MT. MAYNOBA DAYHIKE CLIMB

With Rizal as the rising spot for mountain climbing because of the high success of viewing the sea of clouds without travelling to Benguet, Mt. Maynoba is one of the famous mountains to climb to experience a one-of-a-kind adventure. 

View from Peak 2 of Mt. Maynoba.

Mt. Maynoba opened its trail in early 2016, along with adjacent Mt. Cayabu. They are also known as Maynoba Circuit, located in Barangay Cayabu. If you’re an aspirant mountain geek, this is recommended for beginners. The trail is straightforward with gently rolling slopes and moderate assault at times. It is quite similar to trail of Pico de Loro with 3/9 difficulty; however this will change during the rainy season because of the muddy paths on narrow trails. 

Our team, mostly comprised of my officemates were unsure the day before if we will pursue this climb because of the weather. I’m hesitant because I don’t want to ruin their expectation given that there’s a small possibility of sea of clouds and sunrise. However, we decided to push through and make the best out of it no matter what. 

At around 1:00am, we met at Jollibee Farmers Cubao (the National Meet-Up place of mountaineers heading Rizal area) where we waited for our rented jeep. We adjusted our itinerary because Kuya Ronald (VP of Guides at Brgy. Cayabu) suggested to start our trekking at around 4:00am so we can arrive at the summit on time for the sea of clouds and sunrise (if the weather is good). It is recommended to hire a private jeep/ van since there is no available PUJ from Cogeo to Batangasan until 4:00am. 

It took us around 2 hours to reach the jump-off. We pre-registered 2 days earlier so upon arrival at the Barangay Hall, all we did was pay the registration fee of Php 100.00 and sign the waiver. They assigned 4 guides for our group, since the ratio is 1 guide per 5 hikers. We started trekking at around 4:30am, and since the trail is muddy and we’re aiming to witness the sunrise and sea of clouds, our guides suggested to head straight to Mt. Maynoba. The trail to Mt. Cayabu summit is quite steep and will take time so we decided to skip and adjust our itinerary. 

Night trek to witness the sunrise and sea of clouds.

Muddy trail going to the peaks of Mt. Maynoba.

View from the trail going to Peak 2.

With Yssa, Kate, Shida and Shan. Photo Courtesy: Tricia Melarpis

Heading towards Peak 1. 

Another view from the trail.

The part of Sierra Madre mountain ranges in Tanay.

Team Assemble: Take 5 on the trail going to Peak 1.

With Romayne, Yssa, Rica, Tricia, Ben, Shan and KC at Peak 1.

The IT girls of the climb: JM, Jeanelle, Tricia, Shan, Kate and Shida

Candid shot (with JM talking to an imaginary friend :))

Cherry blossoms in Mt. Maynoba. 

The trail to Mt. Maynoba is almost straightforward with moderate assault to Peak 1. It took us almost 2 hours before we reached the first peak. Sadly, we didn’t witness the sunrise (the weather is gloomy and windy) and there’s no sea of clouds. But this doesn’t stop us to enjoy the breath-taking view of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges and nearby Rizal mountains. We rest and took pictures before heading to Peak 2. It took us almost 30 minutes from Peak 1. The view is more scenic and mesmerizing: the abscence of sea of clouds gave us a clearer view of the nearby mountains. Mt. Irid, Mt. Tukduang Banoi and Mt. Batolusong are the other famous mountains that are visible from the peak. The landmark with Mt. Maynoba sign is also located on Peak 2. This is not yet the summit because according to our guides, the summit of Mt. Maynoba is the Peak 3. We ate our breakfast and took some nap before heading to summit. 

662 MASL.

The Sierra Madre mountain ranges are visible from the summit in 360 degrees.

View from Peak 2.

With the Vista team: Rhenly, KC, JM, Tricia, Shan, Kate, Erika, Rica, Ben, Raffa, Jeanelle, Shida, Romayne and Yssa.

