"Trails to Banahaw" Salvation Hike

“In Banahaw, nature speaks cogently.  There, people learn how to “listen” to the wise and persuasive voice of nature.” 
-          Jose de Mesa, Ph.D

The exciting trails to Bangkongkahoy will be presented in this hike. The “road to salvation” as pilgrims sometimes regarded the trails leading to Kinabuhayan, Dolores, Quezon in faithful observance of the Holyweek.

We will help out create consciousness and clean the trails to Bangkong-kahoy  from unwanted rubbish caused by irresponsible passers-by.  Plastic wrappers, empty tin cans, used water bottles, disposable food packs, and other rubbish never belong there. We will liberate the trails from these material infringements and bring them to its natural state once again. With this gesture, we hope to inspire others to respect and help maintain the cleanliness of the foot trails.

If you are open to this cause, join us to the "Trails to Banahaw" Salvation Hike.

Hike to even greater heights. Starting @ about 900 masl elevation, we will take a rather soft undemanding ascend all the way to sitio Bangkongkahoy @ about 1000 elevation.  Our trailhead is on an open area near the Nagcarlan Tramline. After the traditional log-in, group picture and prayer, a short briefing will be given on how we go about our activity.   Our end point will be “Bangkongkahoy Valley" for which its owner and fellow Nagcarlangin will welcome us and share with us his own advocacy rendition how to preserve our beloved environment.

A one-booter - 8 km hike and yet another special treat to participants craving for beautiful places in Nagcarlan. Reaching the beautiful campsite, our host will welcome us and orient us to several highlights of the valley. After showing to us the beauty of the place, we will have 2-hour free and easy/leisure activity for which participants can try the zipline, visit the viewdeck or just sit back, relax and have a cup of freshly brewed local coffee. By the sound of our whistle, all participants will go back to the campsite for lunch and afterwhich --- hike back to civilization. 

Scenic Nagcarlan Hike

 
5.58mi

Set foot on the southernmost tip of the municipality by the flank of Banahaw-San Cristobal Complex and enjoy bountiful sceneries best viewed nowhere else but NAGCARLAN.

Cool mountain breeze, sandyloam foot trails, glorious landscapes all summed-up to cater a wonderful experience of paradise-like beauty only our hometown can best offer. 

Don’t forget to bring with you:

Hiking essentials (what’s inside your backpack)

1.5 liters of water/pax

Planting essentials for “AHON tayo at Magtanim” Tree Parenting

Shoutouts about nature

“Leave No trace” Outdoor Ethics

We will charter a jeepney to our jump-off point and from there we will at once enjoy the trail leading to “Saimsim” Strawberry Fields.  An hour stay at the place is allotted for AHON participants to fully enjoy strawberry picking, tasting and picture taking. May we remind everyone that we need to pay for the strawberries that we will consume or bring home.  At a nearby place, we will plant trees and fulfill our “AHON tayo at Magtanim” tree parenting program.

 

We resume hiking exploring “Kakawa Crater” and go down on its 1.5 hectares base.  After a while, we will ascend towards “Gunaw” area to better experience more picturesque views of the environs. Then traverse to the adjacent “Braulla” area where the historical “Landing Point” is exactly situated. Landing Point campsite will be our last stop and our lunch area. While we eat, we get to enjoy superb sceneries of the towns of San Pablo,Rizal,Nagcarlan and Liliw.  Descending is equally pleasurable due to lush greeneries covering our path from the heat of the noontime sun.

Yes, Nagcarlan has strawberries.  Yes, there is a crater nearby.  And yes, Landing Point which has great historical significance are truly our own!

Better see them to believe them.  Guaranteed, this hike is certainly addictive!

Mt. Mabilog & Lake Yambo Hike

 4.64 m i

Let’s put off some calories, burn those fats and start the year right with a supple but rather long easy hike to Mt. Mabilog with a pleasurable Lake Yambo experience after. Yes, level up na po tayo!

Rain or shine, we meet-up in front of Nagcarlan Town Hall by 5:30 am. Then we will charter a jeepney going to our hike’s jumpoff at brgy. Sulsuguin.  Fare from Nagcarlan town proper to Mt. Mabilog Jumpoff  (one-way) is P20.  

