After our successful ‘beginners’ trek’ to Mt. Manunggal, Gian and I decided to see if we could make it to Osmeña Peak in Baranggay Mantalongon in Dalaguete. At more than a thousand feet above sea level, Osmeña Peak is the highest peak in Cebu. And for that reason alone, (but trust me, there are a thousand more reasons) the peak is considered one of the ‘must-visits’ in the province. Named after the famous Osmeña clan of Cebu, Osmeña Peak is part of the Mantolongon mountain ranges which, according to many observers, resemble Bohol’s Chocolate Hills.
There are two ways to get to Mantalongon. First, you can get on a bus to Dalaguete (at the South Bus Terminal), and then hire a ‘habal-habal’ that would take you to Mantalongon Proper. Or, you can try the mini-bus (with cramped seating and a huge chance of sitting next to a crate of live chicken) that would take you directly to Mantalongon. Luckily, Randy said that he’d like to take his dog Gaudi with him. And to be able to do that, he said that he’s taking his van. Woohoo! Hehehe.
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Sunset at the top. The best ever!
We left the city at around 11 am. By lunch time we were already in Carcar City.
We stopped by the public market for lunch.
Starting the trip right. Lechon!!!
We left the market at around 1 pm. By 2 pm, we were already in Argao. We made a quick stop for a little tour.
And of course, we stopped by Alex Kafe for some Torta and Sikwate! Awesome!
By 3:30, we were already on our way to Baranggay Mantalongon in Dalaguete.
We reached Baranggay Mantalongon an hour later.
The Mantalongon Public Market. Hikers buy most of the things that they need at the peak here.
Getting ready for the big trek.
Bulad or dried fish!
Macho man!
They said it’s cold at the peak. So, this was the only solution that the guys could think of. Hahaha.
We’re ready to go!
Hey! Don’t leave us!
Friendly kids we saw playing by the road. They all said ‘Maayong hapon!” when we walked by. Nice! 🙂
Cabbage farm. Wow!
Sili espada!
Just keep walking.
Gorgeous view of the valley.
Cute kid.
Awesome rock formation.
A farmer on his way to the market with his goods.
Harry trying his hand, este, head at veggie carting. LOL.
Twins!
Gorgeous view.
An hour later. Are we there yet?
Cute local kid.
Local kid playing with his top.
Wow. I have a strong feeling I’m going to be very tired when I reach the top. LOL.
The start of our ascent. Nice.
You know what’s good about being the designated photographer? You get to pretend that you’re taking pictures if you can no longer keep up with your friends’ pace. Hahaha.
Sun flower. Hehehe.
Almost there!
I can see the sign!
Woohoo! We made it!
Welcome!
Harry and Gaudi resting while waiting for the others.
After paying 20 pesos (each) and registering, we were on our way to our camp site!
Lovely lovely sight!
Awesome! I can see the island of Negros!
View of the ‘chocolate hills-like’ peaks.
Countdown to sunset!
Harry enjoying the view.
Awesome view.
Campsites just below the peak.
Sunset at 5:45. Woohoo!
Gorgeous looking mountains. Wow!
There’s the island of Badian.
Setting up our tents before it gets totally dark. Hehe.
Tents ready! Woohoo!
Now, it’s time to cook our supper.
Reheating the lechon from lunch. Hahaha. Sosyal!
Bon appetit!
Long neck! Hahaha.
Fog crept in at around 10 pm. It was so thick that we could barely see the other tents. When we woke up at around 5:30, the thick fog was still there.
There’s the morning sun. Awesome sight, isn’t it?
View of the campsite at around 6:00 am.
Cool!
At around 7:00 am, the fog was still there. Love it!
Other hikers and their tents. Nice.
Gaudi enjoying the cold weather.
Breakfast! Scrambled eggs!
After eating, it was time to clear our campsite. Hehehe.
No more tents. Haha.
And of course, there’s the usual ‘photo shoots.’ LOL.
I’m going to miss this place.
Thanks to Gian for taking us here.
Good bye Osmeña Peak. The other campers on their way to Badian.
Wow. Badian is still around 4 hours away. Cool!
On our way home, we dropped by Obong Spring in Dalaguete.
Then, we went to the public beach just right beside it. John doing his thing. LOL.
And we checked out the ruins of the watchtower just a few meters away. LOL. Harry as Spiderman.
And of course, we dropped by Alex Kafe again for lunch. Yum!
Roman and Harry reviewing our photos. Hehe.
A trip that begins and ends with food is always awesome. Aal izz well!
Additional photos by Roman
Visit Osmeña Peak now!
Very nice view from the top.. Invite me naman dyan minsan… hehehe! =D
sama tayo next time bai! 🙂
So this is how the much touted Osmena Peak looks. Thanks for posting.
great pictures!love to visit this site when i’ll be in cebu for holidays..
thanks sir. yeah. make sure to visit the peak. it’s awesome.
Karon pa ko kabantay. Ang karst formations sa Osmena Peak ba, murag Peanut Kisses. Hehe! Beautiful shots, Lander.
