My BackPacking Life: Mt. Batulao

Excited for my 2nd climb after mt. daguldul, this time it's in Mt. Batulao!

MT. BATULAO
Nasugbu, Batangas
Jump-off point: Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu
LLA: 14.0408 N 120.8011 E 811 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-4 hours
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 3 with 60-70 degrees assault
Features: Open trails, rolling slopes, scenic views of Batangas
Source: Pinoy Mountaineers

Me, Mac, Allen, April, and Timmy in Jump-off point: Evercrest Golf Course, Nasugbu, Batangas

READY TO GO!
New Trail Adventure

path of the new trail where the two main peaks can be seen!

Refreshing Halo Halo = 25 pesos

Mt. Batulao has 2 trails, the OLD and The NEW trail.

OLD TRAIL (EAST)

Fork to summit: 1.5-2 hours. Take the left, downward path to follow the old trail. You will enter a woodland, then emerge into the campsites (or stations) marked 1-10. At the earlier campsites the facilities are larger and there is a water source. There is a logbook and you will have to pay a registration fee of P20.

Same old slopes till station 8, after which the final ascent commences. Beyond this point, at the you have to be extremely careful because the trails are really steep, there are loose stones, and the winds can set off you balance although as of 2012, they've carved out steps from the challenging parts, making this leg easier. This will just take 30-45 minutes, though. Campsites are marked from 1-10, with stations 8-10 being the steep parts, "Campsite 10" being the summit itself.

NEW TRAIL (WEST)

Fork to summit: 1-1.5 hrs. Take the right/middle, upward path (but not the extreme right, which goes downward). There is a small wooden marker. You will immediately ascend into a hill, and continue ascending and descending some so-called numbered peaks. Around 20 minutes uphill is the lone campsite of the trail, good for several tents. There is a water station - the locals who man the site sell water which they get from a nearby river (around 30 minutes away). Here is also the counterpart registration area of this trail.

From the campsite, go up the hill and continue trekking until you reach a point where you have to go down and enter a forested area. There are two options now: either to go rightward and downward to the forest or leftward and downward to more grassland slopes. A third option is to go up the 'Peak of Deception' but this is a sidetrip that leads nowhere, but is a good challenge in itself.

If you decide to enter the woodland, you will emerge back into the grasslands 10-15 minutes later. The path goes between two rocks; turn right towards the summit. Soon, the non-woodland trail, too, will emerge and the two trails will reunite: at this stage you are just 5-15 minutes away from the summit.