I consider myself lucky for having been able to climb Mt Batulao in Nasugbu, Batangas both in rainy and sunny weather. Mt Batulao's rolling trail is mostly open and exposed. Closer to the summit are grasslands on its flowing slopes, while in the lower hills are farmlands tilled by the local farmers.
On beautiful sunny weather, the trail can be hot and scorching. The cool Tagaytay wind makes up for the heat but it's enough to give anyone a nice tan. On rainy days, the trail gets terribly muddy because the same lower part of the trail is used by farmers in transporting their produce on horseback. While the higher parts of the trail are not frequented by livestock, certain parts are steep and can be very slippery.
For this hiking destination, I decided to make two blog entries- one for the rainy hike, and another for the sunny day. Rain or shine, Mt Batulao is always worth the trip.
The Rainy Dayhike
On a holiday in August 2012, we scheduled a dayhike to Mt Batulao with our then 12-year-old daughter, Gianne. She's been on a few hiking trips with us but this was going to be her first dayhike. She was on her first year in a Science high school and we figured it would be a good way for her to forget her academic load and free her mind from the pressures of school. It was also an excellent bonding opportunity for us as a family.
This trip was our first time to drive to the jump-off because we usually take public transportation. We drove from Manila to the jumpoff right outside Evercrest Golf Club in Nasugbu, Batangas but we planned to spend the night at hubby's parents' house in nearby Silang, Cavite and this meant hubby would not have to drive all the way back to Manila after a potentially tiring 6-7 hour hike.
