Thursday, January 20, 2011

Mt Marami (New Trail)

taken atop the boulders 1/15/11
Blogger's note: Due to the inquiries flooding the blogger's mailbox, he has decided to create this itinerary. You can still refer to pinoymountaineer.com for more information. This itinerary is based on the blogger's most recent climb in Mt Marami. The photo IT he created may complement the information contained here.

DAY 1

0800hrs

Assembly @ Liwasang Bonifacio (Lawton). Buses bound for Naic are beside the Post Office (P70+). (More Naic-bound buses pass by Baclaran P60)
0830hrs
ETD for Naic
1000hrs
ETA Naic. Upon getting off at Petron gas station in Naic, take the right side road and walk about 100 meters. The terminal of jeepneys bound for Magallanes is beside BPI. (P30) There’s a grocery store on the way. You may do some shopping while waiting for the jeepney.
1030hrs
ETD for Magallanes.
1115hrs
ETA Magallanes. Log in at the PNP station. (no fees)
1130hrs
Lunch at a carinderia near the PNP station. You don’t wanna start trek at noon. It’s ideal to have your lunch before you start trek as the water sources in the mountain are unreliable. But the water is safe enough for cooking.
1230hrs
Get a tricycle. Tell the driver you’ll get off at the ‘tanke’ (water tank) or ‘Councilor Filing’s house’ (P60/trip). He’s no longer a Brgy. Councilor.
1300hrs
ETA ‘tanke’. The current Brgy Captain’s house is right across Tay Filing’s. You register at the captain’s place (P10). You may hire guides here. This one's reliable 0909 602 0130 / 0912 501 2736. They charge P400-P500 (a bit high) per climb. The guide may take along another companion if there are a lot of you. Stick together as one group. The trails are really tricky.
1330hrs
Start trek. Or you may start at 1400hrs if the sun is still high up. The heat is really dehydrating. Observe water discipline.
1345hrs
First river crossing. Follow the foot path crossing the river. Right before a makeshift wooden bridge over the river, follow the trail on the left and going up. Stick to the clearest trail. This trail will take you to giant mango trees and banana orchard. Then you’ll meet a wall. The trail then ramifies but becomes one again beyond the wall. The continuation of the trail should be uphill and the wall should be on your right. Then when you encounter a fork, take the left. There will be a lot of forks. Just follow my photo IT and never take the trail which leads far to the right and going down. This will take you to the valley. The valley should always be on your right!
1430hrs
You reach the dirt road (wide trail). [Look back and you’ll see a bamboo arched over the trail and a pile of stone on the exit of the trail. This should be your entry point off the dirt road on your way back. If you don’t take note of this, you will have a hard time deciding which point to enter the woods again the following day.]
Make a left. Follow the dirt road until it cuts through another wall. If you go straight beyond the wall, you’ll reach the chapel (Nuestra Senora de Pigo del Oro) after 3 minutes. You are now walking the OLD TRAIL. But I recommend the new trail.
river crossing after the wall
If you wanna take the NEW TRAIL, take the trail that veers to the RIGHT around the wall (off the dirt road) before you reach (or even see) the chapel. After two minutes, you’ll have to cross a stream which you’ll have to cross two or three more times. You’ll see a big tree in one of these river crossings. Around this area, there are locals from whom you can ask directions. But the trail is really clear as this is the trail that the loggers take.
1515hrs
Last river crossing.
1520hrs
Take five before the open assault
1600hrs
You reach the dry river (not-so-reliable water source at the root area of a big tree). Across the dry river, there’s a hut. Follow the trail.
1605hrs
Until you reach another hut surrounded by trees and at times, dogs. DON’T follow the trail that leads down beyond the hut. Make a LEFT. This time you’ll be treading on a trail along a cliff
1615hrs
Then you reach the last hut. Take five. It has a neighbor a little below it. And below this hut is probably the last water source. The owner of this house (Tay Pilo) gets drinking water from this water source. Just follow the trail downward at his backyard to reach the water source. It’s very near.
1620hrs
Resume trek. After a few minutes, you’ll have to go through a bamboo fence/gate. To open, just push the bamboo poles to the side and remember to put them back. This keeps the cows from straying away.

