Mt. Maculot is one of the mountains lying in southern Luzon, which is prominent to mountaineers because of its special feature. It is one of the best options for day hikes because of its minor trail type, terrains that are covered with trees and surrounded by grass and shrubs, the air is fresh, cool ambiance, and a perfect location for a stunning shot with the world-famous and most active Taal Volcano in the background. The Rockies are one of the best and famous parts of this mountain.
From the jump off to the campsite, most of the trail is ascending and has a 3 rating out of 9 in terms of its difficulty, but never underestimate it. The trail is well-established, clean, and covered with trees and shrubs on the sides. The ambiance is cool, and the air is fresh. Buko juice and halo-halo stores are present in almost every 10 meters on the trail, perfect to replenish lost body fluids.
Mt. Maculot Rockies | From the campsite, the trail is well-established but has descent and an assault to the Rockies. Trail type is more technical because hikers would need to do scrambling to reach the summit. The photo above will describe what it looks like.
A few meters from the campsite, hikers have an option to do a death-defying pose on the Rockies (like what I did). This part is quite difficult because it’s really at the top, which is just a small area. The wind is also strong, which can push a person, which might result to out of balance.
Mt. Maculot has a wide campsite and open area which can handle more than 20 tents, depending on the sizes. The area is clean, well-maintained, and with cottages. The breeze is cold, especially at night, so bringing a jacket is highly recommended. A sari-sari store can also be found here.
Our group on the summit. The Mt. Maculot traverse is another journey; hikers need to ascend to the summit, with 930 MASL. It took us two hours to reach the summit from the campsite site but it was certainly full of fun. Pretty much the same about the trails, they are well established and have continuous ascent. The ambiance is cool because of the sea breeze, fresher air because the trails are surrounded by trees with relaxing greens and abundant with a variety of birds singing lullabies, and some hanging plants with gorgeous colors. On the summit, there's a big picture of a beautiful Batangas and the nearby provinces. The crystal blue water mirrors the spectacular image of the sky.
More than an hour from the summit is the challenging roped segment, photos above will describe why. The trails are steep and cliff-hanging with trees and shrubs on the side. During the rainy season, the soil type might be sticky, but during the dry season, it’s powdery. There's no other way to descend but to pass this part.
Mt. Maculot doesn’t have a water source at the campsite or on the summit. Everyone needs to bring their own food and water. There’s a store at the campsite, but the price is gold. You can buy supplies at Cuenca Market. For overnight, Insect repellent lotion is advisable since the area is covered with grass and weeds. For the traverse, I would suggest wearing a comfortable outfit, especially for the roped segment. Guides and entrance fees are to be collected.
How to Get to Mt. Maculot
In the Jam Liner Terminal, Buendia, we rode in a bus bound for Batangas and alighted in Cuenca. Travel time was 2-3 hours. Then, rode in a tricycle to the registration and to the jump-off (tricycle drivers already knew the place).
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