Mt. Guiting-Guiting

𝐌𝐭. 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐀 𝟑-𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟏 – 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟏

We started the day by securing our permit from DENR, then took a jeep to the jump-off homestay, where we had breakfast and packed lunch. Our hike officially began at 8 AM via the Olango Trail, passing Camp 1 and Camp 2 before reaching Camp 3 around 6-7 PM. The 5-6 hour assault, made even tougher by heavy rain, drained us, but we pushed through. By nightfall, the rain intensified, making for a challenging but unforgettable first night.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟐 – 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟐

We broke camp at 4 AM, had breakfast, and started hiking by 5:30 AM. The relentless assaults, strong winds, freezing cold, and soaked gear made the climb even more brutal. After hours of traversing ridges, stones, and boulders, we finally reached the Guiting-Guiting summit at 10 AM. It was freezing, and we couldn’t stay long, but the achievement was worth it. We descended through the Knife Edge and The Spring, tackled another steep ascent to Mayo’s Peak, and reached Mayo’s campsite by 5 PM. Completely drained, we set up camp, ate, and rested.

𝐃𝐚𝐲 𝟑 – 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟑

We woke up at 8 AM and began our downhill trek, aiming to finish early. But the muddy, slippery trails and steep descents made it even more punishing on our already aching knees. Instead of backtracking, we traversed from Olango to Tampayan. By 12:30 PM, we reached the river, where we finally washed off the exhaustion and enjoyed the water. After descending from 2,058 MASL, it was over—a brutal yet rewarding climb.

𝐌𝐭. 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠-𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝟗/𝟗 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐛, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐥, 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫—𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞.

Big Thanks to Outlander Ph. Gee Friolo and all the porters that helped us through