Follow the clearest trail. When you’ve reached the ‘talahib’ trail, this IT can’t help you anymore. The cows have made a lot of trails that crisscross this area. Rely on your instincts and be sure to distinguish the mountaineers’ trail from the cows’. One solitary tall tree marks the assault to the ‘talahiban’. Somewhere in this talahib pastureland, you’ll reach the campsite. This campsite is wide enough to accommodate around seven tents. From this campsite, you can see the boulders on your left beyond the little valley. On your right is the “Mataas na Gulod”. This is higher than the boulders. You may wish to continue trekking. Find the trail that leads to the boulders on the left. After this you’ll have to go INTO the bamboo forest. After less than 3 minutes, you’re out of the bamboo forest. The main trail should be on the slope (cliff). A lot of trails would lead down to the left. Ignore them. NO steep descent in this area.  The boulders are very visible now so just head for it! Move fast to catch the sunset!
1730hrs
There’s a little campsite right before the assault up the boulders. This could accommodate around three tents.
1735hrs
The summit is just five minutes away. Around three tents can be pitched here. But beware of the strong winds at night!
DAY 2
Kelangan pa bang i-memorize yan? Tandaan niyo na lang ang mga dinaanan niyo paakyat.

Altitude Profile (Brgy Ramirez-Nuestra-Boulders)

My track logs


Brgy. Ramirez N 14˚ 11.029’ E 120˚ 43.647
Elevation: 724 fasl

Mt Marami Summit (boulders) N˚ 14 11.917 E 120˚ 41.164
Elevation: 1957 fasl 


29 comments:

  1. Sir Lagataw, Magandang araw po! We're planning to climb Mt.Marami this February(12-13).I took your Itenirary. just couldn't print the pictures for our refference. Anyway, I hope it would be enough to guide us accordingly. I got your number as well from pinoymountaineer.com, hope it's still active incase we need more info from you. Just one concern sir, required po ba yung guide? Thank You and God Speed to your future adventures. - POPO of St.Matin De Porres Mountaineers

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  2. Guides are not required. If you feel the need for a guide, it is best to ask the locals IN the mountain itself. They're the best guides. Not the youngsters in Brgy Ramirez. They'll say yes to P200.
    I hope my photo IT can help you. The most crucial part of the trail is before the river crossings (given that you're taking the New Trail). At the early part of the trek, notice the time difference between your trek speed and mine. You can estimate the factor which you have to multiply my time intervals.
    Yes the number you got from pinoymountaineer.com is still active. 09202522176

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  3. Thanks Chief. I'll keep you posted. - POPO of Saint Martin De Porres Mountaineers :)

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  4. Contact this number. 09083246967 Jed from Damarinas, cavite. he's a volunteer guide. libre niyo nlng food and transpo. wag na kau sa locals. tatagain lng kau

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  5. Successful climb Sir Lagataw. We had a guide though, referred to us by the officer at the police station. Just a minor incident on the way back, our main group got lost, they got help for directions by a local riding a horse.(they referred to as "aragorn"):D We tidied up at a locals house, 10pesos per head if you wanna take a bath. It's the first house on the left with a "kubo" beside it on the wide trail going to the main road. Thanks for the I.T. More power. - POPO of Saint Martin De Porres Mountaineers

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  6. great site you have here!

    sir, can i ask a favor? do you have gps wp/tracks for mt. marami?

    thank you so much!

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  7. Thanks sir Jaymz...i was supposed to do another Mt Marami trek last weekend but I canceled it...but the tracks will come out soon! Sorry for the delay!

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  8. Hi Sir,
    Any update/s on your Marami gps tracks? :)
    Ganda ng picture and it seems kaya din naming akyatin tong mountain. Thanks sa mga info na nakasulat.
    More power!

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  9. thanks Alain. i'll be updating this soon...i've long overlooked this flaw.

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  10. sir may new updates po ba sa MT. MARAMI thanks and more power..

