Mt. Maculot | Famous Rockies

  Date : July 4, 2015 | Author : Jeric Par Esplana | Category : Travel Blog

Mt. Maculot (Rockies)

The famous mountain of Mt. Macolod or commonly known as Mt. Maculot is located in the town proper of Cuenca in Batangas. It is one of the top choice mountain near Metro Manila by many mountaineers. It has gained its popularity as a day trip adventure and a favorite weekend getaway because of the rockies portion as well as the scenic view of Taal Lake.  Rockies is the most popular spot in Mt. Maculot where it face the lake of Taal. It's not yet the summit and it is said that only 5% of the climbers pursue the traverse. It is considered as a minor climb but still it offers something challenging where a hiker should surpass the cliffs before reaching the Rockies.  From the vantage point, you will able to see the world famous Taal Volcano surrounded by the lake. 

How to get there: the best option is to take buses in Cubao / Alabang going to Lemery, Batangas since it will drop you directly to Cuenca, Batangas, fare is Php 155.00 per head and will take 2 1/2 hours travel time. Once you arrived in Cuenca's town proper, ride a tricycle going to Registration Area where you need to provide an ID for monitoring purposes and pay a fee of Php 20.00 per head .

Entry Point

Having a personal tour guide is required here and mandated by the tourism office of Cuenca. Don't worry because they are all well-mannered and it's also for your own good. By the time you encounter this signage, it only means that you're almost near to the jump-off area of this mountain. If you don't have your own food and drink, you can still buy it from the sari-sari store near the jump-off area. 

Rest Area

This mountain have many scattered rest area throughout the trails. It's something that made it a bit unique because it truly defines Mt. Maculot as a beginner friendly. Another good thing is that you will encounter palamig / coconut juice vendors from every rest area. The taste of the juice was actually good.

Rocky Portion

This is the best part where you need to climb this steep part of the trail. You're almost near to the summit when you reached this area. It is better if you wear a genuine trekking shoes or a sandals for the comfort of your feet in handling this kind of trail. 

Clearing

Before we climb this mountain, we encountered heavy rain while we were on our way in Cuenca. From afar, we saw a thick cloud around the peak. We thought that it was a form of sea of clouds so we're really excited to reach the summit. 

It was just matter of 1 1/2 hours before we reached this famous Rockies area of Mt. Maculot. It's truly a one of a kind experience and will definitely give you an amazing view. Rockies is absolutely the perfect vantage area where you will enjoy the amazing view of Taal Lake and the famous Taal Volcano. Out of nowhere, our surroundings turned into a heaven-like scenario. The mountaineers called it as a "clearing", it means "zero visibility". We actually enjoyed it and embraced this memorable experience.

Taal Volcano

Forest

Aside from the beautiful Taal Lake, you will also enjoy the scenic view of this luxuriant forest. It protects the hikers from the burning heat of the sun. Our guide told us that there are monkeys that lives here but due to the hikers, they hide to the innermost part of the forest.

Travel | JePar

--Reminder--

As a Travel Blogger, I am sharing all my experiences, guides and the expenses in every trip I have been so that you can also experience this trip to specific place with your friends or family. Be responsible enough by: following the rules and regulations of the place, learn to protect and maintain its genuine beauty, be nice and respectful to local people, observe cleanliness, leave no trace.

--Itinerary--

0500 - Meet Up (Kamias GMA)
0530 - ETD Manila via Public Vehicle
0815 - ETA Cuenca Town Proper
0820 - Breakfast
0840 - Registration Process
0900 - ETA Jump-off Area
0905 - Start Trek
1040 - ETA Rockies
1045 - Picture, Rest
1200 - Descend via Same Route
1340 - ETA Jump-off Area
1345 - Late Lunch
1400 - ETD Same Area
1410 - ETA Town Proper
1640 - ETA Manila 

--Budget--

Note: Rates are subject to change without prior notice
Option 1

VEHICLE	FROM	TO	FARE	TIMEFRAME
Bus (Jam Liner)	Cubao	Cuenca,Batangas	Php 155.00	2 ½ hours
Tricycle	Cuenca Town Proper	Mt. Maculot	Php 20.00	5 min

Option 2

VEHICLE	FROM	TO	FARE	TIMEFRAME
Bus	Alabang	Lipa,Batangas	Php 94.00	2 hours
Jeepney	Lipa City	Cuenca Town Proper	Php 25.00	30 min
Tricycle	Cuenca	Mt. Maculot	Php 20.00	5 min

Tour Guide (Rockies Only)	Php 400.00/4pax
Exceeding Member (Additional)	Php +50.00/pax
Summit (Additional)	Php +50.00/group
Registration Fee	Php 20.00
Comfort Room Fee	Php 15.00
ESTIMATED EXPENSES (group of 3)	Php 600.00/head