We were going southbound at 6:30am to check the new 40 kilometer course for the Tagaytay Cross Coutry Challenge when it began to rain.
It’s been raining cats and dogs in the south for days already. Our schedules were tight so we decided to push through with the trackread. Rain or shine.
We started from the roundabout coming from Aguinaldo highway, and then descended to the mountain pass of Talisay (Tagaytay-Taal road) going to Barangay Sampaloc, all the way to Barangay Bagong tubig, and then endure the seemingly endless uphell err uphill climb going back up to Mahogany Avenue.
I like the way this course was designed. The variety of the terrains from roads, trails, puddles, mud, and uneven pavement was a good practice for cross country mountain bikers. I can say that we finally have a new challenging spot in the south, with elevation that can go up to 1,800 meters!
*Just click the first thumbnail to begin.*
Kicked off pretty well, with signs of rain underway.
The 12 kilometer mountain pass was a fun downhill ride. We continued to follow the twisty Tagaytay-Taal lake road. We had to be very careful and stick to the correct lane as vehicles just whizzed by especially on the blind corners.
The rain got stronger. We had no choice but to move forward.
We were on the way to Barangay Sampaloc, overlooking Taal volcano
This concluded the adrenaline pumping 12 kilometer descent (How come all the good stuff have to come to an end?) We continued pedaling through this road along the lake. This was the longest flat section before entering the trails.
The sign was subtle. We had to turn at this point. We just avoided the flooded road and we were on the way to the trails.
We found it quite difficult to pedal because of the soft-packed terrain. We plowed through the trail as our tires collected mud. It was mostly uphill sections from this point until the end.
This made the ride more interesting… Tedious, but it was a good way to clean off our tires.
Making our way to our first stop
We have finally found this spot where they sell ice-candies, eggs, bananas, dynamites (chili spring rolls), and free coffee! The smell of Batangas coffee growing in the backyard was so relaxing.
The trail wasn’t well-defined after this section. There were too many deep ruts because motorcycles pass by this area as well. No choice but to suck it up.
Race for a cause: Proceeds of the upcoming cross country race will be donated to this school. I’m so happy to be a part of this event.
Off from our saddles to rest. The next part of the course was an uphill climb to that cloudy part of the mountain.
Nowhere to go but up. It was really starting to get very cold at this point
There were some brief flat sections but the slippery switchbacks will surprise you at every turn! With steeper, seemingly endless climbs.
Rain was just too much. The clouds and strong winds were giving us the chills every time we stop. We had to check our things from time to time just to make sure they weren’t getting soaked.
Fast forward to the following week when my friend/sparring partner conditions for the race by pedaling through the steep climbs.
