Mt. Binutasan and How Grannies Made Us Eat Dust

When things get too difficult, cry and you’ll get a horse.

I had never thought this to be possible until I went on a hike to Mt. Binutasan in Rizal. I tagged along with fifteen others to see the famous sea of clouds that form below the peak of the mountain from dawn to 8:00 a.m. It was an easy hike, which we started at five in the morning. We had planned to start two hours earlier, so we could climb Mt. Sapari (These two mountains form the Maysawa circuit, so hikers go to Sapari summit, then Binutasan), as well. But we left Cubao too late, so we ditched that or we would have missed the sea of clouds at Mt. Binutasan.

Mt. Daraitan and the Stunning Tinipak River

View from the summit

If you are looking for a destination that is good for a weekend, Mt. Daraitan is a great choice. From Starmall in Crossing, it only takes around 3 hours to get to. This place in Tanay, Rizal has a lot to offer: caving, swimming and of course, hiking (for more information on how to get there, see travel notes below the story).

I did not expect much when I signed up for this hike with a group organized by a friend of a friend. Rizal is too near Metro Manila to still have interesting things to see. I had thought that this was another overrated place.

I Am No Mountaineer

I am no mountaineer. I am merely somebody who climbs mountains when I am not lazy enough to pack. I am just somebody who gets excited when invited to go camping at some peak with friends. I never think I am a mountaineer even when I climb two mountains in a day just for the sheer fun of doing it. There is just something about climbing mountains that makes me feel rejuvenated. You may accuse me of riding contradictions for I do not hide the agony of surviving steep ascents but still claim it gives me rest. There is something about mountains that calm my nerves and muscles, that give me peace. But again, I am not a mountaineer, so do not call me one.