Mount Tagapo, also known as Susong Dalaga mountain, is a conical peak on the lake island of Talim on

Laguna de Bay Laguna de Bay (Spanish language, Spanish for "Lagoon/Lake of Bay, Laguna, Bay"; tl, Lawa ng Bay, ), also known as Laguna Lake, is the List of lakes of the Philippines, largest lake in the Philippines. It is located southeast of Metro Manila, b ...

, the largest lake in the Philippines. The mountain

ridge A ridge or a mountain ridge is a geographical feature consisting of a chain of mountains or hills that form a continuous elevated crest for an extended distance. The sides of the ridge slope away from the narrow top on either side. The line ...

is in elevation and the highest point of Talim Island."Mt. Tagapo (438+)"
Pinoy Mountaineer. Retrieved on 2014-08-02. The peak falls under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cardona in Rizal province.

Etymology

The name is derived from the

Tagalog Tagalog may refer to: Language * Tagalog language, a language spoken in the Philippines ** Old Tagalog, an archaic form of the language ** Batangas Tagalog, a dialect of the language * Tagalog script, the writing system historically used for Tagal ...

word ''taga'', meaning "to chop". The island's name, ''talim'' (also in Tagalog), means "blade" in English, probably named after its outline on maps, which looks like a short sword. The peak is also locally known as ''Bundok Susong Dalaga'' (Maiden's breast mountain), due to its conical shape.

Geography

The peak falls under the jurisdiction of the towns of Binangonan and Cardona, which divide the island almost into two halves, the west (Binangonan) and east (Cardona). In the middle of the long Talim Island island is a volcanic

with Mount Tagapo, its highest peak. The island forms the southwestern rim of the Laguna Caldera, a large

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...

that occupies the middle section of Laguna de Bay. Mount Sembrano range, across the lake on the Jalajala Peninsula, forms the eastern and the highest peak of the caldera. Mount Tagapo lies at the latitudinal center of Talim Island at the point, about a third of the island from its southern tip, where a shorter ridge longintersects the island on its eastern side forming a T-junction. Southeast and west of Mount Tagapo peak are craters formed after the formation of the caldera."Laguna Caldera (Background tab)"
Global Volcanism Program. Retrieved on 2014-08-16.

Climbing the mountain

Mount Tagapo is a worthwhile destination among local climbers as it is not tall mountain to climb, and climbers are rewarded by the one-of-a-kind panoramic views because of its location at the center of the large Laguna de Bay. The hike to Mount Tagapo starts with a ferry boat ride from the Port of Binangonan. The boat trip could take a while as boats do not leave unless they are full and stop at every barangay ports of Talim Island till it encircles the island before returning to Binangonan Port. The peak can be reached in 1.5 to 2 hours and can be ascended from either the Binangonan or Cardona side of the mountain, depending on the difficulty desired. The trail on western side of the mountain is an easy to moderate hike starting in Barangay Janosa in Binangonan. Climbers register and pay the fee at the barangay hall where guides are also available for hire. A steeper, more difficult hike to the top is available if coming from the eastern side of the mountain starting at Barangay Lambac in Cardona, where guides can be hired as well at the barangay hall. It is also possible to traverse the mountain from one town to the other, but guides are only available uphill as they have to return to their hometowns afterwards.Cef (2014-01-23)
"Mt. Tagapo Traverse Dayhike in Talim Island, Cardona-Binangonal, Rizal"
Cef's Nature Adventure. Retrieved on 2014-08-16. File:Mt. Tagapo mountaineers.jpg, Mountaineers trekking through the forest near the beginning of the hike File:Mt. Tagapo trail.jpg, Trail with the bamboo forest ahead File:Mt. Tagapo peak.jpg, The tall cogon grass field near Mt. Tagapo's peak with the trail visible on the right slope File:Mt. Tagapo view.jpg, The cloud-covered

Mount Banahaw Mount Banahaw (; also spelled as Banahao and Banájao) is an active complex volcano on Luzon in the Philippines. The three-peaked volcano is located at the boundary of Laguna and Quezon provinces. It is the highest mountain in both provinces an ...

as seen from the top of Mt. Tagapo The climb to the top can be very hot during summer as there is no shade on the upper slope. The initial part starts with a trek through forests of trees and bamboos. Villagers make their livelihood by manufacturing bamboo products. Near the middle of the hike, the trail changes into a field of tall cogon grass, which could grow up to . Their leaves can be very sharp and could cut skin or poke someone's eyes especially on windy days. Upon reaching the barren top, a 360-degree view of the entire Laguna Lake and its coastal towns can be beheld, including the skylines of Metro Manila to the northwest. Mountains visible include nearby Mount Sembrano to volcanic mountains like the three peaks of

volcano complex (from left to right, Mounts Banahaw de Lucban, Banahaw and San Cristobal) in the southward direction with Mounts Atimbia and Kalisungan (aka Mount Nagcarlan) before the complex; to the southwest,

Mount Makiling Mount Makiling (also known as Mount Maquiling), is an inactive stratovolcano located in the provinces of Laguna and Batangas on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The mountain rises to an elevation of above mean sea level and is the highest fe ...

with the farther Mount Macolod and Mount Sungay to its right; to the far north, Mt. Arayat on a very clear day; and eastward are the nameless mountains of the Sierra Madre mountain range.

References

External links

*{{commons category-inline Landforms of Rizal Tagapo