Second Hike for the Year 2016: Mount Daraitan

Mount Daraitan

(739+ MASL)

Tanay, Rizal

January 24, 2016

My second climb for this year was at Mount Daraitan in Tanay, Rizal.

Our meeting place again was at EDSA-Shaw Blvd at 4 a.m.  We were eleven in the group by this time and we were able to fill up an FX vehicle. We then contracted the driver. We paid him 240 pesos per head for the two way trip. Upon reaching Tanay, Rizal, we ate on a cafeteria for our breakfast.

Here is the start of our walk as well as the parking for our rented FX. 

Instead of riding a tricycle that will take us to the registration area, we opt to just walk. 

By seven in the morning, we started the climb. It was a bit hard climb because it was raining. And when it is raining, the trail was too muddy. 

We passed through a cave and according to our guide it was the first station and there will be two more before the summit. 

Plus there were so many mountaineers who climbed that day. Traffic then became a regular scene on the trail. It was then after lunch when we reached the summit. True story it is. The two hour climb became an almost four hour climb. We took our lunch at the semi-summit.

Kahit sa summit, may forever! Akala ko sa EDSA lang. :(

When taking picture, you must have to fall in line. Hays.  We then went down at past two p.m.

But then, the long climb was worth it. The view from top of Mount Daraitan didn't fail us. 

We did a traverse going to Tinipak River. It was a very long way down that it took us more or less two hours.  My knees were shaking already but we still haven’t reached the river yet.

The view at the river was all worth it!

Talagang pahihirapan ka muna bago mo maranasan ang sarap. 

 The view was just so majestic that it made me forget that long and hard traverse. The whole place is a picturesque.

The water was cold so I didn’t take a bath there. Ha-ha.

I just waited for my other companions.

It was already dark when we went back to the registration area and there I washed up.

We then rode a tricycle going back to the parking place of our rented vehicle.

It was past nine when I reached home.