The LOTR Experience in Mt. Batulao

The entire group at the summit of Mt. Batulao

You read that right! And yes, LOTR stands for Lord of the Rings. 
(Spoiler Alert! Our experience didn't involve Orcs. Boo.)

I was really fascinated by those scenes where Frodo and the gang would run along the mountain ridges. After my very first climb, the first thing that came to mind was, "Whoa! It'd be really cool to do something like that." So I asked my friend, Deanne, if she knows any mountain that offers the experience, and she only replied, "Batulao". 

The excitement to visit the mountain budded, and after months of waiting, the group finally decided to go for the second time. If it wasn't for the pangungulit of Jeymman's friend, Gen, BAOG wouldn't think of going back any time soon after their first climb there. Gen, along with our three other friends who recently got bitten by the Buwisbuhay bug, had no experience with mountain climbing. Since Mt. Batulao is beginner-friendly, the father of BAOGs set this as our destination. 

Itinerary:

We had the intention of following the itinerary below, but because we went there during Pope Francis' visit, we encountered transportation difficulties going to the meet-up point.

6:00 am (for participants from Metro Manila) ETD from DLTB Co. Buendia in Nasugbu-bound bus 
6:30 am (for participants from the South) ETD from SM Calamba in Tagaytay-bound Van (transfer to a Nasugbu-bound bus after alighting the van)
8:00 am ETA Evercrest, Tagaytay (meeting point of the two groups)
8:30 am ETA Jump off point
11:00 am ETA Summit | Lunch
12:00 noon Start descent
2:00 pm ETA Jump off point
2:30 pm ETA Tagaytay | Merienda | Socials

Once you arrive at Evercrest, you can either take the tricycle going to the jump off point, or walk. If you arrived early, then walking would be a great experience (and cheaper, too!) because you have the option to pass-by the famous Calaruega Church. If you and your group aren't morning persons, and you've planned for a day-hike only, then taking the tricycle would make a wiser choice because it will take you there faster. There are tricycles waiting just outside Evercrest. Kindly tell the manongs you're going to Mt. Batulao, and they'll automatically take you to the jump off point. 

The Old and New Trail

There are currently two existing trails, the Old and New. You can hike and descend on one, but you can also do a traverse. Don't worry about losing your way. The trails are difficult to miss, but just in case, you can hire a guide. As for us, since Jeymman's been to Mt. Batulao more than once, there was no need for a guide. We opted for a traverse, and we started with the Old, and ended with the New trail. 

This is how the traverse looks like.
Photo from one of our favorite kaladkarin's awesome GPS gadget. 

My initial observation on the Old trail is that it's easier and safer than the New trail. The path snaked along the side of the mountain, and the elevations were low and sweet. There were, however, very few breathtaking views. The only difficult part of the trail was climbing the summit. It transformed to steep and cruel. I had to go 4x4 on some areas because the soil were a bit loose; I was afraid I might slip if I put my entire weight on my legs. Tip: Do not look below, especially if you have vertigo.

Before reaching the highest point of the mountain, we had to (literally) climb a short but really steep rocky wall. A rope hangs from the top for those afraid to rest their lives on the protruding rocks, but because our group's previous adventure was in the Lioness' Back and Rhino Rock Formations in Bulacan, utilizing the rope seemed pointless. Since we went here during the Pope's visit, a lot of people were on holiday, and around 600 of them thought it was a good idea to hike Mt. Batulao on that Saturday. This was my first time to experience human traffic on a mountain. From our observations, many were first-time hikers, and most found this obstacle intimidating. We had to wait for almost an hour for our turn. To save time, some from our group used the rope, while some went for the rocks. The trail can fit three side-by-side after all.

We were still in the Old trail in this picture. 

Notice how steep the way to the summit is. 

I would have enjoyed the view from the summit, but there were far too many people for such a really small space. All I could remember was that we can see the different towns surrounding the mountain (I'm bad in geography, so I can't tell what they were), and Taal Lake. Plus, the silhouettes of Mt. Maculot, Mt. Palay-Palay (Pico de Loro), and Mt. Talamitan loomed in the distance. 

There were also sellers of Mountain Dew, water, and ice cream at the top. My water supply was still good, so I just bought ice cream. Don't expect to find Cornetto or Magnum, though. 

We continued via the New trail, and this was where the LOTR experience began (minus the Orcs and Wargs). The path wasn't easy, because it was dry and sandy and this gave our shoes lesser grip. Some of us had to literally slide with our butts, because we don't want to risk slipping at the edges and straight into heaven. 

This was taken from from the campsite where we had our lunch.
That's the ridge where we walked along.

Despite the difficult descent, the experience was grand. Walking along the ridges was a completely unique mountaineering adventure. You can spin around like Maria from the Sound of Music, and you won't have a shortage of scenery (be careful, though, you might fall). Mt. Batulao is full of it, so it's recommended that you take time to admire and capture the landscape. However, because our itinerary wasn't followed, we had to rush because we're running out of sunlight. I sincerely wished I had more time to take photos then. 


Campsite

A newbie hiker posing under a fiery tree.

I can't recall what campsite number it was (Mt. Batulao has over 10 campsites, or more), but the place stunned me. It looked more like a park than a mountain, and it felt like we were in another country. Some trees and bushes were perfectly lined, and what we loved the most were the ones with red leaves. Slabs of wood were scattered all over the area and served as comfy seats for those looking to rest and enjoy the cold breeze of Tagaytay. Speaking of cold breeze, our visit was a bit windy, so if you're the lamigin type, I would suggest you bring a jacket -- not to wear while hiking, but for going home.

We stopped and rested in this site to eat lunch. There were many campers because of the long holiday, and their tents were already pitched when we arrived. 

The place also had a restroom, but don't expect bidets and plumbing. 


Budget

The amazing thing about this hobby is that it's cheap. We spent less than 800php each, considering too that we didn't hold back from spending for food. 

Buendia to Evercrest: 110php
Tricycle (two-way): 240php (Since four of us shared the ride, we only paid 60php each.)
Fee: 40php (20php per person for each trail. Since we passed through both, we paid double.)
Evercrest to Tagaytay: 25php (For the after-hike tsibog!)
Dinner (The BAOG tradition): 175php per person
Tagaytay to Pasay: 80php 

Total Damage: 480php 

Miscellaneous expenses for pack lunch, breakfast, trail food, water, and snacks roughly costs around 300php. I always buy my breakfast and lunch in fast food chains, and I prefer burgers and buns (because they're easier to eat), so they're a bit pricey. My friends do bring lunch boxes, so I guess they've spent lesser for food.