Tarak - Mt. Mariveles, Bataan

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Backpacking in Tarak

Tired of climbing the mountains of Southern Tagalog? If you're a typical mountaineer from Metro Manila, chances are you have worn out your trek shoes climbing the nearby Southern Tagalog mountains of Makiling, San Cristobal, Banahaw, Maculot, Pico de Loro, Malipunyo, etc. Don't be disheartened if you only have the weekend to spare. In the nearby province of Bataan, you can enjoy a weekend of backpacking in a different locale.

The first leg of the hike is on a dirt road, a gradually sloping, open trail that you would find hot, especially on a sunny day. After about 3 hours of trek, the open trail ends on a view deck with a wonderful view of Corregidor Island.

From this point, you would enter a forest trail on the right. The trail is rolling, with the mountain on your left and a ravine on your right. Watch out for "lipa," a plant whose leaves have small, prickly thorns. After an hour's trek, you should reach Papaya River. Try to have your lunch here and perhaps a quick dip in its cool waters. This is also the last point where you can get water before you ascend for the summit.

From Papaya River, the climb up is steep. At first you walk through a logger's trail, before it succumbs through thick vegetation and forest. It takes about 2 hours for you to reach the Tarak Ridge. How do you know when you're there? When the forest line ends and all you could find is the windswept openess of the ridge, perpetually covered by grass and moss on its rocky ground.

It's windy on top and the view is fantastic. You have the forest, a better view of Corregidor Island in Manila Bay, the town of Mariveles, and the South China Sea. This is not a place for summer tents. You need strong poles and even guylines to keep your tent standing. You may opt to scale the nearby El Saco Peak. Watch out for "limatiks," or small leeches known to thrive at the peak. This is not a problem in the open ridge. When darkness creeps in, the wind chill factor drops down. Jackets and sleeping bags are highly recommended.

Depending on your taste, you can go to Tarak in dry or wet weather. In rainy months, the trail is muddy and the weather at the ridge is close to impossible! However, the numerous waterfalls in the forest come alive and you would find them everywhere --- along the trail, at Papaya River, and from the ridge, you would see a big waterfall cascading down the lush forest. In dry season, what remains are small waterfalls along Papaya River. The trek is hot, but the weather at the ridge is perfect for stargazing at night.

How to get to Tarak

You have two options in getting there. The most practical one is by boat from CCP along Roxas Blvd. in Manila Bay. In an hour, the boat docks at a port in Orion. From Orion, there are vans, jeepneys and tricycles that would take you to Baranggay Alas-asin, the jump off, after a 30-minute ride. Boat fare costs P200 one-way and the earliest ride leaves CCP at 6:30 AM.

The second option is by bus. In EDSA Pasay Rotonda, at the left side of Chowking, Genesis buses bound for Mariveles leave every hour, even in the wee hours of the morning. The bus ride takes 3.5 hours in the early morning and could go up to 5 hours if you get stuck in heavy traffic. Bus fare costs P150 one-way.

Info on photos

I took all photos using Nikon N80 and 28-80mm G lens. Film: Kodak Supra 100. Scanning was done at the lowest resolution possible for faster loading.

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