Akayan Trail ride is one for MCC's book

Almost fifty cyclists joined the MCC-organized Akayan Trail ride last March 9. The route is a 40-km loop going up two mountain peaks - on Sitio Macaingalan and at Mt. Balagbag (AKA Helipad or Veterans) - on feeder roads and single tracks.

View from first tabletop.

Cyclists started gathering at the Montalban town hall just after 6 AM. After a short briefing and a prayer, the group started moving out just after 7 AM. We were informed that another group of riders were late, and so some of us waited for them. And so, we were divided into two groups. The first group contains more than 30 cyclists, the second one more than ten, though another six cyclists later joined on.

There is now a welcome arch for Sitio Macaingalan, just above the Stations of the Cross, near the flattened hilltop. This hilltop offered us a great vista of the mountains as well as the plains of Montalban. And of course, for photo ops.

View from second tabletop. 

The road leading to  Macaingalan had been graded, removing the deep rainwater canals along the way - canals which had given us hard time before. However, in its stead, gravel and rocks have become exposed, making it still hard to maneuver. The road also contains powdery soil, and in some places, deep enough to stop a tire. Many pushed their bikes going up, and walked going down, in parts of the way due to this road condition.

We took refreshments, lunch, and stocked on food and drinks at Macaingalan proper, making the halu-halo vendor very happy with her massive sales. And oh, after initial surprise at its presence here, some also took a bottle of San Miguel Beer.

Another new here is that Barangay officials are now taking down the names of cyclists who enter the Akayan Trail, just like in Mt. Balagbag. This, they say, is a safety measure so that they would know if someone gets lost.

Going further up Macaingalan, we stopped at the peak and, in another flattened top (view deck, tabletop), we again enjoyed the view around us, appreciated how far we have traveled, and looked at how far we still have to go to reach the next peak (Mt. Balagbag). And of course, took photos.

In a fork, we entered the Akayan Trail. The single track from here to Mt. Balagbag has become wider and clearer since last year. It has also become easier to bike along the track, except for the steep part on Pulang Lupa, mid-way.

The spring mid-way has been harnessed by a nearby family, but one can easily ask for water. The next spring, near the top of Mt. Balagbag, is already weak at this time of the year.

The second group got to appreciate a near sunset at Mt. Balagbag, the second and final peak, before going back to Montalban plains.

Night caught up on the second group from Veterans village. Good thing the group was prepared for a possible night ride, as was thus equipped. After taking rest and refreshments at Licao-licao, the group road in the dark for more than an hour going back to the Montalban town hall.

Except for some reported bruises, no one was hurt bad in this ride. Many considered the ride very hard, but nevertheless appreciated this distinctive experience.

Montalban Cycling Club thanks all who joined this ride. We hope to meet you again on the trails.

Ride photos (First group, thanks to BikerJ): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203247478370467.1073741846.1314353694&type=1&l=a4866a372d 

Ride photos (Second group): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10203313015815950.1073741897.1526987097&type=1&l=d094920994

See some of the geo-tagged photos in Google map: http://goo.gl/x2UQbs

Videos (thanks to BikerJ): http://goo.gl/PovL9w 

Akayan Trail Ride

Akayan Trail Ride (organized by the Montalban Cycling Club)

Date March 9, Sunday
Meet up: Rodriguez (Montalban) Town Hall, 6:30 AM. Ride out: 7 AM.

Distance: Approx. 40 kms.

Route: Reverse route of the usual rides. Ride up to Makaingalan, then all downhill from Mt. Balagbag. From Rodriguez Town Hall -> Eastwood Subd. -> San Isidro -> Makaingalan -> Akayan Trail -> Mt. Balagbag / Veterans / Helipad -> Macabud -> Rodriguez Town Hall.

What to expect: LOTS of climbs and DH on fire roads, single tracks on Akayan Trail. Bring PACKED LUNCH. Bring bike lights in case night catches us on the road.

Recommended Participants: Intermediate level and above, or newbies with climbing experiences. Not for Beginners.

Trail Condition: combination of cemented roads (around 10K), feeder roads and single tracks (around 30K). Almost all bikable, except for a few portions on Akayan Trail.

ETA: 5-6 PM.

Bring: helmet, hydration, road food, extra cash, bike repair pack/kit, first aid kit, PACKED LUNCH, bike lights, at maraming saya.

Map of the route: http://goo.gl/jz1duR
Let us know if you will join us: http://goo.gl/Jz94fV

Puray Falls ride is "sulit"

More than 20 cyclists joined MCC's fun ride to Puray Falls yesterday, 9 February 2014. Though the mountain climbs had been "challenging" to say the least, participants all said the ride has been "sulit" (worth it) as we view the scenes along the route, had viewed Puray Falls and had taken a dip in its cool water. Since this is a newbie ride, we had numerous stops and took pictures along the way.

Riding out at 7:15 AM from the Rodriguez town hall, we took the the Eastwood route going to the place. We had numerous short stops and picture-taking along the way, regrouping and taking short rests on the five hilltops along the way. We had our major stops at Mascap proper and at Puray proper to regroup, refresh, and take snacks.

We took the mountain/dry route going to Puray Falls, and then the river/wet route plus seven rivers trail coming back. We were slow in going, as the climbs after Mascap are steep and the feeder road rutted deep. In many instances we had to push our bikes going up, and even had to walk our bikes going down due to the dangerous ruts on the road. Still, there were glorious downhill rides.

