MT. MAPALAD: DIY Dayhike Guide, Budget + Itinerary To An Epic Bali-Like Experience

Tanay is one of my favorite hiking destinations. It’s accessible, cheap and has the best of what nature can offer. This is the reason why we gave Mt. Mapalad a go despite chances of seeing a crowd. Our journey started off in Cubao where Ian (boyfie) and I met with our constant hiking buddies at midnight. The plan was to take a UV Express to Cogeo and from there, ride a jeepney to Brgy. San Andres but the UV driver made us an offer that we couldn’t resist. For a price of P600, he took us all the way to the registration site of Mt. Mapalad. For me, it was quite a good deal since it saved us from the hassle of multiple transfers just to get to the jump off point.

Arriving at the registration site at 2AM, we quickly registered, paid the fees and secured a guide. We were a bit famished so we first grabbed a bite at an eatery before heading out to start the hike. Ian and I barely slept that day since we are used to sleeping late and dozing off at 7PM was a struggle that we kind of felt a little less energetic. The hike started at 3:30AM. We walked along the main road towards the trailhead then took the right to a slightly ascending trail strewn with rocks. The first 45 minutes of the hike was an easy peasy. It was along moderate slopes and long flats with several streams to cross. After that, we reached a hut where we rested for a bit. Passed the hut came the real challenge.

The most difficult part of scaling Mt. Mapalad is the 2KM steep ascent. I found this part the most challenging not only because I didn’t have enough sleep but also because I wasn’t in the mountains in a very long time that my knees felt very weak. My lungs was always running out of air. My mind forcefully battled the urge of giving up as I tried to overcome the continuous and relentless ascent one step at a time. I knew it was going to be difficult for me that I let my hiking buddies go ahead. Not only was I in hardship but Ian was too. He was struggling more than I did. Our guide was with us but we both still look out for each other.

As I continued to cover some distance to the end of that 2KM ascent, I would stop for breathers at the side of the trail just so I wouldn’t impede other hikers from advancing. I would constantly ask for our guide to check on Ian as he was already falling far behind. While taking my much needed breathers, I would think to myself, “Why was I struggling so much?” It wasn’t like that when we climbed Mt. 387 a few months back. In fact, we took the summit in a blur and Mt. Mapalad isn’t that all different when it comes to elevation and level of difficulty. Perhaps then I was stronger, I’d say and maybe, everything about this hike was nothing of what I had expected.

Two hours into the hike and I was nowhere near the summit. The sky had slowly lit up and soon enough, the sun had peeked through the horizon. I continued to struggle my way up and during moments when I seemed to give up, my guide would reassure me that we were almost there. My progress maybe slow but it was better than none. I also found relief seeing other hikers struggle. Not that I relish their hardship but it only meant I wasn’t the only one in that situation. There were others too that I need not feel bad if I wasn’t as strong as I wanted myself to be. At 5:20AM, I finally reached the viewing deck where I witness a spectacular sunrise. The sea of clouds I was hoping to see was too far out but the beautiful collision of colors in the sky compensated enough.

After snapping countless photos and taking vids, Ian asked if he could doze off for a little bit. I allowed him 15 minutes. After that we continued with the hike as we were still a kilometer or so away to reaching the summit. The trail that followed was several grassy flats that went on for about 500 meters. After that, we emerged at a bamboo forest. Here we encountered some ascents over huge rocks. When we finally covered all of the bamboo forest, we emerged at the summit where we found several souls happily posing for the camera. We didn’t stay long at the summit. We just stopped to catch us some air and went to where the wooden hands were located which is another 10 minutes of walk.

The clock says 6:30AM when we finally reunited with our hiking buddies. They were waiting for us at the resting area. We stayed there for another 30 minutes while we feasted on bread filled with nutella, boiled eggs and coffee. When we were full, together we hiked towards the spot where we could experience the “Bali-feels.” However, our simple quest for a Bali experience turned out to be a waiting game and a test of patience. We actually waited for three painstaking hours just to get our photos taken. We would have easily gave it a pass but the stunning view changed our minds. I slept while we waited. When it was finally our turn, we swiftly got it over and done with and went on to backtrail our way down. We had lunch at the first resting area and a lot of playtime near the grotto. At 2PM, the hike was over and we were back the jump off. This hike may have been a little hard on me but I sure had fun and that’s what matters at the end of the day.

• If you are in a group of 5-6, you can hire a UV for P600 in Cubao to take you to the registration site in Brgy. San Andres. This should smoothen your journey as the waiting in Cogeo for the jeepney to get full may take too long
• Mt. Mapalad is crowded, especially on weekends. The minimum waiting time is 2 hours just to get your photos taken. To avoid the long wait time, I suggest to start the hike early or camp overnight.
• Bring lots of trail food, drinking water and a picnic mat. This would get you preoccupied and comfy while you wait for your turn to get your photos taken.
• Should you decide to go for a day hike, head to the Bali corner right away so you can be queued for the photo shoot. Note that they don’t allow guides to queue on your behalf and your whole group should be physically present to be considered. 
• There are two bali hands structures, Palad 1 and Palad 2. Photo shoots are done only in groups in Palad 1 and the solo photo sesh is done in Palad 2. Each group is given 5 minutes to get on with their photo shoots.
• Bring an umbrella. The sun can be pretty nasty up there and you’ll be hiking mostly in open trails. 
• There’s a freshwater source just before you reach the viewing deck in case you need a refill.
• There are two options to go down the summit. First you can backtrail. The other is to take the faster route. The latter is recommended if you want to avoid the sun while going down. However, the trails are pretty steep and more difficult than doing the backtrail. 
• As always, LEAVE NO TRACE.

In Cubao, ride a UV Express to Cogeo. Then in Cogeo, ride a jeepney going to Tanay and alight in Brgy. San Andres. From the drop off, ride a tric to the registration site.

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I hope you found our story helpful. There is no denying that Mt. Mapalad draws a ton of visitors to its doorsteps each day but more than the “Bali-feels”, I hope we see its real beauty and appreciate its own unique qualities. Until next time. Ciao!