Bob Tongco
Outdoor Enthusiast

I never imagined I’d be on top of a peak named after a woman’s most noticeable body feature. Definitely not on the third weekend of February, only a few days after Valentine’s. The mountain was Susong Dalaga, the highest point on Talim Island, which is in the middle of Laguna de Bay.

I was in the proverbial right place at the right time, and I knew the right person. In this case, he was Chito Razon. His kind of adventure is a little different from most mountaineers. Instead of going to well-established trails and campsites, he looks for new mountains to explore. On that Thursday evening, we met at Estor Pang Outdoor (free plug!) and told us he was going to Talim Island and reestablishing the Susong Dalaga trail. So I asked if I could bring another friend, Lawrence Dy, and he said yes.

Chito, Lawrence, and I met at Burger King Libis 7AM the following Saturday soon followed by Wilbert Chua. Lawrence offered his van and we accepted, the on-board TV and VCD player was an unexpected bonus. We picked up the last member of our party, Larry Honoridez, whom I had met at Edsa Dos along with Chito and Wilbert. We must have been a pretty motley group since we had a semi-retired businessman in Lawrence, a marketing guru in Chito, a metallurgical engineer in Larry, a recently liberated computer jock in Wilbert, and of course, an equally outgoing biology student in yours truly. Backpacks loaded, we proceeded to the Cardona wharf to check the banca trip schedule. These fiberglass boats are the only means of getting to Talim Island. They are practically jeepneys and can be flagged down anytime. We parked the van at Sta. Ursula Parish in Binangonan then commuted back to Cardona.

The banca we rode was filled with friendly locals all eager to describe the trail, the terrain, and the names of the barangays we would pass. Talim Island is a beautiful place to visit mainly because of its people. They were all very warm and accommodating to us trekkers. As we left the pier, the weather was sunny and windy; fortunately, it was not very hot. After a thirty-minute boat ride, we arrived at Barangay Lambac at about noon. We were immediately greeted by the self-proclaimed kapitan of the area who was sitting on the “Welcome to Lambac” sign with three of his friends. He asked us if we had permits, what we intended to do on the mountain, and even offered us girls when he found out we were all guys. We didn’t take him seriously since they smelled of gin already. So we proceeded to follow the main eskinita which was a gently sloping, cemented path. And while looking for a sari-sari store, we met Mang Roi, a born-and-bred Lambac native who gave us helpful instructions. He said that the last time anyone was up Susong Dalaga was the year before, and they were all locals. This only made us more excited since it confirmed that the mountain was indeed one of the more forgotten destinations in Luzon.

We stopped to eat lunch under one of the many mango trees on the island. Mang Roi walked up to us again and offered to lead us up to the main trail. As Chito put it, this was a stroke of good fortune and we accepted his offer. The trail was established, but definitely not overused. It was a moderately sloping, rock-strewn path and it was beautiful since there were trees everywhere. We took several rest stops but mostly to look at the view, which, even halfway up the slope, was already breathtaking. At this time, we really began to feel the sun but the wind was up to the challenge. We continued up until we reached a fence erected to keep cows from grazing too far up. Mang Roi then told us we could climb the rest of the way by ourselves. We thanked him and were about to leave when another friendly Talim native came along. This time, he was Mang Rolly on his way to a barangay on the other side of the island. Mang Roi told us Mang Rolly could lead us to the shoulder and show us the way to the peak. Mang Rolly then led us up the increasingly steep trail which soon tired Lawrence out until he volunteered to follow later. Of course, we didn’t let that happen and we finally reached the shoulder together. It was a small flat area sheltered by a mango tree with an inviting shade. From that vantagepoint, we could already see the Southeastern coast of the bay. Visible were Mt. Sembrano, Mt. Makiling, and a good portion of Talim Island. Lawrence immediately fell asleep while the rest of us discussed the trail and stared at the other peaks on the island. Mang Rolly showed us where the trail to the top of the mountain was and told us that it would be a lot more difficult than the previous trail. We then thanked him and he went on his way down to the other barangay.

