The municipality of Dingle (pronounced as Ding-leh) is located in Iloilo province, an hour’s flight south of Manila. Local mountaineers have been scaling Dingle’s limestones as early as the 1990’s, but it was in early 2000 when development of sport routes heightened. Since then, Dingle has been dubbed as a climbing haven for both hardcore and leisurely climbers because of the variety of grade offerings and the 5-star service (in climbers’ standards!) extended by locals.
Getting There
Iloilo International Airport has direct flights from Hong Kong and Singapore (as of this article's writing on October 2013 -- check out Cebu Pacific Airlines). If coming from Manila, you can also take the plane (1 hour), boat (20-25 hours) or bus (21 hours).
Iloilo City (North Terminal) to Municipality of Dingle
Take a taxi from airport and tell the driver to bring you to Tagbak Jeepney and Bus Terminal. Ride a jeepney going to Dingle, Iloilo (about PHP 50 or USD 1). The driver should let you off around Dingle Plaza or a motorcycle terminal near the market. Hire a motorcycle driver to take you to Barangay Caguyuman, and tell him to drop you off at the Tanod Outpost (PHP 20 or USD .50).
Iloilo International Airport has direct flights from Hong Kong and Singapore (as of this article's writing on October 2013 -- check out Cebu Pacific Airlines). If coming from Manila, you can also take the plane (1 hour), boat (20-25 hours) or bus (21 hours).
Iloilo City (North Terminal) to Municipality of Dingle
Take a taxi from airport and tell the driver to bring you to Tagbak Jeepney and Bus Terminal. Ride a jeepney going to Dingle, Iloilo (about PHP 50 or USD 1). The driver should let you off around Dingle Plaza or a motorcycle terminal near the market. Hire a motorcycle driver to take you to Barangay Caguyuman, and tell him to drop you off at the Tanod Outpost (PHP 20 or USD .50).
Permits / Fees / Registration
It is required to get a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the area is part of the Natural Park. You can pass by the DENR office before hitting the road to the Dingle.
It is required to get a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the area is part of the Natural Park. You can pass by the DENR office before hitting the road to the Dingle.
Food & Shelter
Lodging options are common in the city proper, from cheap pension houses (at P250 per night) to hotels. But to save time, effort and money, we recommend camping at Nautod Wall. You can pitch tents at the bottom of the crags or bivouac under the Left Wall where the overhang reclines to a full roof. There is also access to water for washing up, with a faint spring just 5 minutes down the trail.
For food, best to stock up on provisions while in the City. But for longer camp outs, an option is to pay the local guide to shop and cook meals for you.
Lodging options are common in the city proper, from cheap pension houses (at P250 per night) to hotels. But to save time, effort and money, we recommend camping at Nautod Wall. You can pitch tents at the bottom of the crags or bivouac under the Left Wall where the overhang reclines to a full roof. There is also access to water for washing up, with a faint spring just 5 minutes down the trail.
For food, best to stock up on provisions while in the City. But for longer camp outs, an option is to pay the local guide to shop and cook meals for you.
Tips from the Locals
- Bring in at least a rack of 16 draws for the long routes plus your usual climbing gear.
- A mosquito repellent can also be quite handy.
- Exchange for Philippine pesos while in the city. Banks open 9:00 a.m. Mondays to Fridays. Money changers can also be found in malls, but banks usually offer better rates.
- English is spoken almost anywhere.
- A trip to the Philippines is cheap as dust. If you plan, you can probably go to all areas in a month or a month and half. But that doesn’t mean you’ll get enough of the climbing