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
0700 Breakfast / Break camp
0800 Start trekking
1200 Lunch at Camp 1
1300 Resume trek
1400 ETA river / Wash up
1500 Arrival at DENR. Proceed to Bagumbayan Beach House
1600 ETA Bagumbayan. Check-in / settle guide fees
1800 Dinner / post climb celebrationDay +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
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
0200 Start trekking
0400 ETA Camp 1
0600 ETA Camp 2 / Breakfast
0800 ETA Camp 3
1100 ETA G2 summit
1230 Lunch at Mabel’s Spring
1300 Resume trek
1700 Arrival at Mayo’s Peak
1800 Dinner or heavy snack
2100 ETA DENR Station. End of trek
2130 Proceed to Bagumbayan Beach House
2200 ETA Bagumbayan. Check-in / settle guide fees
2230 Late dinner / post climb celebration
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
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Transportation
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(1) Bus to Batangas Port – P170
(2) Batangas Port to Magdiwang via Odiongan or Romblon (Daily departures at 1700H; arrives in Ambulong Port at 1000H the next day) – P1400-1500 total. (3) Ambulong port to Olango jump off – P400 per person by tricycle; cheaper if renting a jeep with more people
(4) DENR jumpoff to Bagumbayan beach – P75 per person by tricycle (5) Bagumbayan beach to Ambulong port – P20 per person by tricycle (6) Return ferry and bus trips same as above. Note that daily ferry leaves Ambulong at around 1000H (ETA 1300H Romblon and 1430H San Agustin); Romblon and Odiongan ferries leave for Batangas at 1700H (7) If connecting from San Agustin to Odiongan by jeepney, fare is P120 |
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Registration
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Logbook, waiver, and registration form at DENR Station, Brgy. Tampayan. Total fees per hiker P300
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Available: 3000 per guide regardless of hiking duration (1-3 days max); 3000 per porter. 1 guide and 1 porter required for every three hikers. Note: Allot additional fee for guides’ transportation.
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DENR (Andy Regla) +639284901038
Guides (Remy Rebiso) +639955563081 and 09066356901 (updated 2018) |
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Campsites
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Usual campsites include Olango Camp 3, Mayo’s Peak, Traditional Camp 3 and 2.
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Water sources
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Olango River (2 kms from entry point); Mabel’s Spring (irregular; past Peak of Deception); Bulod’s Spring (more regular; past Mayo’s Peak). Anticipate unavailability during peak season and thus bring 4 L
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Cellphone signal
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Present in most parts except Knife Edge and Mayo’s Peak area (Smart > Globe)
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River crossings
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Minor crossings at the beginning of the traverse trail; bigger stream 45 minutes from exit point; usual precautions apply
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Roped segments
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None but some segments from summit to Mayo’s Peak requires extreme caution and possible assistance
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Yes – minimal (near Camp 3 of traditional trail)
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Yes – minimal
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Rattan
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Yes – minimal
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Sidetrips
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Sibuyan Peak – 3 hour detour from Camp 3 (Traverse) but not sanctioned by DENR; waterfalls and rivers within the park
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Alternate trails
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There are other possible traverse routes but not permitted by DENR as of 2014
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Yes (7-10 hours to summit; 8-14 hours from summit to exit point)
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6000-7000
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MT. GUITING-GUITING TRAVERSE PICTURES
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| View of Mt. Guiting-Guiting from the Olango trailhead |
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| With Tatay Remy Rebiso, the lead guide of the traverse trail, while having breakfast at Camp 3 of the Olango trail |
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| The beautiful ridges of the traverse trail (Feb 2014) |
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| 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.
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7 Comments on "Mt. Guiting-Guiting Traverse (2,058+)"
Doing a G2 Traverse on November 2015…call/text me if you want to join Gene Labio 09233343053. Thanks sir Gid
Correction on the trivia. The first traverse mentioned was done in 2000:
"Back in year 2000, NIPAP commissioned Al Linsangan to do a photo-documentary of the flora and fauna of Sibuyan Island. Upon learning Al's task, Bunny had the great idea to climb Mt. Guiting-Guiting via a non-traditional route. He suggested we can climb up the usual route via Tampayan/Magdiwang and then go down the other side of the mountain in España, San Fernando. The climb happened from June 19-22, taking us 4 days to traverse the mountain from a planned 3-day climb.
Members of the team were Leonard Soriano, Antonio " AL" Linsangan III, Remy Robiso, Royce Eustaquio and me."
from photo account of Emman Maceda (Facebook Correction on the trivia. The "first" traverse mentioned was done in 2000:
"Back in year 2000, NIPAP commissioned Al Linsangan to do a photo-documentary of the flora and fauna of Sibuyan Island. Upon learning Al's task, Bunny had the great idea to climb Mt. Guiting-Guiting via a non-traditional route. He suggested we can climb up the usual route via Tampayan/Magdiwang and then go down the other side of the mountain in España, San Fernando. The climb happened from June 19-22, taking us 4 days to traverse the mountain from a planned 3-day climb.
Members of the team were Leonard Soriano, Antonio " AL" Linsangan III, Remy Robiso, Royce Eustaquio and me."
from photo album of Emman Maceda (Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/emman.maceda/media_set?set=a.10153829947350331.1073741843.769555330)
There have been traverses done in the 1980's (as mentioned). For example, the team of Bubut Tan Torres, Fred Jamili, and Mon Ruiz attempted to traverse the sawtooth ridge in 1983. Running out of water and supplies, they bailed out and rappeled down to the eastern face of the ridge until they came across the headwaters of Cantingas River, which they followed downstream to the coastline (although they did not pass through the summit).
hope this helps
Since April 1 214 there is a new cheap accommodation for hiker and backpacker who like to go up to the summit of Mt. Guiting Guiting (G2).
Good for 4-6 persons and comes with hot and cold shower.
In Olango, ask for Laarni & Tom's place. Remy ( the guide ) knows them also very well.
Tip: Try Tom's original Italian pizza or pasta… masarap !!
Sir Gid, kumpleto yung IT niyo ng G2 traverse. Very helpful, parang ganyan format yung mga reviewer sa UP med e. Hehe. ;p
Sir Gid, your G2 trav iterenary is very comprehensive! Salamat!