Mt. Batolusong Dayhike Guide for 500 Pesos

Major Jump-off:

Location: Brgy. San Andres, Tanay, Rizal
LLA: 645 MASL / 780 MASL
Days Required / Hours to Destination: 1 day / 1.5h (Mapatag); 3-4h (Susong Dalaga Peak)
Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3
Features: Grassland slopes, views of Laguna, Rizal, and Quezon

— Source: Pinoy Mountaineer

The Journey

We started the climb around 6 PM, thinking it would be an easy trek—but it wasn’t. The trail to the first peak, Duhatan Ridge (the campsite), was quite difficult with a steep, continuous ascent. Our guide mentioned that there are three main stations to rest along the way, and there’s a store near the campsite that opens as early as 4 AM.

One great thing about Mt. Batolusong is its water sources. There are three on the mountain: one near Duhatan Ridge, another near Mapatag Plateau, and one by Kay-Ibon Falls. If your stomach isn’t too sensitive, you can drink the water to help lighten your backpack.

After almost two hours, we reached the campsite. You can choose to camp either at Duhatan Ridge or Mapatag Plateau, but it’s recommended to camp at Duhatan Ridge for three reasons:

1. It’s near the store.
2. It’s near a water source.
3. It offers the best view of the sea of clouds.

After setting up our tent, we had dinner under the infinite number of stars in the sky—an ecstatic feeling after what we had just experienced.

At around 4 AM, we began our trek to Mapatag Plateau, which took about an hour. Although we didn’t witness the sea of clouds at Duhatan Ridge due to strong winds the previous night, it was still amazing to see Mt. Batolusong emerge from total darkness into its full beauty. We continued climbing to the third and highest peak, Rangyas Peak.

The changing colors of the sky, the blooming flowers, city lights, and the green grass turning gold—it was a wonderful scene!

Kay-Ibon Falls

We descended around 7 AM and took the route to Kay-Ibon Falls, a popular side trip when climbing Mt. Batolusong. It took us about two hours to reach the falls, and we were the first group to dip into the base of the falls—it was incredibly satisfying! The trail to the falls was an easy one.

Tips & Reminders:

• Follow the Leave No Trace (LNT) policy and respect the mountain.
• Bring a flashlight for overnight treks or if you start the trek at dawn.
• Bring at least 1 liter of water and refill from the mountain’s water sources if your stomach can handle it.
• Bring packed lunch/dinner and trail food.
• Pack extra clothes.
• From Kay-Ibon Falls, you can exit there and wait for a jeepney back to Cogeo.

Travel Instructions:

• From Cubao Aurora Blvd, take a jeepney to Cogeo. Get off at Cogeo Gate 2 or the Cogeo public market.
• Walk to Cogeo City Mall and find the jeepney terminal for Barangay Sampaloc.
• Get off at Barangay San Andres or tell the driver you’re climbing Mt. Batolusong.
• Rent a tricycle to take you to the jump-off point.
• From Kay-Ibon Falls, hire a tricycle back to the jeepney terminal bound for Cogeo. The fare is around Php 150-200 (good for 4 people).
• From there, take a jeepney back to Cogeo for Php 30.

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Transportation & Costs:

Item	Cost (Php)
Cubao to Cogeo Gate 2 (RT)	50
Jeepney to Barangay Sampaloc	42
Tricycle from Brgy Sampaloc to Registration Area	40
Tricycle from Kay-Ibon Exit to Jeepney Terminal	50
Terminal to Cogeo Gate 2	30
Registration Fee	40
Tour Guide (1250/6 people)	209
Total Cost	Php 461

• Tour Guide Rates:
  • Overnight: Php 1250
  • Day hike: Php 500

I hope you like reading this article.