saving face while hiking up pidurangala rock

If you haven't heard of Pidurangala Rock, that's because it is overshadowed by 'the other rock' that is Sigiriya, which is probably the site that draws the most tourists in Sri Lanka. Think of Sigiriya as Cambodia's Angkor Wat Complex and Pidurangala as Prasat Preah Vihear. If you wonder what Prasat Preah Vihear is, you get the drift.

Pidurangala (left) and Sigiriya (right) viewed from Dambulla.

What led Ail and me to this little-known place is the massive entrance fee Sigiriya Rock charges foreign visitors. While the ticket for Sigiriya is about 30USD, you can climb Pidurangala for just 500LKR or approximately 4USD.

The fee is actually for the cave temple, which is worthy of a few minutes' visit, located close to the entrance. The cave is merely a small hollowed-out space under the rock outcrop which is hidden by a relatively new structure built to preserve the historical treasure within. It houses a huge reclining buddha and a few other smaller statues. The paintings on the ceiling are impressive with their still vivid colors and details despite being thousands of years old.

Colorful and detailed painting in the cave.

An old man let us in the cave and gave us the place's history. Once we were done admiring the cave, he showed us the path to the top of Pidurangala. The trail, which is essentially hundreds of uneven steps, starts just to the right of the cave. The old man removed a dilapidated sign saying 'No Entry' and told us to follow him. I told him that we wanted to go by ourselves. He picked up a stick and said that the trail is dangerous because of snakes. Thanks or no thanks to Tripadvisor, I already had an idea about this old man even before we went to Sri Lanka so I insisted that we will be fine even on our own.

It didn't take much effort to convince the old man to let us be. But that may be because a couple arrived, the only other visitors the whole time we were there.

We climbed at a leisurely pace. There were no other signs so we simply followed the steps. Near the start of the trail, there are other steps and smaller trails which made it a little confusing. We followed the most obvious path but it suddenly disappeared among the tall grasses and bush. Remembering the warning of our host (a solo tourist has gotten lost in the forest), we turned back thinking that we might have missed the right way. Just a few steps later, the old man came. He was guiding the couple. He must be laughing at us! We didn't want to get defeated so when he asked where we were going, we just smiled at him and continued going back.

The other path we took led us to a little shrine. We spent some time there, convincing ourselves that the original path we were following was right. When we were already sure that we won't overtake the old man, we went back and realized that the path didn't get lost in the bush but only took a turn. A couple of steps from where I stood and I would have realized it earlier.

The path was then straight forward and it took us about 45 minutes to reach the landing where another huge reclining buddha could be found. This buddha had been badly damaged before and now is incompletely renovated. There is also an exposed rock on the ground with old inscriptions.

After the buddha, the path meandered among the forest and we had to walk over some huge boulders. Thanks to the dirt on the ground, we could see the footsteps left by the group ahead of us assuring that we weren't lost yet.

You're not lost. This is the right way.

The most difficult and scariest part of the climb was the last section where we had to scramble over several boulders. Okay, it wasn't THAT difficult but with the huge rock (the one that is ever present in pictures) above your head which seems like it would roll over at any moment, that's pretty scary. And what adds to the paranoia is the belief my grandmother held onto that people are more prone to fatal accidents when it's nearing their birthday. It was Ail's birthday the next day.

But we've made it that far and it was stupid to go back so we climbed over the boulders. I went first and when I was right under the huge rock, I had the choice to go right and climb a few other boulders or go left and squeeze myself under the huge rock to get onto a ledge. I opted for the easier one and went right. Ail was close behind.

And then we were trapped. We were facing a wall about 1.5m high and there were no more boulders to climb over. We could see the old man and the couple from where we stood and we knew he was looking at us. To lessen the humiliation, we pretended we were having a good time and laughed louder than we normally do. Thankfully they were already about to leave and they made their way down via the ledge. I only had two choices...

