Mt. Damas Dayhike + Ubod Falls

MT. DAMAS 685+ MASL

San Clemente, Tarlac

Days required/ Hours to summit: 1-2 days/ 4-5 hours

Specs: Major climb, Difficulty 6/9, trail class 1-4

As a part of our monthly hike, which I scheduled myself, for the month of July the Team decided to climb the Mt. Damas located at Camiling Tarlac. It has 2 Entry Point, the main/major jumpoff is in Dueg Resettlement, Brgy. San Clemente and the alternate is in the Purok 7, Brgy. Papaac, Camiling Tarlac where we proceeded.

Since most of us are workmates and our company is located in Farmers Cubao we're very accessible to any bus stations going on Provinces along Edsa. After our work we stayed a while in my place to prepare our things and selves and leave at 12:30am so that we could catch up the bus scheduled to leave at 1:00am in Five Star Bus Station. I should have chose Solid North Bus but their first trip schedule to leave at 2:00am and we want to get there as early as we could. When we got to the Five Star Bus, the one leaving for Camiling is just an Ordinary bus, but it's fine since it's dawn the wind from the window is very cold but the only cons is that it is not comfy to sleep. At exact 1:00am our Bus leave for Alaminos Pangasinan and we ask the conductor to drop us to the market of Camiling Tarlac or near the market where we could get a Tricycle. Fare is P200 for an Ordinary Bus, P160 for a discounted student .

At exactly 4:00am we arrived at the market proper and luckily there's a tricycle right away and we negotiate like 10-15 mins. guess why? because my haggling power isn't good so we ended up in P100/pax. The ride took almost 30-40min. Quarter to 5:00am we reach the Jump off in Brgy. Papaac, our contact is already waiting there "Kuya Gary" and i got his number somewhere in a blog i googled before the trip, he is a registered tour guide basing in Papaac. We we're all hungry so we had a little breakfast first, bread and coffee from the lady in the registration area. They charged us P42 for 5 coffees and P20/pax in for Registration.

at the Registration Post preparing to Ascend

We start our trek exactly 5:20am, the night before we climbed it rained in Camiling so we're expecting a muddy trail and guess what? It's a hell muddy!  

The First Trail

The first part of the trail is relatively easy but beware with the talahib! and other thorny bushes. The gloves is required here, no skin to be exposed or else you'll get some scratches and wounds.

Hands up! for Talahib and other thorny bushes

After an hour we reach the "Kubo" the first stop, we rest there like 10 mins. 

Arriving at First Stop "The Kubo"

From Left it's Analyn, Dolly, Me (Hasz), MJ and Jasz

and resume to trek for the second part which is the long river trek.

Hello River! the Second Part of the Trail "River Trek"

It's a bit rocky and slippery with 2x Rope Segment and rock boulders. We called the Rope Segment "buwis buhay challenge" our knees are shaking whenever we sees the bottom where we could be possibly fall. 

Rope Segment Part 1

Rope Segment Part 2

Gladly we survived that part after an hour, but the real battle has just began.

Finally we reached foot of Mt. Damas, and how can we merry when it's like 80 degree assault?! this is what they called a Cardiac Trail. 

Clouds look like Cotton Candies

The Cardiac and Exposed Trail

The Green Slope that looks like Windows XP Desktop Background

I want picture in that slope,... :(

After an hour the trail goes down a little and we rest a little in a Tree shades while "Kuya Gary" fetching us water in the near water station in that area.

The part where we wait Kuya Gary (Tour Guide) fetching water for us.

It excites us seeing the peak but the mountain looks so near yet so far that we spent another 1 hour until we reach the peak!

 It doesn't have much trees it's very exposed I heard that it was caught in a forest fire last April, it's very hot so we decided to stay in a Lansones Tree before heading to the Summit.

The Lansones Tree that saves us! Thank you for the Shades!

We stayed there for 10 minutes, took some pictures and leave our bags hanging in that Tree before we proceed to the Summit.

We reach the summit at 9:30am, it's an open area, it's very hot! there's so much dragonfly and insects, but the view is very magnificent.

I'm the first who arrived at the Summit! Hawwt!

and the Injured Late Comers,..

Jump Shot is our Favorite!

YOLO

We took some photos and videos and descended at exactly 10:00am, pass by in Lansones Tree to pick up our bags and resume, this time we're fast pacing because we're all very hungry.

Descend

After 1 and half hours we're down to the foot, and decided to have our lunch before we proceed to the Falls (which is the highlight of the trip) we had our Lunch at the river side and resume our Trek after.

Lunch Time! before heading to the Falls

It's 30 minutes more going to the Falls, after 15 min. we reach the Si-el Falls (the small falls) and then we had Rope Segment on its boulders.

Trek to the falls

Si-el Falls

The Rope Segment at the Falls Boulders

At exactly 12:00pm Hi Ubod Falls! ^_^ a very tall and beautiful falls! standing 120ft. high with swimmable lagoon. We stayed there for 1 hr. swim and freshen up and took some photos.

Preparing to swim!

Ubod Falls

the one that Feeling Cold

 

We ask our Tour Guide if there's another way or trail to head back, and yes there is! He said it's cardiac trail, full of assault so we decided to just trek back the river instead at 1:00pm. We reach the community at 3:30pm, had a coffee and little snack at the Registration Post and washed up. Again, coffee is P42 for the 5 of us and P10 per Bath.

We contracted the tricycle we rented in the morning to pick us up by 5:00pm and he came back on time. We ask the driver if he could drop us in the nearest Pares House in Camiling. We want to experience the Pares in Tarlac so that the trip will be worth it. :) We ate delicious Pares and head back to Manila at 6:00pm via Five Star Bus again, it's an Air-conditioned bus P262 per head and P208 for discounted student. We reached the Cubao at exactly 10:00pm. It's been a long exhausting and fun journey. Guess what? we'll sure be back again, but in the Ubod Falls only! LOL This mountain is small but terrible! :)

Our Exact Itinerary:

1:00am ETD Five Star Bus going to Camiling

4:00am ETA Camiling Proper

4:40am ETA Brgy. Papaac, Camiling Jumpoff (had a little breakfast and register)

5:20am Start the Trek

6:20am We reach the Kubo Stop over and rest a little

6:30am Resume for the River Trek

7:30am we reach the Foot of Mt. Damas and resume the Cardiac Trail

8:30am rest a little in Shades near the Water Station

9:00am at the peak resting in Lansones Tree

9:30am at the SUMMIT photo ops!

10:00am descend

11:30am back to Mt. Damas Foot and have Lunch, resume trek to the falls

12:00pm we reach the Falls, swim and photo ops

1:00pm trek back,..

3:30pm we reach the Community, meryenda and washed up

5:00pm ETD to Camiling Proper,

5:40pm ETA Camiling Proper and have some Pares

6:00pm ETD to Cubao via Five Star Bus

10:00pm ETA CUBAO

Budget and Expenses:

Five Star Bus Ordinary P200/pax  P160/student

Tricycle P100/pax   (2x)

Tour Guide P100/pax

Registration P20/head

Pack Lunch/Candies/Meryenda/Water  P200/head

Pares P38/pax

Bath P10/pax

Five Star Bus Airconditioned P262/pax   P208/student

P930/head (around 1k budget)

Must Bring:

2 Liters of Water

Getorade

Pack Lunch

Armings

Sun protection

and Gloves

Best month to visit:

Bear Months!


Tour Guide:

Kuya Gary (0929-258-2106)

-"Life is more than just surviving!"

-til my next Journey

-Hasz