Finally, after three attempts at planning this trip, it was really happening — I was about to hike the so-called “Devil’s Mountain.”
For some reason, my previous plans never pushed through. The first was scheduled for October 2013, but before the climb date, our group ran into work schedule conflicts and had to cancel. I tried again in November, but just a day before our climb, Typhoon Yolanda struck, forcing us to postpone once more.
I couldn’t help but wonder if something was stopping our group from climbing this mountain — and interestingly, everyone in the team felt the same way. But this time, everything went smoothly, and we were beyond excited.
Mt. Cristobal is located within the borders of Quezon and Laguna. The main entry point is in Barangay Kinabuhayan, Dolores, Quezon, though there are also entry points and possible traverses from Nagcarlan, San Pablo, and Rizal.
We took a bus from GMA heading to San Pablo- take any Lucena bound buses.
The bus dropped us at Jollibee San Pablo because this where our rented jeep was waiting.
For those planning to do the Tala–Kinabuhayan Traverse, I highly recommend chartering a jeep. Public transportation to Tayak Hills, which is part of Tala, Rizal, is not readily available. While it’s possible to take a tricycle, expect to pay extra for the trip. The added cost is worth it for the group’s convenience — and it helps you stay on schedule.
This is the San Pablo Public Market where you can buy your supplies.
While heading to Tala Jump off this view stopped us because we saw the rare clearing of Mt. Banahaw and Mt. Cristobal which most of the time cloudy.
