DIY: Mt. Batolusong, Tanay, Rizal - 780 masl

At the summit of Mt. Batolusong: Rangyas Peak #SquadGoals

April 1, 2017


Difficulty: 3/9
Hours to summit: 3 hours to 1st summit (Mapatag Plateau); 4 hours to 2nd summit (Rangyas

Peak)
Altitude: 645 masl / 780 masl
Trail Class: 1, 2
Features: Sea of fog (people call it clouds but it's actually fog) and scenic views you can't stop yourself from taking photos of


Mt. Batolusong has 2 summits: Mapatag Plateau and Rangyas Peak. Mapatag Plateau at 645 masl can be the final point of the hike. It's an open grassland with huge rocks that offers scenic view and a lot of photogenic spots to choose from. It can also serve as a campsite should you decide to stay for the night.

According to our guide, “Batolusong” is actually this plateau and the valley right next to it which you can also see from the 2nd peak: Rangyas at 780 masl. From the Mapatag Plateau, it would take another hour to get to the Rangyas Peak. While some could stop at Mapatag Plateau and call it a day, I'd still suggest going through that extra hour to get to Rangyas Peak. Nandun ka na eh. :)


How to get there
1. From Cubao, ride a jeep bound to Cogeo and ask to be dropped off at Gate 2
2. Ask around for the jeepney terminal bound to Sampaloc (Though first trip is at 5am, there are jeepneys operating until 5pm, so don't believe anyone telling you that there are no other jeeps that could take you to Sampaloc)
3. Ride the Sampaloc-bound jeep and ask to be dropped off at Batangas. You should alight by the tricycle terminal.
4. Hire a tricycle and tell the driver that you're bound for Mt. Batolusong. You will be dropped off at the registration area by the basketball court. 1 tricycle can accommodate up to 4 people and a one-way ride costs 120.00.


How to get out
1. From the registration area, hire a tricycle to Batangas. This time, a one-way ride costs 160.00 but still accommodates up to 4 people. This is because the ride back to Batangas is mostly "assault" therefore requiring more gas.
2. Ride a jeepney bound to Cogeo. If you're lucky, you will chance upon one that's almost already full. If not, well, get ready to wait for other passengers to fill the jeep.
3. Jeepneys bound to Cubao run aplenty in Cogeo.


Budget: Php354.00
Breakdown of expenses:
1. Jeep from Cogeo to Batangas - 42.00
2. Tricycle to registration area - 120.00 (30.00/person if divided by 4)
3. Registration and Tourism Fee - 100.00
4. Guide fee - 500.00 (100.00/persson if divided by 5)
5. Tricycle back to Batangas - 160. (40.00/person if divided by 4)
6. Tricycle back to Cogeo - 42.00

Sample itinerary (close to how we did it)

4:00 AM ETD Cubao / Ride jeep going to Cogeo
5:00 AM Ride jeep to Brgy. Sampaloc. Drop off at Batangas
6:00 AM Ride tricycle going to registration area
6:30 AM Start trek to Mt. Batolusong
8:00 AM ETA Duhatan Ridge / Sea of clouds
8:30 AM Start trek to Mapatag Plateau
10:00 AM ETA Mapatag Plateau / Photo Op
10:30 AM Start trek to Rangyas Peak
11:30 AM ETA Rangyas Peak / Lunch / Photo Op
12:30 PM Start descent
2:00 PM ETA Registration area / rest and wash up
3:00 PM Ride tricycle to Batangas
3:15 PM Boarded the jeep bound to Cogeo
4:30 PM Cogeo

We missed the first trip, so we were able to leave Cogeo by around 5:20 and arrived at Batangas by 6:05 or so. We then registered, got ready, and started trek with our guide.

It was a chilly morning. I remember shivering during the tricycle ride and asking the driver if it's usually that cold in the place. He said that in the morning, yes, but in the afternoon, it's super hot. Boy, was he sooo right.

There are 5 of us in the group. As this is the second DIY hike I sort of organized, I always make sure that we are at least a group of 5, knowing that most guide fees are 500.00 and that it's cheaper and easier to divide among 5 people. Math isn't really my best subject, you know.

Of the 5, Florie and I are the only two who are, dare we say, a little more experienced when it comes to scaling mountains. This is Krysia's second mountain (her first being Mt. Tagapo) while it is the first official moutain for both Happy and Jared. Our hike mostly went along with Happy's pace.

We started trek before 6:30 and was soooooo giddy about the fog. I got even more excited when fog came out of my mouth when I speak. Awesome!

We have 4 goals for this hike:

1. Catch the sea of fog at the Duhatan Ridge
2. Reach Mapatag Plateau
3. Reach Rangyas Peak, and
4. Arrive home safely.

Happy to announce that we did all 4 with flying colors. :)

The fog during the tricycle ride

Mt. Batolusong Registration Area. Bawal Magmura. Bad Yun.

Amen to this signage. Hope every human being live by these words.

First thing's first: Picture! From left: Krysia, Me, Happy, Jared, and Florie

Passed by houses on the way.

Magtanim ay 'di biro. 

See the fog? Beautiful! 

Dunno what to make of this.

This pretty house.

First assault

There are food-bearing trees, too!

Nice, easy, and canopied hike. At first...

Sea of fog at Duhatan Ridge. First goal achieved!

Across the store right before the first camping area.

View from the first camping area. Scenie, right?

The sea of fog is now gone.

Side trip before trekking to Mapatag Plateau.

Meet Bundog = Bundok + Dog. Jared came up with the name.

Just chillin' at the first base camp.

And now onto Mapatag Plateau. It's mostly open trail now, and the heat is almost too brutal!

Forward we go to Mapatag Plateau

The length of the open trail is... wow!

Stopped to take a photo of this pretty.

Naglilibang. XD Using the tall grass as shade against the sun.

Open trail, anyone?

Still we smile. :D

Florie letting her Nen out while on the biggest rock at the Mapatag Plateau

We suspected this is their prenup photoshoot.

Florie owning it.

Krysia: Our resident super model.

Interesting. I found Sheena who I hiked Mt. Pulag with through an organized event last November 2016. Suprise surprise!

Shared another beautiful memory with my high school best friend. :)

Mapatag Plateau

Our guide at the bamboo forest right beneath the Rangyas Peak.

Click!

Picture before challenging the rock to Rangyas Peak.

Surprise rock climbing. No one expected this but yay still. :)

Krysia climbing the rock while our guide, bless your soul, look down on her and didn't bother to help her at all.

Final assault to the 2nd summit.

Happy all smiles after climbing the rock.

Hearts from the summit of Mt. Batolusong

You can see how far back we are with how small our guide, Florie, and Krysia are from where we were standing.

The "tail" blazers. XD

Another pretty one.

Caught them beating the heat like this thrice on our way down.

The greens look prettier under the noon sun.

Cogeo-bound jeepney waiting for passengers on an empty highway.

At the Rangyas Peak. We're fab like this. ;)

To sum it up, it was a fun hike with friends. I used to always join organized hikes and tours where I'm always alone. Yep, the organizers are friendly enough to chat with me and yep, I get to earn new friends through these tours. But it's still very different when you're with "friends". This is the part that I love the most about these DIYs I've been organizing. I get to choose the place and invite my friends, making each climb even more memorable and fun!

Where to next? :)