Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu twin hike plus eight waterfalls Climb Guide

Introduction

Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu also known as the Maynoba loop circuit are located in Tanay, Rizal and its dubbed among the best hiking destination in Rizal province. It has a friendly trail and it offers a stunning sea of clouds. Mt. Maynoba has a height of 662 meters above sea level or 2171 feet. On the other hand, Mt. Cayabu has a height of 728 meters above sea level.

Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu were opened for hiking enthusiasts and visitors in the year 2016. Mt. Maynoba showcases a staggering eight waterfalls. The first is the Hidden Paradise Falls, the second is Lantay Bato Falls, the third is Gugulong Bato Falls, the fourth is Manganiso Falls, the fifth is Maynoba Falls, the sixth is Katmon Falls, and the seventh is Guintoan Falls, and the eight and the last is the Magpantay Falls. However each waterfall varies from the other, some falls are bigger and some falls are smaller.

In addition, Mt. Cayabu was named after its own barangay named Cayabu where the mountain is situated. In contrast, the word Maynoba came from a plant called “tuba” that usually grows in the forested part of the mountain that concludes in the waterfalls. The total trail length of Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu twin hike is eight kilometers meanwhile on the back trail or one way the total trail length is only three kilometers.

Although Mt. Maynoba was not popular as the other mountains in Rizal province, it was said that Mt. Maynoba was the highest rate of success in terms of viewing the sea of clouds in the Rizal province. For this reason, hikers no need to go too far from Metro Manila where they can unwind and remove their worries about life.

Name: Mt. Cayabu and Mt. Maynoba twin hike
Difficulty: 4/9
Elevation: 662 MASL (Mt. Maynoba), 728 MASL (Mt. Cayabu)
Jump-Off: Barangay Cayabu, Tanay, Rizal
Hours to summit: 3 hours
Features: fantastic view of the Sierra Madre mountain range, sea of clouds, grassland ridges, and eight waterfalls

My trip to Mt. Maynoba

They said that life will always be a series of travels, so one day I decided to join a day hike event in the province of Rizal. After a tiring productive Friday, I immediately pack my things for hiking Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu. It was Saturday morning when I arrived at our designated pick-up point place in Aurora Boulevard, Cubao.

I ordered some of my trail food in the Ministop convenience store and when everyone in our group chats finally reached the designated pick-up point, I go inside the van. Then our private van left Aurora Boulevard, Cubao past 1:30 am. After two hours and ten minutes of road travel, we reach the jump-off point of Mt. Maynoba in Barangay Cayabu.

At this time, our tour coordinator met the local guide and we started to sign our waivers at the DENR tourism center. After that, we group in a circle and started praying to God to keep us safe at all times during the climb. By 4:20 am we started our climb. In this case, we opened our flashlights and I have a short talk with one of the local guides. He said that every day that comes into our lives is a blessing from the one who created time and our being. For this reason, I was amazed and grateful for what he told me. Without a doubt, I will remember this line for the rest of my life.

Even so, our group reached the first resting station after forty minutes of gradually ascending on hills. In this case we rest for eight minutes and our guide told us that the steep ascent starts from here. As a result, we drink a lot of water and we continued our ascent at a slow pace because Mt. Cayabu’s steep trail is so exhausting. Also at some parts, there is some loose soil and we do rappelling a few times which makes the assault a bit challenging.

Midway through our ascent, we can already see the forming of the sea of clouds from distance. It is a very wonderful moment to see it because it is very surreal. Also, the Narra trees and bamboo trees are very appealing to the eyes. To be honest, I don’t expect it when I decided to climb Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu in the past weeks.

Then we wait for the sun to rise at the summit of Mt. Cayabu. We took our time and twenty minutes later, we admire the incredible sunrise and sea of clouds over the mountain peaks and surrounding valleys. Indeed it was such a good morning for our group. The relaxing view from the summit is just cherishable and it eliminates our stress.

