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Last April 4th I had the privilege to experience another adventure that I missed while I was away from home, climbing this beautiful mountain.
Mt. Maculot is situated in Cuenca Batangas and is known as a famous landmark for locals and travelers alike. The mountain has three destinations: the Rockies, the Summit and the Grotto.
We decided to climb the mountain during Holy Week and set our sights on the Rockies.
The Rockies is Mt. Maculot’s most famous site. The rocky formation stands beside Taal Lake, creating a view enveloping the whole of Taal Lake as well as the plains of Batangas and on the opposite sides looms Mt. Makiling and the Tagaytay Highlands.
The trail leading to the campsite and the Rockies is the most popular and some locals sell drinks at the rest stops along the trail. It’s awesome considering the trail is somewhat steep. Another funny thing about it is as you go higher and on every stop the price of the drinks increases. Personally, I think the price hike has something to do with carrying all those jugs and coolers up the mountain and not because of the taste of the beverage but that’s just the well rested me talking because as you climb higher and every step you take feels like divine punishment the taste of the drinks improve on you as you go on. There is a bigger store by the campsite dubbed as the 7-11 which offers everything from biscuits, instant noodles to hard drinks.
At the camp site there two trails. The trail going to the left leads to the Rockies and the right trail leads to the summit. The famous grotto is on the other side of the mountain and I admit I haven’t been there, it’s still on my list of things to do (maybe next time).
The views that the mountain offers are amazing. Even from the trail you can see landscapes that can take your breath away. You just need to stop, pay attention and savor the moment (as the title implies, it’s the climb!).
Once you reach the summit of the Rockies brace yourself because the view is wonderful (it fascinates me every time) and so is the drop on the side (the picture doesn’t do the view justice, sorry).
You can climb Mt. Maculot for a day, it takes about 2-3 hours to get to the campsite it depends on your pace (some experienced climbers can probably climb the mountain for 30 minutes to an hour max) and from the campsite you can continue to the Rockies or the summit and the grotto, it all depends on your sense of adventure and how strong your endurance is or how far your legs and feet can climb and carry you.
It was a wonderful day; the sun was shining and I had great companions sharing the experience with me. The climb for me was a revelation of two things: one, I really need to shape up and exercise and two, I’m getting too old for this s* but that won’t stop from coming back because that’s what makes the adventure more fun. Cheers!
