The Backpacking Ballerina

Cheapest adventure yet. A very cool side trip from Manila, for people who love to hike. We left Manila at around 5am on a Sunday and arrived Lipa at 7am. We could have gotten there earlier except we stopped over first to eat breakfast at a gas station. I never knew how clear and nice the roads were around the South. It was my first long drive out of town, and it was easier than driving around Manila. I wish that all our highways would someday look like this.

We spent a total of about Php500  each. The skyway from Magallanes only cost around Php 200. Php 25 for the first tollgate and Php 39 for the next tollgate. Of course rates would depend from where you are coming from. The hike only cost Php 20 for the registration fee and then another 40 for the tricycle ride going there. Although I think i should have brought the car up to the jump off point because there are parking spaces around there. It cost us Php 48 for two guides going up the mountain. It was easier for us to split costs because we were a group of 23.

There is not much to see while you are hiking up the mountain as compared to the other mountains I have climbed before. Here you would see a lot of vegetation and you would pass and stop by a lot of houses where they would serve you free coffee or some buko juice. They were also selling suman at one house. It took us almost 2 hours to climb up to the summit. We ate lunch up there and shared some food.

Our climb would have been quicker if not for the long stopovers and some delays along the way. This could even have been just a half day event if you just suddenly feel the urge to take a hike somewhere. Traveling with a big group comes with its ups and downs, but when it comes to splitting costs this is the perfect solution to a budget climb.