Mt. Halcon, Philippines

By Joyce Ira

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Scenic beauty of Mt. Halcon

Mt. Halcon is considered as one of the most challenging mountains to climb in the Philippines. The rugged terrain, steep slopes and unpredictable weather creates excitement to the highest level for adventure seeking mountaineers.

Hiking the mountain will take you 4 days (2 days up 2 days down) with 8 hour trekking time. Inexperienced climbers will definitely curse this mountain cause the first day of trekking alone is tough with no flat lands and just steep trails to tread. One good thing about this mountain is that you need not to bring any water because the place it streaming with it. Camp site is large enough to accomodate large group of climbers.

Guides should be hired preferably mangyans (ethnic minority) so that your group will not get lost and its now mandatory to have a guide when going there.

Here are some tips when climbing Mt. Halcon. Train hard. Training is important as this is not just your ordinary mountain. Many cried and wanted to go home because of the degree of difficulty in hiking its slopes. Pack light. Pack only the necessities. Every ounce counts. Waterproof your gear as weather is unpredictable even in summer. Keep your group small. The climbing party should be limited to only 12 persons or less to avoid a large gap between lead pack and the sweepers. Keep your group intact while hiking. Low impact climbing tends to minimize trail degradation and lessens impact on the surrounding environment. Bring a radio and coordinate with local authorities. Climb only during the summer months so you can avoid the storms and lastly leave the alcohol behind.

Features of Mount Halcon in Philippines:

-Climbing Mount Halcon entails laborious navigation of the steep cliff.
-Mount Halcon offers trekking trails.
-A dense jungle canopy covers the lower slopes of Mount Halcon.
-The dense jungle is home to a variety of wild denizens and insects.
-Climbers usually relax at the base camp at the Aplaya campsite.


Take a bus (usually stationed at Buendia Taft Avenue) going to batangas pier. In going to Calapan Mindoro, you can take either the slower ferry type vessels which take 3 hours or the faster super cat fastcraft which takes only 45 minutes. The ferry will cost you 40 pesos while the supercat is around 100 pesos. Once in calapan go to the tambayan of Halcon mountaineers called CAMPSITE. Tricycle drivers know the place so dont worry. There you will meet HALMS members and they will gladly assist you. Climbers must register at the clinic of Dr. Alan Cobarrubias one of the pioneers in that area. in his clinic you will find old pictures of early expeditions to Mt.Halcon and Mt.Baco. There is a nearby market so buy the supplies you need. Spend the night at the school grounds and mingle with local mountaineers. HALMS members can guide you to the mountain but if they are unavailable local mangyan guides can be hired at Barangay Lantuyan the jump off point.

Puerto Galera is about 2 hours away from the city. climbers can enjoy white sand beaches and snorkeling areas at White beach. There are cottages available but mountaineers prefer to set camp at nearby resorts for just 100 pesos per tent. There are others mountains near puerto galera like Mt. Malasimbo and Mt. Talipanan. These mountains offer fantastic views of the coast line of Puerto Galera.

http://www.angelfire.com/trek/ryn.com/link/halcon.html




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