this hike are wilder and more blood-thirsty than all of my previous climbs (I lost my count dahil sa sobrang dami nila). I had a bite at my foot, my companions had more than 5 bites (may bloodletting na naganap sa trek namin).

• For the first time, I saw a limatik crawling at someone's eye. Yup, one from our group had not just one but a pair of limatik in her eye. It looks really irky as it moves around the sclera, beneath the eyelids (kadiri lang talaga).

• The pink ribbons on Melkas Campsite that had caused headache to many Makiling hikers is not much a problem now. Most of the pink ribbons in the area had been taken off the trail.

IMPORTANT: I asked the Barangay Captain of San Bartolome if it is true that the Palanggana Trail is now closed for hiking, well it is NOT TRUE. It's just that this trail is no longer the advisable trail for first timers in Makiling Traverse who will come from Sto. Tomas (dahil nga marami daw naliligaw sa private areas ng trail). They're still allowing hikers to tramp this trail for as long as they're familiar with the trail already.

Medyo umay na ako sa Maktrav, 4 times na kasi pero iisang trail pa rin ang dinadaanan, that's why I'm planning to do a solo hike on this mountain and reverse the traverse (UPLB to Sto. Tomas) the next time I'll be there.

• It was overall a nice climb, thanks to my companions, Iggy, Mars, and Dawn, and to Sir Siegfred's group. Goodluck to your Mt. Apo hike ;)

Note: First time that I did not have dinner at Sulyaw after the Maktrav. Instead, we went to Calamba (near Turbina) and munched at Tuding's original porkchop (yum, ang sarap lang ng kain ko)  
Read my previous MakTravs:
MakTrav I
MakTrav III

11 comments:

  1. Many Thanks Sir Ivan for your guidance in my first MAKTRAV climb. Indeed it was a memorable and fun event.
    Also, I had overcome my fear of limatiks and i understand more about them.
    Hope to see you in the future climbs.

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    Replies
    1. sir fred, ikaw ba yan? hehe. see you po sa marami pang climbs :)

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  2. Congratulation again Sir Ivan.
    Ang bitter ko ng nabasa ko tong blog mo.
    Oh Makiling, kelan kaya kta maaakyat. Hahaha.

    Grabe yung kagat ng limatik.
    Matataranta ako pag ganyan. haha.


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  3. kaya mo yan sir! goodlak sa maktrav :)

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  4. Limatik everywhere! Hehe.. Nice Blog sir Ivan! :)

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  5. Amazing little creature. At least now I know I need to watch out for those creepy bloodsuckers pag akyat ng Mt. Makiling. hehe.

    Jan Ashlee,
    breakawayph.blogspot.com

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  6. Tudings talaga ha. hehe
    The BEst ung porkchop dun, with matching sunny side up.

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  7. hahaha, I knew batang lakwatsero sounds familiar :D nung nakita ko yung pic, I was like ... "dugo ni Vernz yan!!!" Nice. Hope to join you again in one of your future climbs. :)

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  8. sir, nag MAKTRAV kme last week. ung kasama nmin nalimatik din sa mata. 3hrs bgo namin natanggal.. pro ok n ngaun ung mata nya.. very effective pngtaggal ng limatik sa katawan is ditergent soap.

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  9. oh my.. balak pa naman namin mag MakTrav, kaso takot aco sa Limatik.. hahaha

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  10. Sir goggles kaya? para di mapasukan ng limatik sa mata...

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