Mt. Mariveles (Tarak Ridge)

Mountain: Mt. Mariveles (1,130+ masl)

Tarak Ridge (1,006 masl)

Location: Brgy. Alas-asin, Mariveles, Bataan

March 3, 2018

It has been our goal to hike Tarak Ridge since the previous year, so it was a great feeling to finally do so. Mt. Mariveles is my 3rd major hike and my 18th mountain. It indeed lived up to the word ‘major’.

The Way to Papaya River

The jump-off was located at Brgy. Alis-asin where we registered our names and paid the registration fee. Our group decided not to hire a guide because our organizer also served as the guide. Guides are not mandatory and it is on the group’s discretion whether or not to hire a guide.

We started our hike around 4:00am towards Mt. Mariveles. The trail was like a rocky road at first and posed no difficulty as we passed by a ranch. We arrived at a kubo where we again registered our names and paid environmental fee. It was also the place where hikers hang up their tarpaulins as a mark that they survived Mt. Mariveles. After registering, we continued our hike through the forest. The trees were beautiful at the starting point of the forest although they were really a bit creepy in the dark. As we were swallowed by the trees, I noticed the beginning of the mini assaults but they were still manageable.

When the sun had risen, we can already feel that the assaults became more frequent and the trail more challenging. We can feel the heat creeping into our skins and it became one of our dilemma throughout the hike. After some time, the trail became different as we encountered some incline then decline and incline along of the way. We began to get tired and to ask how far still we would go. Our organizer/guide said that there was a river where hikers set up their tent and camp at night; the sign that we were nearly there was after six incline and decline and incline with falls full of rocks. I am not really good with the description but it will really be obvious when you get there. After the tiring hike in the early morning, we reached the Papaya River and met several campers. The water at the river was drinkable so we refilled our bottles for the later hike. We rested for a while and ate some snacks to regain our strength.

The Hike to Tarak Ridge

After everyone was well-rested and had regained energy, we resumed our hike. As I said, Mt. Mariveles indeed lived up to its difficulty level. The trail from Papaya River is one hell of an unlimited assault until we reached Tarak Ridge. It was hard really. Our take five became frequent all the way to the top. We encountered rocks, and sand, but it was the huge roots of the trees that caught my attention. They were the only ones we always hung onto because the assault reaches up to 90°. Sometimes when I stop, I asked to myself why am I doing this or do I still want to continue? But I put one step forward every time and remind myself that I can do it. That’s how hard it was. I really don’t how how to describe the assaults any more but it was unlimited, I assure you. Water was really important in this part. These are some of the pictures of the assault:

We reached the grassland; this was the sign that we were near Tarak Ridge. The view from there was mesmerizing and this was the part where at-the-edge poses can be taken. Here’s some pictures!

Tarak Ridge

The Journey to the Summit

Few of the members of our group decided not to continue the hike to the summit of Mt. Mariveles, but I was not one of them. And there was some regrets on my decision. Just kidding. LOL. The start was a great assault before we entered the part where we were constrained by trees and grasses. We were inside a different dimension and it was somehow hard to navigate our ways. After some time, I really got tired and dizzy to the point I was near tears and could not walk any longer. Even water has no effects on me at this point. Jay encouraged me to continue because we were nearly five minutes away from the summit. But I did brush him off because I was really tired and let him go on without me. I laid down on a big rock and watch the sky for a while. I let my mind drift off and relaxed myself. After a couple of minutes, I decided to continue my way up. Everyone was already at the summit so I need to find my way by myself.

When I reached the summit, a sense of fulfillment filled my entire body. I was so overwhelmed and my heart was full of joy. My tiredness seemed to melt away together with the wind at the summit.

We rested for a while and then started our way down to Tarak Ridge again where we met the other members of our group. We entered into a sanctuary that was surrounded by trees and kept us from the sunlight. There were already lots of hikers setting up for their overnight camp.

The Pathway Down

After we have taken our lunch and had taken a nap, we started going back to where we had been. Yes, it was a back trail. The hike down was hard because the sand was slippery and there were tiny bits of rocks, too. But when we had our balance and our feet were used to the trail, we just enjoyed the slope. We encountered several hikers going up to Tarak Ridge to settle for the night there and they seemed to be impressed when we said that we were just day-hikers. We run, we jumped and we hopped whenever we had the chance as if there were no trace of tiredness in our body. It was an unending steep slope downwards. In no time, we reached the jump-off around 4:00pm.

Expenses:

It was an organized hike but we just paid P800.00 for everything, excluding food.

Note:

It was advisable by the locals to spend the night camping either at Papaya River or at the Tarak Ridge because a day hike was really hard. It was the best to start early because the camping sites can be crowded.

See you next climb!