Hey! If you have been following my climbing adventures, this will be my 8th edition here. And I'm really excited to bring you to one of the most sought-after mountains here in Cebu, Philippines. Sought after not because of its beautiful trail nor the scenic views along the way but because of what lies on its peak. And for that, I'll bring you along with me during that time I climbed Mt. Kapayas.
Standing at 783+ masl, this proud mountain is dubbed as the highest mountain in Northern Cebu. No wonder a lot of climbers want to conquer its summit. The first time I climbed this mountain years ago was just me and my friend Dale where phones with high-end cameras weren't still a thing so I never had photos during that trip. This time around, we were a bunch of old and new faces wanting to have a taste of its challenging trail and its amazing peak.
Situated in the Municipality of Catmon, getting there from the city takes less than 2 hours. We opted to rent a van although riding a bus is also another option. For this adventure, it was only a day trip since most of us were working on weekdays. We had a local guide with us who also took care of our registration.
Our hike started with passing through a few huge mango trees. There were lots of open spaces along the way so one would be exposed to the sun's burning heat. I was just so glad I came prepared. We also passed by a small stream and a wide open field. There were a few houses and animals like goats, pigs, and horses in the vicinity. The terrain was hilly and relatively easy. It was a long trek which took about two hours.
We then reached a house which was our jump-off point to Mount Kapayas. Our guide seemed to be relatives of the owners of this quaint house. So before we pushed forward with the adventure, we rested and ate our packed meals here. Even the resident cats and dogs joined us as we took our time to rest.
After two hours, we moved into the next phase of our hike. Our guide suggested for the others to leave their big bags and carry only what was necessary like water. Then we walked through a muddy trail from which there was no escaping. It was kind of fun but at the same time, it requires one to be careful so as not to slip and get injured. Midway, we reached open plains where we had to battle the afternoon heat but it ok since we were surrounded by green vegetation.
When our trail began ascending, the surrounding also started to darken because of the tall trees now covering the skies. We were finally entering the jungle forest. The trail was now rocky and requires us to be careful. Trees were full of dangling plants which made the place look mystical if not creepy. And here on, it was already a 90-degree climb from the base of the cliff to its peak.
This was the challenging part of the adventure as we had to tackle sharp rocks while climbing its steep wall. We had to use both hands to carefully grab on the rocks and pull ourselves to reach the top. What felt like a very long time was only 10 minutes till we reached a clearing at the top. And even though, this was already my second time being here, seeing the unique rock formations with the mountain ranges surrounding us was still a breathtaking sight to behold.
Even though the rock formation looked like huge boulders, we still had to be careful as it was a bit slippery. Although scary, I also managed to stand at the edge of the cliff. Clouds were filling the distant skies but from time to time we would have a glimpse of the numerous valleys forming the mountain ranges afar. We took our time taking photos as all of us were delighted to reach Mt. Kapaya's peak after hours of hiking.
After our hearts were filled, we said goodbye to mother nature and descended its cliff. Going down was harder than going up but we all managed to reach the base safely. We then happily went back to the jump-off point using the same trail. As we had still much time left, we went to Tinubdan Falls which was close by to freshen up. It was a great ender to our amazing day trip.
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CLARA'S COLLECTION OF BLOGS:
Traveling Solo in Indochina
That time when I used to climb...
My Freediving Journey