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  11. you rock! thanks so much to this climb itinerary, me and my friends successfully reached the summit (without a guide) last weekend. unfortunately epic fail ang summit view namin :)

    mula ngayon, reference ko na ang blog mo para sa future climbs ko :) even our Arayat Traverse, sayo ko rin binase. thanks and more power to Lagataw Blog.

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  12. Congratulations Batang Lakwatsero! Mt Marami is one mountain you wouldn't want to challenge your instincts in. There have been reports of climbers finding themselves in the middle of nowhere without food and any signs of civilization. It is a great joy when you finish a Mt Marami expedition for the first time and without a guide!

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  13. aus ah sir..haha prang kagabi pinag uusapan lng nten to ah...hehe

    thank you sa update sir...hehe

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  14. Hi Sir,
    Sir inakyat namin ito last week end using your IT. Thanks so much sir. Nga pla sir hinahanap ko yung way papunta dun sa boulder na may pic ka, hindi ko sya nakita. GAnda kasi nung pic mo dun...ehehe

    jaeson of Malaya Trekkers (Cavite)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congrats Sir Jaeson!
      Ang Mt Marami ay sobrang komplikado tuntunin. At dahil sa may naninirahang mga tao dito, nagbabago ang mga ruta sa bundok na ito. Kaya ako'y nakasisigurong hindi masyadong nakatulong ang itinerary ko. Alam kong ginamit ninyo ang inyong instincts sa pagtunton sa campsite ng Mt Marami. Kaya congrats!

      Ang boulder na tinutukoy mo ay medyo mahirap ngang mapuntahan. Mejo delikado maghanap nung trail papunta doon. Pero may dalawang ruta mula sa 'summit' papunta sa boulders. Kelangan nga lang talasan ang mata sa paghanap nito kasi siguradong natabunan na to ng mga damo. kokonti na lang ang umaakyat sa marami.

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    2. Thanks ulit Sir. Next time pagbalik ko hahanapin ko yung trail na yun. Sana magkasama tayo minsan sa mga climb.

      jaeson

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  15. Nice blog Sir! We're planning to go here sa first week of November.
    Thanks sa info. :p i think just like others will make your blogs as reference pra sa mga future climbs nmin :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks. good luck sa future climbs niyo. All I wish is to help other trekkers in the Philippines as much as I can so I am maintaining this blog.

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    2. Hi Sir, nkaayat n kami :) sa wakas... nkakalito tlga ung trails at first hnd kami kumuha ng guide, but along the way at ng maligaw na yun buti nlng my mga local n ngoffer mg guide..:)gang campsite..then the following day to summit wla ng guide :)

      Delete
    3. Hi Sir, nkaayat n kami :) sa wakas... nkakalito tlga ung trails at first hnd kami kumuha ng guide, but along the way at ng maligaw na yun buti nlng my mga local n ngoffer mg guide..:)gang campsite..then the following day to summit wla ng guide :)

      Delete
  16. Hi Sir,
    Pwede bang mahingi yung gps trail file mo ng Mt. Marami? Hoping for your favorable reply. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. no probs...but i'll be needing your email addie.

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  17. Sir Lagataw, it's aorlanes@gmail. Thanks in advance sir.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks sir! Ill give a feedback if successful din ang climb namin this weekend. Salamat ul. :D

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    2. Succesful ang climb namin nung weekend sir adonis. Maraming salamat sa tulong mo at di kami naligaw sa sobrang habang trail ng nuestra. More power sa blog mo sir!

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    3. Sa Nuestra kayo dumaan? Without a guide? Yung IT ko is for the new trail. Pero whether nuestra man o new trail, I'm sure your success was not due to the IT I provided here. It was your own merit. Magaling kayo sa navigation. Sa mga nakapag-Marami na kagaya niyo, alam niyong mahihirapan makagawa ng perfect virtual guide sa Mt Marami kasi sobrang daming forks. So kung successful ang first climb ng isang grupo dun without a guide, talagang magaling ang mga yun sa navigation at sa pagsunod ng instincts.

      Delete
  18. Sir may i please ask for your gps trail file para po sa pinaplano naming trek this weekend. Hoping for your undying support to those who seeks adventures. email:mhonparica@gmail.com Mt. Maraming Salamat!

    ReplyDelete

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