30 before 30 Checklist

My To-Do-List Snapshot

# 9 Climb a Mountain: Mt. Makulot.

Back in 2003, I was finishing my internship for Unilever.  My boss was a mountaineer of sorts and unwittngly invited us over for a weekend climb.  Being a total newbie, I, of course wore the wrong things and brought the tiniest un-sporties backpack you can find in the planet.

Early morning call time.  We met at Unilever parking area aroud 530am. And promptly reached Cuenca, Batangas town proper some two hours later.  I really didn't know what to expect.  Standing at 600m high, this mountain can be seen all the way from Mindoro.  It was believed that it used to form part of Taal Volcano rim before continuous eruptions tore it into three different parts.

The climb was tough. And not just because I was a beginner.  Most hikers would tell you that Mt. Makulot is no easy feet.  The terrain is steep and you need both hands to grabbed onto the roots of the plants.  Not only is it steep, the trail in itself is very slippery. Plus, I was wearing my bowling shoes, which apparently was no good for hiking.  Seriously, who does that?! Right!  Note to other newbies, need sturdier shoes that have much more grip for this particular activity.  After all those miscalculation, actually making it to your end destination, was well worth it.  Mt. Makulot gives a spectacular view of Taal.

The trail begins near a mountaineer's store of some sort.  Where you can buy and stock up on mineral water/softdrinks.  It took us about 4 hours to get to our half way mark and another 5 hours to hike back to our car.

Be sure to bring your own lunch. 

You can take it at the mid-peak level about 4 hours from the starting point

 

 Taking a break. 

Silly blogger is about to pass out from exhaustion.

 

The Shoulder Campsite over looking Taal

After building a mini camp site and marveling at the surrounding, 

we went trekked back for another 5 hours

Tips:
1.) Best time to trek is during the summer to avoid even more slippery slopes and super chilly winds.
2.) Wear comfortable clothes. Dry fit shirt is best + Jogging Pants.  DO NOT wear shorts like silly blogger, because much of the trail would be on a forest setting and the grass can cut through your skin.
3.) Bring mini-sized chocolate bars. And NOT a whole bar of Nestle Crunch.
4.) Wear sunscreen.  The entire hike took about 9 hours. It's bound to get sunny.
5.) Bring a jacket just in case.
6.) Load up on H20

# 9 Hike all the way to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo.