Mt. Mapalad, Tanay, Rizal

Mountain trails in Tanay, Rizal are sprouting like mushrooms. Good news is most are for beginners.  So when in need of good cardio exercise, there’s plenty to choose from, particularly in Brgy. San Andres. One of which (and has more appeal to the millennials) is Mt. Mapalad.

The mountain stands at about 750+ meters above sea level (MASL) with a trail class of 1-3 and a difficulty level of 3/9. In short, di sya ganun kahirap. Depending on one’s pace, the summit can be reached in 2 to 3 hours. Its peak has two man-made giant wooden hand (palm) structures, serving as view decks (and photo-op area) with the backdrop of verdant Sierra Madre mountain ranges. The mountain was not named after these palms but rather after the plant “mapalad” which looks like the palm of a hand, and could be found in the area.

Coming from Cubao, I reached the jump-off point by commute, in about two hours. It was an early Sunday morning, and surprisingly wala masyadong tao, kasi yung mga naunang grupo na umakyat, madaling araw sila nagsimula. 

After registering and paying the environmental fee in the registration area, I was assigned a tour guide – Kuya Roberto.

My hike commenced at 8 in the morning. Medyo mainit na.

We took the shortcut route (initially flat land and finally with 2 assault trails), passing by fields, local houses, river streams, falls, and some camping sites and resorts. Bamboo trees are also abundant in the area. There are also sari-stores along the way. Kahit malapit sa summit, meron makakainan.  Hindi naman ganun ka physically-draining ang trail. The challenging part lang is the ascent; meron pa nga konting rappelling, which I found exciting.

After two hours I reached the summit. Good thing is kabababa lang halos ng lahat ng mga naunang grupo na umakyat so wala masyadong queue sa photo-ops sa dalawang palad. My guide told me na minsan daw blockbuster ang pila during weekend or long holiday break. There were times daw na inaabot ng tatlong oras sa summit, just so makapag-picture lang sa mga palad. Guess, I was lucky that day.

There are also resting areas and swings para doon sa gusto mag-picnic or mag-recharge before descent.  

Mt. Mapalad is a beginner-friendly and budget-friendly mountain to conquer. 

While enjoying the panoramic view, I can’t help but think “God has given us two hands, one to receive with and the other to give with.”

From Cubao, take a Cogeo-bound jeepney. At Cogeo Public Market, take Sampaloc-bound jeepney and get off in Brgy. San Andres crossing. Take a tricycle to Mt. Mapalad jump-off point.