Tale of The Pinoy Trails 18K #STAR2016 Route

Pinoy Trails
Pinoy Trails #STAR2016 Route Recon

Pinoy Trails Sierra Trail Adventure Race 2016 is just a few weeks away.  We’ve gone back to the course to establish the routes and here’s a special #TaleOfTheTrail look at the 18K race routes.  It’s gonna be an exciting adventure for everyone. The route is filled with a lot of scenic sites, varying trail surfaces and a lot of inclines and descents. #PinoyTrails #STAR2016

Sierra Madre Trails

The Beauty of the Sierra Madre Trails
The Beauty of the Sierra Madre Trails

Tanay is definitely one of the more scenic spots in the country.  With the higher elevation of the main road, one can have a lot of peeks at the majestic sea of clouds surrounding the Sierra Madre mountain range.  They also have the freshest air and have a really clean surrounding. The other thing that made us fall in love with the Tanay was the variety of trail surfaces.  They have rough roads, rocky paths, technical terrains and a roller coaster ride in terms of elevation.  It’s a complete trail experience that’s safe for newbies and challenging even for experienced runners.

Trekking the 18K Pinoy Trails Route

Race Map is Powered by Suunto
Race Map is Powered by Suunto

 

 

The 18 Kilometer map is a full trail experience.  It has its share of climbs and really fun and sweet descents.  Aside from the sea of clouds, you get to cross a lot of streams, rivers and even see a small waterfall.  There’s also a lot of climbs, which includes you to a ridge overlooking the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.  Laiban Town is river crossing unlimited for the runners and it leads to a long and challenging ascent on paved and dirt roads.

Start at Ten Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp

Race Village
Race Village

Pinoy Trails is happy to have 10 Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp as Pinoy Trails #STAR2016 Venue Partner. The race village is stationed at their team building area and has an immediate trail access.  The runners would also enjoy the views and facilities at 10 Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp.  The race would start at the lower part of 10 Cent to Heaven Leisure Camp and would proceed directly to the trail access point below the hanging bridge.  This is about an 800 meter loop on technical trails that includes a steep descent and climb heading to the main road.

Let's just say it would be a challenging start for the 18K runners.
Let’s just say it would be a challenging start for the 18K runners.

 Entering Sitio Maysawa

Sitio Maysawa
Sitio Maysawa

There’s a portion of the route along the main road leading to the trail head at Sitio Maysawa midway the 2nd kilometer mark.  The highway is among the higher vantage point of the race so take time to appreciate the view of the mountains and the sea of clouds.  Sitio Maysawa is a downhill adventure.  It’s definitely run-able with a mix of dirt roads and rocky path.  Do take note  that there are some pockets along the trail that has nice vantage points for the mountains and the sea of clouds.

Rough roads and a whole lot of downhill adventure
Rough roads and a whole lot of downhill adventure

Entering the Forest Trails

Views of the mountains from the lower part of Sitio Maysawa
Views of the mountains from the lower part of Sitio Maysawa

After the sweet descent, the trail shifts to forest trails and gives you a lower vantage point of the mountains.  There’s a rest area at kilometer 6 where there will be snacks during the race.  After the rest area, the route goes to a muddier stretch.  It’s walking beside streams of water that will pass through a variety of trail surfaces.  There will be streams, short river crossing and a mini falls along the route.

Mini falls at the background.

And the Climb Begins

The steep climb!
The steep climb!

The route slowly shifts to a climb approaching the 8th kilometer.  While it starts on a moderate stretch, the route evolves into a steep and technical climb. This is among the more challenging part of the course as it’s a continuous assault heading to the top of the ridge.  There’s a rest area in between before the other half of the technical climb resumes.

The Ridge

The beauty of the ridge.
The beauty of the ridge.

After the long hard climb comes the reward.  There’s a ridge view of the Sierra Mountain Range.  This is about a 500 meter descent that’s a bit steep but it would really be fun to run.  It’s running with a panoramic view of the mountains.  This is among our favorite part of the race course. The descent would lead you to the town of Laiban.

Laiban

River crossing unlimited
River crossing unlimited

From Laiban, it’s about 6.5 kilometers to the main highway.  It’s river crossing unlimited at Laiban as the you have to cross several rivers over the next 2 kilometers.  It does get fun and refreshing to cross one river after another.  This would also be the part of the race to relax and conserve your energy as the next part of the race is a long 4.5 kilometer climb to the highway.

The Long Hard Climb

The view of the climb
The view of the climb

After enjoying the river crossing, it’s time for the long hard climb.  It’s a mix of paved and dirt roads. The paved road stretch would at least remove the drag of the uneven surface.  It’s tolerable though it’s just a really long climb.  This is one of the reason why we wanted a buddy category so most of the participants can brave the climb with a buddy.  It’s a nice mental challenge that will keep the trail a memorable one.  Don’t worry as you go along the climb, it becomes less steeper.  You’ll enjoy the view of the mountain range along the side of the road.  It’s tough but it will make you a lot tougher.

And then the Sweet Descent

10 Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp
10 Cents to Heaven Leisure Camp

After the long climb comes a rolling terrain along the main highway to the Pinoy Trails finish line.  It’s definitely a run-able route and a good time to enjoy the race. That’s the trail of the Pinoy Trails #STAR2016 18K Route. We hope you enjoy our playground!

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Post Author: Franc Ramon

Franc Ramon is a Marathoner, Mountaineer and a Duathlete. He has adopted the fitness lifestyle since mid-2010 and loves sharing them in his personal blog http://francramon.com . While he's not on the trails, the road or on an adventure, he spends his time in the finance field.

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