After enjoying the sunrise view, we continued our straightforward hike going to the summit of Mt. Maynoba. Undoubtedly, it’s a steep assault on the slope of the mountain passing through a designated camping site and lots of cogon grass. Then at 8:05 am our group reached the summit marker of Mt. Maynoba. It took us nearly three hours to reach the last peak but the scenery is astonishing.

At the summit of Mt. Maynoba, I can see the prominent mountains of Rizal such as Mt. Irid and Mt. Tukduang Banoi. On the east side, I can see municipalities bordering Tanay such as Infanta and General Nakar in the province of Quezon. Moreover, at the wide summit, we can see the grassland ridges of Mt. Maynoba and we have a great view of the marvelous sea of clouds which haven’t disappeared yet even though the sun was already high at that time.

We stayed at the summit for nearly forty-five minutes. In the same way our group snapped photos of the amazing view at the top of the mountain, others do jump-shot, others do selfies and the others change their outfits for the outfit of the day shot. Afterward, our local guide told us we will do a circuit loop trail route and we won’t do a back trail. Then our group started to go down the mountain at 9 am.

As we go down down, I have in mind that each note that the wind murmurs, each ray of light coming from the sun and each flower in the green meadows is a hymn for the glory of God. We see lots of wildlife including goats and cows. Then after one hour of continuous descending at a faster pace on a steep grassy mountainside, woodland, and bamboo forest trail, we reached the waterfalls system of Mt. Maynoba. We pass through a stream and walk on the rocks and because the trail is so rocky and slippery we need to exercise safety precautions as we do stream crossing.

Later on, we are able to cross the eight waterfalls which are linked to each other. Therefore we refill our empty bottled water at one of the water sources found in the smaller falls. At the last falls of Mt. Maynoba, we take a dip and refreshed ourselves with cold water coming from the small falls. We swim at the falls for twenty minutes even though the water is not very clear to us. After that, we continue our way going back to the jump-off point. It is a hot descent all the way because there are only a few trees that give us cover along the trail.

By 11:50 am we finally reach the jump-off point of Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu. On the right side, we can see the ascending trail and on our left side, we can see the descending trail. To sum up we finish the whole loop of Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu in eight hours including the swimming time and resting time. At the barangay, we rest for a little while because there’s a long line in the bathroom since it’s the weekend. Indeed it was jam-packed with hikers and tourists.

Twenty minutes later we finally have our turn and chance at the bathroom. We wash up and clean our hiking sandals and shoes. After that, we ordered Adobo, Kare-Kare, and Sisig dishes at the small store. Also, we buy halo-halo drinks to complete our satisfying lunch.

Before we go inside our private van, we thank our mountain guide for helping us and giving us a different perspectives throughout the entire climb. Also, we take our last pictures at the Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu mountainside in remembrance of what we’ve been through that Saturday weekend. Indeed it was such a great hike for most of us especially since we are beginners. Finally, our group arrived at Metro Manila around 4 pm in the afternoon. Without a doubt, the trip is all worth it. Special thanks to Blanco for taking wonderful pictures of me.

Sample 1 Day itinerary to Mt. Maynoba (day hike)

1:30AM – Meet up at a designated place within Metro Manila
2:30AM – Departure to Barangay Cayabu, Tanay, Rizal
4:30AM – Arrival at the registration area of Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu, secure guide
5AM – Start climbing
6AM – Summit of Mt. Cayabu
7AM – Continue climbing
7:45AM – Summit of Mt. Maynoba
8:30AM – Descent to the eight waterfalls
10AM – Swimming
12PM – Arrival at Barangay Cayabu trailhead, tidy up, and lunch
2PM – Departure to Metro Manila
4PM – ETA Metro Manila

Sample 2 Day itinerary to Mt. Maynoba (overnight)

