mt.Banahaw

Mt. Banahaw Quezon ProvinceMajor jump-off: Brgy. Kinabuhayan, DoloresElevation: 2158 MASLDays required /Hours to summit: Level 2-3 days / 6-7 hoursSpecs: Major climb, Difficulty 5/9, Trail class 3

BACKGROUND

Mt. Banahaw is the grandest of the Southern Tagalog mountains. Towering high over the provinces of Laguna and Quezon, its significance in religion and folklore makes it not only a physical, but also a cultural landmark. It is home to Rizalistas and other cults, some of whom believe the mountain as the "New Jerusalem". To a wider populace, it is a sacred mountain, visited every Holy Week by devotees, some of whom made it a pledge to regularly climb Banahaw. Thus it is not surprising that places in the mountain have religious names, such as "Kweba ng Dios Ama" (Cave of the God the Father) and "Kalbaryo" (Calvary). At its foot village of Kinabuhayan, all sorts of amulets, magical stones, and healing herbs are peddled, together with souvenir shirts.

SPECIAL CONCERNS

Hiking in Banahaw is currently forbidden; do not use this information to make an unofficial, illegal climb. Instead, you may explore the two other peaks of the Banahaw trilogy, namely Mt. Banahaw de Lucban and Mt. Cristobal. Both are challenging climbs, worthy of the Banahaw experience.

TRIVIA

Banahaw is actually an inactive volcano; its caldera, known as 'Ilalim', is one of the views you will see at the peak. This rarely-visited caldera is part of a traverse trail from Dolores to Sariaya, passing by the Durungawan III and descending to this caldera. Parts of this traverse are said to be so beautiful that they are described as "a paradise".The last recorded eruption was at 1721.Locals say two lovers once climbed Mt. Banahaw to escape their parents' wrath and make love in the mountain. However, in an unfortunate event, during the act of lovemaking the man's sex organ was stuck inside his girlfriend. Desperate and fearful of embarrassment, the two lovers decided to roll over and fell into a high cliff. They were discovered dead, still in deep embrace. To this day, Banahaw remains a place of refuge for locals who engage in "pagtatanan" (lovers' escape).At the height of its popularity in 2003, Close to a thousand people climbed Mt. Banahaw during Holy Week. Coke and Sprite, in cans, were sold at the peak for P50. A large pack of Piatos chips sold for a similar amount.