The Waterfalls Near Iligan City Part 8

This is part 8 of my post about Iligan City's waterfalls. Please check out Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and part 7 if you haven't checked them out already.

My former high school classmate who wished to remain anonymous has emailed me numerous pics of his hiking adventures around some of these waterfalls which he visited. There were a bunch of these photos in his hard drive available so I decided to make them into a series of posts with his kind permission.

Languyon Falls

Languyon Falls is just one of many waterfalls that can be found in Iligan City, Province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines. Languyon is a local word which means "to swim". The word and the name of the waterfalls literally means it; that is you must swim towards the falls for you to come close and see for yourself.

Languyon Falls can be found in the gap between the two cliffs.

But before going further about how treacherous the swim could be, we may have to talk about the journey towards the falls. It can be accessed by following the river upstream from Puga-an Market. The easier way is to follow the road in front of Puga-an Market. Luckily, my former classmate has done both and it's an adventure.

The orange route is the mountain bike or motorcycle route and the distance is about 7.3 kilometers.

River trek is about 7 kilometers and it depends on how effective your navigating skills whilst wading through the river. Trekking upstream the river may give you a good lesson about Geology basics. If you've got keen eyes and lucky enough, you may be able to find igneous, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks along the way.

The rocks he found were just visual identifications and comparisons with the actual rocks found from pictures on the internet.

Here you may find various type of rocks.

Some of the would be specimens can be found along the river at an elevation of around 102 meters. Elevation measured from Iphone 6 using maps.me apps.

Cross sectional view from the same would be specimen found above.

The picture found on the upper left can be found around 5 feet submerged under sea water. The picture below is the same picture from above.

It may have some similarities, but still inconclusive enough to say it is the same type. Just for comparison though.

It looks like a sedimentary rock, conglomerate in particular but not exactly sure though. My former classmate's not an expert on the subject.

This one looks like volcanic rock that has been molten once.

The same rock found from above from another angle.

A shell embedded on a rock.

It looks like washed away corals hardened together.

Corals bonded together in a big piece of rock.

No idea

Another rock specimen found at the river.

No idea exactly what it is.

Truly, the trek can be filled with much excitement and that may depend on who is experiencing it.

It's best to start the river trek early in the morning.

Along this part of river is where he found some good rock specimens.

Clear waters and so refreshing to take a dip on the shallow waters.

Motorcycles do pass here on this part of the river. The river serves as a local road for motorcycles among residents.

This is the passage towards the waterfalls. My former classmate have known four options on how to do it. First option, which luckily he did it in 2011, go climb towards directly to left where the photo was taken. Then find a path towards that rocky slopes found at the center of the photo.

The second option, done in 2016, and that is to rock walk and climb on the left side of that rocky slopes.

The third option, is to swim direct against the current upstream. Luckily, the water isn't that turbulent and he has not tried that on this part of the river.

The fourth option, is the same with the second option, the only difference is you go to the right side of the rocky wall.

Then, you'll be near this point of the river. Again, you'll be swimming towards every rock you can find until you get near to that rock found in the middle of the photo.

Once on top of those rocks nearer, you'll have this view and climb over that rock found on the right.

Then you'll find this and that was 2011.

For 2016, this was the scene found on the bottom of the photo. The upper part is the 2011 landscape. See the difference. There aren't more rocks to climb but you'll need to have a rope, a life jacket and lots of companions.

This a photo from 2011. Beyond that rock at the center you'll find the falls. That rock at the center could be that rock found near the narrow part as seen from the previous photos above.

This is the 2016 photo of the falls. A lot have change since then from 2011. The landscape at the entrance near the falls have changed. Fewer rocks to climb on to. The distance where you'll have to swim have become further.

The height of the waterfalls have dropped. Sad to say, someone died here. It was around 2010, a lady swimming here may have been swept by the strong underwater currents.

Old local folks claim that the place is enchanted. The spirits from the other world came and just take the chosen individual swimming nearby. What ever the real reason, just take some precautionary measures. Know the risks and know the options in any cases where things you didn't anticipate will happen.

For once, my former classmate almost drowned in here in 2011. Good thing, he informed his guide to always watch over him and rescue him if things do happen. The guide grew up from nearby the falls. Luckily, he did came to my classmate's rescue. A strong water current swept my classmate away and pushed him back against the rock wall on the right. The guide grabbed his hands and pulled him out.

It happened so fast. The incident that day may have changed a part of him from that day onwards. From time to time, it made him recall that very moment and contemplate about humility. He kept his pride and arrogance within him. But, sometimes humility can save you. If he hadn't honestly told his guide that he wasn't a good swimmer, things could have been a lot different. This story wouldn't have been told.

Languyon Falls, one must swim to see the falls.

You can't see the waterfalls from here. Like its name suggests, Languyon, "to swim" in local dialect. A waterfall that have been installed in his memory, that humility does save. In every journey, there are times that along the way, could be as much excitement like the destination.

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All the photos provided courtesy of bike2waterfallsphilippines and were taken with an iPhone 6 while older ones by old model GE G3WP digital camera.

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