Mt. Ayaas, Montalban, Rizal

Last month, I failed to reach the summit of Mt. Paminitan; I didn't even make it through halfway because I had an asthma attack. I wanted to pursue the climb, but my husband advised me not to. Even Kuya Mac, our guide, said I looked unwell. 

I felt devastated. I was disappointed with myself. But the experience made me realized that I have to, once again, look after my well-being. I was feeling slack in the health department over these past few months, which is probably one of the reasons that triggered my asthma. 

Pre-hiking cardinal rule: Train your body. It is same goes with the saying "Fight no battle unprepared." 

Hence I prepared myself for the Ayaas climb. I started working out again at least thirty (30) minutes a day, four (4) times a week. I was doing a lot of cardio, HIIT (high-intensity interval training) exercises, and lower body workouts. So when the day came for us to conquer Mt. Ayaas, I was able to surpass the challenging parts of the trail without having to worry about my asthma. My hard work paid off! Yay!

The Climb

From a tricycle ride heading to Barangay Mascap, Rodriguez, Rizal, we took a quick breakfast at a local karinderia - just near the registration area and Mascap Barangay Hall. The place reminded me of our unforgettable trip to Puray Falls a few years ago. The barangay hall served as our car park and wash area. The road then was still undeveloped. The place, very remote. So many things have changed since then. 

Our hike began on a long Mascap-Puray concrete road, one of bikers favorite trails. We passed by quaint houses, sari-sari stores, and a school.  After roughly twenty to thirty minutes, we found ourselves rummaging through a narrow, grass-field pathway. The grass edges were pretty sharp and itchy; I was careful that it wouldn't touch my face, or else I would end up like Squall Leonhart or Rurouni Kenshin (if you know what I mean) :) 

Puray-Mascap Road

The second hour of the hike was the most challenging part, but to be fair, it wasn't as hard as Mt. Binacayan or Paminitinan. There were no limestones or huge solid rocks along the way. The hiking area was mostly open grassland. The trail was not too steep, but caution should always be observed.

Our hike was swift and steady. We reached the summit within two hours. Overall, the hike took us four hours which already include rests, lunch, and happy chitchats (ha-ha). We were back at the jump-off point/registration area at 11:30 AM.

view of the summit

view from the summit 

the squad with our guides at the summit

Tips and FYIs:

- To go to the registration area, alight Montalban Eastwood particularly at TOTAL gas station. There's a 7-Eleven within the area. You may buy your food or necessities.

- My friends met up in Farmers, Cubao. There are UV Express vans going Montalban. Husband and I are living in Marikina, a neighboring town of Montalban. It just took us fifteen minutes to get there.

- Tricycle station going to Mascap is just across TOTAL gas station. Pay a fixed fare at Php150.00. A tricycle can accommodate four persons. 

- You may leave your other things e.g., clothes for changing and toiletries in the registration area. You may also find washrooms and toilet in there. 

- We passed by a couple of rivers, but the water was pretty low. 

- Make sure you put on sunscreen, cap, and long (or arm) sleeves. Hikers would likely catch sunburn, especially at the summit.

- We had our lunch on our way back. There's a pop-up store that sells water, sodas, and chips. Quite pricey though. Regular Mountain Dew costs Php50.00 each.

- Two guides were assigned to us. The maximum number of participants per guide is five. We were seven.

- Bring at least 1.5L of water. As mentioned, the hiking trail was mostly open space thus the heat made me feel thirsty every step of the way. I was surprised I consumed my 1L of water, and we're still on the verge of "attacking" the summit.

- You may get your guide upon reaching registration area. The registration personnel will assist you on this.

pero bago ang lahat, mag-picture muna.