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Back in the Boondocks

(top to bottom: a view of mt. batulao from our campsite. waking up early to catch the sunrise. the dog that followed us to our campsite. tocino and tuyo -- breakfast of champions. trekking inside the forest line.)

a few years ago, climbing mt. batulao in nasugbu with other members of the up lakay kalikasan mountaineers, we were accosted at our summit campsite by bolo-wielding farm boys who have somehow learned how to bring extortion to a dramatic new level. needless to say, the experience kept me away from the mountains near tagaytay indefinitely. so when i received an invitation to climb mt. talamitam, mt. batulao's neighbor, my immediate response was to say no.

it was a good thing i changed my mind. the trek from the jump-off to our campsite took only two hours. from the campsite, it was only 30 minutes to the summit. great views all around. on our way back the following morning, we cooled off at a small waterfall. not a crazed local in sight. so, have i finally changed my mind about climbing in tagaytay? my immediate response would be yes.