Mount Tapulao (also known as High Peak) is the tallest mountain in theZambales Mountain range and in the province of Zambales in the Philippines. The peak, which rise to an elevation of 2,037 metres (6,683 ft), is located in themunicipality of Palauig, Zambales. Its name is derived from the abundance ofSumatran Pine trees in the area, known in the local Zambal dialect as tapulao.[1][3] The mountain was once a site of a large-scale chromite mining operations.[1] The destruction of the beautiful natural scenery is visible in the mine pits on the summit as well as other related structures along the trail. The summit offers a 360-degree vista from where you can see the other Zambales mountains on the eastern side,Lingayen Gulf to the north, and on the western side, the Zambales lowlands and the South China Sea stretching to as far south as Pundaquit in San Antonio, Zambales. *wikipedia*
Itinerary:
20:14 leave the house from Makati to Victory Liner Cubao
20:30 MRT-Guada to MRT Cubao
20:30 arrived at MRT Cubao
23:30 leave Victory Bus for Olongapo @ P212.00
02:17 arrived at Olongapo terminal
02:22 to Iba terminal @ P139.00
04:00 Iba terminal to Dampay, Salaza @ P50.00 (STA. CRUZ signboard)
04:20 Arrived at Dampay Salaza intersection
05:50 tricycle to Registration area/house (P200.00)
06:12 START TREK
06:57 3km
07:56 1st water source
08:54 2nd water source
09:00 10km-hunter’s quarter
09:49 12km
10:43 some chromites
11:07 reached the 1st campsite 15km
11:20 bunker (with water source)
11:35 mining site
12:30 summit/peak
13:05 descend-way directly to the guards house
13:29 2nd campsite
14:23 12km
17:30 jump-off registration house
18:14 tricycle back to waiting shed/intersection -dampay salaza
18:40 arrived at Iba terminal
22:00 arrived at Olongapo terminal
01:05 finally home <3<3<3
P700.00 – fixed guide fee rate (dayhike/overnight)
09097247413 – Eliza Badar (tourism in charge?)
09302076596 – Vicky/Neneng/Norly (guide)
09187860534 – Jojo Dable – (tricycle P200.00)
you may view pictures of my climb through my facebook account following the link below:
Mt. Tapulao-2013th first mountain climbed and first solo climb
Before 2012 ended, somebody asked me if I have been to Tapulao. Yeah, I’ve heard that mountain but was not really interested and I am not familiar since ever since I loved mountains, all I want to climb is Mt. Panamaw in my homeland. But then, I started climbing July 28, 2012. I climbed mountains from some parts of Luzon but then, I have no idea when will I be conquering my ‘very own’ Mt. Panamaw…
I have no idea that mountaineers have this so-called “year-end climb”. When I heard that, I set my mind to have one also no matter what. Then Manong Unyol(Mina) asked me where will I be climbing? When he told me that Tapulao again. I got interested then with what was with Tapulao, why am I hearing often this December. I searched for it and found out that it is the highest peak in Central Luzon. Wow! It amazes me! Then, I started reaching Mina and Dennis Camara (my hiking buddies) for the last minute! Oh, I am sooo eager to reach Mt. Tapulao. I desired to reach its peak this year! So I started bugging this ‘hiking buddies’ of mine because I know that they are free and up to their year-end climb as well.
To make the long story short, we ended up with http://mtmalipunyomanabumaculot.wordpress.com/ because its a holiday and all of us were busy with each other during the day. Our year-end climb is worth it though, three mountains in a day! Always thankful to you guys for not giving up on me, on our so-called year-end climb.
Here comes 2013!!!
Well, I don’t know that everybody are too busy planning their 2013’s first climb. Then I noticed, mountaineers have this ‘first climb’ and ‘year-end climb’. Romer Matubang, Rodney Yu, and Xandrea Derige invited me to Mt. Tarak while Herold Vergel de Dios to Mt. Sembrano. I am not certain about to going then because I set my mind of only climbing Mt.’s Kanlaon, Apo, and Pulag as much as possible because I noticed that I got addicted with climbing mountains. 😀 So I did not confirm any of their invitations.
Here comes Friday! Hmmm, I got bored, I can’t think straight, while at work, I decided to go through my year-end climb, Mt. Tapulao! Here I come….!