After a brief orientation and prayer, we will have our traditional group picture with the beautiful Yambo Lake at our background. Then off we go to the 428 masl peak of Mt. Mabilog.

It’s a must for everyone to bring their own lunch, some snacks and at least 1.5 liters per participant.   Things mentioned in the AHON post :“What’s inside your backpack” is going to be indispensable this time. Better work on them now.  

And of course, those Shout-outs and taglines we prepared to be taken out for our picture taking. Leave No Trace Outdoor Ethics required.

It’s still a One-Booter hike but brace yourselves for a great outdoor experience with AHON. 

Welcome to the HIKING WORLD.

Mt. Lansay - Sagilala Falls Hike

Standing about 324 masl, Mt. Lansay is the most accessible and easiest hiking venue among the 8 mountains surrounding the municipality of Nagcarlan.  It has a 360 degrees great view of Laguna Lake and Mt. Bayaquitos (North); the towns of Liliw and Nagcarlan (Northeast); Mt. Banahaw  (South); Mt. San Cristobal (Southeast) and Mts. Malauban, Mabilog, Nagcarlan and Atimla (Nothwest).

“Pinagbanderahan” as it was previously called by the locals as Americans proudly raised their national flag after the Spanish-American War. During the American occupation, cavalry of Americans frequented the place for some recreational horseback riding activities.

Some people claimed that the pleasure of getting on top of Mt. Lansay gratifies anyone the visual summation experience of how beautiful Nagcarlan is.

After enjoying Mt. Lansay’s view of its surroundings, an easy descend on its western slope will lead to yet another nature’s treasure waiting to be unveiled: “Sagilala” falls.  About 18 feet high and a catch basin of about 20 feet wide and 2 feet deep, it is fed by three springs which converge into one stream some meters away before the falls. Calm, pure, pristine and still remote from public encroachment, its water has remained the way nature has made it.

You haven’t experienced the best of brgy. Banilad if you missed tasting a local “tablea sa batidor”.  From cacao beans that are dried, roasted, ground and then formed into cubes, “tablea” is traditionally used in the Philippines to make hot chocolate using a manual blender called “batidor”.  Interesting to know that some local folks still choose to continue and enjoy making such Filipino traditional favorites even at the heights of modern times’ “instant” beverages.

Second half of the hike is equally enjoyable taking the Northward Banilad exit towards Brgy. Palayan.  Taking the “Manukot Trail”, we will get to cross 4 streams; a rice field with uncluttered view of Mts. Banahaw and San Cristobal then walk along an irrigation system that supplies water on nearby rice fields.  A gratifying 20 minutes hike is just as exciting as we get to see the reserved beauty of Nagcarlan eagerly waiting to be rediscovered and appreciated by its people.

From our assembly in front of the Nagcarlan Municipal Bldg participants will take public transport to Brgy. Malaya. Then Brgy. Malaya to Brgy. Banilad proper.  When all participants have arrived, we then start our quick ascend to Mt. Lansay passing a cacao orchard.  In just about 30 minutes or less, hikers can reach its summit with ease.  We will stay at the summit for some 20 minutes so everyone will have enough time to enjoy Mt. Lansay’s view and get a chance to take good photo composition as souvenirs. 

After our traditional group picture, we will descend on its western slope towards Sagilala Falls traversing the “Manukot trail”.  Everyone should be reminded of the ideal distance between each hiker to avoid getting lost. As soon as we approached a huge “kawayanan” area, the sound of rushing waters from the river can be clearly heard. “Tubig Pook” stream is about 30-35 width and about 2 feet deep.  To make it more exciting and avoid getting wet, participants can cling to the sides of the riverbank using branches and roots of trees while stepping on some protruded rocks by the stream. Several meters ahead will lead us to the pristine beauty of Sagilala Falls, a visual reward for everyone’s delight.

Another 20 minutes of stay for participants photo shooting fulfillment and then we ascend towards a ridgeline and get to “Tansa” trailhead to the center of brgy. Banilad to end the 1^st half of our hike.

Participants will then take a break trying-out “tablea sa batidor at suman”  at a local’s house. Thereafter we will continue our exit hike taking the “Manukot” trail towards Brgy. Palayan.

When everyone is ready, we then proceed northward passing “Malahigin” and “mag-asawang tubig” landmarks.