Arriving at the falls, we were glad as we realized we had the falls all for ourselves. The cool, clear water was refreshing, and refreshed we felt after taking a dip. We also took some time doing some cleanup at the falls.

We parked at Cris' place (kina Kagawad, where you also see a "Glorious Bike Shop" poster), and also had our lunch cooked by them.

After lunch, we again rode out at 1 PM, this time taking the river/wet route. The river's water level is now so low that one could traverse this route without getting wet, provided you carry your bike as you step on the rocks. It was here that we happily rode single tracks without nary a climb going back to Puray, and then to Mascap.

From Mascap, we followed the seven river route (now only five river crossings) and coming out on Eastwood Subdivisions. We got lost (did not notice a turn on the single track) near Eastwood, but ended up shortening our ride. The "tawid-pader" access on Eastwood is now fully open.

Before 3 PM, we are already back in Rodriguez.

All the comments I received was that the ride was very "sulit".

The route we took: http://goo.gl/eKzPx5
Our photos of the ride: http://goo.gl/7c4Btm

Puray Falls newbie ride

This fun ride in Montalban is the first of a series of fun rides the Montalban Cycling Club will be organizing this summer. There will be one ride per month. All rides will be within Montalban.

Date: February 9 (Sunday)
Meet up: Rodriguez (Montalban) Town Hall
Time:  6:30 AM. Ride out: 7 AM.

Destination: Puray Falls in Bgy. Puray, Rodriguez (Montalban), Rizal
Distance: Approx. 30 kms.

Route: Rodriguez Town Hall - Eastwood Subd. - San Isidro - Mascap (rest/regroup) - dry/mountain route (combination cemented and fire roads) - Puray proper (rest/regroup) - Puray Falls. Return route - wet/river route (river crossings, trails - Mascap - Seven Rivers route - Eastwood - Rodriguez Town Hall.

What to expect: climbs and DH on cemented and fire roads going there. River crossings, single tracks coming back. All bikable, except for the last 100 meters going to Puray Falls.

ETA: 3-4 PM, depends on how long we will stay at the falls.

Bring: hydration, road food, bike repair pack/kit, pack lunch or money for lunch (pwedeng magpaluto doon), waterproof pouches for your things.

NOTE: This is a newbie ride, but not for absolute beginners.

If you have a Facebook account, you can indicate that you are joining the event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/466250200151769/

Biker enjoys Puray Falls trail

Here is the story of a biker enjoying the "epic" Puray Falls trail. Read his story here: http://www.outsideslacker.com/epic-biking-to-puray-falls/.

Puray Falls is a popular biking destination for cyclists in and around Metro Manila and the Rizal province. It is accessible during the whole year, except during and immediately after typhoons. The trail offers both a dry, mountainous route and a wet, river route, or a combination of both.

Visiting Puray Falls

One of the major destinations of cyclists in Montalban is the Puray Falls. It is near enough even for newbies to tackle in less than a day. And it offers two exciting routes to choose from: mountain route or river route.

If you want to bike to Puray Falls, you can use the map below to guide you to your destination.

Coming from outside of Montalban, you can reach Montalban either from J.P. Rizal in Marikina or Batasan Road or Litex Road in Quezon City.

Once in Montalban, you can choose from two routes going to San Isidro: either go left toward Mayon Ave., or JP Rizal Ave. From JP Rizal Ave., you can choose between the Eastwood Residences route (cemented/dry road) or Avilon Zoo (trail/wet road).

From San Isidro, climb up then down to Mascap. From Mascap, you choose between the mountain route or the river route. Or you can go through the mountain route, and return via the river route.

The river route is passable only during summer. This route is flat, but involves crossing the same river for almost twenty times.

The mountain route includes, well, climbs and downhills. But this route is now almost completely cemented, making it easier to navigate.

Food stops are at the Montalban town proper, Mascap, and lastly, Puray (not in Puray Falls). Packed food is recommended.

Recommend that cyclists prepare to getting wet when going to Puray Falls. Wear apparel and shoes that are safe to get wet, put your belongings into waterproof containers, bring lube for your chains.


View Welcome Rotonda to Puray Falls, Rodriguez, CALABARZON, Philippines in a larger map

Timberland - Pintong Bukawe - Wawa Bike Route

It's summertime once again, and we are all preparing to hit the trails again in earnest.

One of the recommended bike routes in Montalban is the Timberland/Shotgun - Pintong Bukawe - Wawa bike route. This route offers long climbs on Timberland or Shotgun, then a long downhill on Pintong Bukawe, and finally river crossings going out of Wawa Dam.

Jovan Puyo of www.bisikleta.ph blogged about this route in this article: The Wawa Epic Adventure Mountain Bike Ride.

You can watch images and videos of the route he's taken, read his description of the experience, and view the GPS map he took. Reading this article will also prepare you for what may lie ahead when you hit this trail.

If you plan to take this route, be sure to use an MTB (road bike definitely NOT recommended), with knobbed tires (slicks NOT recommended). Bring food and water (no stores in a section of the route) or get your supplies at Pintong Bukawe before going downhill. Also, be prepared to get wet crossing the river (after Pintong Bukawe) from Sitio Casile up to Sitio Wawa.