Mount Daguldul Climb

San Juan Batangas is 115 kilometers from Manila, a two to three hours drive depending on traffic situation and routes taken. When commuting, there are two options to get there. The first, common and easiest way to get there is via Lipa Batangas. From Manila you can take either Lipa, Cuenca, Batangas City or Lucena bound buses. From Lipa bus terminal (Big Ben, Jolibee, Mc Donalds) take a tricycle ride to the Lipa City Public Market. From the main road, CM Recto corner Mercury Drug Lipa is where jeepneys plying San Juan Batangas passes by. Alight at the San Juan Batangas Public Market (Petron Gas Station). From that road, the second corner is where jeepneys plying Barangay Hugom waits for passengers. The second option is via Batangas City. From Batangas City there are jeepneys and buses plying San Juan Batangas.

If you have your car with you, you can take the STAR toll ways to Lipa City. If you see Mc Donalds, take the right road (CM Recto). Turn right at the corner of Mercury Drug (with signboard indicating the road is for Candelaria, P Garcia, Tiaong, Rosario and San Juan bound vehicles). At the Municipal Hall of San Juan Batangas turn right at the next road after the hall with an indication that it is the road that will take you to Laiya Resort. The road from Manila to Barangay Hugom is 99% cemented or asphalted. From Lipa to San Juan, it’s a 45-minute drive while from San Juan to Hugom its another 45-minutes drive over a 24 kilometers stretch. You know you are already near Hugom if you pass by Applaya Laiya Corporation, a ranch type resort. Anyway, Barangay Hugom is the endpoint of that road system so you don’t need to worry overshooting the jump-off Barangay. At the Hugom Environmental Guides Association (HEGA) waiting shed, you can park your vehicles for your overnight stay for free.

Finally, according to the mountain inhabitants, during summer months, you can climb this mountain as well as the nearest peak, Mt. Naguiling easier via Barangay Mona in Lobo Batangas. But since mountaineers are not familiar with this one, better to stick to the conventional route. Each climbing group is required to take a guide but the guide is not required to stay with you throughout the climb. You can just take them on your way up. The cost per guide is 350 pesos (2001) per day. Other than guide fee, a climbing fee of 20 pesos is required per each climber.

The Hugom Environmental Guides Association (HEGA) was organized by the local government of San Juan with the help of UPM headed by Bubuy Francisco. They were the first mountaineers who have scaled the mountain sometime March or April of 2001 meaning the place is a fairly new destination for Filipino mountaineers. Although according to Mang Lizardo, one of the residents of the mountain, some mountaineers have already attempted to scale the mountain as early as four years ago. The locals on the other hand already inhabited the place since time immemorial.

The trek is approximately 3 hours to the campsite. It starts at the Hugom beach front towards the other side of the island- a very different type of trekking indeed. Then you will enter the forest line to a gradually ascending trail with the seascape at your back. A marker points to a branch on the trail. The left trail leads you to Naambon Falls. It’s a three-minute descending trail to the falls. The waterfalls is not the usual small waterfalls you encounter on most Philippine trails. It’s a more than a hundred feet rock-face 45 feet wide with water gushing all over the rock face, standing proud and majestic. It’s a must to visit the place so try to reserve ample time for this side trip.

On your way up, you will pass by some small streams but the first potable water source is located on a house along the trail. Further upland is the house of a popular mountaineer’s friend, Mang Lizardo (Zardo). For a fee, you can ask them to prepare a refreshing buko juice for you. Mang Lizardo is very friendly and also work as a guide once in a while. His house is also interesting since he has quite a number of pets and some of them are exotic birds. From their hut, the trekking time is from 1-2 hours to the campsite.

Mt. Daguldul has one of the best, convenient and huge campsites compared to other Philippine mountains. The campsite is owned by a relative of Mang Zardo, Mang Dolpo (Rodolfo). It is a good gesture for him to share his abode to total strangers so the best thing we can do is to stick to our mountaineering ethics and show our respect and friendship to Mang Dolpo and the rest of the residents of Hugom since majority of them came from 3 families only and they really knew each other well. Any news of misbehaviors will travel throughout the whole community and it will not be a good reflection for us mountaineers. Be generous and don’t abuse the goodness of the people (i.e. don’t throw your garbage at Mang Zardo’s place even if he insist or give something in return from the fruits or Lambanog they offer for free).

Here are some of the features of the Peak Area :

1. Daguldul Campsite 1 (Gulugod Baboy) – Mang Dolpo particularly calls the first campsite as Daguldul although this is the name of the mountain itself. Others especially mountaineers calls this campsite as Gulugod Baboy. It’s a majestic hill covered with Carabao grass, with two trees at the top and some furnishings created by Mang Dolfo like benches and tables. It’s a small campsite that can accomodate 5 tents comfortably and about 10 more during emergency camps. On its lower slope has a marker indicating the demarcation line between the town of Lobo and San Juan Batangas since the mountain is within it’s borders.

2. Daguldul Campsite 2 (Niyugan) – This is the best and recommended campsite. It can accommodate more than 50 tents; it has Carabao grass covering the place, coconut trees and a piped-in water source. Compared to Campsite 1, this one is covered from strong winds but views are not that great compared to the other campsite.

3. Bilaran ng Limatik – This is the best viewpoint of the place. It’s an open rock face where you can take a glimpse on Mt. Makulot, Malipunyo, Banahaw and Tayabas Bay. It was called Bilaran ng Limatik since limatiks abounds the place long time ago. Nowadays, there are no more limatiks at the peak area, the only remaining place where limatiks abound is on the nearby Naguiling Peak.

4. Anahawan – It’s a golf course like campsite with views of the other side of the mountain like Mindoro and Marinduque as well as Mt. Naguiling and Mt. Lobo/Banoi. This one can accommodate more than a hundred tents. It is also the highest place in the Daguldul Peak Area. It is the playground of Mang Dolpo's white horse and pet dog.

5. Mt. Naguiling – it’s a neighboring Peak which is also part of the Daguldul mountain range. It can be reached via a day’s trek and its jump-off point is at the same Campsite 1 area although it may be beast climbed via Barangay Mona in Lobo Batangas.