We spent about an hour just lying under that big tree. It was a worthy alternative campsite being well shaded and very windy. The view was rewarding and staying there only made us want to (get to the) summit sooner. At about 4PM or so, we decided to go for the peak. It was already visible beyond the treetops and we were sure it wouldn’t take us more than 15 minutes to get there.

We followed the trail as best as we could. In some areas, Larry (our pointman extraordinaire) had to scout while the rest of us caught our breath. Eventually, we reached a point where the trail was completely overgrown with tall cogon. Since we could still see the summit and had a vague idea of where the trail was supposed to be, we decided to press on. From that point on, we were bushwhacking our way up the mountain. We tolerated the numerous thorns that pressed on our hands, arms, and legs. It was very slow going and the small shrubs were our only anchors on the mountain’s slope. Once we were all gasping and Wilbert was getting his legs all wounded, we stopped on a very steep incline to rest. After about thirty minutes more of difficult climbing, we rejoined the trail. This time, we could follow the route even as bamboo had taken over it. We clambered over several clumps and crawled under several others, this was a lot of fun. Another long bushwhack through cogon and we knew we summited when we heard Larry scream with joy. Finally, after 3 hours of actual climbing, we had conquered Susong Dalaga.

Our reward, only noticeable after about 2 minutes of jumping and shouting, was a 360° view of the entire Laguna de Bay. Now visible were Mt. Banahaw, Mt. Maculot, the entire Tagaytay Ridge, the SLEX, the Makati and Ortigas skylines, the Antipolo mountains, Manila Bay, and all the towns and provinces around the Laguna area including Metro Manila. It was an amazing sight and one I will not soon forget. The summit itself was small, but untouched. There was no proof that others had camped there before us aside from the trail marks. We spent a lot of time looking at the vistas from each side of the peak before we finally decided to set up camp.

Our campsite was well organized and very well equipped. Chito, the hardware master, brought a tarp along providing us with a separate cooking and eating area. We also had two tents, a socials area with a view of Metro Manila in the distance, and a lot of space to sit and enjoy the landscape. Socials was very insightful (care of Chito and Lawrence), inquisitive (care of Larry, Wilbert, and Yours Truly), and provided us with lots of laughs in the morning (details of which will not be disclosed). Two of us accidentally spent the night under the stars, it must have been the fermented sugarcane beverages. I was thinking that if the mountain was the shape of a woman’s breast, the campsite would have to be a very prominent landmark.

We all slept well and were greeted with Larry’s fine breakfast that Wilbert and I failed to enjoy since we had some stomach problems, again due to the fermented sugarcane beverages. It rained just as we were about to leave. Not a strong rain, but a gentle reminder that the campsite wasn’t really ours.

To complete our true traverse of the mountain and the island, we went down another trail leading to Barangay Janosa. This trail was less steep but was twice as long as the previous day’s hike. It was even more beautiful, as we went through grasslands, several other campsites, a bamboo grove, a forest, and the final half-kilometer was through a rock-strewn waterway that was dry at that time. We finally reached our destination at 1PM and headed straight to this sari-sari store for much needed refreshments. We got on another banca that stopped so many times for passengers. It would leave a barangay dock only to be waved back moments later by latecomers. The boat ride was almost an hour long and provided us with a look at the other side of the island. The houses on this side were smaller and spaced closer together so that the barangays lost their boundaries. We got to Binangonan and prayed in the beautiful and very old Sta. Ursula Church before we left. We stopped by Danny Balandra’s house in Angono where we had fried itik and gourmet pancit canton while enjoying his hospitality before finally heading to Manila.

