Mt. Batulao (Labor Day Climb)

One hot afternoon of April 30, my spontaneous of a boyfriend posted a status in his Facebook.

Mt. Batulao on Labor Day? Why not? I was bored, I needed another getaway, and the last time we went there (August 2011)  didn't offer much because of the bad weather.

Mt. Batulao on a foggy day (August 2011)

So, me, together with four others decided to do an impromptu climb yesterday.

Rick, Me, Rein, Raymond, Dada

We started at around 7am and it was definitely a fine day. Weather was cooperating, sunny yet breezy. We took the new trail going to the summit.

Look at these views! How can you not be amazed?!

There's an ate who's selling Mountain Dew at peak 10 to refreshen the hikers. She thought we were locals because we move too fast climbing the mountains as she watched us from afar.

Aaaah refreshing! 

Since we were moving like stallions, we needed a place to rest before reaching the summit. Good thing there was a nice shady place at peak 10 to gather up our energies. 

Of course, we didn't miss the photo ops on the famous boulder of Batulao

By 1030am, we couldn't stand the heat of the sun anymore so we hurriedly dragged ourselves up to the summit. 

Then, finally! Mt. Batulao's summit!

We didn't spend much time at the summit because we were starving and in need of a shadier place so we descended via old trail around 11am. By this time, we're constantly complaining about the heat. 

By 1130am, we spent lunch here at closest camp site (old trail) from the summit. 

Our journey doesn't end there because the sky kinda looks angry

From hereon, a heavy rain poured for an hour. Only one of us had the raincoat and the rest were soaking wet. Too bad we didn't have pictures to prove how hard the rain was. But here's our wet looks.

Done! We rewarded ourselves with a glass of halo-halo though it was freezing cold!

Yay for the Mt. Batulao Labor Day climb! I gotta go cos I have another climb on Sunday. See you, Mt. Pico de Loro!

photos courtesy of Daryle De Silva