The mountains in the province of Rizal feature different kinds of scenic landscapes, fascinating rock formations and diverse flora. Particularly in Tanay, one may witness the "sea of clouds" and bath in numerous waterfalls that can be found along the trail. Thus, Tanay became a destination of hikers from different ages and experience level.
Mt. Paliparan in barangay Cuyambay is a newly opened hiking destination in Tanay with an intriguing 1-5 trail class based on PinoyMountaineer.com. It is said to have been a battleground for kite flying events by the natives in the early years, hence the reason how it got its name. These information I found on the Internet got me more pumped up and excited to go.
Mt. Paliparan in barangay Cuyambay is a newly opened hiking destination in Tanay with an intriguing 1-5 trail class based on PinoyMountaineer.com. It is said to have been a battleground for kite flying events by the natives in the early years, hence the reason how it got its name. These information I found on the Internet got me more pumped up and excited to go.
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| Mt. Paliparan (left peak) and the view deck (right peak) as seen from Tuoy Village |
Using public vehicle from Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, this is the easiest route:
- Ride a jeepney or van going to Cogeo Gate 2. Travel time may take roughly an hour.
- Drop off at Cogeo Gate 2 then walk on the road beside Jollibee Cogeo until you reach Antipolo City Mall
- Ride a jeepney going to Sampaloc. Travel time is less than two hours
- Drop off at barangay Cuyambay then ride a habal-habal or tricycle going to the barangay hall. (5-10 minutes)
The first trip of jeepneys going to Sampaloc from Cogeo is at 5:00 AM. Riding on top of the roof of these jeepneys are allowed. You may enjoy the view along the zigzag road while riding on top but just be reminded that it is not recommended during rainy season.
The barangay hall of Cuyambay serves as a jump-off point of Mt. Paliparan. It is also the jump-off point when going to the Nagpatong Rock Formation, Mt. Masungki, and the Maysawa Circuit. As of March 4, the local government regulated the registration fees of all climbing activities in Tanay. 50 pesos for the Environmental fee, 20 pesos for the Cultural fee and 30 pesos for the Tourism fee for a total of 100 pesos per person as a registration. We had to pay 500 pesos for the guide fee prior to the climb. Check out the other rates below:
- Ride a jeepney or van going to Cogeo Gate 2. Travel time may take roughly an hour.
- Drop off at Cogeo Gate 2 then walk on the road beside Jollibee Cogeo until you reach Antipolo City Mall
- Ride a jeepney going to Sampaloc. Travel time is less than two hours
- Drop off at barangay Cuyambay then ride a habal-habal or tricycle going to the barangay hall. (5-10 minutes)
The first trip of jeepneys going to Sampaloc from Cogeo is at 5:00 AM. Riding on top of the roof of these jeepneys are allowed. You may enjoy the view along the zigzag road while riding on top but just be reminded that it is not recommended during rainy season.
The barangay hall of Cuyambay serves as a jump-off point of Mt. Paliparan. It is also the jump-off point when going to the Nagpatong Rock Formation, Mt. Masungki, and the Maysawa Circuit. As of March 4, the local government regulated the registration fees of all climbing activities in Tanay. 50 pesos for the Environmental fee, 20 pesos for the Cultural fee and 30 pesos for the Tourism fee for a total of 100 pesos per person as a registration. We had to pay 500 pesos for the guide fee prior to the climb. Check out the other rates below:
We planned on having our lunch in the village of Tuoy so we requested Ma'am Rose to arrange a lunch package which would be ready once we arrive at the village. One whole native chicken tinola and four rice cooked in bamboo stems (buho) is our lunch which seems to be too much for five people. After registration, we met Sir Gilbert, our guide.
At 7:30AM, we started the hike. From the barangay hall, we passed through the paved road going to a farm then crossed a small bridge going up to the forest trail. Rain pours from time to time so the trail got muddy and slippery. While on the trail, I enjoyed hearing the sound of the insects and the chirping of the birds. Fresh cold breeze also pass by which made the trek less strenuous.
At 7:30AM, we started the hike. From the barangay hall, we passed through the paved road going to a farm then crossed a small bridge going up to the forest trail. Rain pours from time to time so the trail got muddy and slippery. While on the trail, I enjoyed hearing the sound of the insects and the chirping of the birds. Fresh cold breeze also pass by which made the trek less strenuous.
The trail continued through the grassy slopes until we reach our first stop, a cave they called Taguan. With our moderate pace, it took us more or less an hour. We spent a few minutes taking pictures and enjoying the cool air inside this small cave.
Our hike resumed through grassy slopes with steeper rocky trail. Then we took a short break on one of the rock formations along the way. They called that place Tunghayan.
Before going to the view deck, we went into another cave nearby. Rock columns and stalactites can be seen inside the cave. We saw some bats flying around too. I like how the stone walls were lit up by the sunlight that passed through the holes on top.
Reaching the view deck is quite tricky. We had to climb our way up to the top of the huge lime stones with utmost care. Wearing gloves is recommended at this part to avoid cuts and blisters against the sharp rocks along the wall. Once we reach the top, we were rewarded with the amazing view of the landscapes of Rizal.
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| Going up to the view deck |
The windmills of Pililia can also be seen from the view deck.