The week before, Chito, Larry, Wilbert, and Danny, attempted to reach Susong Dalaga but had to settle for one of the other peaks on Talim. We were lucky to finally be able to reach the highest point on the island. The lessons I learned on that climb will never equal the sheer exhilaration of reaching the summit after a challenging ascent. The quiet on that mountaintop was as rare as the clean air and the brisk, cool wind. On the way down, the weather was as perfect as the climb, the company, and the memories of the weekend spent away from the world. I would wish that more exciting events happened while we were at the summit, but nothing could have been more exciting than sitting down and absorbing nature.

[The kapitan turned out to be the Barangay Captain of the another barangay. What he was doing in Lambac and why he was drunk by lunchtime remains a mystery.]

You may write to the writer at ct2@mindless.com

February 28, 2001

Exploring Talim. Stepping on Susong Dalaga

Notes By CBR

Traversing Talim Island with Larry Honoridez, Wilbert Chua, Danny Balandra, Bob Tongco, Lawrence Dy and Chito Razon February 2001

Each time we were in Sembrano overlooking Laguna Bay we asked, what’s that pointed island in between the Jala Jala power plant and the Sucat power plant? When we were in Galo’s in Sucat while spotting the Sembrano peak, we’d asked, “what’s between us and that peak?

Soon enough we found out it was Talim Island. But it was only now about three years after that wonder and several attempts that we finally landed in the island.

* * * * *

There was no doubt the lady was kind to us. Descending at 11:00 AM Sunday, we were sheltered by the clouds from the UV. The long shot camouflages the faces of those who did not make it back to the tents the night before. * * * * *

That's Bob the Biologist to be who's most fascinated with the place. His knowledge on fauna and flora makes him see the value of ferns and all the multi-colored bugs we spotted. His contribution in this climb is to translate the scientific specs to something tangible for us in the most amusing and interesting form.

* * * * *

Someone challenged let's not set up the tent. When clean cold wind blows on you from the four sides of the ridge how can one not take the offer. One of the soundest and relaxing deep sleeps we ever had, from 9PM to 5 AM

* * * * *

Travel time from Burger King to Cardona less than an hour. Boat ride from Cardona Port to Lambac less than an hour. Trek to the less less than two hours. Boat ride from Janosa to Binangonan about an hour. Total experience, a lifetime.

* * * * *

Batanes or Palawan? Our Biology student disclosed a theory that once upon a time, Taal Volcano spewed its lava in this part of the world creating Talim Island. And that Sangley Point by the direction of the current is getting connected to the mainland.

* * * * *

The greenery that probably set up the tone for the night's spontaneous socials. Lawrence is the expert. Bob is the student with the most adult orientation. Wilbert and Larry had the most questions to ask.

* * * * *

Smiles that say, we are coming back. All the discovery and fun round trip with fried itik for only less than P 150.00 per head.

* * * * *

Do not be misled. The peak in the back is what we explored the week before. You head forward to reach the peak of the island. Lawrence is still recovering from the Friday night socials per his own confession.

Larry, Wilbert and Danny were wondering what's taking me too long. This view is not worth giving up. I'll catch up anyway.

* * * * *

You can't help but notice this scene while trekking on the narrow cemented trail of the island. You'll know which Barangays are progressive if they have a covered court at the port. This one isn't. Hopefully it remains this way.

* * * * *

The thrill of reaching the top. All were first timers. Mang Roy, the man who we met at the cemented road after the port tells us the last time residents trekked to the top from their Lambac side was last Holy Week.

14º20'56N 121º14.31E 21 M ASL 12:14:31 PM 17-Feb Lambac 156 Bearing
14º20'16N 121º13.58E 376 M ASL 3:41:58 PM 17-Feb Bushwalk 162 Bearing
14º20'21N 121º13.58E 438 M ASL 9:45:00 AM 18-Feb Suso162 Bearing
14º21'12N 121º13.16E 40 M ASL 12:13:16 PM 18-Feb Janosa School 165 Bearing
14º27'18N 121º11.27E 22 M ASL 2:17:03 PM 18-Feb Binangonan 185 Bearing