Introduction:
This is one of the famous mountains in Luzon because of the countless stories, rumors, and legends about "ghosts" and other extraterrestrial events. As a result, the title "devil's mountain" was given to this pride of Quezon. Aside from those, Mt. Cristobal also hides amazing terrains, surrounded by dense forest areas. There are mosses, ferns, and orchids hanging on the branches, proof that this wildlife sanctuary is still preserved. Also, the ambiance and weather are cool.
Location:
Height and Elevation:
- 1470 MASL
- Days required / Hours to summit: 1-2 days / 4-5 hours
- Specs: Minor climb, Difficulty 4/9, Trail class 3
The Terrains:
The trails from the jump-off, there's a long ascending concrete road up to the Montelibano House. Due to its steepness, hikers need to walk on the concrete road as most of the vehicles can't penetrate the area. On the road, there are amazing views, such as beautiful sunflowers, shrubs, bananas, trees, coconuts, and many others. The wind is cool and fresh which makes the ambiance in the village amazingly relaxing.
The Dolores trail starts from the Montelibano house; the trail is ascending, covered with trees and grasses on the sides. Cristobal has a clear and well-established trail but has fork trails with markers. Woods are lying across the trail, so hikers need to hop on/off, bend, and slide. This mountain also has cliff-hanging and assault.
The Crater:
According to geologists, Mount Cristobal is a dormant volcano and it has a wide lake on top – that is true! This lake is surrounded by huge trees and covered with grass. If the weather isn't good, the lake is covered with fog and the water is getting higher.
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| The clean campsite of Mt. Cristobal. |
The Campsite and the Summit:
The image above was taken at the Bulwagan Saddle Camp. It is a long and clean area surrounded by trees, shrubs, and grass. Mosses and ferns hanging are everywhere. There are a lot of horror stories happening in this area. On the other hand, the summit is a 15-minute walk from the campsite. It is a small open area, surrounded by sugar cane-like grasses. Hikers need to walk passing through the huge grass. It’s very seldom that this area will have clearing because it is always covered with fog and the wind is strong and cold.
How to Get to Mt. Cristobal:
On EDSA Ortigas, we rode a bus bound for San Pablo and alighted by the stop light near 7-11. Then, we chartered a jeepney to the jump-off. REMINDER: Hiking this mountain is physically demanding, especially a traverse during the wet season. Proper footwear and outfit are recommended.
Side trip to Tayak Hill and Kinabuhayan:
I have already hiked Cristobal twice: the first was a back trail, and the second was a traverse to Tayak Hill. During the back trail, our side trip was at Kinabuhayan River in Brgy. Kinabuhayan. This river is said to be holy, so there are groups who worship inside the caves, Sta. Lucia Falls, and other parts. Tayak Hill is interesting because of its relaxing aura. The wind is cool and fresh.