Mt. Sipit Ulang Dayhike

Mt.Sipit Ulang was a pleasant surprise. I didn’t even know this mountain exists until last week. They said Mt. Sipit Ulang's Paniki trail is a recently opened trail. In fact, Pinoymountaineer just recently blogged about this mountain last August 31, 2015. Just barely a month ago.

Mt.Sipit Ulang is located at Brgy. Mascap, Rodriguez, Rizal. We went there by car.

TIP #1: For those who would bring a car, you can park for free near the barangay hall.

We planned to be there by 7am, but because of few bumps in the road, we arrived at 9:30am.

TIP #2: Arrive at around 7am or 8am to enjoy the entirety of the Paniki trail. Because we started the trail around 9:45am, the tour guides made us take the Banayad trail halfway to arrive at the summit by noon. [We did ask them to take us to a route where we would arrive at the summit by noon since we plan to be home early.]

Once you arrive in the barangay hall, you would have to register and pay 50pesos each for environmental fee. For the tour guide fee, they recommend 400pesos.

The Tour Guides

We had two tour guides, Pogs and Meljoe. They were substitute tour guides since all the regular tour guides were already taken when we arrived. Pogs and Meljoe were to be taken as one since they merely tag teamed as newbies. We paid them 500pesos each. We thoroughly enjoyed their company. I think they are cut to become regular tour guides. They are two of the best I’ve met so far. They were enthusiastic, patient,and communicate really well.


The Trails

There are two trails. The Banayad and Paniki trails. The Banayad trail is the easier one and is recommended to take for the descent. The Paniki trail is the more challenging trail going up.

You would have to enter some caves...

climb this tall ladder...

 and rock scramble...

It was not that exhausting because you would have to pause from time to time to let your companions catch up because sometimes you can’t do the task all together. If you don’t mind getting dirty, tight places and interesting obstacle courses, you would definitely enjoy Mt. Sipit Ulang.

TIP #3: Bring some gloves. The rocks are really sharp. Anyway, I had no bruises in my hand so you’ll survive without one. But really, bring one to make things easier for you, especially in maneuvering in the sipit ulang rock formation in the summit.

There are a few stops like this along the way.

And a lot more of breathtaking views.

The Summit

For the summit, you would have to climb the sipit ulang rock formation. I’m telling you, it’s not an easy climb. It takes guts to do. Just trust your tour guide. Make sure you hold on tightly, that you have a good foothold, and voila! Epic summit shots!

It's achievable. Just be really careful. One slip can be fatal. Take your time.

Itinerary.

Pinoymountaineer's itinerary compared to how our day went.

Pinoymountaineer's itinerary

0400 Take van from Cubao to Eastwood, Rodriguez, Rizal 0530 ETA Rodriguez, Rizal; take trike to Brgy. Mascap 0630 Arrival at Brgy. Mascap. Register at barangay hall 0700 Start trek up Hapunang Banoi via Paniki Trail 0930 ETA summit. Explore rock formations 1000 Retreat to the benches - possible lunch stop* 1030 Start descent via the Banayad Trail 1200 Back at Brgy. Mascap. Tidy up. 1300 Head back to Rodriguez town (or proceed to Mt. Ayaas) 1400 Back in Eastwood, Rodriguez. Take van back to Manila 1530 Back in Manila. How our day went 6:30 am - Left McDo Bustillos 9:30 am - Arrival at Masicap (we got lost plenty of times so it might take you a shorter time) 9:45 am - Start hike 12 noon - Summit 12-1pm - Lunch and wait for your turn for summit photo op 1pm - 2pm - Summit Photo Op (Because we were the last group and no one was waiting for us to finish. Plus it’s really hard to maneuver in the summit) 2pm-3pm - Descent 5:30 - Back in Manila

Budget

I spent a total of 500pesos. 200pesos for gas. 50 pesos for environmental fee. 200 pesos for tour guide fee. 50pesos for food.