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MOUNT ROMELO (FAMY)
LOCATION: Laguna Province
ELEVATION: 240 meters above sea level (camp
site)
LEVEL: Minor Climb, Level I, Easy
JUMP OFF POINTS: Famy Laguna
INFORMATION:
Mt. Romelo, a part of the legendary Sierra Madre Mountain
Range located in Famy Laguna, is well known to mountaineers
simply as Famy. This is the most accessible trekking destination
for Manileños. It boasts of several waterfalls; namely
Buruwisan, Batya-Batya, Sampaloc and Lanzones. Buruwisan,
the largest fall is an ideal place for rappelling. So if you
have the guts, include this in your itinerary and bring some
harness, ropes and rappelling devices with you.
This is the most ideal venue to develop your rappelling skills
since there is water below that will break your fall. It also
gives you the feeling of rushing down with the flow of the
water. The catch basin is also ideal for swimming. Above the
Buruwisan Falls is the usual campsite. From here, you can
trek upstream to Batya-Batya and Sampaloc Falls or downstream
to Lanzones and another falls.
The trek towards Batya-Batya is more challenging since you
will pass through deep portions of the river wherein your
skills in swimming will be challenged. After enjoying the
different levels of pools that comprises the Batya-Batya waterfalls,
a climb up the falls itself plus a 30 minute hike along the
river, will lead you to the less visited Sampaloc Falls. There
you will prove that the difficulty of reaching the place enhances
the magical feeling of exploration. There is another trail
that splits from the second hill on your way to the campsite
that goes to Sampaloc Falls directly. Downstream from the
base-camp to your right, a small waterfalls, the Lanzones
Falls will welcome you. It is often called the "personalized
falls" since it can only accommodate quite a few number
of people. From the base-camp towards your left is another
seldom visited fifth falls.
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