#arayat

Roadtrip to remember ✨️

Our itinerary included two peaks of Mt. Arayat: North Peak (Peak 1; 1030 MASL) and South Peak (Peak 2; 1008 MASL). Between these peaks is a ridgeline where much of the difficulty of the traverse lies. 

Mt. Arayat is one mountain not to be trifled with. The climb was so forkin (got that The Good Place reference? haha) challenging. The lack of water sources, the need to use ropes, and the steep trek down will not be kind to beginners. I learned that the hard way — my physical, mental and emotional endurance was put to the test with all the crawling of its torturous trails. The higher we went, the harder the trail became. At several points, we even had to use our arms for leverage since it was simply too steep to just walk. As we grew closer and closer to the peak there were times when we actually had to climb, pulling ourselves over obstacles with all of our upper body strength. It was crazy!

Mt. Arayat National Park w/ my paper dolls Chowder & Panini - May 20th,2018 [Part 1 of 6]

The path to the jump-off is a known place for pilgrims during the Holy Week season. There are statues which serve as the markers for the “Stations of the Cross”. Climbing at 4am where our only lights are from our headlamps, these statues can actually be freaky. Lol

At 6:30am, we managed to reach the campsite of North peak. The warm sunrise greeted our bodies with warmth, and with the golden hour we took turns in taking our silhouette photos. At around 10am, we reached the campsite of South Peak and ate our packed lunch. Imagine how hungry we were! Few minutes from the summit, we went to the view deck where you can see the snake river and some vast rice fields of different colors. At 11am, we left the peak to descend the mountain, and we reached the jump off point at about 2PM. After that, we went to Mt. Arayat National Park for a quick swim, then had our early dinner at San Matias Ihaw-ihaw Restaurant (Thank, Nei for the treat!) And yes, the whole trip back to Manila was a sleeping session for all of us tired diehikers.

Tips for Mt. Arayat Traverse (North - South Peak)

WATER WATER WATER – I’ve brought more than 2L of water. It was heavy, but you know, better safe than sorry. Always bring more water than needed. 

GOOD SHOES - My second major hike meant another painful death for the shoes. This experience just screamed at me to invest on my hiking gears. 

INSECT REPELLENT – lots of mosquitos in Arayat National Park. Best to spray some on while waiting for your turn to wash up, to reduce risk of mosquito bites.

TRAIL FOOD – bring enough trail food to boost your energy throughout the hike.

Mt. Arayat National Park w/ my paper dolls Chowder & Panini - May 20th,2018 [Part 5 of 6]

Me and family and my mom’s beloved classmate reunions needs a summer break to beat the heat. Also my paper dolls wants to go, too. At the Mt. Arayat National Park at Arayat, Pampanga.  😊☀️🌅

Mt. Arayat National Park w/ my paper dolls Chowder & Panini - May 20th,2018 [Part 4 of 6]

Me and family and my mom’s beloved classmate reunions needs a summer break to beat the heat. Also my paper dolls wants to go, too. At the Mt. Arayat National Park at Arayat, Pampanga.  😊☀️🌅

Mt. Arayat National Park w/ my paper dolls Chowder & Panini - May 20th,2018 [Part 6 of 6 - Final]

Me and family and my mom’s beloved classmate reunions needs a summer break to beat the heat. Also my paper dolls wants to go, too. At the Mt. Arayat National Park at Arayat, Pampanga.  😊☀️🌅