Mt. Batolusong and Kay-Ibon Falls, Tanay, Rizal

January 17, 2016Beach / River / Falls, Mountain / Cave, Travel Guides93

I have always wanted to have that sea of clouds experience but I always fail. And who would have thought that I’ll be able to experience that at the most unexpected place. Since it was a holiday, I decided to join my friends in their hike at Mt. Batolusong, Tanay, Rizal. It was originally an overnight hike which means I’ll be able to finally witness some sea of clouds, however it was changed to a day hike instead. I know that I won’t be able to see it anymore and that I’ll just have to try again next time but luck was on our side. I now present to you the Sea of Clouds at Mt. Batolusong, Tanay, Rizal.

To give you an idea, here’s a brief background of Mt. Batolusong:

Major jumpoff: Brgy. San Andres, Tanay, Rizal

LLA: 645 MASL / 780 MASL

Days required / Hours to destination: 1 day /1.5h (Mapatag); 3-4 (Susong Dalaga Peak)

Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3

Features: Grassland slopes, views of Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon

Source: Pinoy Mountaineer

The Route to the Clouds

Right after our hike at Mt. Balagbag (read the full updated guide here), I just went home to pack my stuff and went directly to our meeting place at McDonald’s Sta. Lucia. Call time was 2:00 am. From Cubao, just ride a jeepney going to Cogeo and drop off at Gate 2. Fare is Php 24. From there walk to your right until you see a jeepney terminal going to Brgy. Sampaloc. It’s just beside the City Mall of Antipolo. One mistake of ours is that we didn’t know that the first trip is around 5:00 am so we have to wait for a couple more hours. Good thing there’s a bakery nearby.

Ride the jeepney and tell the driver to drop you off at “Batangas/Batangasan”. Fare is Php 42 and it’s a 45-minute to an hour ride. From there you’ll see an arch that says Brgy. San Andres. Trikes are available which will drop you off at the registration. Fare is Php 30/head.

Registration fee is Php 20/head + additional Php 20/head if you’ll go for the Rangyas Peak which is considered the summit. Guide is required which has a fixed rate of Php 500/5 pax.

Silent Hill

The route to the summit reminds me of the game Silent Hill. It was just creepy because of the fog. And it’s so cold! I am already wearing a fleece heattech plus a jacket but I can still feel the cold inside.

Sea of Clouds

Finally! I was able to witness the majestic Sea of Clouds! It was pure luck since we arrived at the Duhatan Ridge around 8 am already and the sea of clouds were there until 9 am. It was unexpected considering that it was already hot by that time. Thank you Mt. Batolusong for fulfilling one of my dreams. Ha ha!

Mapatag Plateau and Rangyas Peak

According to our guide, the place was named Mt. Batolusong because of the bato or rocks that the natives used for cooking. The Rangyas Peak was named after Rangyas though I cannot exactly recall who he was. The trail to the summit will give you a view of the Mt. Susong Lola, Mt. Susong Nanay and Mt. Susong Dalaga which roughly translates to Grandma’s Breast, Mother’s Breast and Lady’s Breast. I instantly got why it was called that way. Hint: look at the tip or “nipple”!

Mapatag Plateau is considered the camp site and the summit will give you a wide view of the Sierra Madre. It looks like a combination of Mt. Gulugod Baboy and Mt. Balagbag.

Kay-Ibon Falls

What’s next after enjoying the sea of clouds at Mt. Batolusong? A dip into Kay-Ibon Falls. This is Tanay, Rizal. You never fail on surprising me. Photo shot directly from my phone. #BudgetClimb

A photo posted by Justin Vawter (@justinvawter) on Jan 9, 2016 at 7:22am PST

The most popular side trip to the place is the Kay-Ibon Falls. It’s just a small place but the water is so cold and clear. It’s also close the highway so you can just exit from there instead of going back to the registration area. Just let you guide know since they are required to log you out.

Back Home + Sidetrips

We were able to ride a jeep back to Cogeo by around 1pm. If you still have time and money, you may want to hike Mt. Sembrano which is near the place or go to Pililia Windmills.

Itinerary

This would be the ideal itinerary with the time adjusted to the schedule of the trips. This is via Cubao but you can also ride an fx in Shaw Blvd. I’m not sure the route in Shaw Blvd but it’s the best way if you plan on going early. Remember first trip in Cogeo is 5:00 am.

0400 ETD Cubao / Ride jeep going to Cogeo
0500 Ride jeep to Brgy. Sampaloc. Drop off at Batangas
0600 Ride tricycle going to registration area
0630 Start trek to Mt. Batolusong
0800 ETA Duhatan Ridge / Sea of clouds
0830 Start trek to Mapatag Plateau / Rangyas Peak
0915 Summit
0930 Start descent / trek to Kay-Ibon Falls
1100 ETA Kay-Ibon Falls / Lunch
1200 Pack up
1230 Back to highway / ride jeep back to Cogeo
0200 Back to Cubao

budget breakdown

Cubao jeep to Cogeo Gate 2 – Php 24
Cogeo Gate 2 jeep to Batangas- Php 42
Tricycle to Registration – Php 30
Registration Fee – Php 40 (Php 20 reg fee + Php 20 for Rangyas Peak)
Guide fee – Php 500 (Php 125/ group of 4)
Batangas jeep to Cogeo Gate 2- Php 42
Cogeo Gate 2 jeep to Cubao – Php 24

Total expense: Php 333

(L-R): Jack, our guide (sabi ng pose!), Marco, Justin, Er

Shoutout to the people behind this climb. Thanks Jack, Er and Marco!

Cheers~!

– Justin –

Justin Vawter

https://www.justinvawter.com

Climber. Backpacker. Designer. Blogger from MNL. An architecture student by day, writer and designer by night, and hiker on free days, join me on my adventures as I try to explore the world. LIFE IS TOO SHORT TO LIVE WITHOUT ADVENTURE.

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