Malarayat Traverse – 6 Peaks Climb in Batangas

I do not know what’s so especial about having to ascend several peaks in a single climb nowadays. A lot of climbers are taking pride when have gone through such activity; partly because, it is a great test of endurance and patience, of coolness, and of courage and agility. When successfully ascended a summit, plus several more peaks, a climber gains an additional invisible badge to his shoulder.

If you aim to step foot on several peaks, 6 peaks at that, in your next climb, the best place to head to is Batangas. For less than Php700 (group of 7) you can earn that “multi peaks hiker badge” in 2 days!

Malarayat mountain range is situated in the province of Batangas, covering municipalities of Sto Tomas and Talisay. There are trails that lead to the neighbor provinces such as San Pablo, Laguna and Tiaong, Quezon which technically puts the mountain range between the borders of three provinces.

The Malarayat traverse is composed of several peaks and the three most prominent are: Manabu Peak, Susong Dalaga, and Malipunyo Peaks. Traversing these peaks is feasible and can be done in various ways. The traverse itinerary can vary depending on the point of entry and exit, as well as the desired number of peaks. When we did the Malarayat Traverse we took the Sto. Tomas entry through Mt. Manubu and exited at Talisay after climbing Mt. Malipunyo. Overall, we covered 6 peaks.

Malarayat Mountain Ranges Traverse

If you are taking Sto. Tomas – Talisay traverse, the first mountain to climb is Mt. Manabu. You can take the trail via Grotto that leads to the summit and go down to the campsite. Right after the campsite is a trail-less trajectory that leads to Mt. Maraduhan. You can also take the traditional trail of Manabu and pass by Tatay Piryeng’s nipa hut for a free coffee. Ascend to Manabu summit afterwards and backtrack to get to the next peak or you may opt not to go to Manabu summit by turning right at an almost impenetrable trail that forks out from the main trail before the campsite to go to Mt. Maraduhan.)

The trail to Mt. Maraduhan is overgrown with grasses, vines, and heaven knows what else. Merciless teka-teka (thorny shrubs) and Lipa plants (poison ivy) are thriving in abundance along the way; be careful not to touch them.

After Mt. Maraduhan, pathway becomes easier and manageable. You’ll have to pass by a grassland until you reach the third peak – the shade-less summit of Biak-na-Bundok. This mountain, I may say, has an impressive view. It boasts a very good vantage point for other Southern Tagalog mountains. Biak-na-Bundok is also a good campsite as there is a water source nearby. On our end, we continued trekking until we reached our guide’s “tree house”. We spent the night there. Good thing we did, because after several minutes of resting when we reached Kuya Mario’s house, heavy rain poured.

The next day, we climbed the remaining 3 peaks of Malipunyo. From the tree house, it took us one and a half hour to reach Peak 2, thirty minutes from Peak 2 to Peak 3 (the highest point, 1,015 MASL), and another 30 minutes from Peak 3 to Peak 1. Overall, it took us a total of 4 hours from Kuya Mario’s tree house to Peak 2, Peak 3, and Peak 1 then back to the tree house. Malipunyo mountain range is green and mostly forested. Climbers are treated with amazing views from the summit, from where you can also see other neighboring mountains like Mt. Maculot, Taal Lake, Mt. Atimla, Mt. Kalisungan, the Banahaw complex, and Mt. Makiling.

We had a side trip to a nameless waterfalls before deciding to finally descend to Brgy. Talisay.

How to Get to Malarayat Traverse Jump-Off Point

The easiest way is catch a bus going to Lipa City or Batangas Pier, there are buses bound to those destinations near LRT Buendia. Tell the driver/conductor to drop you at Fiesta Mall. From there catch a tricycle going to Sulok, Brgy Sta Cruz, Sto Tomas Batangas (if you are taking Manabu-Malipunyo) or Sitio Talisay (if you are taking Malipunyo-Manabu). Drivers know too well where to bring you.

Projected Expenses for Mt Malarayat Traverse 

Malarayat Mountain Ranges Traverse Sample Itinerary

Day 1

0500 – Assembly at Jam Bus Terminal
0530 – ETD Manila
0800 – ETA Batangas (buy provisions)
0900 – Start Trek
1100 – Manabu Campsite (lunch)
1130 – Resume trekking to Biak-na-Bundok
1300 – Water source
1330 – Start assault to Malipunyo summit
1700 – Malipunyo Summit (overnight camp)

Day 2

0600 – Wake Up call (breakfast)
0700 – Break Camp
0730 – Start descend
1100 – Jumpoff (wash up)
1300 – Lunch sa malupet na lomihan ng Batangas
1500 – Home bound
1800 – ETA Manila

Travel Tips

• During rainy season, Malarayat traverse trails (especially in Manabu) can be very muddy and slippery. Make sure to wear the right footwear to prevent accidents from happening.
• Make sure to get reliable guide as the place can be dangerous due to booby traps, poison ivies, cliffs, etc.
• Wear proper climbing attire if you don’t want going home covered with rashes and cuts.
• Be part of Love Eat Wander Facebook community and be connected with thousands of like-minded individuals. See our Malarayat Traverse climb photos here. Share your climb and travel stories with us through Tweets  and Instagram photos. Please follow @loveeatwander.

Contact Information

Kuya Mario (Guide) – 0999-410-6990

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