Hiking Mt. Buntis

Our adventurous feet take us to the historical town of Maragondon in the province of Cavite. Today, we'll be hiking a historical yet controversial mountain - Mt. Buntis.

Mt. Buntis

Mt. Buntis Details:

Mt. Buntis stands 280 meters above sea level (MASL). The name "buntis" is a Filipino word that means pregnant. To find out why it was named as such, I asked our guide who sadly seems to know nothing about it. Then I recalled that a few years back, I hiked another mountain near Mt. Buntis called Mt. Nagpatong. The name "nagpatong", by the way, means to lie on top of somebody...  I would love to share my own interpretation of how these mountains got their names but the story tends to be perverted in some way so I'd skip that part.

Barangay Caingin Barangay Hall

Don't forget to register

Going back, despite its "shortage in elevation", Mt. Buntis remains one of the well-known mountains in the Philippines. This is brought by the fact that it is always associated with Andres Bonifacio who is a very prominent figure in the Philippine Revolutionary History. Mt. Buntis is said to be the place where Andres Bonifacio and his brother were executed on May 10, 1897. However, this is contested by many historians due to the lack of solid pieces of evidence, particularly Bonifacio's remains.

Are you ready to cross the Caingin Hanging Bridge?

It seems easy enough...

... Oh, shoot! Just don't look down!

Today, people flock to Mt. Buntis not to look for the remains of Andres Bonifacio and his brother but to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and also to conquer the mountain. I got to hike Mt. Buntis with my cousins last April 2019 as part of our monthly mountaineering family bonding.

Survived the bridge, oh goody! a forested trail...

... not!

Thank God for these mini-hedges

For those planning to hike Mt. Buntis, head first to Barangay Caingin Barangay Hall to register. The registration fee is free but you have to avail yourself of the mountain guide services. The guide fee is P100 pax at the time of writing. Although you have to avail of a guide and shell out money, keep in mind that this is the standard operating procedure (SOP) for mountaineers in the Philippines. It's for your safety. 

... then back to the open fields...

Mr. Carabao: "Would you like to rest in the shade with me?"

After registering, you will then cross the Caingin Hanging Bridge which many refer to as the jump-off point for Mt. Buntis. About a hundred meters after crossing the bridge, you'd find yourself in an open field. You will spend half of your trek time crossing this wide field under the scorching heat of the sun so better bring an umbrella for this part of the hike.

At the foot of the mountain

Stream crossing!

Start of the ascent

Passing through some giant boulders

Almost there!

Summit reached!

Here's what the peak looks like

The view from the top

Once you crossed the field, you'd find yourself at the forested part of the trail. There are several streams that you'd have to cross along the way. You'll know when you're on the foot of the mountain when the trail starts to ascend. It takes around 30-40 minutes for one to reach the peak of Mt. Buntis from its foot.

Here are some of our photos on the peak:

Once you reach the peak, you'd thank God that it's not so bare as the field below it. There are several trees on the peak that offers shade. From the peak, you'd get a panoramic view of the Maragondon Ridge and the plains of Maragondon. From here, you can back-trail to the jumpoff point or traverse hike Mt. Nagpatong. 

Mt. Buntis as seen from the distance

The Backpack Adventures conquers Mt. Buntis

Mt. Buntis Itinerary:

5AM - ETD from Southwest Integrated Terminal 

630AM - ETA Maragondon town proper

640AM - Registration at Brgy Caingin Barangay Hall

700AM - Start hike

9AM - Summit
10AM- Early Lunch
11AM - Start decent
1230PM - ETA jump-off point

Why hike Mt. Buntis?

Overall, Mt. Buntis is perfect for a weekend hike and also for trail running. The only major challenge faced by hikers of this mountain is the scorching heat of the sun during summer. 

Getting to Mt. Buntis:

From Manila, ride a bus that would bring you to the Southwest Integrated Terminal near Coastal Mall. From there, ride a bus bound for Ternate, Cavite. Tell the conductor to drop you off at Maragondon town proper. Fare is around P70 -80. Since the buses don't go inside the town proper, you'll have to walk from the highway going to Barangay Caingin Barangay Hall which takes about 10-15 minutes. There are tricycles in town that can also bring you there.

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