Taraw Peak. Where do I begin?!?!

It’s not the most difficult climb in El Nido. It’s not the highest peak either. In fact, it’s the easiest and most tourist friendly of all of the limestone monoliths surrounding Town Proper. With that said, you’re probably expecting a nice little hike along some developed trail. Well, you’re terribly wrong… It’s the absolute opposite!

The peak is guesstimated at ~230m (754ft) and should only take 3 hours max out and back. Seems simple enough, but pretty much immediately after starting, you realize that at no point are you just walking. It’s rock scrambling and sometimes complete vertical climbing (90 degrees) with 3 points of contact at all times. To make things even more difficult, this is entirely over jagged limestone.

Had I known how dangerous the climb was in retrospect, I might not have pushed to do it. I would feel horrible if someone slipped and got injured or even died because of me. Thankfully, I was completely oblivious to how dangerous it was until we were actually halfway up! (We’ll get to that later.)

Our boat captain from the previous day, John, overheard us talking about hiking and informed us that he was also a guide for Taraw! How perfect?!!? We made plans to leave Spin Hostel at 5am, but due to Asian time, it was more like 5:30am. We wouldn’t have been able to start the hike if it weren’t for a guide. We weaved through tiny town roads and even through people’s backyards until we were in a shaded jungle looking area where John began scrambling up rocks. Even as we hiked, there was no obvious trail! It would’ve been impossible to not get lost without a local showing us the way.

Within minutes of starting, we were all drenched in sweat. I’m someone who doesn’t sweat much, but this was the first time in my life where you could visibly see the moisture on my clothing. Our glasses kept fogging up. And there was no such thing as cooling off… you’re in the Philippines, remember?!?!! You’ve been warned. Be prepared for the heat!

On that note, be prepared, period. Bring plenty of water, proper clothing attire, and most importantly, proper shoes. I had seen some blog posts where hikers were going up in flip flops. Even in grippy trail running shoes, I could feel the limestone trying to pierce through the soles. Not only is comfort an issue, but it’s also plain dangerous. John told us about previous experiences where hikers would lose or break a flip flop and he would lend them his and finish the hike barefoot. Now, he requires people to wear sneakers.

That then lead to the topic of a recent death on Taraw Peak. We were surprised to learn that the peak had just opened up for hiking two weeks earlier after being closed for 5 months. According to John, two hikers were making their way up when one of them slipped. Their guide helped them catch their footing, but as a result he lost his balance and fell to his death. Many locals have stopped offering guiding services since then, and this is the first trip that John has made since the accident. He still believes it’s safe as long as people are being careful.

After that story, we were all extra careful. I don’t know if this was intentional, but he told us the story right before we approached what he presumed was “the most difficult part” of the climb. Overall, there were many challenges to the hike. Some of us found walking across all the limestone pinnacles to be worst, because you could easily slip, twist an ankle or get cut by the limestone. Some found the vertical climbing to be the toughest. Some found the vertical decent (like climbing down a ladder) to be the most frightening. And some found scrambling down while staying in control to be the most challenging. Either way, expect to be pushed out of your comfort zone in one way or another. I don’t mean to scare anyone out of doing this hike, but regardless of how popular or beautiful a place may be, there needs to be a certain level of respect for how relentless nature is. It’s frustrating to see people being careless.

On a positive note, the views from Taraw Peak were just perfect! We were able to see the entire Town Proper and Bacuit Bay, along with views of the mountains in the distance. We were the only ones at the summit and had plenty of time to goof around and take pictures.

By the time we finished and got into town, the day was just beginning! Overall, I would HIGHLY recommend this hike to anyone who even has the mildest interest in hiking Taraw Peak after reading this post. Yes, the hike is grueling, but if you’re prepared and cautious you’ll be fine. It really is an awesome once in a lifetime hiking experience! Take your time if you need to and remember to enjoy the journey. Every second of the hike was interesting, and the views are worth every drop of sweat!