Mt. Daraitan Review
I don't quite remember how I chose Daraitan to be my first hike. I considered Mt. Mariglem but hiking an open trail during the summer didn't sound fun. The main attraction of Espadang Bato required climbing up and down a ladder and I hate ladders. Mt. Kulis looked too easy. I guess by process of elimination, Daraitan ticked the boxes: it was nearby (just in Tanay, Rizal), it is described to be good for beginners but it wasn't a "chill" hike, and I could take a dip in Tinipak River right after!
I think joiner trips are so good if you're tight on a budget but want to still go places. I did my first one at Marinduque with a colleague and her BF. For PHP 1,500.00 I was able to vacation at Maniwaya Island (the trip ended up sucking though). The trip to Daraitan also cost PHP 1,500 and with the van transfers, environmental fees, and a bag tag for bragging rights.
The only notable thing on the way to Tanay was Marcos Highway. The zigzag roads were insane. We were on the road by 1:00am and I didn't sleep the whole time.
At the base camp, it was a sight to see the looming shadow of the mountain we were about to summit. That's when I thought, 'oh shit, this real, we signed up for this'.
My brother, cousin, and I kind of had an idea of what we were getting into with the assaults and steepness, but it's a whole other thing to experience it ourselves. We were panting and in disbelief a third of a way to Station 1. Station 1! And there were 3 stations! It was jarring to do such a steep climb in the dark with our headlamps at 4:00am. The experience was just so new. We were dripping in sweat and rethinking our choices, but it didn't cross my mind to throw in the towel.
Rocks. So many limestone rocks. Eventually, we trailed so far behind we were dead last out of everyone in our van, but our guide (Alma) assured us that it was fine to stop and take a breather.
About 15 minutes from the summit, I remember being pumped with adrenaline and willpower. My thighs and knees were tired but I didn't feel it too much. The last push to the summit felt...okay? The summit was pretty full of trees so it was anticlimactic to not see a View. It was also already way past sunrise then. Taking pictures at the summit marker felt unreal, though. We were 700+ above sea level.
The next part of the adventure shaped my mountain choices moving forward. Everyone deserved to have their moment and have their picture taken at the summit, right? But there were a lot of people, and we were tired. Of course we wanted to rest while waiting for our turn for photos. By the time I got my pictures taken, my thighs ached so bad. My knees also ached. This was not good. We had to go back down. That was another 2 hours.
The descent to Heart Peak was grueling. I voted to Not go to Heart Peak anymore because I just want to get down, but my brother insisted. He was right, when were we ever going back here?
I took a nap when we reached Heart Peak as we waited for our turn once more. Made things ache even more. I was able to appreciate the view better from Heart Peak though. The mountains and rivers of Rizal were pretty. An annoying cloud blocked the view from us when it was our turn for pictures which was really disappointing.
The descent had us in the trenches. I was going on all fours at times because it was so steep and there was nothing to hold onto. My brother kept stopping to rest because he caught a flu the day before. My left knee was experiencing sharp pain. The buko juice along the way really helped. God bless the buko juice vendors.
I was so relieved when we were at tree-height from the ground. We were almost back down.
We eventually survived and reached base camp again to freshen up at Tinipak River.
I was disappointed by Tinipak River! I wasn't expecting cool, pristine water like the falls in Pangasinan, but it was mossy and lukewarm which reminded me of aquarium water. But beggars can't be choosers. The warm water relaxed my aching knees at least.
All I knew was pain after that. The cramped van did not help my knees. We didn't go through Marcos Highway anymore, which was something at least.
Do I regret choosing Mt. Daraitan as my mother mountain? No. Despite the aches and pains, I knew this experience only prepared me for better, more complex mountains to hike. I only wished that I got to appreciate the view from the summit better.
The next mountain I'm looking for our next hike is Mt. 387 in Nueva Ecija. Let's see how that turns out...