#tagapo

Mount Tagapo

Talim Island Binangonan, Rizal  438 MASL (1,437 ft)/Minor Climb Days required/Hours to summit: 1day/1.5hrs-2hrs

Mount Tagapo otherwise known as  “Susong Dalaga Mountain” is the highest  point of Talim Island. It is located at the heart of the Philippines’s largest lake, Laguna de Bay. 

July 03, 2016

Being fond of nature and adventure, riding a boat to an island and reaching it’s highest peak is an amazing idea for me. As a newbie hiker, Mount Tagapo is an ideal destination as it offers different types of trail. From walking through streets of the barangay, trekking a forested mountain foot, up to hiking a grassland is such a great experience you can have. 

Climbing a mountain is a very exhausting hobby, but this kind of exhaustion can be replaced by amusement as the mountain’s beauty was even mentioned in one of our national hero’s(Jose Rizal) famous noble “El Filibusterismo”. From the summit, a mesmerizing view of Laguna de Bay can make you hold your breath and love the natural creation even more.

How to get there? 

Public Transportation:

From Starmall Terminal along EDSA-Shaw Boulevard look for UV Express vans going to Binangonan, Rizal. Ask the driver to drop you off at Triangle where you can ride a tricycle going to Pritil Port also known as Binangonan Port, an hour away from the island. Lastly after reaching Pritil Port, you have to ride a pumpboat going to Brgy. Janosa the major jump off to the mountain. Mt. Tagapo’s base camp is only a few steps away from Barangay Janosa’s Port.

Itinerary:

05:00AM      Starmall Terminal EDSA-Shaw Boulevard; take a van to Binangonan (45mins-1hr 30mins travel time) 06:30AM      ETA Triangle; take a tricycle to Pritil Port (5-10mins travel time) 06:40 AM     ETA Pritil Port/Binangonan Port; take a pumpboat to Barangay Janosa (45mins-1hr travel time) 07:40AM      ETA Barangay Janosa Talim Island; register at base camp and get ready to start trek 08:00AM      Start trek 10:00AM      Summit 10:30AM      Start descent 12:00PM      Base Camp; lunch 01:00PM      Take pumpboat to Pritil Port 02:00PM      ETA Pritil Port/Binangonan Port; take tricycle to UV Express Terminal to Starmall EDSA 02:10PM      ETA Terminal; take van to Starmall EDSA 04:00PM      ETA Starmall EDSA

Estimated Budget:(Solo Backpacker)

UV Express - Starmall EDSA-Shaw Boulevard (Php50) x2

Tricycle - Triangle (Php20) x2

Pumpboat - Pritil Port/Binangonan Port (Php30) x2

Registration Fee - Mt. Tagapo’s Base Camp (Php20)

Guide Fee (Php300)