Thursday, July 14, 2016

Mt. Mariveles (1,408masl) Traverse Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge)

29-May-2016 Sunday in Bagac to Mariveles,Bataan, Philippines

MT. MARIVELES RANGE GENERAL INFO:
Entry point: Sitio Gabon, Bagac, Bataan         Exit point: Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan
Elevations: Pantingan Peak (1,408masl), El Saco Peak (1,130 masl) and Tarak Ridge (1,006masl)
Hours / Days required: 20-23 hours just in one day (local guide is required)
Classification: major trek with difficulty level of 9/9 (extended day-hike)

Mt. Mariveles Range Die-Hike (Extended Day Hike) on wet season in an almost self-guided trekking served as my 2016's first local major hike, my 2016's 5th hike and the longest trek in a day I ever did at 22 hours (following the Day4 of my Jiri to EBC Solo-Hike in Eastern Himalayas, Nepal at 9.75hrs last Dec. 2015). In addition and in my honest opinion, I consider Mt. Mariveles Range on day-hike as my most brutal, most knee-wrecking and most challenging hike because of the following (not to mention I am a last minute joiner with less than 2 hours to pack my things and leave my house);

(1) Savage mossy forest with very steep, very slippery and somewhat complex trails on soil, rocks, laid trunks and dead trees (despite having only 3hrs travel from Manila, there is strong sense of wilderness at its finest).
(2) Lots of "limatik" (blood leech) from Pantingan Peak assault to El Saco Peak descent. I had 3 "limatik" encounters on my lower leg and face that were finger-strike immediately.
(3) Wet and wild adventure; rained for 3 times since 11am, even my underwear and socks were soaking at around 14hrs hiking with lots of mud penetrating the shoes.
(4) Insufficient water source and packed food; due to very limited knowledge about the trail, my usual provision of 1 liter of water and few breads for a day-hike was undoubtedly a very short source of energy-replenishment.
(5) We had only one guide for 13 trekkers with different experience level in mountain trekking. After lunch in Pantingan Peak, 3 among 13 trekkers decided to break-away to follow the itinerary and quickly moved forward on self-guided basis until the endpoint in Mariveles (time is on utmost importance, we need to adjust on the lost time we had in the morning).
(6) I already exceeded the endurance limit of my knees (signs of aging); I cannot lift my left leg properly during descend and both legs during ascend while being too tired and sleepy on a short rest.
(7) We got lost in Papaya River; since we were on self-guided basis from Pantingan Peak descent, we wasted more than 30mins searching for trail going out to grassland. Due to exhaustion and fading head lamp lights, we did 3 return treks to Papaya River campsite until we saw the trail which is on the other side of rocky trail (proud to find it, instinct of proactive solo hiker).
(8) Longest hike in a day (killing me softly trail, die-hike adventure); 22 hours of energy fully-drained with very limited supply of drinkable water and not enough proper food intake.

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse)

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) trail map via google earth

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) sunrise

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) trail to Pantingan & water source

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) trail to Pantingan Peak

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) view at Pantingan Peak

Mt. Mariveles Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse)...
Budget 900 Inclusion (van service Cubao - Bataan - Cubao, all fees,  local guide fee. This  trip was an organized event posted in https://web.facebook.com/groups/CLIMBER.Philippines/.

MT. MARIVELES RANGE EXTENDED DAY-HIKE (PANTINGAN PEAK TO TARAK RIDGE TRAVERSE) ITINERARY:

Day 0: May 28 Saturday
2200H ETA Jollibee Farmers Cubao; transportation and snacks 114

Day 1: May 29 Sunday
0000H ETD Cubao; payment for the event fee 900
0300H ETA Bagac, Bataan; Trail Guide Kuya Rey Jimenez (+639282609645) 
0330H start trek (passing through Marlboro country at 0530H and Dante's Gate at 0600H)
1030H Pantingan Peak (1,408masl)lunch, rest and photo-ops (rain fell hard then stopped)
1130H ETD Pantingan Peak (three of us decided to break-away and hiked quickly on self-guided basis)
1400H Bakwat River; snacks, rest and photo-ops
1500H ETD Bakwat River (another challenging ascend-descend trails while rain fell moderately)
1800H El Saco Peak (1,130masl) (decided to hike continuously)
1845H Tarak Ridge (1,006masl) (passing through campsites, 1930H and Papaya river, 2100H)  (rain fell hard)

Day 0: May 30 Monday
0130H ETA shower and dinner 114 (end of 22hr wet and wild journey)
0230H ETD Bataan; Bataan Transit Bus standard aircon 267 (we decided to take public bus)
0530H ETA Cubao; transportation to Home 25

BUDGET COST: PhP900 (fixed rate) + PhP520 (snacks/miscellaneous) = PhP1,420

Note: I feel deeply guilty and sorry for other Joiners we left. I repeatedly asked the Event Organizer if other joiners were aware on the difficulty level, she said YES. As a last minute joiner (I don't even know anyone in the group nor the organizer), and as per above item #4 (very minimal water source / packed food) and #6 (exceeded the endurance limit of my knees), I don't want to be the burden also. Above all, the moment we adults joined on this kind of event we are all responsible to ourselves.

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) mushrooms are everywhere

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) trail mark on the tree

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) Bakwat River water source

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) trail mark (red ribbon) at the left

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) from El Saco to Tarak trail

Mt. Mariveles Range Day-Hike (Pantingan Peak to Tarak Ridge Traverse) Tarak Ridge Summit


4 comments:

  1. Ayos! Sampung hiker iniwan niyo? Samantalang magkakasama kayo? Ayos ka brad?! Hiker ka nga!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Marc; Yes Sir I fully understand your concern and I am truly sorry for that. BUT with all due respect to the Event Organizer, kindly ask her what did I do from jump-off until we break-away in Pantingan Peak. In addition, please refer to item #4 and #6 above. I hope this event serves as a lesson to both organizer and joiners because mountain trekking can be a serious life-threatening. Above all, the moment we adults joined on this kind of event we are all responsible to ourselves. Salamat po ulit Sir.

      Delete
  2. Nice. Hardcore. Pero bakit ganun? Alan nyo ng may difference in experience pero iniwanan nyo pa run yung mga ksama nyo?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. @Hike pa; oo nga po eh, I feel guilty and sorry kung bakit namin sila iniwan. I repeatedly asked the Event Organizer kung aware ba ang mga joiners sa difficulty level, ang sabi nya oo daw. Pero bilang isang last minute joiner (wala po ako kakilala kahit ang organizer), at per item #4 and #6 above, ayoko din naman pong maging pabigat sa grupo. Tsaka higit sa lahat, the moment we adults joined on this kind of event we are all responsible to ourselves.

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