It was because of my participation in an upcoming hiking event at Mt. Sicapoo that made me search for a suitable training climb. After several days I decided to hitch with my friend's group to do a quadrilogy. We visited four of the mountains in Cawag, Zambales namely Mt. Balingkilat, Mt. Bira-bira, Mt. Dayungan and Mt. Cinco Picos.
Cawag Mountain Ranges
Journey
Upon reaching the jump off point at 1 am we immediately started our hike. Given that it was my first time to hike the mountains of Cawag, I was curious at the same time and a little bit worried knowing the dangers of night trekking.
There were tall grasses with sharp edges that can give you itch or even cut your skin. In tagalog we call those plants "talahib". I walked faster ignoring my scratches in order to reach the first water source and get some water. Camera was of no used as well because it was still totally dark but somehow you can barely see that the area is surrounded by bamboo.
The rising sun viewed at the camp site of Mt. Balingkilat
On the assault to the summit of Mt. Balingkilat we were only guided by our headlamps upon every step. Extra caution must be taken hiking that part of the trail especially at total darkness while stepping on the rocks which can be so slippery at times. Some parts were also made of loose rocks that one can easily slide all the way down the ridge if any careless action is taken. No wonder some hikers call it as the mini version of Mt. Guiting-guiting (G2).
A silhouette image of hikers, and the nature
Since we started out at past midnight it felt like we were walking blind and only the city lights far away was the only view we can enjoy. It was an amazing scenery watching how mornings were created as we sat on the rocks at the lower part of the summit which is also a campsite.
The top of Mt. Balingkilat gives you a view of its neighboring mountains such as Mt. Pundaquit. Coves and other bodies of water can also be seen. That moment was so beautiful that it made me take a selfie which I rarely do when hiking.
Picture picture muna bago sumilay sa napakagandang tanawin
The top of Mt. Balingkilat gives you a view of its neighboring mountains such as Mt. Pundaquit. Coves and other bodies of water can also be seen. That moment was so beautiful that it made me take a selfie which I rarely do when hiking.
Go Pro shot at Mt. Balingkilat Summit
We descended carefully seeing the knife edges that we have to tackle as we head to the next mountain.
On our descend to Mt. Bira-bira
Mt. Bira-Bira has the lowest elevation among the mountains we scaled. Hence, I considered Bira – Bira as a hill considering the elevation and its structure. The so-called mountain is a gateway to Nagsasa Cove and it’s the usual trail hikers prefer coming from Mt. Balingkilat.. If you prefer to hike rather than ride a boat to Nagsasa Cove, you can start at Cawag passing through some part of Mt. Bira-Bira.
We took a group photo at Mt. Bira-bira's peak then continued to push forward to Mt. Dayungan. By that time the beautiful sun has already rose so high and its heat was becoming a punishment to us walking in an open trail. We rested at the foot of Mt. Dayungan where the water source is located. With the perseverance of some of us despite the extreme heat we pushed forward to Mt. Dayungan.
At Mt. Bira-bira summit
It was until that difficult moment when half of the team decided to stop and just go back because of the dehydrating weather condition. As for me, backing out was not an option even though the heat was already killing me so I decided to increase my pace to find some shelter at the peak. I reached the summit ahead of the others but unfortunately I found no shade. I had to use my umbrella to cover myself from the heat while waiting for my teammates to arrive.
At Mt. Dayungan summit
After several minutes we were able to regroup and took our third group picture then eventually scaled our last mountain, the Cinco Picos. The struggle was real as the night approaches and as time runs out. But we got enough adrenaline and determination to finish so we continued until we reach the first peak of the seven peaks of Cinco Picos.
Cinco Picos
This Cawag Quadrilogy hike is one those hikes that can push you to your limits. It was a matter of hiking for the sake of hiking. Loving not only what you will get out of it but loving the actual struggles and challenges that comes with it. With this I realize hiking many mountains in a day is never about the numbers but about conquering fears and pushing limits that sometimes we only put to ourselves.
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Finally at one of the peak of Cinco Picos, along with my friend Nes
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