Discovering Sariaya, Quezon (Part 2): The Rugged Trail towards Mt. Banahaw

Sariaya is a 1st class municipality in the province of Quezon. It has 43 barangays that is situated in a land area of 212.16 sq kms. To the north of the town center (Poblacion), the majestic Mt. Banahaw looms over like a silent watchman, and to the south, the coast with its beaches and resorts. These geographic features make Sariaya unique as it is the only municipality in all of Quezon Province to have both the mountain and the sea within its area.

Situated between the mountain and the coast, principal roads at Sariaya either runs up or goes down making it challenging for a beginner biker like myself to ride around the town. Exciting as it is to bike fast downhill, returning back is always a continuous struggle due to the sloping terrain. I used to complain about this before but ever since I started training for hiking and triathlon, I came to love the landscape more for the challenge it offers. I know it can only me stronger.

As I needed to seriously train for my first triathlon, I choose the road going to Mt. Banahaw this time. It is a shorter ride as opposed to the Poblacion-Ecotourism Road trail (25 + kms but can be extended up to 35+ kms via Guis-guis road) but I have a 566 m elevation gain making the 8.8-kilometer ride up a good strengthening exercise.

Apart from the challenging ascent, the ride offers a rugged terrain, especially as one approaches the Mt. Banahaw- San Cristobal Protected Landscape. There are no sweeping views of the lowlands, but there are lots of greenery- trees and shrubs lining both sides of the road- and agricultural fields planted with rice/ tomatoes/camote/ pechay. As one travels farther, the forest of Mt. Banahaw becomes clearer and clearer and one cannot deny the existence of something very mysterious and powerful present in the mountain.

Because there are many farmlands in the area, expect to meet the farmers and see their farm animals along the road- these are their main means of transportation as very few motorized vehicles drive up in this part of the town. I also feel that bikers don’t venture here often as people I meet seem curious to see me.

As of this moment, I have only gone up to the river where the trail ends. Densely forested, solitude here is pierced by the cries of the insects and gurgling of the cold water running downstream. It is nice to wade around the shallow pools to cool down after an exhausting ride. Eating breakfast and drinking coffee by the riverbank would be awesome, too!

After the rest at the river, the exciting downhill ride begins. Fasten your helmets, wear your gloves, and ready yourself because the long and rugged road will truly rock your mind!