Mount Batulao — Attraction in Calaca

I have climbed Mt. Batulao around four times since 2016. It isn't easy to climb but it isn't too hard either. I'd say it's "survivable" for beginners. If you want a more beginner-friendly hike, I recommend going to nearby Mt. Talamitam.

Mt. Batulao has a rolling terrain, so you go up-and-down-up-and-down several times before you reach the summit. Once you're there, you get a nice 360 view of your surroundings.

Depending on the trail you choose (old or new), you may need to go rock scrambling or use a rope for assistance.

Adding to the challenge of the climb is the lack of trees, which makes for a heat stroke inducing hike when the sun is up. Fortunately, there are a few huts that give you some shade along the way.

If you want to reduce heat exposure, start your hike really early, perhaps at 1 AM so that you can go at a very relaxed pace. This way, you can see the stars and watch the sunrise and be able to descend without exposing yourelf to dangerous levels of heat.

It gets only four stars from me because of the insane number of "toll booths" - there were six registration sites the last time I went - where you get charged a 30 peso "registration fee" just for walking on unmaintained land. It is the only mountain in the Philippines that I know of that does this. Most require only a single registration fee (the only exception I can think of is Mt. Balagbag, which has two registrations).

Another minus is that the guides are now mandatory, even if it is hard to get lost because the trail is well marked. In 2018 and the years before that, the guides were not required, so it cost a lot less to do a DIY climb back then.

If you do a solo hike from the new trail to the old trail, you would spend about 180 in registration fees plus 500 for a guide, plus around 350 pesos transportation from Manila plus 100 if you take a tricycle from the main road to the jump off point. That totals to over 1,000 pesos without any food or drinks.

For this mountain, it's better if you join a budget climb event made by a reputable organizer instead of a DIY climb as you'll spend less - the average climb event fee for Mt. Batulao the last time I checked (early 2019) was just 850 - and you don't have to worry about the registration fees, guides, and transportation.

So, am I willing to go back in spite of all the minuses? Definitely! Because, overall, the pros of this beautiful mountain still outweigh...

We've been here years ago with my colleagues for team building. Our guides are friends of my team mate and they are well experienced. We only paid for their transportation and entrance fee. It's really helpful having professional guides in a climb for those who really have no experience climbing a mountain. Pick the ones who already climbed the mountain themselves and have done a lot of climbing. I say this because even if they said it's an easy climb and these mountain climbers leveled it as '3', for a true novice it's one heck of a climb especially if they haven't done lots of exercise like cardios, lifting, swimming, etc. They guided us to every stations of this mountain, every forks, short cuts, ridges, cliffs, ascent and descent. They taught us the basics before and after climbs like registration, what to carry, what not to carry, and what to do and not to do. They kept reminding us when we go a little astray and even carried some of us who had a hard time. We had leaders and sweepers and they really did help a lot. We even checked the nearby houses as we climb and bought some buko juice and halo halo. It took us around 5-6 hours to get all of the climb the whole mountain, and that includes the resting time, because we have to wait for the others in every station or go pickup some who stayed behind. There are also available resting huts in some stations and it's really surprising to see children among the peak trail selling refreshments for the climbers. Camping sites, showers, and toilets are available in some stations and souvenir shops can be seen at the beginning/end station, which some might cost you especially the shower area. The peak, of course, is the most rewarding of all, and it was really surreal to see the whole area from above. I couldn't even believe we made it ourselves even though our bodies are aching. It's really a great experience for beginners, more like a training camp...

Very nice and beautiful, climbing through 12 peaks. From afar, Mt. Batulao looks like a camel with many humps. In clear weather from the summit, you will see Balayan Bay, Taal lake and volcano, Manila Bay and the skyscrapers of Manila. It's an easy and pleasant hike. With frequent stops to enjoy the breathtaking view and a lot of "picture-picture," it will take 5-6 hours on the traverse trail. We started at 10am, and we were lucky with the pleasant breeze saving us from the heat. Path to the top passes through private properties and every time you have to register and pay 30 pesos (0,70$) per person to continue - 3 going up and 2 going back (one we skipped for no one was manning the post). The owners maintain the path and where is necessary placed ropes. You can also buy cold drinks and snacks along the trail from locals. A bottle of cold water is 40-50 peso (1$). At first, I didn't like the mandatory rule for climbers to be accompanied by a guide, but I was later convinced that it is better to have one as on the way there are many forks. It is easy to get lost especially if you take the traverse trail to get back. When the sun bake overhead, it will be not pleasant at all. Guide fee is 500 (12$). Cris, our guide was very attentive and helpful so we were happy to give him some extra hundred pesos for his service. Return path passes through beautiful landscapes and private places where you can see also how the locals live. Sun, bananas, sweet potatoes and no stress... slowly and easy, they swallow with pleasure every breath of...