The thick jungle did not afford us many photo opportunities, but when we reached a ridge heading up to the summit (the YOLO-ish Melkas Ridge), the hike did get a bit more breezy, but also somewhat scary due to the steep cliffs just a few missteps away!
There was a light drizzle upon reaching the summit, but it was quite literally heaven-sent, as we were roasting in the humidity of the trail! At this point, some of us more experienced adventure hikers took on the daypacks of several team members, as they were experiencing increased difficulty in keeping up. The steep and hot trails of Makiling, ever threatened by the presence of blood leeches, was taking its toll.
After nearly ten hours, the team made it to the “end” of the hike, the end of the rough road from the UPLB campus to the reserve. We had a short snack break here, after buying eggs and soda from the local vendor. We were offered the option to take motorcycle rides to finish the remaining six kilometres, but another hiker and myself decided to finish the ordeal on foot.
The “MakTrav” earned its reputation well; I was spent when I reached our vehicles a little over an hour later and I couldn’t wait to shower and change out of my sweat-sodden clothes!
Mt. Makiling (traverse) has a difficulty rating of 5/9, and is considered a major day hike. It is suitable for experienced hikers, trail runners, and fit adventurers. Please make sure you’re wearing proper clothes like technical or athletic shirt (no cotton tops and bottoms), adequate sun protection (hat and sleeves plus sunblock), proper shoes (trail runners are great here, but hiking shoes are even better), and of course, plenty of water and snacks. I highly recommend this hike for the physical challenge and the pristine trails. Prepare to lug plenty of water, and cover up for the leeches!
Get in touch with Trail Adventours and book your first major hike with them at Mt. Makiling!
All photos by me. Follow my adventures at @jsncruz on Instagram!
License – CC: Attribution, non-commercial.
Philippine Day Hike Adventure – Mt. Makiling with Trail Adventours
Transparency disclaimer:
This hike was generously sponsored by Trail Adventours.
