I have a very select list of people who I say yes to on a whim, and Valerie is on that list. I met her through a mutal friend around the time I was getting into bike touring, and we’ve gone through a few rides together–and since we recognized ourselves to be each other’s unbiological sister.

So when Val invited me to go hike-a-bike-camping with her in Los Banos, Laguna for a weekend, I didn’t hesitate to say no.

This is a rare invite, as Valerie’s rides are usually way up north in the Cordillera region—steep, high-altitude stuff I’m not quite ready for. At the same time, I’ve hiked Mt. Makiling before, and the familiarity helped me say yes without overthinking it.

I didn’t know I’ll find myself… finding myself.

Preparing for the Trip

I used my Traction Gritt for this ride, as my Trek Domane is built towards race-type endurance cycling. The former has always been my daily commuter and touring bike, and it’s proved itself time and time again that it is one of the best bike brands to have in the Philippines.

On the front, I had a front rack installed to support my Sack It Kaban handlebar bag, which stored my clothes, toiletries, and cookset, as well as chargers, powerbanks and other necessities in pockets on each side. Strapped on my seatpost was my Rhinowalk 10L saddle bag, which exclusively holds my Naturehike tent, poles, and pegs. I didn’t have enough space to store my sleeping bag, also from Naturehike, so Val had to carry it for me (sorry Val).

I also have my usual frame bag for my multi-tool, spare inner tube, and other important things in case my bike decides to get tired before I did.

My Contintental Terra Speed gravel tires are 650b x 35mm, which are decent for everyday bike commuting, but I think I should bring it up to 38 or even 40mm for adventures like this.

Just like any other long ride, I prepared my body like I would for Audax: carbo loading 1-2 days before riding out, and stocking up on multivitamins, Vit D and Magnesium supplements to make sure my muscles don’t feel too sore.

But there was one thing that I didn’t really prepare for: I got my period. Of course I did. Great timing, uterus.

Still, I was determined. Val, who was staying with me for this trip, and I left Makati at 3AM to meet two other cyclists in UP Diliman, and together we caught the 5am DLTB bus down to UP Los Baños. It cost us around P200 per person, including bike handling and storage fee.

I was asleep the entire ride, but I think the whole trip was around two hours long.

A Steady Ascent on a Chill Pace

By 8AM, we were pedaling up Mt. Makiling with seven more riders from nearby municipalities in the province.

We started our ascent by the entrance of UPLB, and biked our way up to the registration area. We paid P30 per person, and I had to leave my saddle bag in their office because it was weighing me down.

The climb to Agila Base wasn’t gentle. It was punchy, literally breathtaking, but still manageable. There were different points in the climb that I could feel my heartbeat in my ears. My period was just annoying the shit out of me and I had to take more breaks than I anticipated.

I was thankful for the the relaxed pace we settled into, and also glad that our other companions waited every few meters for the rest of us to regroup.

Another thing I was thankful for was the canopy that shaded the path all throughout, that filtered the light just right—enough to keep the sun off our backs and add that forest magic that makes the struggle worth it.

Despite my cramps and steadily growing fatigue, I kept going. Reaching Agila Base felt like a win. I rewarded myself with coke and turon from the little canteen by the sign. We also had a few minutes to rest before starting the second part of our intinerary: the hike.

Hiking to See Something Rare

For those who didn’t know me before August 2022, I was a hiker before I was a biker. One of the reasons (aside from peer pressure) I got a bike was because I wanted to supplement these outdoor activities with something else I can do in the city.

I gave up hiking in 2023 as cycling took over my life, but if a hike involves traveling on two wheels, then sure, I’ll tag along.

After our break, we ditched the bikes and hiked a short way into the jungle to see something rare—the Rafflesia panchoana in bloom.

It’s not often you catch it at the right time, and that little encounter made the aches feel strangely worth it.

This species is endemic to Mt. Makiling—it’s not found anywhere else in the world. The Rafflesia genus is famous for having a putrid scent, but this one gave no odor of any intensity. It was named after Dr. Juan V. Pancho, a Filipino botanist, and is relatively small compared to its Southeast Asian cousins but no less fascinating. It has no leaves, stems, or roots in the traditional sense—it’s a parasitic plant that lives entirely within a host vine, only emerging when it’s ready to bloom.

The bloom is a burst of reddish-orange with creamy speckles, as if the Pokemon Vileplume’s head that’s nestled on the forest floor. The flower lasts only a few days, which makes seeing it in the wild a well-timed experience. And boy were we lucky—one had just opened up, hidden among the leaf litter and roots.

Lunch Like Locals

Lunch was served back at the Makiling Rainforest Park: tinolang (native) manok, inihaw na (native) baboy, heaps of rice served in banana leaves, buko juice, and soft drinks (I needed sugar). It was an absolute feast.

