The Climb: Tarak Ridge (1,130+ MASL)

Sorry for not being able to update this blog often. Don't worry, one of my birthday resolutions is to keep on posting as much as I can. I tend to forget details, especially if it has been a while since that particular adventure, so now I'm blogging about how my weekend went while the memory is still fresh. Haha!

Last year, I celebrated my 24th birthday at Mt. Batulao. It was my first birthday climb then. This year I wasn't able to conquer another mountain because my birthday was on a Monday. Though I told my boyfriend that I wanted to experience a legit major climb. So, we decided to climb Tarak Ridge in Mariveles, Bataan, a week after my birthday. 

Our group assembled in the bus terminal located at the back of McDonald's (near Taft MRT Station). We weren't able to make it to the 3:30 AM bus trip that was heading straight to Alasasin, the jumpoff point of Tarak Ridge, so we had two trips. Transferring to another bus was not a hassle, well, except for the downpour. Also, we were told by the conductor to be careful because it had been raining at their place for almost a month already.

Welcome!

Luckily, the rain already stopped when we arrived at Alasasin. First thing we did was eat a hearty breakfast at the carinderia across the street, where the bus dropped us off. Then, we went to the barangay hall to register (just ask around, it's just a little walk from the carinderia). After registering, we made our way back to the road and headed to our destination - Tarak Ridge!

Nanay's humble abode

 But first, let us take a shoefie (Featuring my boyfriend's new 

hiking shoes and my new convertible hiking pants a.k.a his gift to me) 

So this is all the mud (complete attendance)

We started our trek around 9:00 AM. After an hour, we finally made it to Nanay's store - our first resting area. One will recognize it easily because of the hanging tarpaulins from different mountaineering groups. We wrote our names on the logbook and started walking again by 10:00 AM. The mud got stuck on our hiking shoes, but we continued walking. The breeze was blowing our sweaty hair, but we didn't mind. Thank God the trail was not very difficult. 

It was already 1:00 PM when we made it to Papaya River. We refilled our hydration packs and ate our lunch before pushing ourselves again to head to the ridge. We know we were already near the site when we encountered the predominant giant Ugat (roots).  

Because roots are our best friend

Finally, we made it to the campsite. The nicer spots were already taken when we arrived so we ended up pitching the tents at the ridge area where it was so windy and cold. The fog was so thick too, that I ended up wearing two layers of jackets. After some photo ops, the boys heated our packed dinner (thanks to Mugdraft for the delish food). Then, socials and lights off.

The Tent City!

No fog for a little while

The sun was shining brightly the next day and the fog finally cleared. A really wonderful view welcomed us the moment we stepped out from our tents. So, we had our phone cams ready to shoot the magnificent horizon. Some of them went up to the summit which is another 30-45 minute walk from the campsite. My boyfriend and I, on the other hand, were not able to make it because I had an upset stomach. I only made it halfway. Hence, we promised ourselves we'll be coming back.

There's our mini campsite 

Just chillin' and appreciating the view

My boyfriend/ hiking buddy/ love of my life/ rescuer *cheesy*

Peace to the world!

Them boys and girl. Teehee!

We started packing our stuff after breakfast. Then, we descended around 10:00 AM. It's always easier going down so we arrived at Papaya River after two hours. Some hikers pitched their tents somewhere near the river. There are also others who stopped there to rest and eat lunch. Of course, one must not forget to take a dip in the river's cold water. Try going further up and you'll see a jacuzzi with a mini falls (we gave it such name. LOL!).

When we were already satisfied, we headed to the trail and finally back to Barangay Alasasin. There are houses there that offer their bathrooms for washing up, just don't be too picky.

Remember, Genesis Bus's last trip back to Cubao/ Pasay is 6:00 PM. Be sure to make it to the road by then.


TIPS:
> When climbing, make use of the big roots along the way. Hold on to them.
> It can get really slippery because of the mud, so just slow down whenever necessary.
> Bring at least two jackets. Learn how to layer them.
> Bring meds for emergency purposes.

Thanks for spending a little of your time in my blog. Keep hiking! :)

Budget reference:
Bus to Mariveles, Bataan - P266
Food - P300 (more or less)
Registration fee (Barangay Alasasin) - P20
Donation (Nanay's) - P20
Buko juice - P15
Wash-up - P20
Bus back to Manila - P267