Rock climbing is an extreme sport that has recently taken over the hearts of many sports enthusiasts. It is a newly-introduced sport, but it has swept the whole country like a raging storm. Now, there are numerous climbing spots and scenes in Manila and other major cities.
For the moment, in Manila you can find 3 gyms that have indoor artificial climbing walls. These are the Planet Rock in Makati, or the Power Up Gym in Quezon City, or if you find yourself in Parañaque you can try the Gravity Gym. These gyms are great places to meet new friends, to talk with knowledgeable and friendly local climbers, and to practice your skills. Soon, there will also be other gyms who will put up their own artificial climbing walls. The stores that sell equipment for such sport have flourished.
If you are a more adventurous rock climber and you have gained sufficient experience, then you may leave the tame walls of the cities and attempt to conquer the real thing. There are several excellent climbing sites that are just hours away from the city of Manila. Two of these are located in Rizal.
The first is located in Wawa Gorge in Montalban. The people at Power Up Gym can give you instructions on how to get to this site and they can also help you with more information about the various routes to take. The Wawa Gorge refers to a limestone gorge which is approximately 400 meters deep. Climbing this wall may be one of the wildest experiences a rock climber can have. There are occasional rock falls and the climbers are advised to wear head protection or helmets. There are various routes of different lengths. These are rated from 5.8 to 5.11. The most difficult climb routes are bolted.
The second is the Puting Bato (translated as “white rock”) in Cogeo. This is the climbing site closest to Manila. It is a cliff made of limestone. It has two 60-meter walls and several smaller crags. Since the rock has zero vegetation, the hand and footholds are very solid and rock falls are rare. The established climbing routes were rated to be between 5.6 to 5.12. This means that the Puting Bato can be climbed even by beginners. Similar to what has been in Wawa, the most difficult climb routes are bolted.
Being a brave and insatiable rock climber, you need not be limited to the two choices here. Rock climbing is a relatively new sport and this means that there is room for much exploration. You must talk to the locals and find the rock wall that you wanted to conquer.
