DESTINATION: Mt. Maculot a.k.a. Maculod 706 MASL
JUMP-OFF POINT: Brgy. Poblaction, Cuenca, Batangas
SPECS: Minor climb, Difficulty 2/9, Trail class 1-3
CLIMB DATES: May 29-30, 2010
Mt. Maculot. Difficulty Level (compared to Mt. Banahaw): Easy... That is, if you follow the trail.
The whole adventure was full of surprises.
The Chuck Norris Trail. No one and nothing beats the Chuck Norris Trail. If there isn't a trail, make one. Our mistake. We were forcing nature to give in to our whims, and nature fought back. Ten minutes from the jump off point and we were already hanging on to the roots of the trees just to get to the trail which we thought was existing. And right after, we were all sweaty, exhausted, and bruised from all the commotion. We desperately just wanted to get to the top.
At first we were complaining about the weight of our back packs, and then there came a point wherein we couldn't anymore feel the heaviness of our loads. Our main concern was to stay clear from being hit by boulders. The next thing was to keep holding on to the roots, the branches, the stems or any dependable material that would keep us from falling off the cliff. The third concern was to save the raw rice and other cooking ingredients from being scattered on the trail. We had to give up extra cellophane just to save them. The fourth one was to find the trail, a clearance that will lead us to the camp site. The trek which was supposed to last only for 2 hours at the most extended to 7 hours. We were hungry, yet, we couldn't keep the pressing issues off our mind. Clearance... Camp site... Boulders...!
Trail Block. When we reached the top, we wanted to console ourselves by saying that we were almost "there." And then, a wall of a huge rock hindered us from moving ahead. Teo was brave enough to look for another way to get us to the top. I was so close to agreeing that we should just rappel even without ropes. Or rock climb with bare hands. I actually didn't care anymore. I just wanted to get out of the trap. After making another trail, we finally found our way up. Teo lost his dagger, an heirloom from his grandpa. We had to clear the "path" from the tall itchy grasses which were taller than us. Heck, we just want to get to where we were supposed to go... I was one of the first three peeps who found the real trail and boy, were we so relieved and elated!
The shoulders, at last! We immediately pitched tents, desperate to get some rest to ready ourselves for the dinner and the socials. The campsite is also known to Maculot climbers as the shoulders. The summit is actually just a great scene to look at from the spot. According to the mountaineers who reached the shoulders ahead of us, the summit doesn't have a trail, so only those who get lost in the way get to that part. We later found lights flashed from the summit. We were wondering if the lights flashed was signaling for help or not.
Our socializing session got extended because fellow mountaineers from Dayo Club invited us to join their circle. It was fun to actually socialize with mountaineers from another group. I got to meet seasoned mountaineers and I got to ask them where and what to buy for the next climb. Helpful tips were flowing the whole night. I was back at my tent after 3am but I still wasn't sleepy. The whole ordeal just kept me from getting sleepy. Maybe I got too stimulated from the whole "lost in the jungle" experience. I spent the rest of my "night" stargazing. I got disappointed seeing only a few stars. When the sun rose and there was only one star left, I decided to go back to my tent to catch some sleep. I wasn't able to get some as sleepiness remained elusive.
The Rockies. I wanted to watch the sun set from the Rockies, one of the attractions at Mt. Maculot. No one wanted to go with me. Maybe because everyone was simply exhausted. The exhaustion continued until the next day that no one of us appreciated the sunrise, which I also wanted to watch from the Rockies.
Just before the descent, I hesitantly asked Teo if he would allow us to go to the Rockies. Fortunately, our trek lead allowed Noella and I to go. On our way there, I was feeling a little bored. All I see were tall grasses and shrubs. Then, a very beautiful sight welcomed us. I hurriedly ran back to where my group was. I convinced them to come with us to the Rockies. A seasoned trek lead from the other group offered to guide us on our way up. Aren't you very helpful, Zoilo? Thanks!
The view up there was worth taking the risk. I even got the chance to conquer my fear of heights. During the Pico climb, I never found the courage to sit or stand in a rock that's closely settled on a cliff. In Mt. Maculot, I did! I sat, I stood, I conquered! Weeeeeee!
The descent was fun as the other group came down with us. On the way down, there were a lot of stations built with bamboo benches. We decided to take a long pause in one of them. While in there, seasoned climbers talked about the mountaineer who committed suicide in the very spot that one of my companions sat on... Creepy! When our sweeper arrived, we decided to move ahead.
Back at jump off point. I bought three climber's anklets. I was supposed to buy four since I had already climbed four mountains. I just couldn't find another one with a great color combination, so I settled for three.
