March 29, 2015
We took the air-conditioned Ceres Bus from South Bus Terminal headed to Mantalongon province. We boarded the 2 am bus and arrived around 4am at the market place.
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| Photo grabbed from Google Photos |
From the Market place we rode a motorcycle or "habal-habal" all the way to the foot of Osmeña Peak Mountain, I got on the regular small motor bike together with a friend and reached our destination with a sore butt. Lesson learned, request for the big motorcycles for a comfortable ride. Make sure you hold on tight because it's going to be an uphill bumpy ride.
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| x1photography View while riding the motor bike |
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| Forgive the haggard face, I was trying to keep my hat on while snapping a photo of the mountains |
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As soon as we got to the foot of the mountain the cold weather numbed my skin. It would be good to have a rash guard with you it helps beat the cold and protect your skin from the beating sun. It's also easy to pack inside your bag in case you don't want to use it anymore. The weather can be pretty bipolar during your trekking trips.
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| Nothing but fog and nature |
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| At the Peak of Osmena Mountain |
On a good day, you would see the ocean but unfortunately the fog greeted us good morning on today's trip. According to the locals a rather good time would be around 9am.
Our trek to Kawasan Falls begins....
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| Trekk OOTD: 1. Hat to protect your face from the weather. 2. Dry fit shirt. 3. Compression leggings /comfy bottom which won't limit your movement. Remember, you'll be walking for hours and climbing rocks 4. Sturdy shoes/ trek shoes/ trek sandals 5. Trek pole (if necessary) this will help you as your go downhill. This might be useful for those who have bad knees 6. Small backpack enough to carry your essentials
-sunblock
- towel
- change of clothes (light clothes)
- first aid kit (Vaseline to rub on skin where friction might cause blisters, betadine and cotton, medicine (LBM, headache, motion sickness, etc)
- powerbank
- cellphone (The Sun network can pick up signal)
- tissue
- water proof cases
- camera
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| I love my Merrell outdoor shoes. I got to go home without blisters on my feet and survived the trek. It dried up pretty fast after I had to trek on water. Another good thing about the design was the mesh material, it didn't cause a bad odor from the sweat and stored water from the water trek. The best part was the trail run design of the shoe, it was able to keep me steady as I stepped on different sizes of rocks and walked over mud. I got these beauties at Merrell Outdoor shop in Ayala Center Cebu at 20% off and got it at Php 3,000.00. |
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| Always have a trek buddy |
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Don't forget to stop and look around, breathe in the fresh air and enjoy the view.
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| Sir Gaylord, the sweeper |
Learned a few lessons from the experienced climbers. Don't miss out or mess up the trail signs.
1. Two rocks on top of each other - means that this is the trail
2. X made out of bamboo sticks, leaves, or X on the soil, or any barrier to a path - means DANGER
The leader puts up the trail signs for the rest of the group to follow. The sweeper stays behind and makes sure no one gets left behind. Both the leader and the sweeper have to be experienced climbers and must be familiar with the trail.
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| We made it! We reached Kawasan Falls by 2pm |
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| Always drink water to re-hydrate yourself |
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| Foot spa |
As soon as you get to Kawasan, remove your shoes and let them enjoy the cold waters.
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| Sir Tom, our leader |
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| It was worth every step |
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| x1photography It doesn't end here. If you traversed mountains to get to Kawasan Falls you end up reaching the 3rd (top) water falls, a few steps up and you can see the water source. After our 2 hours of chill time at the water we trekked down to get to the main highway to catch the bus back to the city. It would be good to starting going down around 4:30 pm the last bus leaves at 6:00 pm. Don't be choosy when you wait for the bus back to the city, it will always be crowded by locals and do not settle for 'standing', make sure you have a comfortable seat. It took us 4 hours to reach the Southbus terminal due to traffic. It being a Sunday might have been a factor for the cramped bus and traffic back to the city. |
Tips:
1. Bring a light pack lunch for you to eat along the trail. There are no shops/ restaurants where you can eat. We had our lunch at the basketball court along the trail. Your lunch must be a viand which won't spoil, it must be enough to refuel you for your trip. Some of our trekk buddies brought sausage, adobo with egg, sandwich, and hotdog. You can stop by the market at Mantalongon to buy 'puso' or hanging rice before you trek up to the peak. Hanging rice/ puso might be a good idea since you won't be needing spoon and fork to eat. (less baggage in your bag)
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| Hydration bladder. Photo grabbed from Google images |
2. Bring water. If you can get a hydration bag with bladder the better, these are available in any outdoor shop. If you do get into climbing/trekking it will be a good idea to invest in a bag. A good brand would be Camelback
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| Hydration Pack. Photo grabbed from Google Images |
3. Bring healthy snacks, you have to munch on sweets or recovery bars every hour to give you energy
4. Bring waterproof cases, you can never predict the weather during your trip
5. Put on sunblock as often as you can. Most especially on your shoulders, your burnt skin will not tolerate the friction from your backpack
6. Be alert for trail signs
Budget
Bus from South Bus terminal to Mantalungon market P 105.00
Motorcycle ride from market to Osmeña peak P 100.00
Bus from Kawasan Falls to South Bus Terminal P 126.00
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Til the next adventure!
