The irony of our peak chasing in Mt. Batolusong was that we chased the peaks on our way down. That actually made it extra fun, as we were achieving goals while things are relaxed already.

From Rangyas Peak, we went down using a different path, hence avoiding the part where we would have to rappel down the rope. It was way too muddy and slippery due to the heavy downpour when we were at the peak, hence the need to be extra careful. The skies remained gloomy and it still drizzles from time to time, but the gloomy atmosphere did not dampen the inherent beauty of Mt. Batolusong.

Next to Rangyas Peak, our destination was Mapatag Plateau. The plateau stands at 663 MASL, a grassland comparable to a rolling hill.

On our way there, Ran pulled out something from his bag: his Attack on Titan survey corps costume! Kaya pala nasa bag ko lahat ng supplies, kasi may dalang wardrobe ‘yung kasama ko!

May plano palang mag-cosplay pictorial sa bundok, hindi ako informed!

When Ran’s survey corps pictorial was over, we resumed our hike. I did not realize though that while having his photos taken, our guide Reynilyn was having a pictorial of her own, taking our photos from a distance. She just sent the photos when we have already left. I find it rather thoughtful and sweet of her.

A few more minutes of hiking and we finally reached the Mapatag Plateau marker.

The plateau could actually be a hike’s endpoint by itself especially for the mountain newbies and casual hikers, and if one does not intend to go all the way up to Rangyas Peak. It could be a great place to rest and relax, where one could just let time pass and be for once oblivious of the bustles of life.

We did not spend much time in Mapatag Plateau and went ahead to last peak we were to visit: Duhatan Ridge.

Getting its name from the duhat trees which abounds the area, Duhatan Ridge stands at 454 MASL, making it the lowest of the three peaks of Mt. Batolusong. If we did not start from Mt. Mataripis, this would be the first peak that we would have reached.

It was rather muddier in Duhatan Ridge, since as opposed to Rangyas Peak and Mapatag Plateau, the ground in the ridge was bare, hence most exposed to the elements. The view, nevertheless, is in no way inferior.

When we were done taking photos, we went a little lower from the ridge and came across a rock formation. The place, as it is, was muddy and slippery, but photos are in order.

When the time to go came, Ran and I had a crazy idea: muddy as it was, we decided to run our way down the mountain, just grabbing tree trunks, branches or even rocks to break our speed. It was rather risky, but it actually made our descent more fun, not to mention, faster.

On our way down, we passed by a mini falls that according to Reynilyn, was actually manmade. We actually find the story behind its name humorous. The mini falls was named Cezar Falls, because it was designed by a certain man named Cezar. Convenient. We took the opportunity to wash the mud that we got on our way down, and there was a lot.

Aside from Cezar Falls, we also dropped-by Sangab Cave. We chose not to swim anymore, as we were already both tired. We just took some shots of the place and then decided to move on.

We cannot help but notice though how the PVC pipes were laid out under the water but still visible. We think people could have done better in order to hide away such manmade pipes which are eyesores to the natural beauty of the caves.

A little before 11:00 AM, we were back in the jump-off point. We thanked our guide Reynilyn then we took a bath in a bathroom with pay in the area.

All in all, it took us seven hours to complete the entire Mt. Mataripis – Mt. Batolusong trail. Understandably, we were famished. We then headed to Pico de Pino, a rather known restaurant in Tanay.

Apart from the ambience of the restaurant which sits on mountain slopes, the food in Pico de Pino were also sumptuous. For our lunch, we had bulalo, caldereta and loads of garlic rice. Palag na ‘to, gutom na talaga.

Normally, after a very tiring trip then a heavy meal, the next best thing to do is to go to sleep, even though some would say sleeping after a meal is not really a good idea. Nevertheless, I cannot really do that as I still had to drive going back home. I would have to leave to Ran to live the dream.

Overall, the entire Mt. Mataripis – Mt. Batolusong adventure was a highly enjoyable one. There is a certain sense of fulfillment in being able to conquer mountains and finish trails to the end, especially when doing so despite the hostile weather.

We conquered four peaks in a day. For seasoned climbers, that may not be too much of an achievement. For us though, that’s a milestone in the list of more renegade junctures that we would take.