When I got home, I can’t think of anything but only Tapulao, my mind is set, I chatted with co-mountaineers cum friends while I don’t know what to do yet. I told them that I am going solo tonight. I don’t think they believed in me because all the time, we just laughed at the chatroom. When they asked where, I just let them guessed because I have no intention of letting them know where I am going. I wanted to surprise all of them! lol! Thanks to ‘iniinang’ Weng (Byaheng Jologs) for telling me that in I have to tell them where I am going for in case I got lost or any circumstances, they knew where to find me. That alarmed me though because I remembered when I climbed Mt. Arayat and got stucked in the middle of the forest with hiking buddy Dennis, sleeping beside a not so big stone with nothing but dry bag with our feet in it in that cold-freezing night!!! I mentioned Mt.Tapulao then, but I don’t know if they believed because it’s too far from Manila and I am still chatting with them, I am still laughing with them at our conference chat. I have no idea of what to bring, I did not pack food, when I reach for my bag to pack my belongings, there, I remember, I have nothing but my rugged, muddy shoes still fresh from my year-end climb! lol! 😀 I am thinking not to go. But then, I saw my very helpful and useful pink back pack which I used during my yea,r end climb, lol, my excitement regenerated again! Geez! ‘By hook or by crook’, I am going!
With my backpack with 1.7 liters of water, Mrs. Badar’s number from that I got from Pinoy Mountainer’s blog and keep in mind http://iamnoempty.weebly.com/1/post/2012/09/mt-tapulao-the-revenge.html‘s IT, I am determined to pursue what I planned. There, When I reached Victory liner-Cubao, the last trip just gone. 😦 I am a person with a lot of courage, thanks be to God, always! As I heard the cashier, I asked for any alternative route just for me to reach where I am going. They suggested for a cutting trip. I thought of going to another bus lines but was too afraid to ride with any bus except Victory Liner, at least, Victory Liner have its own bus terminals. So I pursued with what the cashier told me. I ride with Olongapo bus, then Iba, and Sta Cruz-asked the conductor to drop me by the intersection of Dampay Salaza.
Jesus Christ! Before I jumped off from the bus, there was this man who teased me that “mumu” was around the corner. Of course, determined, I just answered back “wag naman po”. Just as I touched my feet on the ground and the bus left at its speed, I don’t know what or how to feel! I am a bit scared because the place was so distant from the houses, there was this power plant-whatever it was across which only gave me light, but the place was sooo dark. I really did not went inside any of the 3 waiting sheds to stay. I pray instead while waiting for the tricycle that will send me to the registration/jump off and prepared myself and took off my other gadgets for defense, if in any case, somebody wanted to do any harm cause I wont let them be! 🙂
I learned that when you are with a strange place, you should survey and be vigilant with what was around. I didn’t noticed that the large tarp above the waiting shed near by me was with a “Tapulao” sign until ate Vickey-Neneng asked me if I recognized the tarp after I called her 🙂 Thanks to her.
Well, I reached Dampay at 04:00 but was fetch by 05:00. Kumusta naman? But then, I understand why when I am with the tricycle. Geez! makukunan ka naman din sa sobrang rough road na malayo pa! :((
Kuya Norly and I started our trek at 6am! He was my guide, they didn’t allow me to climb without a guide. Mt. Tapulao’s policy is “no guide, no climb”. I can’t do anything but to accept the so-called rule. Mrs Badar suggested that I would join with a group that was climbing that day as well. I thought, I don’t like the idea of me waiting for the group that I am to joined with to minimize guide fee. So what I did is to bargain an amount to kuya. Provided that I am taking a dayhike only at Tapulao since I don’t have any plan for an overnight at that place. Kuya is very informative. No wonder, seems like he’s maybe a favorite guide in Tapulao.
Kuya Norly was a former mining staff of Mt. Tapulao. He said, around 1994 when the mining had stopped its operation and tourism started in Palauig because of mountaineering.
Mt. Tapulao have 4 water sources. The first one is not familiar to the mountaineers because it takes 15-20 mins to reach it from the (left) trail. The 2nd was a minute away from (left) trail, The 3rd one was along the trail on the right. And finally the last water source was at the bunker.
They said, there were no ligaw in the trail. But there was this trail with the same area of the real trail. When you reach this two-way trail, take the left side-to the Mt. Tapulao, the right one will lead you to the river which will leads you to the mining site as well. Many have been deceived by the right trail. There was no sign though that that way/trail was not the right one because it was clean/established too.
(to be continued…busy pa ang diwata..aayusin ko pa ito…hehehe)
Mt. Tapulao 