Alegria, Cebu: Swim, Bike, Climb

Related Event: Kawasan Falls Marathon 2014 (KFM)
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Last weekend was a long one because of the holiday. So instead of just staying at home and staring at the wall, I went down south of Cebu to Alegria. It is one of those towns in Cebu where you can’t run out of things to do.

There are several streams that wind southwest from the mountains and of course there’s the endeared Mt. Lanaya. If you are a mountain bike rider like me, the town is a perfect playground. Up in the mountains is an endless network of paved and dirt roads, crisscrossed by steep single tracks.

I have decided to camp at Sun Xi mountain resort because I wanted to take my time exploring the area. I was not after any cosmic musing or anything. I just wanted to have a meaningless and happy weekend. I spent my first day at Sun Xi simply chilling—literally because of the fog and the very thin 2,200-ft humidity. I am just too glad that they got hot shower and some really thick bed sheets. It was silly of me not to bring a jacket. Thankfully Nigel Ford, the guy who owns the place, lent me a really warm sweater.

Cambais Falls

Quitara Falls

The sun was high up on my second day in Alegria so I have decided to check out two waterfalls—Quitara and Cambais. Quitara is less than an hour’s walk from base camp. There are two small cascades that spill into a deep basin. The whole spring is guitar shaped, which is where the place got its name.

The trek to Quitara passes through rice paddies, small streams, and on the side of a few hills. It is relatively easy. The walk to Cambais is much shorter and it’s a bit more technical. But it is one of the things you do not want to miss. There are a few river crossings and some trekking on the stream itself. The place is so serene I felt like I was the only person in the world.

If you wanted to know how I found my way around the place, it was fairly simple. I do not have Bear Grill’s exaggerated navigation skills so I asked some guys from Sun Xi to guide me. Most of the guys who work there are locals so they know their way very well. It was a seamless trek and I was feeling brand new the day after.

On to my second day, the sun rose rather early. I went out for a quick ride at 6am to a place called Libo. It was jump a 15-minute bike ride from base camp with a whole bunch of climbs. I have never breathed air so pure that I didn’t mind all the panting that the climbs gave me. I bet my lungs were like “is this real for real?”

At the highest peak of Libo are the greenest hills I have ever seen. It was like the Windows XP wallpaper has come to life—with fogs lounging lazily against the distant mountains. There are single tracks that wind up, down, and around the hills. I felt like some pro bike rider hitting some European trail. I could hear the wind howl as it passes through the hill’s crest. I did not go too far out since I had a climb waiting for me after breakfast: up to Mount Lanaya.

Mt. Lanaya Summit

It was still sunny when I went down from Libo but Sun Xi was practically wrapped up in fog when I arrived. I had a heavy breakfast while waiting for my guide. The guy’s name is Pedro and he also works at Sun Xi.

Off we went into the fog and the cold. We walked at a leisurely pace but the whole ambiance kept the adrenaline rushing.

We started our ascent from the eastern side of Lanaya. From Sitio Lumpan, Brgy. Montpeller, the summit is just 20 minutes away. We walked through marshes, up hard-pack   paths, and finally to the top where sharp volcanic rocks are all over the place.

We could not see anywhere beyond five feet but when the fog lifted, the southern coastline revealed itself. Tanon Strait looked so unreal from our vantage—I guess when something is so beautiful it reaches the verge of the unreal. When the fog went away I also realized that I was standing near a cliff and so I sort of panicked back to safety.

Alegria is a beauty from its coastline all the way into the peak of its mountains. I got Sun Xi’s contact number if you guys wanna check them out: 511-7726.

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Written by:

Bal Marsius.  He is not a drug lord but an aspiring porn star. You won’t discover the meaning of life by reading any of these posts. This is not even a travel blog. Everything here is an accident that happens when my head collides with the keyboard.