My friend who had already hiked this mountain gave me a challenge not to scream profanities in case I got fed up of its exhausting trail. The moment I arrived at the jump-off after an 11-hour hike, I congratulated myself for successfully sealing my lips without any expletives coming out of my mouth.
🇵🇭MT. TAPULAO ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Mt. Tapulao, Zambales:
⏺ Ride a bus from Metro Manila bound for Iba or Santa Cruz, Zambales (e.g. Victory Liner in Monumento, Caloocan; travel time is 5 – 6 hours).
⏺ Alight at Iba bus terminal.
⏺ Hire a tricycle to Dampay-Salaza which serves as the jump-off (travel time: 45 minutes to 1 hour).
⏺ Register and secure guide/s.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE DAY HIKE ITINERARY:
DAY 0
8:00 PM Assembly
9:00 PM ETD for Iba
DAY 1
1:00 AM ETD for Dampay-Salaza
2:00 AM Commence trek
9:00 AM ETA Campsite
10:00 AM ETA Mt. Tapulao Summit
11:00 AM Head back to campsite / lunch
12:00 PM Start descent
5:00 PM ETA jump-off / wash up
6:00 PM ETD for Manila
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 3,500 – Php 4,000
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees and tricycle transfer rates.
It was a personal challenge to test my endurance. The ideal itinerary to scale Mt. Tapulao is an overnight climb. Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to carry a heavy backpack with my stuff and camping gears due to my jaw disorder and spine problem.Nevertheless, I didn’t let this condition stop me from being an outdoor person. Hiring a porter to carry my bag is one option but it’ll be expensive on my part since I am usually on a tight budget when I hike. So the best option is to do a day hike even if it seems a suicide for some mountaineers. At least I would only need to bring a light daypack for my hydration and snacks.You know you’re almost about to succumb when you’re already on autopilot mode. I continued descending this rocky trail. I had to admit, extreme exhaustion gave the illusion that the trail was infinite. I kept walking like a robot but the path seemed endless. My sore lower extremities were screaming in pain. One of my co-hikers sat by a tree to take a breather and said that he could no longer move forward. I would have wanted to encourage him but I just told him outright the bitter truth. “You’ve got no choice, buddy. Let’s go,” I said. Our ordeal felt like fighting our inner demons telling us that we won’t make it.As evident in this blog post, I only took a handful of pictures since my focus was to train. After all, this wasn’t a leisurely walk-in-the-park kind of trek for just plain sight-seeing.I beamed a smile the exact moment I saw the registration area upon our descent. The sun was about to set when I arrived at the jump-off. Some of my co-hikers who also joined this organized hiking event were still left behind so we had to wait for them. It felt like I was in a limbo after I washed up and changed my clothes. My newfound friends were looking forward to having a decent meal before going back to Manila. I was so famished that I could devour a bunch of carbs and meat. Boy was I so proud for conquering Mt. Tapulao and gobbling down some delicious feast would be my reward for myself.
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌The trail is exposed to the sun so bring enough hydration.
📌There are available water sources along the trail.
📌The hike to the summit takes about 7 – 9 hours depending on your pace.
📌It is possible to do a day hike but please be reminded that this mountain is not recommended for first-timers. You may take the night trip of Victory Liner. Ideally, you should be commencing your hike at 2:00 AM or 3:00 AM.
📌Remind the tricycle driver to pick you up at the agreed time once you have descended at the jump-off.
📌Always check the weather first before scaling this mountain. The trail turns into a river of mud during rainy season.
📌You can join organized hiking events online to save on time and cut on costs.
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
***For other destinations in Central Luzon, you may visit this link.