We had some time to rest before going down, so I took these couple of hours to practice my macro photography. Kebs lang. I was happy to see different species of spiders around.

You can look at my Mt. Makiling Photo Gallery for more photos.

An Ancient Site

We had enough time to squeeze in one more side trip—the Mud Springs.

This area reminded me of that nerve-racking exposition in the 1997 disaster movie Dante’s Peak where two people were boiled alive in a hot spring near the site of an active volcano.

The trail to the mud springs was short but steep, winding past lush vegetation. There was no breeze, but you could feel the heat and humidity on your skin–the sweat on my person escaped from my skin as we drew closer to the bubbling ooze.

The springs themselves are a geothermal feature of Mt. Makiling—a reminder that the mountain is a dormant volcano. Fenced off for safety, the brown pool hissed quietly as steam rose from their surface, like the forest was exhaling. It felt surreal to stand that close to something so elemental, so prehistoric.

You could feel the heat from meters away.

It was also a good moment to just… pause. The forest was still and alive in such an ethereal way. It made me forget, even just for a moment, that I was on my period and halfway through a physically demanding trip.

More Places to See

My descent was careful and cautious, especially with the switchbacks. I found myself gripping the brakes a little tighter than I’d like to admit, but I made it down in one piece.

We reached the registration area where I took a quick bath and got my saddle bag.

After everyone took a brief respite while some of us freshened up, we then went further down and reached the university oval and met with another companion who would lead us to our campsite that night.

Afterwards, we biked through the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in time to see the sun set. It was my first time to see the research facility up close and look at all the types of rice species they were studying.

But we weren’t there to check out the rice. We were only passing through the area to shop at South Supermarket (Los Banos’s version of S&R, according to one of my companions this weekend) and replenish our supplies. I refueled with some Hen Lin siomai and rice, along with a large order of iced tea.

The full moon illuminated our path through the final leg of the ride a little later: six kilometeres of rough, unpaved, cowshit-littered farmland trail before reaching our campsite.

RIP to the little frogs we ran over.

And fuck you to that one carabao that got in my way.

When we arrived at the campsite, my whole being was all but spent. I only had strength to pitch my tent and engage in small conversation. My period camps, general fatigue from being up since two in the morning, and the events of the day were wearing on me.

I inched my way into my tent while everyone was having dinner and quietly drifted into the indifference of sleep.

Weekend’s Over

The next morning, I woke up before the others. The temperature dropped during the night, so warming up while watching the sun rise in the horizon felt like a treat for both the body and soul.

Everyone else woke up around 6am, and we gathered at the center of our campsite for breakfast. My energy came back to cook scrambled eggs and heat up canned corned beef.

By 8AM, we were back on our bikes, pushing through some 4-5km of gravel trails before rejoining paved roads. That was the moment I realized: I love endurance cycling, but gravel racing? Not for me. Give me long paved rides and sprinty Audax challenges any day.

After taking a group picture by the Oblation statue, we parted ways with some of our companions at the ELBI Community Market, and the rest of us hobbits had second breakfast (I needed iced coffee so badly).

By 11AM, the Manila crew was back on the road on an L300 that carried our us and our bikes home.

I reached my place just after 1PM, in need of a shower, in need of a nap, and maybe in need of a hug.

But of course I didn’t nap. I spent the whole afternoon and evening doing photo post-prod and writing this blog post.

Nature, Best Seen by Bike

In just thirty-six hours, I had so much to reflect on.

There’s something about seeing the world by bike that changes how you relate to it. The slow, deliberate rhythm of pedaling forces you to notice things: the way the light filters through trees, the sound of your breath on a climb, the smell of soil warming under the sun.

You’re not just passing through nature—you’re in it, vulnerable to it, part of it.

Mt. Makiling reminded me of that. Of how small we are in the face of something ancient and alive. But that smallness isn’t weakness. It’s belonging.

Even with the aches of cycling up a mountain and the silent battles with my own body, I found peace. Out there, on two wheels, in the company of friends on a mysterious mountain, I remembered how much space there still is for wonder and to wander.

Nature doesn’t ask for perfection—just presence. And the bike is the best way I know to show up for it.

Great for Beginners

The Mt. Makiling bikepacking weekend is one of the many tours Valerie offers, and this is one of the easier rides.

If you’re curious about bikepacking but not ready for multi-day mountain epics, Mt. Makiling is a solid intro. The paved climb to Agila Base averages around 6%, which is challenging but totally doable at a steady pace. The road is mostly shaded, so you’re not baking under the sun the whole time.

All in all, it’s a good mix of everything without being overwhelming—and you’ll meet friendly local cyclists along the way.

Don’t hesitate to reach out to me or Valerie on Facebook if you want to know the latter’s touring schedule!