Mt. Sembrano_Ride and Hike

Date: February 5, 2014

Activity: Ride and Hike

Location: Mt. Sembrano, Pililla, Rizal

     It’s been a while since I last updated this blog because I got bit busy with some travels and rides. So with that done, we can expect new places and more updates for this page.

    So let’s begin with the first one, Mt. Sembrano Ride and Hike.

    This is a solo-ride and I am not in a hurry, and taking and enjoying my time. But it looks it got me lax a lot and I took-off around 7 in the morning. This is already late considering that I need to travel 2hours to Pililla and to hike up to Mt. Sembrano under the scorching sun.

    Anyway, this was planned and scheduled for this week’s day-off so I have to go even it is already late.

   Prepared my things and rode my bike heading Pililla via Antipolo. Gas-up in Shell Antipolo, check tire pressure, bought some food stuffs and continue riding.

     Past 9am when I arrived in Pililla Rizal. Registered in Malaya Barangay Hall worth P20.00

    The Barangay Hall secretary advised me that there’s no safe parking in the mountain area and recommend to just park inside the Barangay Hall compound. It’s easier to look for parking for a motorcycle, so I just parked it on one of the corner, left my motorcycle gears on the bike, then start walking heading the mountain.

        From the jump-off point, it is a 15mins walk on a paved road then a minor ascend on a rocky road begins.

     Continued walking and ascending when I noticed that my reference point is getting far from me every time I checked on it. There I suspected that I was lost.

     Luckily, I met a local farmer to show the correct trail going to the summit. I was already 30mins far from the correct intersecting points going to Mangahan campsite. After 45mins of trekking from the point where I was lost, I reached the Mangahan camp site where you need to pay another entrance fee of P10.00.

     Other hikers, choose to camp overnight on this campsite and they are doing the summit assault the next morning. But for me, since this is a day hike only, I just took some minutes of rest then proceed with the assault.

     Then next part of the trail after this campsite is immediately a 50 to 60degrees difficult assault inside a thickly forested trail.

     I was again almost lost inside the forest because there are some trails of the same size but I found that it lead me to the farm area of the locals. Tracking back and using the basic experience of analyzing the trail, I managed to get back on the correct track and reached the first summit which they called “The North Peak” after an hour from the Mangahan camp site.

Had a brief water break on the North Peak then commence walking again, and after another 20mins, I’ve reached the highest point of Mt. Sembrano which they called “The South Peak”.

     Find some shed in the summit and there I ate my pack lunch of bread and sardines. After lunch, I enjoyed the beautiful overlooking view while lying on the grass with the cold breeze touching my skin.

     After an hour of rest, I start descending. In going down, I dropped by at the Manggahan Falls where you can tidy up and of course to have more beautiful pictures at the falls and at the stream.

     After few more pictures, I continue descending to Malaya Baranggay Hall, logged-off to inform the authority that I went back safe. Took my bike and ride it up to Famy via Jala-jala Rizal.

     Had my light meal of Lomi in Famy Laguna and then rode back to Taguig via Manila East Road.

     Luckily a perfect timing when I arrived in Bugarin viewdeck to see the sunset going down the horizon of Laguna Lake. Had a coffee on a local carinderia while watching the sun continue going down, touching the mountain of Talim Island and into the lake.

     As the sun almost gone, I hit the saddle again and continue riding back home. Drop by in Antipolo church to give thanks and some prayers. I arrived home safe past 8pm.

     This is a quick day-off ride and hike but full of beautiful pictures with the nature.

   That’s all for now, thank you for viewing and until next time!!!...