Mount Maculot: Rockin' the Rockies in a Day (Your Complete Dayhike Travel Guide)
Mount Maculot: Rockin' the Rockies in a Day (Your Complete Dayhike Travel Guide)

Mount Maculot: Rockin' the Rockies in a Day (Your Complete Dayhike Travel Guide)

After all the 17 kilos I gained last Holiday Season, I decided to go out again and stop my blossoming love affair with our dining table and refrigerator; to burn off the fats, I decided to have a Dayhike to Mount Maculot.

My 1st Climb for 2013 – Mount Maculot, Cuenca, Batangas

Mount Maculot is located at Cuenca, Batangas and is considered a minor climb with difficulty of 3/9. Mount Maculot is also known as the ‘Rockies’ because of its popular summit.

How to Get to Mount Maculot:
by Public Transpo (Commute)

via SLEX
In Buendia, take a bus to Lemery (usual rate is Php147). At Cuenca town proper, you can either walk or hire a tricycle to bring you to the Jump-Off Point (Tricycle Fare is Php20.00/pax). Ask the driver to bring you to the Registration Area near the Cuenca Barangay Hall. Registration Fee is Php10.00. At the Registration Area, you need to sign up in their blue log book. Make sure to get the emergency contact numbers of Cuenca Outpost at the back of the Logbook.

Jump-Off Point going to the Rockies Summit

via COASTAL ROAD
From Baclaran, take a bus bound to Batangas (Lian or Nasugbu).
*This also applies if you’re from Imus. Just go to General Aguinaldo Highway and board a Batangas-bound bus.* Usual rate from Imus to Nasugbu is Php84.00. At the left side, just across the Nasugbu Rotonda, ride a jeepney to Lemery (Php40.00/pax). From Lemery, take a jeepney to Cuenca (Php28.00). At Cuenca town proper, you can either walk or hire a tricycle to bring you to the Jump-Off Point (Tricycle Fare is Php20.00/pax). Ask the driver to bring you to the Registration Area near the Cuenca Barangay Hall. Registration Fee is Php10.00.

The Trek, The Climb, The Assault

The start of the happy trek 🙂
I Love this place, everything’s so green!

Reminder: Look for the Commemorative Stone. A lot of people got lost in Mount Maculot (even those tenured mountaineering groups) because of taking the wrong trail. Make sure to take the trail where I am pointing my bamboo stick at – it’s the trail going down to a couple of coconut trees.

On my right is the famous Commemorative Stone.

Though Mount Maculot is a lot more tiring than Mount Gulugod Baboy; this mountain is a lot more lively and fun to climb. Hmmm… why? Who wouldn’t enjoy the following: 2 Halo-Halo Stores, 4 Buko Juice Stations/Stopovers, and 1 7-11 at the Summit. (The 7-11 Store is not really one of those popular convenience stores, it’s a small sari-sari store owned by Ka Richard. It is open 24 hours especially during weekends where campers can buy Softdrinks, canned goods, etc.)

Mas masarap yung halo-halo dito Php25.00 lang! Thanks Ate Leticia! 😀

It took me almost 3 hours to reach the campsite (including all the quick buko juice and halo-halo meriendas I had). After saying a lot of “Alas! I made it!”, I immediately set up my stove and cooked my favorite Pancit Canton.

Food Trip? It’s More Fun in Mount Maculot
It was around past 1:00 PM when we started our assault to the Rockies Summit.
The view along the trail to the Rockies Summit
At this very exact moment I was singing One Direction’s songs, my energy song for this climb

Just making some emo-emo pose. Whatchusay??!

My guide told me that there were a lot of suicidal attempts here at the Rockies Summit. A girl jumped off the cliff when she learned that her boyfriend was having an affair with someone else. The girl died with a broken heart…
And just recently, a foreign guy jumped off at the same spot because his partner broke up with him. He jumped off the cliff and survived… He ended up living with a broken heart and broken bones…
So I tried to check what’s with that spot that makes them think to end their lives… 
I stood and waited…  It was too scary but when I looked down, OMG! The view? Oh, it’s so amazingly fantastic!
Hey, Life may be cruel at times, but we just have to look at things in a different view.
Whoo! Life is so wonderful! God Thank You! Thank You!

Budget for Mount Maculot Climb:
Bus from Imus to Nasugbu………………….Php84.00
Jeep from Nasugbu to Lemery……………Php40.00
Jeep from Lemery to Cuenca……………..Php28.00
Tricycle to Jump-Off Point……………………Php20.00/pax
Registration Fee………………………………….Php10.00
Tricycle to Cuenca Town Proper…………Php20.00/pax
Jeep to Lipa………………………………………..Php24.00
Bus from Lipa to Manila………………………Php124.00
Total: Php350.00 (via Coastal Road)/Php345 (via SLEX)

Optional:
* Guide Fee is usually Php700.00 for a Traverse Hike, Php500.00 for Rockies alone.
(With the power of haggling, I got a guide for Php300.00 for a Traverse Hike)
* Buko Juice – Php10.00 per 12 oz cup.
* Halo-Halo – Php25.00
* Softdrinks at the stores of Mount Maculot – Php25.00
* Shower – Php15.00

If you wish to take a shower or a quick wash after the climb, you can find this place just at the foot of the mountain.


IMPORTANT!!!
* Though Mt. Maculot is a minor climb, it is a very TOUGH hike. Make sure to take a heavy breakfast, do some stretching or warm-ups, and of course, bring a lot of water.
* Wear proper trekking shoes or sandals.
* Be very extra careful when going to the Rockies.

UPDATES:
As of January 28, 2012, the locals and municipality closed the old trail and created a new trail to the Rockies. The change was made to maintain sustainable and responsible tourism among hikers and to prevent the possibility of landslides.

33 Comments

  1. Anonymous

    I'm gonna answer the question above since I hiked the new trail last Feb2.If you're reasonably fit and have a good pair of trekking shoes with good traction, you can survive a day hike. Be warned though, this is a new trail and the soil is still loose plus the fact that you're climbing uphill with 60 – 90 degree angle.I don't recommend this Mountain for newbies due to the new trail. Pico de Loro is an easier hike at this point.

  2. @ fyhmd,Mount Pinatubo is more difficult for me. The Cuenca Registration is just a small table in a narrow street. Maybe, you can look for a parking space in the town proper market and/or in the Barangay Hall.

  3. @ iaadamlim,Hi, much better if you're going to try other mountains first like Mt. Gulugod Baboy. That's much easier and safe. When I went there, even those tenured mountaineers slipped and really had a hard time – the trail is so loose, and it's like 100% assault.

  4. Anonymous

    Yes, I agree, we wont recommend Mount Maculot for newbies. Everyone should go there with proper trekking shoes – not slippers nor rubber shoes.Good thing, got to do a Day hike here just a day before they're going to close the old trail and create a new one.

  5. Anonymous

    Nice post Mich, love na kita…Nice pictures and the humor even nicer…The girl who jumped from the rockies, did she really die of a 'broken heart?' Hahaha!

  6. Anonymous

    Hi po! I took the old trail. Di ko pa po na-try yung new trail na ginawa nila. Ang alam ko po may ibang way yung pa-grotto. Pero pwede din na traverse ang gawin, na from Rockies, pagbaba mo Grotto ang daan.

  7. Anonymous

    I would recommend the bus stations located at buendia para sa trips to cuenca. Lemery-bound trips do ply and will be passing through cuenca so sa palengke na mismo ang baba ninyo. 🙂

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