Mt. Marami may not be the word of mouth for some frequent and new trekkers but I assure that this mountain will squeeze out your desire for adventure. The said mountain is being compared to the more famous Mt. Pico De Loro located also in the province of Cavite as the two shares the same attributes. Being less visited makes this mountain more beautiful and a perfect place to ponder. Located in Maragondon, Cavite and jump-off can be reached for about 2.5 to 3 hours from Manila.
Knowing Mt. Marami
Mt. Marami is located in Maragondon, Cavite but jump-off lies in Brgy. Ramirez, Magallanes, Cavite. Please take note that there are two jump-offs going to Mt. Marami: one is located in Brgy. Ramirez and the other one is located in Brgy. Talipusngo. On our case, we opt to take the Ramirez trail and as advised also by our guide this trail is easier and shorter than the other one. As a running joke for some hikers who climbed this mountain the reason why it’s called “Mt. Marami” is because it requires “maraming lakad” (many walk) to reach its summit. Stands 405 MASL with difficulty level of 3/9, trekking may take around 3-4 hours to reach the summit where the rock formation also known as “Silyang bato” is stationed.
How to go to Mt. Marami
From Manila
Ride a bus from PITX bound to Naic, Cavite. From Naic, make your way to jeepney terminal and ride a jeepney bound to Magallanes, Cavite. Tell the driver that you’re going to Mt. Marami and drop you off at the Brgy. Ramirez junction. From the junction, charter a tricycle that will take you to the registration.
Our Mountain Guide
We reached Brgy. Ramirez at around 10:00 AM and went straight to the house of our tour guide Kuya Jeff. They own a small karinderya managed by his wife Ate Veron where we took an early lunch and prep ourselves before we start our trek. We first contacted Kuya Joel since his name is all over facebook when we searched for a recommended guide but due to a schedule conflict, he was not able to meet us that morning but instead assisted by his recommended guide Kuya Jeff. I highly speak of these guides as they are one of the best on their craft. We were assisted the whole time by Kuya Jeff but was able to meet also Kuya Joel along the way twice: one during our ascend and second during our descent the next morning. What I noticed with these guides, they are not merely guides who do it for a living but they are guides who are passionate on their field. They climbed series of mountains aside from Marami, gave us advices about overnight camping and talk about trekking aids.
Start of Trek
After taking our lunch and logged our visit on the registration booth on their barangay hall, we started our journey to the summit. Initial trail is quite easy as it’s composed of many flat courses with few ascents. Good thing that the weather cooperated with us, though it’s almost noon, weather was just cloudy and not too hot. Almost half of the trail were actually just a track going to the foot of the mountain which is mostly made up of flat trail, river crossing, skyward slopes that are manageable. You will be greeted from time to time by the mesmerizing summit as it can be seen on some parts of the trail. There are also few huts and a sari-sari store where you can buy stuffs and rest.
Upon reaching the foot of the mountain, this is where the more challenging part of the trail starts. You have to climb steep paths that might be exhausting for people like me (haha!) We actually took series of rest but it’s still a good thing that it is not hot and it’s slight windy during that time that eases our weariness. We reached our camping site at around 2:30 PM and took a rest first.
Take note that there are three camping sites available where you can pitch your tent for an overnight stay. First is located beside a sari-sari store and near a water source but it is still located 1 to 1.5 hours (depending on your pace) away from the summit. Second camp site is located for about 200 meters away from the first site. Third camp site is the nearest to the summit and with the most beautiful view as the peak can be freely seen from here but the area is open, far from the water source and can be too cold during the night. It’s up to you where you wish to stay for the night.
After taking a rest, we setup or tent and decided to just go to the summit that day (initial plan was to climb the summit by next day for the sunrise) and watch the sunset from there. As we go nearer the summit, the view was becoming more spectacular. It took us another hour to reach the summit and we were greeted by the view one would surely fall in love with and no one can resist. We were the only group on the summit during that time. And that’s what I love most in the places less visited, you can enjoy the moment without the distraction of the crowd.
It was too windy when we reach the rock formations of the summit so we were too careful when we were taking pictures because one misstep could lead into danger. The scenery from the top was breathtaking and the sunset made it even more beautiful! Kuya guide is also good in taking photos.
After taking enough photos and when the cold breeze of the strong wind started to gave us chills, we decided to start our descent back to our camping ground. It’s becoming dark so we were in a bit hurry to go back. We set foot back on our camp at around 7:00 PM and put out our camping cooking sets to prepare our food. It was our first time to cook during our climb since we usually bring cooked foods but by this time, we want to have the full experience. Kuya Jeff even taught us how to use the butane, he’s not just a guide but more of a climbing mentor to us. We just talk anything about life while waiting for our food. After taking our simple dinner, we decided to take a rest and sleep as we were very tired.
The Next Morning
We had cup noodles for breakfast that we just bought on the sari-sari store located on our camp site. While taking our breakfast, Kuya Joel (our original contacted guide) came with another set of trekkers. We just talked for some time and we started to pack our things. It took us another 3 hours to go back to the jump-off. We had our lunch again to the karinderya owned by our guide’s family. They also have clean comfort rooms where we took a bath.
Other Things to Know:
- Overnight guide fee is 1000 Php for 1-5 persons, additional person needs to pay 200 Php each
- Registration fee is 80 Php per head
- If you were not able to contact a guide prior going, tour guides are available upon registration
