Eerie encounters and haunted hikes

When planning a trip to Mount Maculot in Cuenca, Batangas, hikers who had their share of spooky encounters, advised other travelers to say a little prayer, pack an ounce of courage, guts and caution to ward off the scary, creepy and mysterious.

In December 2014, 25-year-old Mel Ian Delos Santos accepted a friend’s invitation to a day hike at Mt. Maculot on short notice.

He said he agreed because he said was up for an adventure.

His group assembled early in the morning and he said everything seemed fine and normal.

“We were busy laughing and exchanging stories while we were walking. I was enjoying the team’s jamming,” he said.

Heavy feeling It was when they reached the camp site that he felt something different, but ignored it.

They proceeded to the summit and enjoyed the view.

With the ‘heavy feeling’ persisting, he urged the group to head for home before sunset.

“It was the first time that I felt that kind of energy, so even when I knew my friend was having a hard time walking, I told him to go faster. I did not even mind the trails that needed some crawling,” Delos Santos narrated.

‘Creepy company’

He said he can still vividly recall the moment when his suspicion was confirmed.

“I was rappelling my way down when I looked up at my teammate who was waiting for his turn, but he was no longer alone. There were two elements with him, one with medium built and the other one was so tall, I can compare him to a ‘Kapre.’”

A “kapre” is a Filipino mythical tall creature that usually lives in a tree and puffing on cigars.

Their team leader jokingly told him that he was going too fast, but kept what he saw to himself as he did not want to scare others, especially their female teammates.

When they all made it back, he finally asked the leader if unknown creatures have been seen or reported in the area.

“He told us that the elders say there are dark creatures in the mountain,” he said.

Another hiker, Julie Doromal, 29, had the same experience this month.

She said she making her way down from the summit alone and sensed that someone, or something was trailing her, but shrugged it off.

While resting at home, she was surprised to find out through a group in a social networking site that fellow hikers had the same experience.

A photo that captured unknown elements were also shared by some climbers.

“I knew nothing about the stories of Mt. Maculot when I went for a climb there. I also did not share my experience right away because I did not want others to get scared, so I was surprised that others also had an eerie experience that day,” she said.

In the end, the two advised climbers not to let fear get in the way of their love for nature.

Prayer offerings Doromal said maybe the creatures are just in need of something.

“Maybe they just need to be offered with prayers,” she said.

Delos Santos, meanwhile, said he believes that the elements are there to protect the mountains and just wanted to tell him to take care of the nature because it is their home.

“Every mountain has its own story. Hikers should instead feel the beauty of nature instead of getting scared of horror stories,” he said.

“Enjoy the company of your team and always observe safety precautions. Most importantly, pray.”