The Travelling Foxes were invited by the founders of Suns Out Fitness (@SunsOutFitness) to organize a private trial outdoor event for their key members. Natalie, who loves waterfalls, decided to contact The Extreme Adventure Zone to help out with organizing a rappelling event for the selected members. This was the first extreme adventure organized by The Travelling Foxes.
The event was first organized for Saturday, August 26, 2017 but an unexpected typhoon entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility and it was very rainy. Even if the typhoon did not hit Laguna area, we decided to keep it safe for all the attendees and we postponed the event for the following weekend. Below is the suggested itinerary:
ITINERARY
5:45AM – Meet-up point: Terra Park, BGC6:00AM – Van leaves Terra Park, BGC 7:00AM – Arrive in Caltex SLEX for a quick breakfast, buy refreshments, water, etc. 9:00AM – Arrive in Pangil, Laguna. Introductions and start the hike. 11:00AM – Arrive at campsite, orientation, practice and lunch break. 12:00AM – Start rappelling 2:00PM – Yoga and workouts 3:00PM – Enjoy the waterfalls 4:00PM – Start descent 5:00PM- Reach Barangay for wash up 8:00PM – Back to Manila
COST
Approximately 1,600 inclusive of transportation, rappelling gear, rappelling training and all the activities in the itinerary.
WHAT TO BRING:
Hiking shoes (gym shoes will do but avoid the flat white rubber sole as they tend to be slippery)
Hiking clothes (anything you wear to the gym will do, no light colors as it may stain from the dirt)
Raincoat (weather can change anytime while we’re hiking)
Swimwear for the waterfalls
Extra pair of clothes and slippers to change into after
Towel and toiletries
Water (1-3 liters depending how much you drink for the day)
Trail snacks (dried fruit, mixed nuts, fruits, etc)
Lunch to share and a trash bag
Mosquito cream/ spray
Sunscreen
Your camera!
It is advisable to waterproof all belongings in case it rains.
When we reached Green House in Balian, Pangil, Laguna, we prepared all our gear for the hike and the rappelling. We left behind our towel, toiletries and change of clothes for when we get back. The hike normally takes around 45-minutes to 1-hr. We expected to get there in 45-minutes because we were all fairly fit, but when we started hiking, the route was really muddy and sometimes our whole foot would sink down the mud up to our ankles. It almost took us 2-hours to complete the hike! There was a lot of screaming and sliding, but overall, that’s what made the hike more memorable. It was a good thing we had one local tour guide for every 5 of us, as they were very helpful and ensure we do not get ourselves injured in any way! At some points with all the screaming, it almost sounded like we were in a theme park!
Since we were behind schedule, we were all quite hungry when we arrived at the campsite and went straight to eating our lunch. Everyone was so giving and we were able to have a taste of the different packed lunch from all the members.
After our quick lunch, we headed straight to the rappelling training. The training is quite important as we would learn the different rappelling gears needed to safely descend. We were also taught the do’s and don’t’s when going down.
When rappelling with the Extreme Adventure Zone, there are always safety measures in place, but despite that, each rappeller is still responsible for executing the stint by themselves. Watch the complete hike and rappelling training video here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDzIZDQ4Dlg&w=560&h=315]
When we reached the top of Buntot-Palos, the gear was all set-up and ready for the first strong-willed members to have a go. The beginning is always the hardest! When you look down the waterfall, you feel the butterflies in your stomach. Sometimes for Natalie, a slight sensation of shivering would happen. This was Natalie’s second time to rappel down Buntot-Palos, so she decided to try a different kind of rappelling – the Australian “Aussie” style.
The Aussie style rappel, also known as abseiling is the process of descending down a rope in a standing position while facing the ground. The technique is also used in the military where a soldier is belayed down and descended to fire a weapon. Check the rappelling video here:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djRnevktZDI&w=560&h=315]
For most of the first timers (which was like 95% of the attendees), it was an exhilarating and surreal experience. A couple had a difficult time especially in the beginning, but the feeling was very rewarding when they reached the bottom of the waterfall.
After rappelling, the attendees enjoyed a dip in the waterfall. Buntot-Palos is such a hidden beauty and we never get tired of this place! We also look forward to organizing more extreme adventures for our friends in the near future. To get invited to these events, follow our social media links below as we will be posting them there!
Do you have any suggestions for other extreme adventures that can be done near Manila? Hit us up!
