July 2, 2013

MT. ROMELO: MY FIRST MUDDY HIKE



Got a message from my fb friend name Ken and asking me if I want to go to Romelo. I have no idea of that place until I found out that it’s a mountain in the other side of Laguna. It’s been raining that week that we keep on moving the date of our hike. Ken wouldn’t risk hiking on a muddy trail.
Since it’s my first time to hike I have no idea what proper outfit to wear. I thought it just like going to malls or something. Hehe.





10/7/13 at around 7am, Ken and I met at the Robinsons Galeria in EDSA where we await buses bound for Infanta Quezon. This bus passes by the towns of Famy and Siniloan in Laguna. It’s been an hour of waiting until we boarded the bus.

We get off at a gasoline station in the town Famy instead of baranggay Macatad which is the jump-off point of the climb. This is based on the information Ken got in an outdated blog. We took a tricycle that cost us additional 70 pesos to get to Macatad. Past 12 noon when we arrived at the baranggay hall. We register in their log book for a fee 50 pesos. The woman in charge told us that we need to hire a guide since we don’t know the trail.


Local guide charges us 300 pesos that we decided to stay for a while to wait for possible hikers that we could share some expenses.
Few minutes of waiting a couple arrived along with their guide. We asked them and if we could go along with them. Along the trail were horses carrying some coconuts and some fruits of farmers to sell in the low land. 



We pass also some bahay kubo that sells refreshments.
Almost 3 hours of hiking we reached the campsite. We pitched our tent. Afterwards we checked the number of waterfalls of Mt. Romelo. Some call this mountain as Mt. Famy.


There is electricity in the campsite and a videoke that causes noise all night.
It’s been raining all night. The trail is so muddy. We started to ascend early so that we could catch bus back to Manila. Nadulas po ako many times. And my trekking sandals were coated by thick muds. There are times that I just walked barefoot.
Buti nalang di kami naligaw sa pagbaba!

Waterfalls in Mt. Romelo
1. Buruwisan Falls
2. Lanzones Falls
3. Batya-batya Falls


4. Binaytuan Falls
5. Sampaloc Falls

How to get there:
Ride a bus going to Infanta Quezon. Ask the driver to drop you at Brgy Macatad. Alternatively, you may take a bus en route to Sta. Cruz Laguna., From there ride a Sinoloan bound jeep and tell the driver you’ll get off in Brgy Macatad in Famy.





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