Climbing Areas in the Philippines

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With more than 7,100 islands, the Philippines is blessed with a lot of rock. Limestone was the creators' preferred medium of choice, though some other types of climbable rock are also seen. Majority of the limestone crags are relatively young, and thus the rock can be unpleasantly sharp. The crag scene varies from 200-foot cliffs at the edge of white sand beaches to bouldering in the mountains.  Photo on the right (and throughout these web pages) is courtesy of Roel Tan-Torres.

Ethics

Please keep the rocks clean - pack out trash. Keep the peace and respect the locals.

Although there is much room for development of rock climbing throughout the Philippines, please be aware of others who wish to enjoy the outdoors without falling, cursing climbers disturbing their peace. Simply use common sense - be sensitive to others, leave nothing behind, and respect local climbing / bolting practices.

When

The best time to climb in the Philippines is between November and March, after the rainy season and before the hot summer begins. From March to May, it is quite hot, but there are many climbs in the shade, so it is still possible to climb. The worst months are from June to October, it rains for a lot of the time- but it does let up every now and then- honestly ?!

Where

Near Manila

There are three main established rock climbing areas near Quezon City, the capital of the Philippines. The descriptions below are taken from Tan-Torres' guidebook.

Please click on the links below for a detailed description of the climbing areas and their respective routes.

• Montalban
  One hour west of Manila awaits one the limestone cliffs of Montalban. Presently, about 100 routes have been established and they vary from 5.0 to 5.13. The cliffs overlook an abandoned spillway, where a river flows through a white marble gorge. Vertical and overhanging cliffs up to 300 feet offer a wealth of future routes to be put up. Many of the more difficult routes are bolted where it would not be possible to find good traditional gear placements. However, bolts may be far and few apart, so it is therefore still necessary to have the usual supply of nuts, hexes and cams to protect the climbs. Be wary of loose rock.
• Manalmon
  About three hours away from Manila, Manalmon offers superb bouldering.
• Cogeo
  Less than an hour from Manila, Cogeo boasts two 200 foot limestone walls and some smaller crags. Routes up here lie on the more difficult end of the grading range. All walls face west, so it is best to climb in the morning to escape the heat of the afternoon sun. Quarrying nearby may make it a noisy place to climb. Be careful with parking - the children seem to enjoy scratching and denting cars!
• Antipolo
  Update : the latest news is that the boulders of Antipolo have been fenced-off.  Ask at Power-Up for the latest status of access into this area.   Closest to Manila, the boulders of Antipolo provide some good climbing up to 35 feet high. Because protection is generally poor, most routes are to be top roped. However, from the tops of these boulders, one can enjoy the skyline of the city.

Out of Town

There are so many more crags, walls and boulders walls to be climbed out of Manila. Some of these are mentioned briefly here. The areas described are areas in which the author or close friends have explored. Hence, any input to other areas would be much appreciated - just email me.

• Sagada, Mountain Province
  The charming town of Sagada about 13 hours north of Manila offers great hiking, moutain biking and caving. There is quite a lot of potential for rock climbing to be added to the list. A number of limestone cliffs are waiting to be climbed.
• West Wall, Mt. Maculot.
  Mt Maculot is a popular day-hike location 3 to 4 hour drive south of Manila. The 900-foot west wall rising up from Taal Lake has only been climbed twice so far. Check out the yellow line (IV 5.8, 900 feet, 10 pitches) which follows the 1993 ascent of Roel Tan-Torres and Norman Jaravata. Read about the climb direct from the horse's writings - Ascent of the West Wall.
• Atimonan, Quezon.
  Rock climbing near the Atimonan National Park (towards Lucena City).   Information here is courtesy of  Rev. NOEL A. SUMINISTRADO
• Camp Three, Kennon Road.
  On the way to Baguio, about 200 km. north of Manila along Kennon road is a large crag with superb bouldering, challenging slab climbing and scary dried-out water-fall climbing. No bolts here yet and the rock is thin and broken at places. Top rope is recommended.
• Chapis, Marcos Highway.
  Only a few km out of the Baguio City center, there are some limestone crags along Marcos Highway. Most are about 15 to 20 meters high. Some great boulders are also to be found at this area.
• Palawan
• Black Island, Busuanga
  The Yosemite of the Philippines (aside from Cabayugan in central Palawan)- without a single bolt. Only two climbing expeditions are known to have gone here. Access is challenging.
• Coron Island
  Close to Black Island, Coron Island has plenty of rock as well.
• El Nido
  Acclaimed to have the one of the best beaches in Asia, the towering limestone cliffs majestically complement the white sand beaches. This area has also not yet been developed for rock climbing.

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Montalban | Manalmon | Cogeo | Antipolo | West Wall | Atimonan | Camp 3 | Chapis | Palawan

Back to Philippine Rock Climbing Main Page.
Date Last Modified: 13 January 2003.