Inang Gandang Halcon! - Mt. Halcon via Bayanan

Specs: Major Mountain - Major Climb | 9/9 | 2,582+ MASL | Trail Class 2-4
Mount Halcon - The Great Sialdang
Mount Halcon - The Great Sialdang
Now, this on is hell of a mountain to climb! Forget what you know about long assaults and knee busting hikes because this one’s definitely not for the weak hearted! Mount Halcon, ladies and gentlemen!
Mount Halcon steep trails
To quote the words of Gideon Lasco, "From there, the trail involved continuous ascents that were akin to the ‘Wild Boar Trail’ of Makiling – only with much longer, steeper ascents. The only way to go about it was to keep moving, keep climbing."

Traditionally considered as the toughest mountain to hike in the Philippines and a must-go to destinations for serious hikers, this majestic mountain stands 2,582+ above sea level in the province of Oriental Mindoro, Philippines. With its full range of spectacular features such as steep trails that resembles majority of your life goals (no pun intended), dense mossy forest, steep trails and more of very steep trails. The summit also hosts a tombstone for one of its fallen hikers whose life was taken by its unpredictable weather, no intention of scaring you guys.
This mossy forest hides it's deadly secret, the limatik
This mossy forest hides it's deadly secret, the limatik
Perhaps you already got an idea how dangerous this magnificent mountain can be. But believe me, tough as it may seem, its inside is totally captivating - Awesome stretches of streams and rivers, towering waterfalls, crystal clear water (which defines the true meaning of “mineral water”), enchanting sea of clouds and greens, and many more. Not to mention the blood suckers that heavily infest some of the trails. Mount Halcon is indeed a very hard climb and requires experience, training and patience.
Mount Halcon Summit
The summit of Mount Halcon conquered by team WTF

REGISTRATION AND FEES

  • Registration fee (PHP360) 
    • Contact the Municipal Tourism Office for booking reservations. Once booked, submit either personally or through e-mail the following documents needed for the issuance of permit: 
      • Medical Certificate (Fit to Climb) 
      • Certificate of Climb or BMC Certificate 
      • Itinerary of Travel and Waiver 
      • Photocopy of Valid ID 
  • Upon arrival, proceed to the Municipal Hall for SOPs: 
    • Photo ID taking 
    • Individuals will be required to surrender at least 1 ID which will be given back upon descent 
    • PNP Station courtesy call 
  • Guide: PHP500/Day for 5 persons 
  • Porter: PHP500/Day [max: 17kg] 
    • Guide and Porter Contacts: 
      • Yoel (guide/ porter president)- +63 9391506118 
      • Mario (guide) - +63 9363553297 
      • Jason (porter) - +63 9367225384 
  • Contacts for Permit: 
En-route via FastCat 

CAMP ITINERARY

There are basically 5 camps (4 + summit camp). We did a 3-day itinerary excluding travel from Manila to Calapan to Baco.
  • Day 0 
    • Manila - Batangas: 2-2.5 hours 
    • Batangas - Calapan: 1-4 hrs (depending on your mode of transpo. Fastest is 2GO SuperCat and FastCat [approx 1.5 hr travel]) 
    • Calapan - Baco: 30 minutes 
    • Baco - Bayanan Jumpoff: 30 minutes 
  • Day 1: 
    • Bayanan jumpoff - Dulangan River Camp: 10-12 hours of unlimited assault and limatik infested areas
  • Day 2: 
    • Dulangan River Camp - Summit: 5-7 hours
    • Summit - Dulangan River Camp: 4-5 hours
      • Note: We left majority of our stuff at Dulangan Camp and went on “lite pack” summit assault simply because we’re smart enough not to be too much of a hardcore wannabe. 
  • Day 3: 
    • Dulangan River - Jumpoff: 8-10 hrs
Dulangan River Camp
Dulangan River Camp

WATER SOURCE

Don't worry, you won't die of dehydration. There are plenty of sources and the water is clean and tastes real good. Seriously, you can even survive by only bringing a small water container (about 500ml) with you as you bust your way up the summit. Better bring an extra container though should you decide to going full Hiroo Onoda mode up there. 
The river water is ice cold  - Dulungan River
The river water is ice cold  - Dulungan River

LIMATIK ALERT

There are no safe season when it comes to Limatik or blood leeches in Mount Halcon so expect the unexpected and just keep a keen eye on your surroundings.
Mount Halcon Limatik
Mount Halcon blood leech or limatik

1 comment:

  1. Namimiss ko nang mapagod sa trails, pagpawisan, bonding with co-hikers. Higit sa lahat, namimiss ko na ang relaxing greens and stunning views sa summit. Sa ngayon, online views muna habang naka quarantine.

    ReplyDelete