Day 1
9AM – Call time at the assembly place
10AM – Departure going to Antipolo City (Cogeo Gate 2)
11:30AM – Ride a jeep from Antipolo City going to Batangasan junction
1PM – Arrive at the Batangasan junction, ride a tricycle going to Barangay Cayabu
1:30PM – Mt. Maynoba trailhead and jump-off point, registration and get a local guide
2PM – Start hiking
3PM – Mt. Cayabu summit
4:30PM – Mt. Maynoba summit and viewpoint, set up the tent
6PM – Open time, dinner, and socials
10PM – Sleeping time

Day 2
5AM – Wake up call, prepare breakfast food
6:15AM – Viewing of sunrise, take breakfast
8AM – Break camp
8:30AM – Resume climbing
9:30AM – Trek through the eight waterfalls of Mt. Maynoba, swim, and rest
12:30PM – Arrive at Barangay Cayabu, wash up and take a lunch
2PM – ETD going to Manila
4:30PM – Manila

Disclaimer: this sample above itinerary is only a basis and is not thorough or will not be 100% ideal due to many factors.

Things to bring on your visit to Mt. Maynoba:

Two liters of bottled water
Trail food
Trekking sandals
Flashlight
Toiletries
Umbrella, cap, hat, and sunblock
Personal medicine and First Aid Kit
Extra pocket money, clothes, and slipper
One valid ID, vaccination card, and facemask
Tent and insect repellent if you will have an overnight at Mt. Maynoba

How to Go to Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu

Option 1:

1. From Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City, ride a jeep going to Tanay, Rizal
2. From Tanay public market, ride a jeep going to Barangay Sampaloc and tell the driver to alight you at Batangasan junction.
3. Then ride a tricycle going to Barangay Cayabu. The tricycle fare is 100 pesos for a group of four people.

Option 2:

1. From Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, ride a UV express vehicle going to Cogeo Gate 2. The approximate travel time is one hour and thirty minutes.
2. Then ride a jeep going to Barangay Sampaloc and alight at Batangasan junction. The approximate travel time is one hour and twenty minutes.
3. From the Batangasan junction, ride a tricycle going to the trailhead of Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu.

Option 3:

1. If you have your own car you can open the Google Maps or Waze app and pin it to Cayabu Barangay Hall.
   
   
   
   

Reminders and Tips:

• Registration and getting a mountain guide are required before climbing Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu. The registration fee is 100 pesos per person. On the other hand, the tour guide fee for a day hike is 500 pesos and for an overnight climb is 1250 pesos for a group of five hikers.

• The parking fee is fifty pesos and the bathroom fees range from 5 pesos to 20 pesos per person.

• Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu are only minor climbs and very ideal for beginners. Moreover, Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu have a well-established trails on moderately steep terrain. The climb to the summit will last three to four hours and the total hours to and from the summit could take up to nine hours.

• The best month to climb Mt. Maynoba and witness the sea of clouds is from the month of May to September. The ideal time to start the hike is 4:30 am so an early departure from Metro Manila by private van or your own car is highly advised.

• Campsites are situated at the peak one between Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu.

• Always keep in mind the Leave No Trace principle. Also put your trash in a proper way to preserve the beauty of the mountains.

• The approximate budget and expenses for a solo day hike are 1,300 pesos.

• There are food stalls and sari-sari stores at the jump-off point.

• Bringing a hiking sandal before the trip is a must.

• Bring sufficient water as there’s only one water source at the mountain loop.

• You have the option to climb only one mountain it’s either Mt. Maynoba or Mt. Cayabu then you can visit the waterfalls system.  

• Kindly cut off the unnecessary noise during the climb and enjoy the sound of nature and wildlife. 

• Above all, please prepare yourself physically and mentally before the climb. 
  
  
  
  

Overall, I hope this Mt. Maynoba and Mt. Cayabu twin hike guide and reference have been helpful to you. In addition to this, don’t forget to share this with your groups if ever you plan on doing the twin hike or circuit loop climb. Thank you so much for reading and God bless us all. Keep hiking. Until next time.