Monday, February 6, 2012

Mt. Pundaquit | Traverse to Anawangin Cove

For the first time, I celebrated my birthday outside the bounds of Metro Manila. It was an action-packed 20th birthday trip (thanks to my ka-lakwatsas). Part of this weekend adventure was to traverse Mt. Pundaquit (my third mountain) to Anawangin Cove.   
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Three hours after boarding Victory Liner's earliest trip to Sta. Cruz, Zambales (04:00 am), I, together with a bunch of adventure-loving friends, arrived at San Antonio - home of Zambales' famous coves and island beaches. As soon as we alighted the bus, Mang Mike, our contact in Brgy. Pundaquit, waved and called our attention. He already hailed three tricycles that will bring us to Brgy. Pundaquit, the main jump-off point to our first destination - Mt. Pundaquit.

Our plan was to eat first our breakfast then buy all the necessary stuff for our overnight camping - food, drinks, coal, etc. - at San Antonio Market before we proceeded to Brgy. Pundaquit. Having no choice, the tricycle drivers waited for us for more than an hour (tricycle regular rate is P30 per head, we paid an additional amount because we made them wait for us for more than an hour).


Trek to Mt. Pundaquit
Anawangin Cove is accessible by boat or by foot. Most tourists would opt the boat since it's just 30 minutes away from Pundaquit beach. The longer and rougher way to Anawangin is by foot through the mountain of Pundaquit, mountaineers and adventure-loving trippers are the usual trampers of this path. It's strenuous, time consuming (4-5 hours trek), and might test your physical abilities, but I swear, you'll feel no regrets upon reaching the mountain's summit.
We reached Pundaquit Beach at around 9:30 am, and at 10:00 am, we started the long trek to the mountain. A guide, contacted by Mang Mike, served us in this 5-hour trek (P100 per head).

fixing everything before we proceed to the climb
A 45-minute trek from the Barangay Hall (registration) led us to the foot of Mt. Pundaquit. We passed through a lahar field and a dried-up river (raging if wet season). From time to time, I was awed by the landscapes that we pass by. We also passed by a stream of drinkable water.

Long walk along the lahar field
Passing through the waterless riverbed
We started the ascent just a few minutes before 11:00 AM (imagine the mid day sun striking above us). It was pretty hot the entire time we're doing the trek. Good thing we had our heavy bags loaded on the boat which went ahead to Anawangin. The only antagonist we faced in this climb is probably the mid day sun and the limited water we brought with us.

hiding under the shade of the tree.
woohoo to the first time climbers, Ian and Joan
Three among the group were first time hikers, so we're stopping for like every 5 minutes (haha, I know what they were feeling, because I felt the same thing during my first climb). I learned from my last climb how to control my breathing and pace so climbing a 3/9 mountain isn't much a problem to me anymore.

the trail with the beautiful backdrop and sunburst
At the Summit

Within an hour and 30 minutes, the summit was already at our reach. It was bit windy but the sun was striking badly upon reaching the summit at around 12:30 PM. Viewed from the top was the whole Anawangin Cove and nearby mountain ranges, everything was pleasing to the eyes.

view at the summit

Batang Lakwatsero conquered Mt. Pundaquit
Byron doing his photography at the summit
Byron, Cai and Elal at the summit
We spent 30 minutes on the summit taking pictures, feeding our eyes with awesome views and relaxing under the shade crafted by our guide. We wanted to stay longer on top but we just had to descend or else we'll end up like raisins because of dehydration. Our guide told us that there's a fresh water source about an hour from the summit so we hurried to reach that spot.

The Trail to Anawangin

The descent was easier, although it's steeper. We trekked much faster because of the view of Anawangin Cove, like an oasis in the middle of a desert, was a great motivation.

long way down.
Rocks, not so large, constantly block the clear trail so we needed to hop, stride and hop again. After an hour of trekking down from the summit, we reached the fresh water source, our guide filled our bottles with clear potable water. Rejuvenated by the fresh water, we continued the trail (now 45 minutes away) to Anawangin.

dry riverbed again
At 02:45 PM, our feet touched the ground again. From hereon, we passed through a dry riverbed, a maze of canopies (pine trees), and finally the fine sand of Anawangin Cove.

