Mount Guiting-Guiting
| Mount Guiting‑Guiting | |
|---|---|
 The summit of Mount Guiting-Guiting as view from Mayo's Peak. The narrow ridge connecting the two in the foreground is known to the climbing community as the "Knife Edge Trail". | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 2,058 m (6,752 ft) |
| Prominence | 2,058 m (6,752 ft) |
| Listing |
|
| Coordinates | 12°24′50″N 122°34′04″E / 12.413889°N 122.567778°ECoordinates: 12°24′50″N 122°34′04″E / 12.413889°N 122.567778°E |
| Naming | |
| English translation | jagged |
| Language of name | Romblomanon |
| Geography | |
  Mount Guiting‑Guiting | |
| Country | Philippines |
| Region | Mimaropa |
| Province | Romblon |
| Climbing | |
| First ascent | 1982 |
Mount Guiting-Guiting or G2 is the highest mountain in the province of Romblon in the Philippines, with an elevation of 6,752 ft (2,058 m) above sea level. Its ranked 73rd-highest peak of an island on Earth. Located at the heart of Sibuyan Island and dominates the entire island. Guiting-Guiting, in the local Romblomanon dialect, means "jagged". The mountain is one of the focal points of Sibuyan's declaration as a biodiversity haven. The entire island has been compared numerous times with the biodiversity endemism rate of the Galapagos islands.
This endemism prompted much of the mountain and its slopes to be protected under the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park, established in 1996.[1] The park also encompasses nearby Mt. Nailog (789 masl) to the west.
Hiking[]
It is often referred to as Mount G2,[2] although the nickname is not accepted by the locals as it disrespects the indigenous name of the sacred site[citation needed]. The mountain is open all year round for hiking, with two established trails; the Tampayan Trail from the north, and the Olango Trail from the south. Hiking permits and guides are secured from the DENR office in Magdiwang town. The entire upper trails consist of exposed, broken, and sharp ultramafic rocks and boulders. The summit area of Mt. Guiting-Guiting is primarily a heath land and grassland with exposed rocks on the serrated ridges of the peak.
Though the length and duration of the climb is relatively shorter, two days to climb up and one day to descend, this mountain is still acknowledged as the most difficult and technically challenging Philippine mountain to climb, alongside with Mount Halcon in Mindoro, Mount Madja-as, Mount Nangtud and in Antique and Mount Mantalingajan in Palawan.
History[]
In May 1982, under the leadership of Arturo Valdez, a joint team from the Bacolod-based Philippine Mountaineering Society (PMS) and the University of the Philippines (UP), the team assaulted the mountain, the attempt of which was to be the first in history.[3]
It was during this expedition that one of the peaks, now known as "Mayo's Peak" was named after one of the team members, Mayo Monteza, who celebrated his birthday during the climb, while one of the water spring sources now known as "Bulod's Spring" was named after one of the local guides, Bulod, who volunteered (along with another locals) to join the climb.[3]
The team failed to take the summit on this first attempt, but came back two weeks afterwards. On 17 June 1982, four climbers became the first to stand at the summit. Their names are Mon Ruiz, Kim Valino, Roel Tan Torres (of UP mountaineers) and Edwin Gatia of the PMS team.[3]
Biodiversity[]
Sibuyan Island has extremely high endemism largely due to its remoteness. More than half of the Island is covered with forest. Preliminary reports include that the forest density in Sibuyan is 1,551 trees per hectare making it the densest forest ever recorded in the Philippines. There exists a full range of forest gradient in the Philippines consisting of mangrove, lowland, montane, mossy forests, heathland, and grassland—from the shoreline up to the summit of Mt. Guiting-Guiting,
There are approximately 700 vascular plant species, including 54 species that are endemic to the island. These include Nepenthes sibuyanensis; Nepenthes argentii; Heterospathe sibuyanensis Becc. (Bil-is), Agamyla sibuyanensis (Sibuyan lipstick plant); Myrmephytum beccarii Elmer (Sibuyan ant plant); Begonia gitingensis Elmer (Guiting-guiting begonia).
A total of 130 species of birds have been recorded in the park, of which 102 are either known or presumed to be breeding residents. There are also nine (9) native non-flying terrestrial mammal species, nine fruit bats species, of which one is endemic, and nine (9) lizards and geckos.[1]
Gallery[]
The jagged Peaks that give Mount Guiting-guiting its name.
Extensive forests cover the slopes of the mountain complex.
España Peak to the south of the summit. The southern sections are littered extensively with large boulders.
Hikers prepare to climb up the summit peak from the north side (Tampayan trail).
Mount Guiting-Guiting as viewed from the south.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ Jump up to: a b "Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park". mimaropa.denr.gov.ph. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
- ^ Lasco, Gideon (26 March 2008). "Mount Guiting-Guiting". Pinoy Mountaineer. Retrieved 28 March 2008.
- ^ Jump up to: a b c Lasco, Gideon (14 September 2008). "MountainTalk #2: Edwin Gatia recalls the first-ever Guiting-Guiting climb". Pinoy Mountaineer. Retrieved 30 September 2014.
External links[]
- Mountains of the Philippines
- Natural parks of the Philippines
- Landforms of Romblon