Mt. Guiting-Guiting Traverse (2,058+)

MT. GUITING-GUITING/TRAVERSE (2,058+)
Sibuyan Island, Romblon
Entry point: Sitio Olango, San Fernando, Sibuyan Island
Exit point: Brgy. Tampayan, Madgiwang, Sibuyan Island
LLA: 12°24’50″N, 122°34’4″E, 2058 MASL
Days required / Hours to summit: 10-18 hours / 2-3 days (excluding travel)
Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 9/9, Trail class 2-5
Features: Knife-edged rocky trails, rock bouldering/scrambling, tropical forest

BACKGROUND
Guiting-Guiting has always held a lofty place as one of the most challenging hikes in the Philippines, owing to its dramatic trails that pass through the thin, jagged rocky ridges that characterise the mountain. In 2009 and onwards, intrepid hikers and local guides led a sustained effort to pioneer and establish a trail from the southwest that connects to the summit in a relatively straightforward ascent – effectively creating a “Mt. Guiting-Guiting Traverse” that requires either three days up the ridges, or a very arduous dayhike.

This page is supplementary to the main Mt. Guiting-Guiting article, and covers the practicalities for a Mt. Guiting-Guiting Traverse. Please see more information in the main article.

ITINERARIES


THREE-DAY G2 TRAVERSE

Day -1
1330 Take bus from Manila to Batangas port
1600 Arrival at Batangas port
1700 ETD to Romblon (either Romblon or Odiongan)

Day 0
If arriving in Romblon, transfer to M/V Maria Querubin to Ambulong
If arriving in Odiongan, take jeepney to San Agustin, then the Querubin to Ambulong
1100 Arrival at Ambulong. Early lunch at the port
1130 Proceed to DENR for registration/briefing
1200 ETA DENR
1300 Head to San Fernando, Romblon
1330 Optional sidetrip: Lambingan Falls
1600 ETA San Fernando, Romblon. Buy supplies
1700 ETA jumpoff (Sitio Olango)
1900 Dinner

Day 1
0500 Wake up call / Breakfast
0600 Start trekking
1200 Lunch at Camp 2
1300 Resume trek
1600 ETA Camp 3. Set up camp
1800 Dinner / socials

Day 2
0400 Wake up call
0500 Breakfast / Break camp
0600 Start trekking
0700 ETA Crash Site
1100 ETA G2 summit / Early lunch
1200 Resume trek
1300 ETA Peak of Deception
1330 Mabel’s Spring
1400 Kiss the Wall
1500 Knife Edge
1700 ETA Mayo’s Peak. Set up camp
1800 Dinner / socials

Day +1
0800 Wake up call
0930 Proceed to Ambulong port by tricycle
1000 Take M/V Maria Querubin to Romblon or San Agustin

Day +2
0300 ETA Batangas port. Take bus back to Manila
0600 ETA Manila

PRACTICALITIES: GUITING-GUITING TRAVERSE

MT. GUITING-GUITING TRAVERSE PICTURES 

View of Mt. Guiting-Guiting from the Olango trailhead

With Tatay Remy Rebiso, the lead guide of the traverse trail, while having breakfast at Camp 3 of the Olango trail

The beautiful ridges of the traverse trail (Feb 2014)

The blogger at the summit of Mt. Guiting-Guiting (Feb 2014)

TRIVIA
With many hikers taking part in the efforts to establish a Guiting-Guiting Traverse, acknowledging all of them is not an easy task. As early as the 1980s, mountaineers have attempted to traverse G2, with attempts from clubs such as UPM. But the successful traverse did not come until 2004 when a group of DENR personnel performed the traverse. A year later, a AMCI-led group became the second group to the traverse. In Holy Week 2009, two groups, led by Kat Ocol and Emman Palacio, respectively, initiated the latest spate of interest on the traverse, followed by a succession of many others, including Benj Magkalas. In 2010, Koi Grey and Melo Sanchez became the first to do the traverse as a dayhike.

The blogger revisited Sibuyan island to do a Mt. Guiting-Guiting Traverse on February 2, 2014. This hike is narrated in Hiking matters #388-389.