That time when I used to climb #06 | Tinagong Dagat

_{I would have to forewarn you that this blog has a lot of "weird" photos of me. Read at your own risk.}

The mountains in Iloilo haven't been explored by many climbers although a lot do seek out to conquer them. One particular unseemingly shy but yet so breathtaking site is the one they call "Tinagong Dagat" when translated means "Hidden Sea". Wait, what?

Well, Tinagong Dagat is a small freshwater lake found at the crater of an unnamed mountain in Barangay Ongyod, Miagiao, Iloilo Province. Most of the time, when you mention this name to the mountaineers or locals in Iloilo, they would already know you are referencing this mountain.

Climbing Tinagong Dagat was one of my memorable adventures in the mountains (Well, most of my climbs are.). So, shall we begin...

Below is our crew. Most of them are my workmates. They all speak Ilonggo. This time I was already able to understand and communicate their language so no big deal. 😎

On our way to the jump-off point, our car got stuck on the road. We weren't anticipating that the road has gone soft due to the heavy rain the other day. We had to wait about 40 minutes for help to arrive.

We successfully arrived at a nearby Barangay where we regrouped and finally took off to start our 2 hours hike.

Most of the livelihood from this province is farming so it was common to be surrounded by rice fields as we started our ascend. It was a slow and relaxing start. No pressure to reach the top asap. So we were able to enjoy the scenery well.

Passing by these rice fields reminded me of the famous Banaue Rice Terraces but I know this can't compare to Banaue's immense beauty. We now entered a steeper trail which still leads us into mostly open areas where we can see the neighboring mountains.

We also passed by another open area with a nipa hut overlooking the mountains and rice terraces which I find romantic. And we stopped here for about 30 minutes to take some fun shots as memories.

To be honest, reminiscing these memories with them made me realize how fun it was to meet and be with new people (kind of became a hermit now). When I was with them, I was able to release my inner child and just really have a good time.

As we continued our hike, we then entered a dense forest with lots of interesting stuff like this tree fungus.

I was happy that this climb was not a strenuous one. It was just like strolling along a big park. After 2.5 hours, we exited the forest and a body of water came into sight. Yes! we made it to Tinagong Dagot! It was so peaceful and serene to just look at the lake surrounded by trees around it. We had to make way around it to reach the campsite.

Over the years, locals would come and go here to just take a dip in its cold waters. Legends or Myths also revolve around this lake. Well, true enough the dark shadows behind the trees give me an eerily feeling. A nipa hut settled just near the lake which also made me think perhaps some people have lived here far away from civilization. Or perhaps they build it to provide a resting place for travelers passing by.

After we settled near the nipa hut, we took out our food and started cooking our lunch and dinner. Others took their time to have some fun while others rested on their hammocks.

After having our sumptuous lunch and the afternoon sun was no longer mad, we explored the other scenic view around the lake. The landscape was more like small hills in waves. Lol, not sure if I was able to describe it correctly but yeah, the ground was smooth so you can just walk barefoot.

At the same time, we had lots and lots of photos taken but no worries, I'll only show the ones that makes me smile a lot.

_{Told you I'm weird.}

_{A more decent photo of me overlooking Tinagong Dagat}

Looking from the top, Tinagong Dagat with the surrounding mountain ranges as backdrop was a sight to behold. It was another enchanting spot of mother earth that made me appreciate how much lucky I am to have even reached places.

We ended our day with another delicious meal prepared by our guide. He also decided that we no longer pitched our tent since rain was already pouring and he had a sense it would get worse which it did. So we ended up sleeping inside the nipa hut which was still okay. The next morning, we greeted Tinagong Dagat with a big smile. The chilly morning breeze made us wear our jackets but we went out just to bask in nature's bliss.

Around 9am, it was time to bid our goodbyes to Tinagong Dagat for we still had another 2 hours of hiking to reach out exit point.

Again, the difficulty level of this climb was not that hard. It was just smooth and chill. We also manage to stop at Montillano Falls for a quick dip in its cool and refreshing waters. I would recommend Tinagong Dagat to all beginner and advanced climbers alike, not because it's another mountain to be conquered but because it's another marvel of nature to be explored and appreciated.