Mt. Mantalingajan: The Towering Gem of Palawan

With the height of 2,085 meters, Mt. Mantalingajan towers majestically over other mountains in Palawan and is considered to be one of the most difficult mountains to climb in the entire Philippine archipelago. Local website pinoymountaineer.com rated this "wild and mystical realm" a 9/9 level of difficulty. 

Mt. Mantalingajan is home to a tribe called Tau’t Bato (People of the Stone), a subgroup of the larger Pala'wan indigenous group. It is also a habitat of different species of flora and fauna including the endemic pitcher plant (Nepenthes mantalingajanesis).

Legend has it that Mt. Mantalingajan was once home to the ferocious Tau't Daram or the "People of the Night." These people built their houses high on the forest canopy. 

According to pinoymountaineer.com, Tau't Daram was never documented because of their cannibalistic ferocity. They were "said to have superhuman abilities such as the agility to leap from tree to tree; the use of poison darts with blowpipes; as well as the strength of carrying whole trunks of hardwood. Although this tribe has become extinct with the death of its final chieftain decades ago, its legend lives on, and old accounts of the hike spoke of “shadows” that leapt over the thick jungle at night."

The Climb

Climbing Mt. Mantalingajan is not for a faint-hearted. Climbers have to devote at least 4-5 days to reach the summit, and they must be mentally and physically prepared before and during the climb. 

From Puerto Princesa, going to the town of Rizal takes about 5 hours by van. That alone is already a day of travel.

Day 1: It's basically an experience where you will see how people at the foot of the mountain live their every day lives. Once you pass two villages of the Tau't Bato tribe, you will endure a climb of several mountains before you reach the Balu'in campsite. Along the way however, you'll see local people harvesting fruits, hunting, etc. 

Day 2: The next day, a troublesome trek in a steep and narrow trail; climbing several mountains again to reach Paray-Paray campsite awaits you. But you will see amazing and distinct varieties of natural wonders such as giant tropical ferns and mossy forest as you go along.

"Just before Paray-Paray, a foreshadowing of the following day’s adventure will be met in the ascent to Pulanggok Peak where one will experience trekking through the ultramafic trees for the first time. If climbing right after a downpour, the rare spectacle of grand, long waterfalls cascading from the peak will be seen. The campsite, which also has the final water source, has a soft, mossy ground, making it ideal for camping. Here, you can hear the convergence of the west winds coming from the South China Sea and the east winds from Sulu; as they collide, a howling sound will be heard throughout the night," said pinoymountaineer.com on their website.

Day 3: This is the day you'll reach the summit. Yes, finally! But you'll be in for more difficult task. You'll encounter sharp shrubs that can literally bruise your skin. Unless you're wearing something to cover your skin up such as trek pants and the like. Apart from that, you'll be crawling up the knife-edged rocks, which is really dangerous to traverse. You'll also be needing something to warm you up as a weather up there is volatile.

But at the top of the mountain, a scenic view will reward your hard work. The breathtaking view of Southern Palawan will present itself right before your eyes. You will see Brooke's Point and Sulu Sea in the east; Rizal and South China Sea to the west; Quezon in the north; and the Municipality of Bataraza and the southernmost coast of Palawan island in the south. Other mountains will present their beauty, but nothing compares to what Mt. Mantalingajan has to offer. 

Before sundown, you'll need to come down as the afternoon rain can make the descent too difficult. It takes another two days before you finally set foot in the lowland. Yes, you'll bruise yourself, you'll have muscle pains, but nothing compares to the experience you will have and the memories you can keep till the last drop of breath leaves your soul.