Mt. Binacayan + Karugo Falls

Location: Montalban, Rizal
Elevation: 424+ MASL
Jump Off Point: Brgy. Wawa Montalban
Difficulty: 3/9 (But do not underestimate, this one's a little ass kicker!)

HOW TO GET THERE:
From Rizal:
Ride a jeep to Sta Lucia East Grand Mall/Tropical
Ride another jeep bound to Montalban (You can tell the driver to drop you at Pure Gold San Rafael/to Wawa tricycle terminal)
Tricycle to Brgy. Wawa Montalban

Another option would be from Cubao:
Ride an FX to Eastwood (Php50.00)
Tricycle from Eastwood to Sitio Wawa (Php60.00 per tricycle)

Simula ng parusa!

Welcoming back (a.k.a  Ang Pagbabalik Loob) my buddy San to the outdoors after months of being idle, we set foot to Mt. Binacayan thinking of a chill climb. It was raining hard prior to the scheduled climb but the calling is strong, we didn't mind hiking on a muddy trail. 

 

Little did we know, that this mountain is an ass kicker! Dim trekking is okay, but reaching the boulders--which were not just slippery but has sharp edges was the moment I smelled adventure!

  

After a 2-hour mud fight (see photo above), we reached the viewing deck for the sea of clouds. I thought we were not gonna witness the sea of clouds because of the bad weather, but God is great, He rewarded us with this beautiful view.  

The clouds are thinner compared to the ones we witnessed in Mt. Binutasan but hey! Why am comparing mountains? Every mountain has its own beauty, just like people. :)

  

We could have reached the summit earlier than 8:00 AM if not for the human traffic in the mountain. One reason why I keep on pushing on hiking to less known mountains. Look how grubby I am here, my pink shoes covered with mud, my legs and even my face got stains of mud! Those were just signs I'm having a great time!

A Little Rant

"First Timer 'yan." I overheard a guy telling this to his friend pointing to my shorts. I ditched the idea of turning to them and say something because I don't feel the need to validate my self to people I don't even know. 😂
So guys I climbed Mt. Binacayan wearing my comfy jogging shorts despite of knowing that this mountain has unlimited sharp rocks. I'm aware of that people, I know the consequences of wearing less-covering clothes but I wanna wear what I feel like wearing. Isn't it the essence of why we hike? Sense of FREEDOM? With the help of our blogger friends, who write informative facts about mountains, I learned that there's no limatiks in the area and it's fine with me getting scratches on my legs. So, what's your problem? 😂 😂 😂 😂 It's my legs not yours.

But I can't afford to ruin this hike just because of those unsolicited opinions, besides they're entitled for that so let them. Hehe :P People has always something to say, its up to you if you're going to let it in and affect you or you dodge those bullets like an action star! :D

  

This was the first hike of my Sandugo Eigger by the way, love how light it is and how fast it dries up! Although I must say my old shoes still performs better on slippy trails, I guess Eigger is still a steal when it comes to river crossing.

Karugo Falls

Going to Karugo Falls (Carugo Falls to some), you need to pass by Wawa Dam which used to be the side trip after the hikes but because of the strong current of the dam, the rafts were washed away. Hence, the discovery of the Karugo Falls. You'll have to ride a boat passing the river, costs Php 10.00 per person.

Then, you'll have to trek for like 15 minutes to the falls. As expected, the place is crowded. You can see the disappointment in my face but there's nothing we can do about it so might as well enjoy the waters instead. 

Another mountain, another memorable experience!

At first, I thought Binacayan is all about its rockies and sea of clouds, dang! it proved me wrong and left me speechless. Definitely adding this to my favorite mountains!

Watch our travel video here:

Sample Itinerary:
0330 Meet Up McDonald's Marcos Hi-way (Across Tropical Hut | Beside Yellow Cab)
0345 ETD McDonald's
0445 ETA Brgy. Wawa
0500 Start Hike
0545 The Rockies
0700 Viewing Deck
0800 Summit
0900 Start Descent
1130 Back to Jump Off (Lunch)
1230 ETD Karugo Falls
0100 ETA Karugo Falls
0300 Back to Jump Off (Wash Up)
0400 Log Out. Head Home
1800 Home

Expenses:

Jeepney fare from Tropical - Montalban - Php 30
Tricycle fare to Brgy. Wawa/Jump off - Php 15/pax
Registration - Php 50/pax
Guide fee (Bincayan + Karugo falls) - Php 700 (175/pax) | Guide fee for one mountain = 500 | Karugo Falls Fee = It's up to you
Boat fee to Karugo falls - Php20 (roundtrip)
Lunch - Php 295 (Php 74/pax)
CR (Wash Up) - Php25
TOTAL: PHP434

CONTACT GUIDES:
 Jerick Damas | 09507084680
Francis Cumal | 09489545890

Keep climbing!