A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature.  It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.

~Henry David Thoreau

A few days ago I’ve written about an invite to climb and see the Philippines’ Cleanest Lake (read more here), and now I’m back again with aching muscles and an unforgettable experience to chronicle about our 2 day journey to Lake Holon.

Registration and Orientation

The journey started with the usual registration of participants and a briefing and orientation from T’boli MENRO.

From there we proceeded to start our adventure – aboard the municipal dam truck, we’re on for one of the greatest ride of our lives!

So brace yourself and here we go! A ride that will surely make you move left, right, down, and avoiding plants and shrubs from hitting you!

Start of the Trek

At around 10am, the trek started with quite an easy trail, mostly uphill, passing by communities along the way.

Not far you’ll also pass by a water source for you to refill some of your water containers.

Grow a Tree with Takladtamig

The Lake Holon experience was made even more memorable because of the unique mountaineering experience brought by Takladtamig’s tree planting activity.

Takladtamig is founded by the group called the Friends of Holon and Melibingoy (FHM), a group of independent and solo mountaineers from South Cotabato, South Central Mindanao, Philippines, to organize Takladtamig and to give life to the intention of making Lake Holon and Mt. Melibingoy known as a prime trekking destination while promoting its conservation and reaching out to the communities.

In every Takladtamig climb, the group aims to meet these three goals:

• Grow a Tree
• Lend a Hand
• Be Amazed

Continuing with the Adventure

After the activity and some moments of rest, we’re off to continue the journey again.

Not far you’ll be amazed with this stunning overlooking view of the river below while standing on a cliff.

Scary for those with fear of heights, but a rewarding experience for adventurers alike.

The Treacherous Trail in Muddy Grounds

After another trek pause and a light quick lunch, we’re off to continue our path. This time the trail become more challenging – steeper enabling you to at times to lie, crawl and hold tight for you not to slip.

And to make the adventure even more treacherous, the rain poured its hardest,  but the trek must continue coz it’s also starting to get dark.

The Rainbow after the Rain : Arrival at Lake Holon

But as they say, there’s always a rainbow after the rain. This time though there were no literal rainbows, but the majestic view of Lake Holon that awaits you upon arrival is surely a reward worth all the hard work.

Morning View of Lake Holon

The scenic view was even made more pronounced when the sun came rising the following day.

Sparkling clean water (that you could even drink just make sure you’ll get it near the mid part of the lake), luscious green, and a cool and humid atmosphere – indeed a perfect getaway to calm one’s soul and mind after a week long of work.

I’m sure you could see from the photos the peacefulness they exude. If only it would be easier to get back here, I surely would every once in a while. Maybe someday if they devised a zipline from the ground up here. Hahaha!

Lake Holon Flora and Fauna

Apart from the majestic lake, you’ll also see these various flora and fauna native here in Lake Holon.

The Trek Home

The whole trail runs for a total of 7 kilometers.

And on the way home, we thought we’d all be dry but the weather prove us otherwise again.

Lucky this time we’re with our rain coats!

Celebrating the Mountaineer’s Night

And to end the adventure, a mountaineer’s night awaits.

Here climbers from around South Cotabato got to know each other more, with a message from Sir Doms, certificate giving, lovely tshirts, and of course the most awaited foooooddd (that really goes appreciated when you’ve been from the mountains). Haha!

Until next time Lake Holon! Thanks for another adventure!