Awesome views & pictures. Great job, Ley!
as usual, bai Ley you’re pro shots inspires me with awe. . that beautiful colors of the sunset thought it is aurora borealis/australis.
heehe. thanks a lot sir noli!
thanks a lot mam corah!
wow just text me naman ug aha napud nyo trip ba gusto ko mokoyg oi.heheh
sure. way blema na. hehe
Ikaw na da best ka….hehehehe..Kanindot sa peaks tan awon ley oi labi na gyud ang sunset.
thanks mam marlene!
I have been waiting for this post. Well worth the wait. Simply beautiful indeed. I love the shots on your way to the peak: the children who greeted “Maayong hapon,” the baby goat, the twins. The photos of, and from, the peak are pretty awesome too. Thanks for the vicarious trip, Ley.
By the way, what a great name for a dog: Gaudi. Gikan na sa Barcelona ang iro, Ley? Very cute doggie.
thanks sir takdol. im not sure asa gikan ang iro sir. but i think randy named it after a famous architect. randy is an architect man gud. hehe
wow! what a beautiful place! love everything about it. thanks for sharing, ley. miss the torta. 🙂
thank you mam ianne!
wow, kanindot sad ninyo diha uy…. so many places in cebu i have not seen yet, next time puede mag tag along ko ninyo kon naa ko cebu… thanks ley
thanks! sure mam luisa!
Ganda ng pictures 🙂
ninduta nga trip ui. lami pagyud ang litson baboy.
Awesome pics!
🙂
Super like! very very nice entry! But when you’re at the peak how do you answer the “call of nature?” magpahipi lang o naay facility?
thanks! kabasa ko sa uban websites, naa day gamay nga outhouse duol sa campsite. pero wa man ko kita pag-adto namo. hehe. pwede ra pud ka pahipi. hehehehe
Sir, naa unta toy outhouse sa una but gi demolish. Many climbers wanted to have a more “natural” site unya ang outhouse maka “artificial” kaau sa lugar. Mao to na giguba.
So to answer the call of nature, magpahipi na lang gyud. Okay ra na basta mag wee-wee. But in the event na mag poo-poo, we bring a trowel. Then magpalayu, mag kawot ug 7-inch cat hole, then after doing your thing, tabunan ug balik ang cat hole.
Love this post! Love the dog!
Wish I could go to all these places you go to Ley. Kuyog ko!
Thanks for sharing all the great blogs and photos.
I am dying to go Osmeña Peak gyud pero pirme lang dili mahinayon. What if wala katoltol sa peak ba, naa ba guide didto?
Picturesque pictures by the way! I love it. 🙂
hi jenny. yep. daghan mga bata muguide didto. tagaan lang nimo ug gamay pang snacks. hehe
wow…the pics really speak how beautiful the place is….thanks for sharing it sir….
Super awesome!!!
Thank you guys, Gaudi and the only lady.
sir ley nagka sabay na di ta dha sa OP sir wala lang jud ta nagka ilhanay hehehehehe
btw sir im 1 of the Asilo boys from bantayan island.thnx sa pictures sir ley
sir. hahaha. unsa gud diayng hitabua? hehe. nagsige na diay tag kita-kita sir. hehehe. 🙂
Nice one.
next peak of mt. everest na pod imong ma conquer hehehe…
hello, ganda naman dito sa matalongon. alam mo maganda rin sa amin sa carmen cebu. sa dulo- pagitan ng carmen, asturias, danao & tuburan: ang barrio taguene, caurasan. sana nga ma develop namin ang place para lahat puedeng pumasyal dun.
very nice.. two thumbs up!
love the pictures!!! the place so awesome! anha ta lei =D
By the way, Osmena Peak is 1013 meters above sea level. 🙂 Trivia lang. Hehe!
Love the photos especially of the peaks, maybe should send them to DOT for promotion of the area.. I find there isn’t enough advertised on the things to see in Cebu especially off the beaten track. Keep up the good work doing Cebu a lot of promotion on your blog.
HEY LEY IS IT SAFE IN CAMP SITE ANY EMERGENCY HAPPEN DO THE HAVE A QUICK RESPONSE
Hi verry nice story could a motor bike be ridden to the top?
If not how close to the top could a bike reach?
it’s impossible to take the bike all the way to the top. i guess you can leave your bike near the houses at the foot of the mountain.
Wow! I would love to do a SOTA on that peak!
Reblogged this on Save every Moment and commented:
Hey! Check this blog ! I miss Cebu!
I think this is why I should visit Cebu. 🙂 Na-excite ako bigla dito.
visit cebu now! 🙂
Yup. Thanks for this post. 🙂
heay guys, i envy this trip. trekking with friends with a dog. any plans of going back there this coming summer? I want to join.
I was there last Sunday.
It was awesomely a very good adventure.
Am gonna try camping next time.
Enjoyed your photos Lei. Thanks!
Salamat bai! Lingaw pud ang camping didto. I’m glad you enjoyed OPeak! 🙂
WoW! Breathtaking views indeed. I’ve been there though it’s really kinda tiring going up to the mountain but worth it. =)
Hey! Planning to go there this month. Just wondering.. Where did you Park your van? I want to bring a car along, but I’ve been searching if there are parking lots. I can’t find anything that says there are. So.. Please please please tell me where you guys parked!! Thanks 🙂
We left our van just outside the town market. You can also ask around. A lot of home-owners also offer parking space for a fee. 🙂