Makiling traverse via sipit trail

Mt Makiling traverse is one of the most popular and challenging hike for a hiker to experienced ,whether you use the easier uplb trail, or the more challenging traverse. Also this mountain is full of mystery and fantasy , that most hikers have some thrilling tales to tell about their spine chilling experienced in Mt Makiling

                               Welcome sign at the registration center

 Moreover, Maktrav can also be considered as a training climb for any major climb in the country. Recently pinoymountaineer.com announced that the palanggana using san bartolome will be closed and the sipit trail will be recommended and will be the main entry for doing the traverse. Also the sipit trail was used during the makiling quest , a trail run event last February. Last lenten season the make it makiling campaign was also launched using sipit trail , promoting Mt makiling for the hikers and campers to visit the mountain.

                                            Start of the trek

 Last sunday , we tried maktrav using the sipit trail . All of us have done the traverse using the palanggana trail So we all know the challenge that lies ahead. Before the climb I coordinated our plan to the officer of ecopark in sitio jordan, He help us with our logistics and guide/s.

We met at Jac liner bound to Lucena , after an hour and a half , we drop off at San felix, take a tricycle and proceed to registration area. The registration is free and the guide fee is negotiable. The sipit trail is much longer that the palanggana trail. The trail have a marker for each station . The trail to station 1 is a rolling , sometime flat terrain. Just a few minutes ahead, the station 2 will be reached. Here, you can rest up, theres a water source here, restroom and a small river and falls. After station 2 the trail will be uphill assault on most part , however the trail was assisted by rope to make it somehow easy to negotiate the steep part of the trail . After an hour or two , you will reach station 7 , this is the grassland entry and crossmark between the palanggana and sipit trail. The trail here is now more familiar , 2 of the guides left, and one guide stay with us until station 14 ,much populary known as melkas ridge.

                                             Station 2 base camp

                        Small river at station 2(photo courtesy of r.de guzman)

 

                                      Start of assault up to station 7
 
You see the officer in charge of the sipit trail was so accomodating. He gave us 3 guides to accompany us to the hike, he made sure that were okay , and we will not get lost. We take a small break in station 14 before the assault to peak 3, from here onwards it will be all uphell, and that part of the trail was infected by limatik. It was like a party, every now and then we stop and remove the limatik, we make sure that they wont get the first bite. Otherwise, they will be more harder to remove and there might be blood from the bite.

                          The rope section to peak 3(Pics of roderick tuano)

The Makiling quest trail run and Make it makiling event made the trail visible by trail sign, pink ribbons was everywhere. We reached peak 3 at 12:30pm and peak 2 at 1:30pm . On peak 2 there are now 3 wooden cross. I believed it was set up there last lenten season.

                     3 wooden cross at peak 2(photo courtesy of r.de guzman

The part of the trail where most hikers lost when going down was now closed by rope, and theres a lot of trail sign to guide the hikers on the trail. After 30 mins of rest, we started our descend. This time is the only time I hiked in Maktrav on dry mud. We do not encountered any drizzle,so the path was dry and not slippery; so our descend was easy and smooth and we are almost running. The wide path trail going to Agila base was rocky so prepare accordingly.

                                  Photo courtesy of r.de guzman

                     The long and endless road. Photo courtesy of r.de guzman

 It only take us an hour to reach the kubo where we had our rest stop for buko. And it took us an hour and 10mins from kubo to the entry point of Makiling in Uplb side. Here, you can take a bath and change clothes. Just walk ahead for a few minutes to reached the part where you can take jeep to crossing calamba. From Crossing calamba, there are buses bound to cubao and pasay. After an action packed dayhike adventure,what better way to end the day that a hot , delicious dinner. We ate at totoy's restaurant, to our suprise the servings was huge,it was good for 2-3 people. So we had a fiesta of 2 kinds of pancit and one order of lomi, well it is just another way to celebrate my post birthday climb. Thanks to sir russell and sir rick for the great maktrav dayhike adventure..

                                 Visitor registration area at uplb


How to go to sipit trail

Take bus to lucena , tell the conductor to drop you off at san felix. Marker ( sea oil station ) : Fare : P110.50
Take a tricycle to sitio jordan ecopark ( old dumpsite ) : Fare : 60
Registration : free
Guide fee     : 300 (up to station 7 or station 14