We spent quite some time at the top peacefully, sharing only the place with a dog. The place is wide and unlike Sigiriya, it is bare of any structures. It was mid-afternoon when we went to Pidurangala Rock and thanks to the thick growth of trees, we didn't have to worry about hiking under too much heat of the sun. And when we reached the top, the sun was low enough we didn't mind the lack of shade from vegetation. (There was only a small patch of grass and some cacti.) And the bareness meant that we had a 360 view of the landscape. We could also see people going up and down Sigiriya, almost all of them missing on Pidurangala.

the truth about hiking mount batulao

Outdoor enthusiasts living in Manila, despite being surrounded by a concrete jungle, are quite lucky for having lots of options on outdoor activities. Hikers, mountain climbers, trekkers, whatever you call them, beginner or seasoned, just don't seem to run out of places they could explore. Google 'best hikes near Manila' and you'll get five, eight or even ten recommendations.

Batulao is one of those mountains which are on the best list with the beautiful views it offers plus a challenging trail. Perhaps when I read a blog saying that it is also recommended for beginners, I stopped searching and immediately called my friends to make plans for a day hike. I sent them the link for the blog post to give them an idea of how the hike would be. In the end, everyone agreed to go to Mt. Batulao.

Journey to the jump-off point

From the DLTB bus terminal in Buendia, the drive to the junction of Evercrest Golf Club Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas took less than two hours. (Going back to the city is a lot longer though, depending on the traffic situation.) We left a few minutes past 4 in the morning and it was still dark when the bus conductor told us that we already reached our destination.

Several boys, most look like they're in their early teens, were offering services as guide. Since we still weren't sure if we wanted (more like needed) one, we just dismissed them and took the tricycle to the jump-off point. There were four of us and the ride costed 30 pesos each. (I read several posts saying that the tricycle could only take a maximum of three passengers for a hundred pesos. If this isn't official, I think that five average-built people could fit in.)

Truth be told, I felt more afraid in the tricycle than in walking on the narrow trails. The ride started out smoothly on paved road but it soon became a bumpy one. We couldn't see much in the dark and I felt like the tricycle would overturn as it passed on a very uneven road. Some people prefer to walk from the junction and I thought that it must have been a better idea.

Meet our guide

The driver dropped us at a small, unfinished building where several older men were hanging out and where we were supposed to register, with a fee of 30 pesos each. After much deliberation, we opted on taking a guide, thinking that it would be one of those men who looked toughened by the mountain.

To our surprise, the guide assigned to us was one of the young boys (some of them still snoring) staying inside the building. The men insisted that he was fit for the job. That was their set-up and there was nothing we could do. The older men apparently had more important things to do.

Our guide is Melvin, 17 years old, currently in high school. As much as possible, I really don't like to employ children (or minors). Or guides who aren't wearing the proper footwear. (Melvin was in slippers.) But he assured us that the money he gets from guiding in the mountains goes to his schooling. The standard fee is 500 pesos. And if they could get to guide in the weekends, they're good for the week with that amount. Of course, we'll never really know if all of it would go to his studies. But I'd like to think so. Hikers don't just get to enjoy, they also help those kids finance their studies.

The old trail

The woman who was in charge of the registration suggested that we take the old trail on the way to the summit and then the new one going back. That was exactly our plan anyway, after reading that the old trail could be more challenging and possibly dangerous if taken on the way down.

It was still cool when we started hiking. The first part was mostly going down on a concrete path that passes through some houses. After crossing a bridge over a small river, the trail started to climb. This part also has some trees that could provide shade. A few other trails diverge from the main trail. One could easily take the wrong trail due to lack of markers. That's one good reason to take a guide.

After ascending, we reached a flatter ground where ground cover is only grass and a few trees. This gave us an astounding view of the mountain, and the very steep trail we had to tackle. From afar, we could see the early hikers who were already halfway up. The steep slopes would only make you wonder how it is possible to reach the summit.

The rope section (where you could strike your winner pose)

It was only the night before our scheduled hike when we realized that getting to the summit of Batulao wouldn't be as easy as it seemed so. If there are sections where one had to use a rope, it would only mean that the trail is demanding.

