Bataan: Tarak Ridge

posted on Sunday, November 20, 2022

I have long heard stories of how difficult it is to conquer Mt. Mariveles’ Tarak Ridge. It is considered a major climb with a 4 out of 9 level of difficulty and a trail class of 3. Ling, himself, dreads his return after an overnight trek years ago. And so, he gave me the honor of organizing this training climb mid-November 2022. Just thinking of our inevitable day hike certainly excited the hell out of me. I initially coordinated with the Local Tour Guide Association of Mt. Mariveles – Tarak Ridge on Facebook. We won’t take on this major climb without a proper local guide. We scheduled our hike with Mike Tan, a known guide in the area. Guide fee is pegged at P1,000. Barangay registration, on the other hand, is at P40.00 per hiker.

We met our guide at the barangay hall of Barangay Alas-asin before 2:00 am. Mariveles, Bataan is roughly three hours away from Quezon City so we started our drive by 10:00 pm the previous night. After registration, we then proceeded to the jump-off. We parked our vehicle near Nanay Cording’s place. Parking fee is P50.00/day. We met Nanay Cording’s daughter who took her place after her death.

We finally started ascent by 2:20 am. Tarak Ridge with 1,006 MASL is known for its sharp rocks and steep location, which makes these Filipino combo words just so fitting---Tabak (hunting knife) and Tarik (steep). The rocky trail is mostly covered with trees which helped make the hike fairly manageable. And notably, the unli-roots that paved the way. We reached the Papaya River after an hour. It’s still quite dark so we promised to appreciate it more on our way back.

After a bout with woodlands and steep assaults, we’ve finally reached the ridge well before 6:00 am. Our arrival was also just in time to witness the sunrise turning different shades of pink, purple and orange. The scenic view of Bataan, Corregidor and Manila Bay all around us was simply stunning. Even the two trail dogs that accompanied us marveled at the view.

We descended before 7:00 am and were back at the Papaya River past 8:00 am. It was great to hear the calls of the long-tailed macaques we saw on our way down. We ate our breakfast by the river and took our time dipping in the ice-cold water. It was the perfect wake-me-upper as we take on yet another two hours of walking. Our challenging trek concluded by 10:20 am. It was short yet unforgettably sweet!

See also our climb up Mt. Apo, Mt. Pulag via Ambaguio-Tawangan traverse, Mt. Napulauan, Kibungan Cross Country, Mt. Purgatory Traverse, Mt. Ugo, Mt. Balagbag, Mt. Pulag via Ambangeg Trail, Mt. Pulag via Akiki Trail, Mt. Amuyao, Mt. Pigingan, Mt. Arayat and Mt. Timbak.