Tinago Falls Iligan City

Okay folksiefolks, I thought we passed by two towns after Iligan City, as I said in the previous article. It turns out, there was only one, the town of Linamon Lanao Del Norte, the next town south of Iligan City.

Meaning, from the city center, our jeep ride went to a corner in Linamon, which my guide said 'is a well known jump-off point (all jeep drivers know it) goin' up the mountains (of Iligan) where Tinago Falls is.

For those not used to riding on motorcycles without sidecars (habal-habal), that ride takes only about 10 minutes - on probably 5 to 6 kilometers of good concrete barangay roads, narrower than the hiway!

I'll be honest, I am adventurous, but when riding habal-habal, I use both my hands to cling to anything - that's why you don't see many photos along the way when I take that mode of transportation, hahaha!

This is the main entrance. My guide call this place the Linamon Entrance (there's another entrance).

This place is already like a foresty garden/park, although it's really just the parking area and entrance! Remember to exchange cellular phone numbers with your habal-habal driver, if you agreed (and paid) for a 'back-and-forth rate'. Better yet, just arrange/pay for a 'one-way rate' from the hi-way to this gate.

Note (because this is not common): in our case, we opted for just the one-way rate, because we didn't return using this route. I said above there is another entrance/exit, remember? That's where we exited.

Front Office! This is where you pay the entrance fee and life-vest rental, if you're going to swim.

Note, especially if you're going to exit the other way, there are some 'abubot' - trinkets and other locally made souvenirs on sale in this area. Though I think you can buy them elsewhere at the city proper too.

This arch at left is where you start your descent to the falls. Prepare your lungs and your feet hehe!

If it's any consolation, you'll see some "words of encouragement". Get the hint. It's not an easy walk!

Take it easy... look around... like I saw a family doing laundry and having a picnic at the same time!

Steps aren't the same height. Some are too tall, even for those with 'Melanie Marquez' (long legged)!

An interesting thing I saw was: water actually cascades all around the hill that you walk down on!

Guide told me, locals who live nearby drink this water - reason for those contraptions they 'installed'.

Midway, you will already hear the cascading thundering waterfall, and you will already see snippets of a brook/river that comes from it. Don't be 'atat', don't be too excited. You are still far (too high) from it!

Don't run or rush going down. Take your time. Tinago Falls won't run away, it's just there! I saw a young woman slip on those steps, the contents of a plastic bag she was carrying scattered all over the area!

What did I see scattered? Ah eh, paper plates, plastic cups, plastic spoon & fork, wet wipes, chichirya (good all were still in their individual containers), plus... "sandwich" with a brand name "Modess". Ayy!

Masakit na, nakakahiya pa! It's important to remember that those steps are "slippery when wet". When are they wet? Everyday! This is a lush forest, moisture from the waterfall spread around all the time so everywhere is generally wet (at least damp) any time. The 'Crocs' type of footwear would be best here.

By the way, at or near the registration desk, there are "tour guides" for hire. No, they're not the same as my tour guide. Those are young men (teens) who offer their services as "baggage assistants". Avail of their services if you are carrying heavy or many things - even just your tupperware or food containers!

In our case, both my guide and I only had our phones as 'baggage' hehehe, so we didn't 'use' them!

Well, nakakapagod man, pasasaan ba... you will eventually reach the bottom of the hill and see this:

I didn't memorize its vital statistics such as height and so on, even if my guide told me all about them. For some moments there, I just stood where I took that picture, looking at it in awe (yes naka-nganga)!

But if you look at those people on the raft, you will have an idea how big and wide Tinago Falls is.

The water is mountain cold brrrrr, reason why this doggie is resting on that rock. Nagbibilad sa araw!

Okay, that's it pusit! That is your Tinago Falls in Iligan City. Tara uwi na tayo!

Ahh hehehe! Well, it is not very wide like Tinuy-an Falls, but it is definitely bigger (taller and wider) than Lulugayan Falls. Water spreads so widely here, unlike at its namesake Tinago Falls in Caibiran, Biliran.

It's not very clear on this 'panoramic shot' I attempted on my lowly phone, but if you look closely at the edges of the picture, water also falls, trickles or cascades there - although not strongly. It is that wide!

There is though a 'central area', if I may call it that, where bulk of the water comes down strongly from.