After completing the hike, I realized that the parts where we had to use the rope wasn't really difficult. Some people would willingly hold their positions just to have their photos taken. If it's that difficult, people wouldn't be doing it.

The ropes were placed in very steep portions where the trail has been badly damaged, both in the old and new trail. What made the hike difficult was the condition of the trail. The loose materials covering the ground makes it quite slippery. And there seemed to be no trail maintenance. With the huge number of hikers who use the trail especially on weekends, it would continue to wear out. Perhaps they'd put more ropes?

At the summit

It took us about 3.5 hours to reach the summit. For experienced hikers, it could be done in much less time. (Two hours, they say.) We took a few extended rest stops. And since the trail is very narrow, passing a large group ahead isn't possible. It was only possible to go as fast as the slowest person. And in the rope sections, traffic is inevitable.

The summit offers a stunning 360° view of rugged peaks and vast plains. But it's not a big area so it tends to get crowded. There is also a stall which sells cold drinks and halo-halo. Perfect if you're climbing on a hot day. Or if you just want to enjoy you're halo-halo someplace unusual.

The new trail

Compared to the old trail, the whole stretch is exposed offering very little shade except from rare trees. The new one is also a lot busier, owing to its relative ease. More people take this route on the way up and back down. This meant that there are also more huts selling snacks and drinks to cater for the hikers' needs.

After the steep descent from the summit (there's also a rope section) the trail goes to the side of several smaller peaks which are very prominent features. I remember a few portions where the trail becomes really narrow with steep drops on both sides. After this, the terrain becomes easier with gentler downs and a few climbs.

Who's the toughest 

Although it's not their first climb, the three friends I went with are still beginners. And because Batulao is said to be okay for beginners, we chose this climb. All of us were able to get to the summit and back, plus a few scratches and bruises. And an epic day at least one of us would never forget. This is the story of Kirstie.

Kirstie is not the typical outdoor-adventurer type, although she still wants to do something out of her comfort zone. I'm the kind of person who wants to influence my friends to get into physical activities and adventure. So I guess we're a match. I've already brought her to three other hikes before, all of them very easy. And assuming that Batulao couldn't be much harder, I brought her there. (Yes, my fault. Should've done more research.)

Aside from the usual running out of breath and feeling tired which were addressed by extended rest stops, climbing to the summit wasn't much of a problem to her, even the rope section. The problem was going down. Almost everyone would agree that going down is much harder that climbing. There is more chance of slipping and falling especially when the trails aren't in good condition.

Our guide stayed with Kirstie the whole stretch of the new trail, assisting her literally every step of the way as they inch their way down. I could see the hesitation in her step with the fear that she might slide down and all the effort that she had to exert in order to take a step. (Ah, I could only feel guilt.)

There was quite a traffic at the rope section so we told Kirstie to rest first at a nearby hut while we wait for our turn. When the three of us had made our way down, Melvin went back up to Kirstie to assist her. Since the path at that area was very narrow, we walked a little farther ahead to give way to other hikers and find a place where we could wait for them.

We waited a few minutes. And a little more. We were getting worried when it had been more than half an hour and still there wasn't any sign of them. Then we heard other hikers talking about someone who was having cramps and thought that it must have been her. (More guilt here.) I was thinking about going back to her (although it's not going to help in any way) when Jen saw her starting to make her way down the rope section. She was being assisted by Melvin and another guide. How tough it must have been for her!

She was mostly quiet the rest of the afternoon and until we finished the hike. Did she cry? She didn't show us. She only mentioned she's not going to anything like it again. But here's the thing, she wanted to do another hike this year. Who's the real tough?

Some notes

• You may want to bring gloves to avoid rope burn.

• There are three 'checkpoints' where you have to pay a registration fee. I know, it's annoying. But that's how it is. The total cost is 80 pesos.

• If you think that your group is like us, do take a guide.

• There are a number of huts selling drinks and snacks along the new trail so there's no need to worry if you're running out of drinks. Along the old trail, there's only one. But it's still best to bring your own water in your Nalgene or any other water bottle to lessen garbage.

• And remember to keep your trash in your bag to keep the place clean.