Timberland's Blue Zone...Conquered!

Timberland's bike trail aroused my curiosity, and has done so for quite some time. So I was quite excited to see what the trail had to offer. Approximately a month after my Bakas lake adventure, I was going to finally see and experience the trail first-hand! The date was set for the early morning of the15th of July, 2011.

I found out that the bike trail was a development of sorts of Filinvest Land. And that the trail was located adjacent to the Timberland subdivision. You can park your vehicle inside the Timberland subdivision by just leaving your ID with the subdivision security guards who I might add were very courteous.

So after unloading my bike and prepping for the adventure, I headed outside of the Timberland main gate, turned left towards the end of the paved road...and into the main dirt road leading to two trails: the Green Zone (Novice), and the Blue Zone (Advanced).

As you enter the Blue Zone, you travel through a pretty straightforward dirt road....'til you hit an extremely sharp bend that immediately takes you to a roughly 20-30 degree uphill climb! Here's a shot of the uphill climb immediately after the sharp bend.

The trail comes with a lot of narrow paths along light to heavy foliage. So it's best to do this trail wearing a long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms from the whipping effect of the foliage, which can cause quite a sting when travelling at high speed... and an itch at the end of your journey!

The action begins when you've reached a third of the way into the trail, where you come across a muddy trail with a stream of clear, flowing water right at the center of the trail! Now I'm starting to like this!!!

...then suddenly... out of nowhere... BOOM!

... you come to the end of the stream of water... and into a ditch (which is basically a repository to a larger stream of water). Note that at high speed, you may end up in the ditch! So keep to your left so you won't miss the wooden bridge to cross to the other side.

Here's another shot of the ditch and bridge from the other end.

Not too far after this obstacle, you come across a series of medium sized "road humps". The difficulty in this obstacle is that the "humps" come immediately after each other. Note that you had just traversed a wet and muddy obstacle! So keeping your head... and wits intact while doing this obstacle is key. Sorry but I wasn't able to take any pics of the "road humps" challenge. Probably due to temporary loss of wit!

Remember the light stream of water that flows in the middle of the trail, and leads to a larger stream? Well, you reach the climax of this adventure when you reach...

You have two choices here: take a left, or go straight ahead. Taking a left (Hard) requires you to cross a mildly flowing stream of water. Note the rocks which makes for a seemingly good cross to the other side. Then the trail takes you right back to cross the stream again... and once you're back from the other side... smack right into a short but steep uphill climb.

If you decide NOT to take a left, you would miss this wonderful climax. Though the alternate route does not go through the stream of water, it does take you through a winding uphill climb. Quite a task in itself!

The rest of the trail, takes you through pretty much the same type of narrow trails with light to heavy foliage when you first started out at the beginning of the trail. 

Towards the end of my adventure, I did come across a very good portion of the trail which went through medium to heavy underbrush. I recall the experience was like going through an enchanted and isolated place. Mostly eerie as it felt as though you were going through a vacuum or different dimension of space and time... strangely... tranquil too... but definitely memorable!

I'm on the lookout for other bike trails. So if you have any suggestions, feel free to post them here. 'Til the next adventure....!!!

The adventure begins...Bakas Lake in Norzagaray, Bulacan!

I've always been searching for good biking spots. When I say "good", I mean secluded, off-road, mountainous, even wet! More so if I could discover a trail which would lead me to a good waterfall. Unfortunately, I haven't found one yet. But in my search for my adventure, I did come across this place called Bakas in Norzagaray, Bulacan.So after doing my research, I started preparing, and set a date.

The adventure was set for June 18, 2011. I prepared a few items for the trip, like food and drinks. I also prepped my bike to make sure it was in top shape for the trip ahead. It was a nice Saturday morning when I set out nice and easy. Approximately an hour after I had started, I came across the arch welcoming me to Norzagaray, Bulacan.

As the territory was unknown to me, and without the aid of GPS, I had to rely on directions from the locals. All I knew was that I was looking for Bakas Lake, a waterway for Angat and Ipo dams, and was close to the Holcim cement plant. Considering that I was alone and in a remote location, safety was a concern. But the locals were accommodating and friendly. In fact, I came across a place riddled with young and old "mangangalakals" who were waiting for dump trucks filled with metal scraps. But they did not hesitate in giving me directions to my destination. No trouble, no worries. Unfortunately, I was not able to take pictures of the route behind the Holcim cement plant.

I reached my destination after approximately 2 hours of biking. The first hour and 15 minutes of biking was on paved roads. But the last 45 minutes was on unpaved back roads. Just the way I like it! Below is the final leg of the bike trip.

The first thing I saw were a lot of lightly built cottages which the locals would rent out to groups visiting the area.

There were absolutely no visitors though during my brief 1 hour stay here. The locals were very friendly and accommodating.

 
Incidentally, the name "Bakas" comes from the English word "imprint". Local folklore has it that the footprints of a giant named Bernardo Carpio could be seen on the rock formations!

I was told that the water in the lake at that time was shallow as the dams had not released any water yet. So you could actually cross the lake and get to the other side and explore the rock formations. Notice the 4 statues on top of the rightmost rock formation?

Here's a closer shot of the statues on top of the rock formation. I'm not quite sure if it was the locals, devotees, or the local government which erected these statues.

I stayed here for just an hour. During my brief visit, I got to know more about the locals, explored the rock formations, and dipped in the cool flowing waters. The trip to Bakas took me approximately 4 hours back and forth. Plus 1 hour to explore the area. I will visit the place again and take shots of the route behind the Holcim cement plant as I feel this area and experience is worth documenting!

During my trip, I did not encounter a single problem with my ride! Though I did come prepared for any problem I may have encountered. Note that I am a firm believer that you do not have to have the latest and most expensive gear to enjoy these outdoor experiences. My ride is mostly from Japanese-branded components like Shimano, but the parts are mostly novice-level and hand-me-downs. What's important is I know the basics on how to fix and care for my bike. And during trips, my bike is equipped with the essentials in case of any break-downs. In case I encounter any technical problems beyond my scope, I have a qualified technician to handle this for me.

So there you have it! My  Bakas Lake adventure! Next in line, Timberland's bike trails in San Mateo, Rizal are waiting to be conquered!