Mt. Banoy Traverse Itinerary

four towers and the road to traverse

Mt. BANOY TRAVERSE
(Talumpok Silangan-Balatbat)

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1
0930 ETD Cubao bus terminal to Batangas City (php175)
1200 ETA Bolbok Junction/Diversion, lunch
1230 Ride jeep to town proper, alight on Goto King (php8)
1245 ETA Goto King, walk to terminal for Dagatan
1315 ETA terminal, ride jeep bound for Dagatan (php25)
1345 ETA "Siko/Piko(?)". Ride tricycle to Brgy. Health center(Php20each). Register (no fees being collected)
1400 Start trek on rough road trail
1430 ETA Sitio Banoy
1445 ETA viewdeck
1500 ETA campsite (left of the rough road), pitch tent
1530 Start assault to towers/wireless
1540 ETA towers/wireless, explore the area
1730 Cook dinner
2300 Lights off

Day 2 (not yet tested, suggested only)
0600 Wake-up call, prepare breakfast and breakcamp
0700 Start descent
1330 ETA small waterfalls
1500 ETA jumpoff "chapel"
1530 ETD to Bolbok junction/Diversion
1630 ETA Bolbok junction/Diversion, bus back to Manila
1830 ETA Manila


Notes:
- the traverse on Day 2 has never been tried, only the ascent trail via Talumpok Silangan.
- on our way home, we didn't go back to town proper, we just head straight to Star Tollway. if you know how to commute to Dagatan, then just cut the trip short and alight at Star Tollway instead of heading to Diversion Road near the port.
- there's watersource near campsite. be mindful when getting water as it also supplies the nearby sitios.
- people here are very friendly so don't hesitate to ask or answer their questions.

Outdoor Nutrition: Trail Food

trail mix – from Wikipedia

Aside from the normal meals (brekkie, lunch, dinner) that mountain climbers eat to get the energy they need, there’s also that space of time in between meals where they need to nourish themselves.

Excess of such nourishment or the deficiency thereof, can make or break a climb. Each climber has a specific body type which requires a different sustenance from another. It’s important that the climber knows his own food needs. There are climbers who choose to sustain themselves on the trail foods alone, without the aid of regular meals… hence it is important that these climbers choose the right trail foods.

Trail food in the mountain climbing parlance, is something a hiker eats in between meals to replenish the energy during a climb.

The traditional trail food is summarized by the acronym GORP (Good Ol’ Raisins and Peanuts). “Raisins” is a representation of the dried fruit mix, while “peanuts” part signifies the nuts family.

Balaan Bukid Trek: A Road of Pilgrimage

Other destinations of my Iloilo trip 2011:

Jaro Cathedral and Belfry

Trappist Monastery

Igcabugao, Igbaras

Mt. Taripis Dayhike

Miagao Church

Tibiao Fish Spa

Balaan Bukid viewpoint overlooking Iloilo City

One of the highlights of my Iloilo trip is a visit to Guimaras’ highest point… Balaan Bukid in Jordan. Rising at nearly 160+ meters above sea level it affords one a view of the Iloilo City and the Iloilo strait in between.

Balaan Bukid is a famous pilgrimage for devotees across Panay…it’s their version of Mt. Banahaw of Luzon. The road to the top is adorned with Stations of the Cross, beginning at the jumpoff point. We were told by locals that the trail can get congested during the Holy Week.

Climb Alert!: Mt. Balagbag, the New LOGBOOK County

Incident date: March 13, 2011

There ARE already several LOGBOOK stations collecting REGISTRATION FEES here.
(1) Barangay watch near the San Isidro diversion.
(2) Land-owner of Mt. Balagbag helipad
(3) Near the Church in Veterans (Mt. Balagbag Portside)
(4) anyone who thinks of jumping to the money-making scheme bandwagon that was prevalent among locals living near the mountain area.

@ Biak na Mukha

Iloilo Trip Kick-off: Jaro Cathedral and Belfry

 How did I ended up with this trip? Around early January, there's a seat sale craze on going. I was deciding which province to visit, and of course mountain climbing should be considered. I remembered how I wanted to go back to Igbaras to climb other peaks that I once saw there back in my August 2010  visit. I booked a roundtrip flight for Php1,100+++ and invited a friend to join me in Guimaras, as she is on a beach bum mode. Later on she decided to join my whole trip. I should fhave orewarned her what she's getting into. Lols.

So I went home early Thursday (February 24, 2011), a day before my flight to Iloilo. My pocket money was not enough, thanks to P-noy. 

Ok connect? Well had he declared February 25 as non-working holiday, then our paycheck will be credited to our account Thursday. And since there’s work on Friday so….you do the math.

I cooked Tocinong Bangus as my baon, hoping it would be indestructible as I want to believe and last me till dinner. I also intend to leave early, to catch the shuttle service to Terminal 3. Preparation took quite a while and it was past 12mn when I finished. I have no choice but to ride a cab. I prepared myself for the fare, since the one I rode already had a calibrated meter. Normally it’s just around Php110.00 on an honest man’s meter, and now…assuming that the cab’s meter is as represented, showed P145.00 or something on the readings. I sucked it up and paid the exact amount. 

T3 catwalk

Climbapalooza Incident: What happened in Mt. Pulag did not stay in Mt. Pulag

Ok so there’s been a kerfuffle going around the mountaineering community about a certain incident involving a neophyte mountaineer who started rocking the boat by posting photos of officers of a mountaineering group… allegedly tagging them as “no balls”.

The group cited then reiterated by issuing several statements to counter the defamation done by the said newbie climber. Based on the initial actions of both parties, no clear story can be exhausted, only character assassination of each other.

The girl answered the statement issued by the group… and the mere allegation now is slowly being spun into a story as she fires her ammunition.

I have no certainty as to the veracity of the statements issued by both parties. I will just repost the information I gathered from the intarwebs. As of last I’ve heard, the group already filed civil and criminal cases against the girl who spammed several FB sites with the pictures of the officers of the group… tagging them as “no balls”.

The mountain involved was Mt. Pulag, and the event was CLIMBAPALOOZA which I think was held last weekend of February. To those who are not conversant with the hiker’s parlance…. CLIMBAPALOOZA is an event organized by the said group every February in commemoration of the V-Day… and it is celebrated nationwide.

I myself discourage mass climbing as such.

Here are the exchanges by the two parties:

Church of Miag-ao: Just Click and Go

church facade

 
I am not a fan of traditional architectural structures….much more of churches. It would take an Eero Saarinen to wow me. But hearing that a church in a small town in Iloilo made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites… it got my attention.

Miag-ao is a first class municipality in Iloilo according to Wikipedia. It is approximately 40kms from the city proper. It prides itself as home to one of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines as cited by UNESCO. 

Tibiao Fish Spa Experience

Have you seen piranha movies….where vicious fishies eat people? Yes?

Have you imagined yourself dipping in a warm pool and literally feeding yourself to the fishies? Yes?

Ok, last part was a bit of an exaggeration. Lols. I have read about this innovative spa where you get to interact with fishies in a different kind of way.

When I was preparing my itinerary, I chanced upon reading a travel blogger recounting his experience with the said spa in Iloilo. I got curious and googled it. Then I came across with the spa’s website.

watchout! seemingly innocent fishies...