Mt. Gulugod Baboy – Mabini, Batangas (Climb Guide + Tips)

MT. GULUGOD BABOY

Mt. Gulugod Baboy is one of the mountains to climb first if you’re a beginner in the hiking scene like us. It has an easy trail and a good number of resting stations. 😛 It should not be taken off of your list because it showcases a fantastic view of grasslands, the sea, islands (Sombrero and Tingloy), and other mountains nearby. You will be left in awe of the beauty around you. It’s day-hike-able, so there’s no need to worry, there will be a lot of time and energy for nature appreciation. It is also called Mt. Pinagbanderahan, but we’ll stick with Gulugod Baboy. Just located in Anilao, Batangas, you can do this with just a small budget in hand.

GOING THERE

PRIVATE VEHICLE:

We rented a van to go to Philpan Dive Resort (This is the Jumpoff Point). From Quezon City, Metro Manila, we drove to SLEX, then continued to CALABARZON Expressway. Exit to Batangas City, then straight to the Diversion Road, right turn to Palico-Balaya-Batangas Road, left to Bauan-Mabini Road, then right turn at the crossroad of Mabini circumferential road. You will see Philpan Dive Resort on the right side.

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION:

According to a friend of mine, this is the way to go by commuting:

Ride a Bus (DLTB Co. in Pasay) going to Batangas Grand Terminal, this will take an hour and a half ride. From there, ride a jeep going to Mabini. The fare is 35 Pesos. Then, drop off at the tricycle terminal and take one going directly to the Gulugod Baboy Registration Area just a few meters from the Philpan Dive Resort sign.

Make sure to go straight to the registration area to cut costs. We were planning to go to Sombrero Island (but landed at Fortalez Beach) after the hike but since we are new here, we happened to go straight to the resort which offered us a package (includes cottages, entrance fee to the resorts, boat fee, local guide, and parking fee) that made our expenses higher than we’ve expected. I’ll share in detail our Fortalez Beach Landing in another post. Apart from the package, we paid 35 Pesos each for the registration fee/environmental fee.

THE ASCENT

Since we were new here, we took a guide for P500. Not bad, since it is also a big help for the locals. 😉 Our first steps will be through a concrete road. As we went higher and with a lot of huffs and puffs, the hike became more exciting as we can now see Sombrero Island and the sea beyond it. The trail is very straightforward. Just follow it and you won’t get lost. Settlers can be seen on the trail and they became resting stations that offer drinks and snacks for mountaineers. A good addition to the view is the livestock you can see roaming the place. 😛

MT. GULUGOD BABOY’S SUMMIT

After an hour and a half of trekking, we arrived at the summit. It’s nearly noon. The sun was up, but the heat didn’t stop us from reaching the top and appreciating the view–the blue waters of Batangas Bay, the green lush grass, the Islands of Tingloy and Sombrero, and the mountains surrounding the area. Everything was picture-perfect. Strong winds were present at the top, so it kind of added to the mood. Feel free to be Jack and Rose from Titanic, as you stretch your arms and let the wind touch your skin, or be like Julie Andrews, singing “The Sound of Music”. 😛 Feel free to run, jump, and roll, as there are no trees present at the summit, just a wide space of grass. Before going down, we took a lot of pictures, never missing an opportunity to remember the memories we’d made together.

THE DESCENT

We decided to go down before noon so we could have a lot of time swimming later. We said goodbye to the amazing view and trod the same trail we climbed earlier. Hello again, resting stations! 😛 We tried to be careful with each step as the stones we stepped on tend to roll which might also lead us rolling down the trail. Slowly but surely, we managed to return back to the concrete road.  It took us an hour to go down. After our descent, we are now ready to get wet! But first, we ate our lunch at the resort and prepared ourselves for our next destination, Fortalez Beach!

Gulugod Baboy is surely a place to come back to. Easy and offers a lot of beauty. We will keep in our minds the different images of Anilao, Batangas from atop. Another climb is done, one mountain off of the checklist! What Mountain Next?

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR MORE MOUNTAINS IN BATANGAS, CHECK OUT MY CLIMB GUIDES FOR MT. BATULAO, MT. MACULOT, MT. TALAMITAM & MT. APAYANG.

CLIMB GUIDE & TIPS

ITINERARY:

EXPENSES:

If with a Private/Rented Vehicle:

• Registration/Environmental Fee: ₱35/person
• Guide: ₱500 (divided by the number of persons included in your group)
• Entrance to Philpan Dive Resort: ₱100/person
• Parking fee for van: ₱50
• *Van: Rent price (divided by the number of persons included)

If going through Public Transportation:

• Registration/Environmental Fee: ₱35/person
• Guide: ₱500 (divided by the number of persons included in your group)
• Entrance to Philpan Dive Resort: ₱100/person
• Bus to Batangas Grand Terminal: ₱157/person
• Jeep to Mabini Tricycle Terminal: ₱35/person
• Tricycle to Philpan Dive Resort/Mt. Gulugod Baboy Registration Area: ₱40/person
• Tricycle to Mabini Tricycle Terminal: ₱40/person
• Jeep to Batangas Grand Terminal: ₱35/person
• Bus to Pasay Terminal: ₱157/person

LOCATION:

• Anilao, Mabini, Batangas, Philippines

PROFILE:

• Jump-off: Philpan Dive Resort, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
• Elevation: 525+ Meters Above Sea Level
• Difficulty: Minor Climb (2/9)
• Hours to Summit: 2 Hours

HOW TO GET THERE:

• Take a bus (DLTB) from Buendia Bus Terminal bound for Batangas Grand Terminal (Fare = ₱157.00/Person)
• Ride a jeep going to Mabini. (Fare = ₱35.00/Person)
• Drop at the tricycle terminal and ride a trike going to Philpan Dive Resort. (Fare = ₱40.00/Person)
• Proceed to the Registration Area just a few meters away from the resort.

FEES:

• Registration/Environmental Fee: ₱35.00/Person
• Guide Fee: ₱500.00
• Parking fee for those who have private transportation: ₱50.00

POWER PACK:

• Trekking shoes/slippers
• Trekking Pole
• Raincoat
• Umbrella
• Trail Food
• 2-3 Liters of Water
• First Aid Kit
• Cap/Hat
• Insect Repellant
• Packed Lunch

ACCOMMODATIONS:

• ACCOMMODATIONS IN BATANGAS
• ACCOMMODATIONS IN TAGAYTAY, CAVITE

CHECK OUT THESE DISCOUNTED/PROMO RATES IN KLOOK:

• Aquaria Water Park Day Pass
• Crusoe Cabins Casobe Beach Staycation with Add-ons
• Palm Beach Resort Overnight Staycation with F&B Credits and Kayak
• Fortune Island Day Tour

Klook.com

NOTES:

• Always put on sunblock and wear clothing that will cover your skin because of the scorching heat of the sun that will greet you at the top.
• Bring enough water, around 2 to 3 liters per person (If you don’t want to spend on buying at the resting stations), as there is no water source present.
• Don’t leave your trash. Practice the “Leave No Trace” principle.
• If you want a side trip, Philpan Dive Resort offers trips going to Sombrero Island or Fortalez Beach.

©CHASEJASE