Pine trees at Anawangin
Anawangin Cove - Just Passing

A lot of tents and hammocks, probably a few inches away from each other, greeted us when we arrived at Zambales' most famous cove. The popularity of Anawangin Cove was evident in this seemingly "squatter's area".

a portion of the "siksikan" camp site
After the obligatory window shot, we went straight to the local store who sells ridiculously over-priced products. A bottle of C2 costs P40. Oh well, that's the consequence of Anawangin's seclusion.

just passing through the Anawangin Cove
Our boat, with our bags and goods, was already waiting for us at the beach, so after a few snapshots of the Anawangin Cove, we jumped into the boat and off we went to Nagsasa Cove.

see you next time Anawangin, off we go to Nagsasa
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 Viaje Zambales: Mt. Pundaquit-Nagsasa-Capones

Mt. Pundaquit Traverse to Anawangin
Nagsasa Cove Camping
Capones Island Advenure

Itinerary | Mt. Pundaquit-Nagsasa-Capones
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30 comments:

  1. Medyo busy ka yata `cos ngayon mo lang napost `to. Oh sheet 20 ka pa lang? Mas younger ka pa pala sakin.

    I`ll include "to climb Mt. Pundaquit" as one of my to-do things next year. Lols. Grabe ang congested na nga ng mga tents sa Anawangin. So which is better overall, Anawangin or Nagsasa?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. oo nga e. haha. andaming gawaing pang eskuwela. lol mas bata nga ako sayo.
      abangan mo ang post ko about Anawangin vs. Nagsasa

      Delete
  2. Oh wow, ang ganda ng view. Balak rin naming gawin 'to. Makes me more excited. ;p

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am really excited for next March Ivan! Can't wait to experience what you had! :-D. Thanks in advance for the help! :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. goodlak on your trip. say hi to Mang Mike for me.

      Delete
    2. Okay Ivan - I will tell him hi for you! :-) did you contact him before your trip?

      Delete
    3. yes. kontakin nyo sya lagi. sabihin nyo kung malapit na kayo sa San Antonio. he'll welcome you.

      Delete
    4. Hi Paula and Ivan, can I get the contact # of Mang Mike?

      Delete
  4. Isn't it better to start your climb before the sun comes up to minimize your exposure to the heat ? Why not buy your needed supplies before you leave the city ? It is probably cheaper there, unless of course, you want to support the local economy. Keep climbing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. yes, actually 4am is the ideal start of the trek, mountaineers start at this time. pero wala kaming private transpo e. kaya nag-stck kamisa public commute na ang earliest ay 7am sa San Antonio Zambales

      it would be impractical to by goods at the city, masyadong bulky dalhin. same lng naman yung prices and it will add more experience, feel the local life.

      Delete
  5. gusto ko rin sana mag mountain hiking and camping pero ayoko sobrang mainit..huhu

    ReplyDelete
  6. i almost decided to join this trek if not of the tiring week. sure is rewarding. mountains of zambales remains to be among my favorite. nakakapagod man pero kung ganito nga ka ganda. sulit pa din.

    ReplyDelete
  7. mgkno inabot ng travel nio sa zambales??

    ReplyDelete
  8. pwede ba ang bata d2 or pang adult lang. thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Madali lang naman trail ng Mt. Pundaquit. I think kaya nman siya ng bata (as long as maraming kasamang matanda)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. When and where will be your next hike??? I am interested to join you it given the chance :) I admire your blog and adventure :)

      Delete
  10. hi.. plan namin pumunta ng husband ko this 2nd week of april, saan po ang bus station? and ano po ang time ng first trip during week days? actually 2 lang kami we just wanted to celebrate our first anniv with some adventure.. thanks

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. hi charm,

      for the bus scheds and terminal, you may check Victory Liner's website: http://www.victoryliner.com/

      ride either Sta.Cruz-Bound bus or Iba-bound bus. both will bring you directly to San Antonio Zambales.

      you may also check my itinerary for this trip: http://www.ivanlakwatsero.com/2012/02/itinerary-mt-pundaquit-nagsasa-capones.html

      happy anniversary to you :)

      Delete
  11. anyone interested to (day) climb with me this wednesday? since i'm from olongapo city (45 mins. to san antonio) i plan to be at san antonio at 4:30 am to start trekking around 5am to avoid the scorching heat of the sun. i already have a contact to guide us. let me know if you are interested.

    ReplyDelete
  12. SEE THE BEAUTY OF NAGSASA WATERFALLS..............
    3 COVE IN 1 TOUR, NAGSASA, ANAWANGIN, AGNAEM OR CAPONES

    *****P1500/head minimum of 12pax and above..
    *****P1600/head minimum of 10-11pax
    *****P1700/head minimum of 8-9pax
    PACKAGED INCLUDE:
    Roundtrip AIRCON Van transfer all in boat tour anawangin , nagsasa, agnaem or capones
    -2 days 1 night stay in nagsasa
    -entrance fee to 3 cove included
    -TENT FOR YOUR GROUP CAPACITY
    -gogles for snorkeling
    -cooking utensils (kaldero,kaserola, kutsilyo, sandok, ihawan etc.)
    -cooler na with ice pa!
    -Mineral water 5gallons
    -ULENG
    -KITCHEN UTENSILS

    We also offers boat package only for those commuters or with their own vehicle…

    Package B Rates:
    P 700 per head for 10 pax AND ABOVE.
    P 750 per head for 8-9 pax
    P850 per head for 6-7pax
    P750 per head for 5 pax
    Inclusions:
    (Pick up point: Town proper of San Antonio, Zambales)
    *Boat ride to Anawangin (round trip)
    *Island hopping (Capones / Camara Island)
    *Entrance fee / Environmental fee
    *TENT USAGE FOR YOUR GROUP CAPACITY
    *GOGLES FOR SNORKELING
    *cooking utensils (ihawan, kaldero, pitsel, etc)
    *cooler WITH ICE pA..

