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| The campsite. |
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| River-crossing from the jump-off to Barangay Daraitan. |
It was the first day of December
when we went to Rizal Province to celebrate my week-long birthday celebration.
To go to Daraitan/Tinipak River was one of my wish on my birthday list. This
time, I am not going to a beach or a mountain. Of course, my birthday will be spent at Mt. Palay Palay the following weekend. I wanted to do something
differently since I used to be at work during my previous birthdays.
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| Trekking the white rocks at the foot of Mt. Daraitan. |
It was going to be a light trip.
A few close friends and travel buddies, and some newly-found friends will be
travelling by the foot of Mt. Daraitan. The group met at Shaw Boulevard to take
a jeepney ride to Tanay, Rizal. From there, we rode a tricycle to the jump-off
at Barangay Daraitan. We registered at the Barangay Hall where a guide was
assigned to us. The trek to the campsite was for four hours. There was a few
river-crossing along the trail. The terrain was a little bit rough to hike. We
passed by some boulders. The scenery was beautiful since we were walking along
the river embedded by mountains. The river was so clean. With a rope, we had to
rappel down a smooth rock formation just to get to the campsite. The rock formations were astounding. The place
was more like a hidden jewel of Rizal. Across where we camped out was Tungtong
Cave. From afar, the entrance of the cave was invisible to see with all the
trees and rocks.
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| Crossing the boulders to Tungtong Cave. |
Our guide left us that afternoon after we settled at the campsite and went back the following day. We
spent the night under the starry warm night. We can hear the gushing of the
river that tears the night’s calmness. When the moon cast its light through the
rocks, you can see the glitters on its surface. The night was so peaceful.
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| Morning at Tinipak River. |
The following day was even
fantastic. The mountain was green and luscious. The water that runs by the
river is clear and cold. The rocks and boulders were white under the morning
sun. It was a good day for spelunking. Our guide went back to us to guide us
inside the cave. Crossing the river through the boulders was an adventure. The
surfaces were so smooth that you may fall down accidentally down the river and
hit your head by the rocks through the strong current. The gushing of the water
sends chill through my spine by the thought of it. We made our way through the
boulders through the help of our guide who provides the rope for us to rappel.
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| Spelunking Tungtong Cave. (c) WOWtrippers. |
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| Tinipak River. |
With our headlamps, we entered
the cold cave. We passed by two pools of water inside after we settled to a
large one. We swam inside and relaxed for a while. The walls of the cave
glitters through the light. Clean water flows heavily from the inside of the cave. Some rocks were sharp and can
really tear your skin if you are not careful. When we went out the cave, we
crossed the river to go to the campsite. The current was so strong that we must
hold on so tight to the rope for us not to go through the wild rush of the
river.
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| My morning coffee. (c) Julius Dimla |
Getting back to the Barangay Hall
was fast and smooth. If you plan to hike Daraitan, it is best to have your
protective sleeves on and wear leggings or trekking pants to protect you from
scratches and insect bites. Don’t forget to leave the place clean and trash-free.
Preserve the cleanliness and beauty of Daraitan.
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| The astounding Tinipak Rock Formation. (c) Julius Dimla. |
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