I'm saying 'central area' but it is not really center. Look at the previous photos, it is somewhere at right.

To the left of this semi-circle that you face, are finer/lighter cascades that are more interesting to me.

Oh, I remember one of my friends call this kind of formation as a "water curtain". Better for photo-ops!

Many parts of these cascades are actually still very strong, and can still hurt your head or body...

They just look deceivingly negligible as our brains compare them to that big thunderous central area!

I tried moving a little backward, hoping to capture the totality of the semi-circle but to no avail haha!

The topography here does not allow a mere phone-camera to capture everything in just a single shot. I kept moving downstream, my guide had to stop me as no people go there so it's more mossy slippery.

I'll just wait to see on the web for wide-angle or drone shots. They surely would be better.

Areas where people can sit around to relax and enjoy the beauty of this waterfall are not wide such as at Tinuy-an. My guide even told me that it is too crowded even at 8AM during weekends and holidays.

Good that I came on a weekday.

Oh! There was a 'spectacle' happening at the right-side vertical ridge. Can you see people climbing?

Yes, cliff jumping! Boys (and girls) clamber up that slippery face of the rock and jump unto the water!

Look at the yellow arrow here. That's one of the kids as he hurtled down after jumping off that cliff.

I would estimate that cliff to be no lower than thirty feet (the highest diving board at ULTRA in Pasig).

And here (magnified) is his companion also taking off to dive 'head first'! Not a thing I will do hahaha!

That is no easy feat. It's too high, the cliff is wet and slippery, and going up there is dangerous as it is!

Once up there, you must jump, as it's harder to climb down. I noticed the older boys were more afraid!

Haha, if you are not very sure, don't even try going up there. Makasirang-dignidad! People below are all eyes and will boo you if you hesitated. I think those 3 are from Luzon as many shouts were in Tagalog!

As if that wasn't enough, others moved to a higher level, nearer the big waterfall, and dive from there!

Samantala, etong tatlong bugok sa kanan, ayaw pa rin, amid all the kantyaw and pang-aalipusta of the madlang pipol (including me)! Someone even shouted may namatay dyan kahapon just to tease them!

Another one took off from that higher ground, and your "tres Marias" were still shivering in fright hehe!

Yeah, makasirang puri! Your self-respect is at stake if you don't jump. Baka mahulog ka pa (sana) from that cliff while climbing down. Well, at least those 3 provided entertainment to everyone that morning!

Hay, umalis na lang kami, those 3 (ewan ko, mukhang mga gurang na nga eh) were still up there haha!

Our exit, as mentioned earlier, was via the other side of the waterfall that my guide calls "Iligan side".

If you noticed from the images above, we came down from the upper right edge of this last picture. If you were facing the falls, we came down and arrived from the right, then ascended to exit via the left.

That last picture above was my view as we started climbing up this very high, lushly forested area...

I know your next question: which is more difficult? BOTH! Pareho lang mahirap paakyat o pababa! My guide said the Linamon side is harder to climb. But, if hiningal na nga ako going down, ambot na lang!

Here.., this is part of the way going up, but I guess this was an easy portion, since I could take pics!

If I will compare Philippine waterfalls I have visited (that I can still remember anyway), this must have been the steepest climb down and/or up, though not the farthesst walk (which must be Bagongbong).

Question: will I dare return to Tinago Falls Iligan? Hmm, there better be a damn good reason!

Anyway, when we finally emerged up on earth heheh, and out of Tinago Falls' forest area, we stumbled upon what seemed like an abandoned mountain resort (near the store where payments are collected).

The couple who collect entrance and life-vest payments at their little store told us, that soon, this area will be spruced up to become a resort again, and that, there will also be an entrance gate and building.

Just like at the Linamon entrance, said the manang who handed me a bottle of coke I bought!

Near her store are habal-habals and tricycles waiting for passengers, so guide and I got our rides!

The road here is new, with wider and better concrete. I even saw a passenger jeep that ply this route!

Anyway again.., so it was goodbye Tinago Falls na!

But... I was not yet returning to the Iligan city center. Na-uh-ah, no not yet! I was still to go to one other waterfall, whilst lunch was waiting for me at a hilltop restaurant - all via connecting habal-habal rides!

But let's do that in my next installment, okay? Alright!