    DIRECT BOATMAN PO KAME DITO SA PUNDAKIT KYA MAKAKASIGURO PO KYO NG MABABA AT SULIT NA PACKAGE…

    Additional 400 per head for food (4meals)
    FOR MORE INFO TExt or please call ALAN ARLANTICO for immediate response.. :
    Smart: 09185595597 or 09399398456
    TM: 09358118095
    Sun: 09223753555

    ReplyDelete
  13. SPECIAL PROMO FOR ANAWANGIN Tour Packages
    WITH FREE SNORKELING OR LIGHTHOUSE TOUR

    PACKAGE A
    >>>>P1200/head minimum of 12pax and above..
    >>>>> P1300/head minimum of 10-11pax
    >>>>>P1500/head minimum of 8-9pax
    PACKAGED INCLUDE:
    *Roundtrip AIRCON Van transfer all in
    *boat tour anawangin, capones camara island OR/ snorkeling
    *2 days 1 night stay in anawangin-entrance fee-
    *TENT FOR YOUR GROUP CAPACITY
    *gogles for snorkeling-cooking utensils
    *cooler na with ice pa
    *Mineral water(2container)
    *Bonfire woods 1seT
    *KITCHEN UTENSILS(kaldero, kaserola etc)

    We also offers boat package only for those commuters or with their own vehicle...

    Package B Rates
    P 500 per head for 10 pax above
    P 550 per head for 8 -9pax
    P650 per head for 6-7pax
    P550 per head for 5 pax
    Inclusions:(Pick up point: Town proper of San Antonio, Zambales)
    *Boat ride to Anawangin (round trip)
    *Island hopping (Capones / Camara Island)
    *Entrance fee / Environmental fee
    *TENT USAGE FOR YOUR GROUP CAPACITY
    *GOGLES FOR SNORKELING
    *cooking utensils (ihawan, kaldero,kutsilyo,pitsel,etc)
    *cooler WITH ICE pA..

    Additional 400 per head for food (4meals)MIN OF 8PAX
    FOR MORE INFO look for ALAN ARLANTICO: Smart: 09185595597 or 09399398456TM: 09358118095 Sun: 09223753555 please TExt or call for immediate response..
    DIRECT BOAT OPERATOR PO KAME SA ANAWANGIN O PUNDAQUIT KAYA MAKAKASIGURADO PO KYO NG MURA AT MAGANDANG SERBISYO....

    ReplyDelete
  14. come and visit our place here in pundakit zambales, i am sure you will love this place.. we are offering a great tour packages.. for more information you may call 09077941862 / 09185293929 / 09303664370 & look for ROMEL "BORNOK" PELAGIO or you may visit our site www.pundakit-treasures.simplesite.com for complete list of packages.. thanks & god bless.. enjoy!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. ask ko lang po magkano costing nyo per head?

    thank you :-)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Is there anyone here planning to traverse either Mt. Pundaquit or Mt. Nagsasa this coming months?

    ReplyDelete
  17. hi there bro!
    tanong ko lang kung sino yung guide nyo sa trekking?
    may contact number ka? salamat..

    ReplyDelete
  18. . .hello po!...good am/eve po mga maam and sir na gustong bumusita sa camara, capones, anawangin, talisayin, or nagsasa cove...direct contact po kami we offer package and non package, trekking/hikking is also available and van for rents...

    ANAWANGIN COVE PACKAGE:
    4-8 PERSONS - 550 perhead
    9-10 ABOVE - 500 perhead

    NAGSASA COVE PACKAGE:
    4-8 PERSONS - 750 perhead
    9-10 ABOVE - 700 perhead

    INCLUSIONS:
    boat with island hopping(capones), tent, entrance, tubig, yelo, bonfire, uling...

    For more questions and inquiries pls. Call or text us at: 09272684714
    salamat po.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Hi!! Pwede ko po ba malaman yung number ni Mang Mike? Balak po kasi namin pumunta this weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi po. Pwede pong malaman kung saan ang entry point ng mount pundaquit? TIA

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hi! Pwede makuha contact number ni Sir Mike? Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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