Mt. Maynoba Next Top Model 2018: Kate Irish Mae Lazaro

Mt. Maynoba Next Top Model 2018 1st Runner Up: MAKI The Great :)

Mt. Maynoba Next Top Model 2018 2nd Runner-Up: Raphael Stephano Gonzales

Few minutes from the summit are the famous boulders where we did some photo ops. The view is astonishing and perfect. Picturesque. 

View from the trail to Peak 3 (Summit).

The trail ensembles Mt. Batulao.

Long queue for the boulders photo ops.

Yssa and Romayne struggling to strike a pose on the boulder...

.....and they did it!

Me doing my signature pose. :)

My first hike without my red scarf.

The girls with the Oppas.

We headed to the waterfalls after. The descent are grasslands with some assaults. The trail is slippery and muddy so we need to be careful not to slip and injure ourselves. It took us around 2 hours before we arrived at the first waterfall: The Nagtatagong Paraiso falls. There’s a water source and we ate our lunch here. We decided not to visit the rest of the falls except the 4th falls: The Gugulong na Bato falls. This is recommended by our guide since the rest of the group want to take a dip on one of the falls. I was not able to join them since I have a flu at that time. The water is very cold and refreshing. After 30 minutes, we decided to start our descent and arrived at the jump-off at around 3:00pm. 

The Nagtatagong Paraiso falls.

Wash-up at Nagtatagong Paraiso falls.

Trail heading to Gugulong na Bato falls.

There are lots of bamboos along the trail.

Bamboo everywhere.

KC, Ben, JM, Tricia, Kate, Shida and Rhenly enjoying the Gugulong na Bato falls.

Me taking a dip.

Yssa and Romayne.

Jeanelle and Raffa having their own time. <3

Mandatory groupie :)

Tips when climbing Mt. Maynoba:

1. If you want to witness the sunrise and the sea of clouds, it is recommended to start the trek at around 3am so you will be on the Peak 1 or Summit of Mt. Maynoba on time. There are no available PUJ until 4:00am going to Batangasan so it is best if you rent a private van or jeep. 
2. The trail is good for beginners with 3/9 difficulty. However, it is a different case when its raining: muddy trails must be expected. Proper attire must be observed, sandals or trekking shoes are best recommended. 
3. Do not be sad if you didn’t witness the sea of clouds and sunrise, you can always return and the mountains are always there to welcome you. 
4. Do not forget to bring your flashlights/ headlamps.
5. Guides are mandatory. It doesn’t matter if you climbed this mountain numerous times. 
6. LNT: This should be applicable to all mountains you will climb.
7. Be respectful to locals and fellow climbers. Greet them with a smile. :)

Itinerary:

0100 : Meetup at Jollibee Cubao (Farmers in-front of EDSA)
0200 : ETD to Tanay 
0430 : Arrival at Marnings Farm and Resort, Preparation and Briefing
0500 : Start ascent
0630 : First Peak of Mt Maynoba / Sea of Clouds and Sunrise Viewing
0700 : Start descent again to Maynoba's Summit (with the flag)
0745 : Arrival at Mt Maynoba's Summit with flag / Photo Ops/ Breakfast

0900 : Arrival at Mt Maynoba Summit with boulders (true summit as per our guide)
1030 : Arrival at Kawayan Watersource
1130 : Arrival at first water falls/ Lunch

0100 : Arrival at Gugulong Bato falls
0200 : Descent back to jump off
0300 : Back at Marnings Farm and Resort (washup)
0400 : ETD from Tanay
0600 : ETA to Cubao

Jump-off.

Small carinderia at the jump-off.

Shoutout to my VRI friends who shared this adventure with me: KC for organizing with the entire group, and Erika for coordinating with our service for this hike. Special thanks to Rhenly and Kate for assisting the others and the younger generations (Tito and Tita). To Jeanelle, Raphael, Tricia, Rica, Shida, JM, Romayne, Yssa, Ben, Shan, Kervin, Pia and Jennelaine: Congrats and I hope you enjoyed this adventure. Til our next climb guys!

VRI FAMILY. Until next climb!