Hiking | Mt. Binacayan in Rizal, Philippines

Standing over 424 meters above sea level is Mt. Binacayan located in Rizal, Philippines.

With the sky full of clouds and the wind relatively cool, the weather proved promising for our dayhike. My friends and I reached Barangay Wawa at approximately six in the morning to register for our climb. Hoping to catch the sea of clouds, we immediately started on the trail.

Ascending the mountain was slow. The initial path was cemented, although gently sloping and surrounded by occasional shanties and vegetation. Soon enough, however, the trail transitioned to huge limestone rock formations...

And yes, we had to climb them.

Compared to other mountains I’ve hiked before, the Mt. Binacayan trail was actually pretty unique because as we got closer to the peak, it seemed as if we were climbing the rocks more than the mountain floor. My friends and I, of course, also took our time to have random photoshoot sessions. The view was too good for us to pass!

The rocks were sharp. We climbed slowly, but I was quite surprised because I thought we reached the summit too soon! It went faster than I expected (much faster than my usual climbs). In around two hours, my friends and I were already waiting for our turn to climb up the last few rocks for our group shot.

With our packed lunches of canned goods, rice, and sliced bread, we ate an early lunch. Up on the summit, the breeze was very cool and the view simply remarkable. We didn't reach the sea of clouds, but that didn't make the view less spectacular. Standing four hundred meters above the ground, we could see the famous Sierra Madre mountain range stretching as far as our eyes could see! We even saw the Wawa River cutting through the ridge and the adjacent Mt. Pamitinan.

After a few more photoshoots and sharing of stories, my friends and I started our descent. As usual, going back felt quicker and we soon found ourselves back in Barangay Wawa. Just when we reached the cemented trail, the unexpected happened: I heard rather than felt a bone pop in my right foot.

Yes, I got a sprain.

Although at that time, I didn’t know it was a sprain. I quickly dismissed the sharp pain I felt as I walked, thinking it would subside. Back in our initial meeting place, my friends washed up a bit and they decided to grab a quick snack in one of the karinderyas (low-class restaurant) before leaving.

I confided to my friends about my incident and they immediately looked for plastic ice to place on my foot. As we took the jeepney ride back home, I felt tired. My foot was starting to throb painfully. And, until now I still feel quite embarrassed when I say I sprained myself on a flat surface.

But I know because of everything that happened during this day, I consider it as a hike to remember.

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All pictures taken using my Nikon camera.