Tanay, Rizal: Nagpatong-Mt. Masungki Twin Hike

posted on Friday, January 18, 2019

It was an out-of-the-blue idea during the second week of January 2019. In the midst of our back-to-work frenzy after the holidays, I told Ling I wanted to squeeze in a hike for the weekend. And yes, I’ve done my homework of choosing just the perfect twin hike in Tanay, Rizal: Nagpatong Rock Formation and Mt. Masungki. Our last climb was also in Tanay last October 2018. Our hiking friends weren’t available for the weekend but I urged Ling to push through with the climb with me. This is technically our second just-the-two-of-us climb after Mt. Maculot’s night trek way back 2011.

Ling let me do all the planning. My curiosity was piqued with Nagpatong Rock Formation’s peak. It consists of huge blocks of rocks placed on top of another, thus the name, Nagpatong, a Filipino term which means to place on top. The trail going to the Nagpatong Rock Formation is at the foot of Mt. Masungki, our second peak. Conquering both is considered a minor climb with 4 out of 9 level of difficulty. Rizal is home to amazing limestone and rock formations and Mt. Masungki is branded with the Filipino term ‘sungki’ because of its uneven rock formations.

Ling and I started the day very early by leaving Cubao at 1am via UV Express going to Cogeo Gate 2 at P35/each. The trip is roughly less than 30 minutes. From Cogeo Gate 2, we rode a tricycle going direct to the registration area of Barangay Cuyambay. There were no jeeps available during the wee hours so we were compelled to take the tric and pay P600 transpo cost. We arrived at Barangay Cuyambay at 2:45 am. Barangay registration starts at 3am and we were first in line. We were introduced to our Dumagat Remontado guide, Kuya Barci. There are only 10 IP guides among the 80 local guides in Barangay Cuyambay. Guide fee for Nagpatong and Mt. Masungki twin hike is pegged at P750. From the barangay, hikers then need to ride a tricycle going to the trail’s jumpoff for P40/pax.

Our trek started at 3:45 am and we arrived at Nagpatong Rock’s campsite more than 30 minutes after. It was a great warm-up and I loved the Baguio-like weather in the area. We waited for an hour and a half in the campsite before ascending Nagpatong. For safety reasons, hikers aren’t allowed to climb the rock formation when dark. After climbing 13 peaks in 2018, I thought I’m used to steep summits by this time. But no, my knees trembled as I went up roped sections. Thankful to Kuya Barci for leading us all throughout the way. At 532 MASL, the 360-degree view on Nagpatong Rock’s platform was simply majestic.

By 6:30 am, we were off to our second mountain: Mt. Masungki. The trail is a combination of uphill-downhill treks. Enjoy scaling rocks, scrambling narrow passages and rock tunnels. Mt. Masungki’s trail is one long arduous but fun adventure. Took us 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the peak. Mt. Masungki’s summit standing at 660 MASL is also a breathtaking wonder on its own. Oh, I couldn’t be more thankful I live in the Philippines!

I highly recommend to get IP guides because they deeply promote responsible tourism. You can reach Kuya Barci at this number: 0910-454-3323.

See also our climb up Mt. Apo, Mt. Ayaas-Mt. Espadang Bato, Mt. Oro-Mt. Sipit Ulang, Wawa Trilogy 1, Wawa Trilogy 2, Laiban Trilogy, Maynuba Circuit, Mt. Batolusong, Mt. Binutasan, Mt. Arayat, Mt. Balagbag, and Mt. Tagapo.