Sa Pinagrealan Cave - Norzagaray, Bulacan

   The next stop of our Norzagaray adventure is a cave which is rich in history, Pinagrealan Cave. This historical cave served as an infirmary during the time of war. Today, it is one of the popular tourist destination in Norzagaray, Bulacan. It is a favorite side-trip for those who visit the Lioness Head and Rhino Rock formations.

   After we had our spelunking at the "Gray Cave", we ate our lunch at Kenneth's (our local guide) house. Then we head on straight to Pinagrealan Cave to rediscover its wonders.

   Going to Norzagaray is quite easy. From Pasig, We rode a bus bound to Tungko. We were dropped off at Jollibee Tungko where we bought our lunch. From there, we rode a jeepney going to Bigte Market. Then you can reach Pinagrealan Cave by tricycle. In our case, we met up with our local guide - Kenneth at the market then rode a tricycle going to a different way because we went first to the "Gray Cave" before heading to Pinagrealan.

   For convenience, we rented two tricycle services that will take us to Pinagrealan Cave, then to our next destination - Bakas River Resort and lastly, to a restaurant along the highway where we planned to have our dinner.

   Due to the recent news about the closure of Lioness Head and Rhino Rock Formation, visitors in this cave are now a lot less than before. The management of the cave supports the stoppage of the planned quarrying in the area that may lead to the destruction of the rock formations and the cave. Fortunately, the local government, along with the support of the locals and other mountaineering and outdoor groups, took some legal actions that led to the suspension of the plan. [UPDATE: As of March 2016, the Lioness Head Rock Formation doesn't look like as it was before. The destruction is due to the operations held by a quarrying company regardless of the agreement to stop quarrying on the said area.]

   From the road where we were dropped off by our tricycle service, we took a short walk going to the gates of Pinagrealan Cave.

   Upon entering the gate, A designated guide welcomed us and hand us some flashlights and helmets that we will use during the whole caving activity. We also paid 50 pesos for the gears and the maintenance of the area.

   Restrooms, sink and cottages are available in the place. They even have a swimming pool (though we are not allowed to use it at that time). It really looked like a private resort.

Getting ready

   Before proceeding to the cave, our guide gave us some important reminders and rules to follow during the course of the activity. Then from the cottage area, we walked down to the entrance of the cave.

   We noticed that the cave underwent beautification and restorations. According to the management, these are made through the initiative of the Local Government Unit of Norzagaray. The walk way is flattened and the walls are cleaned. Old scribbles are brushed out and others, I think, were painted over with colors same as the cave walls. I hardly noticed any litter in the area too.

   Beautiful rock formations and stalactites welcomed us as we enter the cave. The trail gets darker and the air gets colder as we walk through its wet trail. Minimizing the noise that we make is really important so we would not disturb the animals that inhabit the area. I've noticed that some stalactites and rock columns are well preserved. I was also amazed on the naturally glittered rocks that can be seen in almost everywhere. The shimmering drip of water from the stalactites looks astonishing. I was really impressed on how they maintained this place.

   There is this part of the cave where a narrow hole going up can be found. Cold air blows in from that hole so they called it the cave's air conditioner. According to our guide, this hole serves as their basis of time while inside the cave. It blows cold air during daytime and by the time that the air starts getting warm, it means its about to go dark.

Aircon Hole

   As we continue going deeper inside, we pass through holes with waist deep water. There were holes where you need to squeeze in and there are other parts where the trail is very wide. Bats can be seen flying in the area from time to time. We also saw spiders on the walls and fish on some parts where there is water. I may say that this cave is still healthy.

Bats flying above us

   Our group took advantage of the picturesque scene inside the cave. Everyone enjoyed taking pictures. We crawled, hopped and walked until we reached the end of the cave. We tried swimming in its cold chest deep water. We kept on swimming and reveling inside the cave until we didn't notice how much time has gone by. And so we decided to go back out of the cave.

The last part of the cave

   We spent another hour to fix ourselves before bidding goodbye to this wonderful cave. There is no fixed rate for the guide fee, but we gave him 600 pesos. All in all, our Pinagrealan caving adventure is fantastic. Good thing no one got hurt. The helmets and the lights really made our adventure safer too.

   I may say that because of the few restorations made in the cave, the trail is now easier and less dangerous. An experienced guide and some set of rules also helped a lot. It is also important to waterproof all your gadgets to avoid the hassle. First timers will definitely enjoy and appreciate the ease of trail and the beauty of the rock formations inside the cave. The small amount that we spent is really worth it.

Killed Bills

This budget covers up our trip to the Gray Cave, Pinagrealan Cave and Bakas River.

60.00 - Bus Ortigas to Tungko
140.00 - Packed Lunch
18.00 - Jeep Tungko to Bigte
15.00 - Tricycle Bigte to Gray Cave
100.00 - Guide Fee Gray Cave
50.00 - Pinagrealan Cave Gear and Maintenance Fee
60.00 - Pinagrealan Cave guide fee (600 for 10 persons)
5.00 - Bigte River Resort hut rental fee
100.00 - tricycle service from Gray Cave to Pinagrealan, Bakas River and Restaurant
140.00 - Dinner
25.00 - Jeep from Bigte to SM Fairview
47.00 - Bus SM Fairview to Ortigas

TOTAL: Php 760.00