Aside from the marble products, Romblon has a lot of gorgeous and breathtaking beaches waiting to be discovered. In the world of mountaineering, Mt. Guiting-guiting is famous for its majestic beauty and listed as one of the most difficult mountains to climb in the Philippines. Though, garnered a nine over nine rating in terms of difficulty, Mt. Guiting-guiting hides an unspoiled beauty and has a vast diversity of flora and fauna. Plus, the trekking this forested mountains slopes can provide a great hiking experience.
Bulod's Spring, the last water source before Mayo's Peak.
The sunset, side view of the Knief Edge. Taken from the Bonsai area.
THE TRAILS OF MT. GUITING-GUITING: Before hiking, permits from the DENR are needed. And during the climb proper, prior ascent, hikers will undergo a briefing about the DO's and DONT's on the trails. From the DENR, we crossed a river, then the start of the uphill trail. It was a trek through a jungle trail because the terrain is covered with greens and no area for viewing. Since trekking is in the middle of the forest, the ambiance is cool and the air is fresh. It was a continuious ascent until Bulod's Spring (the last water source). Then, followed by a 30 to 45 minutes assault trail passing by the Bonsai Area to Mayos Peak (the Camp 1). From Mayos Peak to Durungawan is a 10-15 minutes’ walk. Durungawan is the perfect spot to see the beautiful shape of the Knife Edge and to the summit.
Mayo's Peak or the Camp 1.
The Durungawan, with the Knife Edge on the background.
The famous "Kiss the Wall."
THE KNIFE EDGE AND KISS THE WALL: Crossing the Knife Edge was bit hard because the trails are on the boulders. Aside from that, Kiss the Wall is also one of the famous features of Mt. Guiting-guiting. It is a side wall of a huge boulder, for about a meter, that needs to be crossed. It is the most accessible but a challenging passage to the summit because it is cliff hanging, hiker will kiss the wall of the boulder while crossing this side.
The trail to the summit.
THE SUMMIT OF MT. GUITING-GUITING: On top, there's a 360 degrees view of the Sibuyan and the nearby islands, though, there are times that there's zero visibility. It's the perfect spot to see the amazing shape of Guiting-guiting. There's an emergency camp surrounded by the bonsai/draft trees. The wind is strong, fresh and cold.
The "Crash Site"
Another feature of Mt. Guiting-guiting is the "Crash site" (photo above). According to our guide, there was a plane crashed on the site. According to reports, the pilot might not noticed the mountain because it was covered with thick fog. The search and rescue operation focused on Mt. Halcon, another giant in Mindoro island. The site was discovered by the locals.
REMINDERS BEFORE HIKING MT. GUITING-GUITING: Hikers need to be physically and mentally ready. Consider the weather and the season before ascent. Flash-floods during wet season and limited water source during summer. Wear your most comfortable hiking outfit. Secure your permits and coordinate with your guide and porter.
HOW TO GET TO MT. GUITING-GUITING, ROMBLON: On EDSA, I rode in a bus bound for Batangas Port. At the port, I rode on Montenegro Lines ship to Romblon, Romblon Port. And another RoRo ride to Ambulong Port, Sibuyan island. Chartered a tricycle to our guide's house.
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