After a few minutes, we continued our hike going to the summit. From the view deck, we carefully went down the rock wall then stride our way up through the trail with tall grass on the sides. Then we took a short break in a spot beside a huge stone wall to give way to the other hikers going down from the summit.
Again, we need to climb up a stone wall to reach the summit, but this time, the walls have rope supports which are helpful for climbing up. You'll be welcomed by a pink flag which marks the top of the mountain.
A wide panoramic view of Tanay can be seen on the summit. One can also have a glimpse of the lone mountain of Tagapo in Talim Island. The Laguna de Bay is also visible from where we at and on the far end of that lake, one can see the cityscape of Metro Manila. The strong wind and the amazing views on the summit surely took our exhaustion and our breath away.
A wide panoramic view of Tanay can be seen on the summit. One can also have a glimpse of the lone mountain of Tagapo in Talim Island. The Laguna de Bay is also visible from where we at and on the far end of that lake, one can see the cityscape of Metro Manila. The strong wind and the amazing views on the summit surely took our exhaustion and our breath away.
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| Laguna de Bay as seen from the summit |
It is past noon when we continued our hike. Grasses taller than me surrounds the trail going down. After a few minutes, we reached an open area. Sir Gilbert told us that this part serves as a campsite.
After the campsite, we trek down another forest trail. I enjoyed seeing different kinds of plants, flowers and fruits along the way. We also spent a few more minutes crossing a river and hiking up again until we reach the village of Tuoy.
After the campsite, we trek down another forest trail. I enjoyed seeing different kinds of plants, flowers and fruits along the way. We also spent a few more minutes crossing a river and hiking up again until we reach the village of Tuoy.
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| The summit viewed from the campsite |
Tuoy Village is a small community where local tribe of Dumagats resides. Life there is quiet and simple. Vegetables are planted on every side of their nipa house and live stocks just roam around freely. There we were welcomed by Ma'am Rose (same name as the one we met at the barangay hall). She's the person contacted by the other Ma'am Rose from the barangay hall to cook us our lunch.
We really enjoyed eating the delicious native chicken tinola prepared by Ma'am Rose. She also sell fresh buko juice, sodas and ice. We spent some time resting and talking about how awesome the whole trek was. Little did we know that the most exciting part of our adventure still awaits.
It's already 2:00 PM when we left the village. We speed up our pace targeting to return at the jump-off before 5:00 PM. Sir Gilbert said we can go back straight to the barangay hall via the road from Tuoy Village to cut some time or we can still visit the Tungtong Falls. We opt to go to the latter.
The trek continued through a trail along the river. We need to pass along huge rock boulders at the last part of the trail to reach the falls. From the village, it took us about 45 minutes to reach Tungtong Falls.
It's already 2:00 PM when we left the village. We speed up our pace targeting to return at the jump-off before 5:00 PM. Sir Gilbert said we can go back straight to the barangay hall via the road from Tuoy Village to cut some time or we can still visit the Tungtong Falls. We opt to go to the latter.
The trek continued through a trail along the river. We need to pass along huge rock boulders at the last part of the trail to reach the falls. From the village, it took us about 45 minutes to reach Tungtong Falls.
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| Tungtong Falls |
We continued our hike a few minutes behind our itinerary. We passed through the stream and had to cross some huge boulders along the way. At the end of the trail is a towering waterfalls. I got mesmerized just by looking at it. My adrenaline pumped up once I heard that we need to climb up that falls.
One by one, we climbed up the rock wall beside the falls. Good thing there are cemented parts of the wall where we can step on to. We carefully crawled our way up then we reached the part where a rope support is available going to the top. Everyone of us got up on top safely. Climbing that huge waterfalls really is a very thrilling experience.
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| On our way up on top of the falls! |
The locals told us that the last trip of jeepneys going to Cogeo is at 7:00 PM but it is best to be at the jeepney stop at 6 to avoid hassles. So we hurriedly took our shower and prepared to leave.
We're bothered about the sudden implementation of the new registration fees. I think that is too pricey specially for the young hikers with limited budget. This may lead to reduction of tourist visit that will affect the small livelihood of the locals specially the guides and the Dumagats. Hope the Tourism office of Tanay would come up with a different solution that would be beneficial to all.
Overall it was an exciting hike. This is one of the most adventurous hike that I had. Mt. Paliparan is where you can test your strength, pump up your adrenaline, immerse into the local's culture and enjoy the unspoiled beauty of nature. Definitely a complete package to experience in one day. I would like to thank the locals and the Dumagats for their kindness and hospitality and to our guide Sir Gilbert.
Date of hike:
March 4, 2017
Notable Expenses:
18 - Jeepney fare from Ligaya to Cogeo Gate 2
48 - Jeepney fare from Cogeo to Brgy. Cuyambay
25 - Habal-habal fare from highway to Cuyambay barangay Hall
30 - Tourism Fee
20 - Cultural Fee
50 - Environmental Fee
500 - Guide Fee for day hikes (maximum of 5 persons per guide)
1250 - Guide Fee for overnights
20 - shower fee
400 - One pot of native chicken tinola (up to 7 servings)
40 - one rice cooked in a bamboo stem (up to 2 servings)
Safe Budget for DIY day hike:
(transportation, food and necessary fees)
500 - 600 per person
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