The 5th Mountain of Balakayo Adventure Park is located in the mountainous region of Barangay Olympog in General Santos City. I was able to visit this as part of the SEX Tour (Soccsksargen Experience Tour) held last February, where we visited several breathtaking places across Sarangani, General Santos City, and South Cotabato.
5th Mountain of Balakayo Adventure Park
The Three Zipline Routes
Apart from the highly appealing natural scenery that completely surrounds the 5th Mountain, the main attraction of the place is the set of three zipline routes that take visitors on a Superman-like rush across the opposing mountain peak. The first one, called the "Yankee Line," is eight hundred meters long—just a few meters short of the ones at Camp Sabros in Digos City (820 meters) and at Dahilayan Park in Bukidnon (840 meters), both of which I've already visited in the past.
I guess that officially makes me a zipline junkie. The Yankee Line provides plentiful thrills, taking you on a wild ride by flying over a deep ridge spanning approximately 1,500 meters across to the neighboring peak.
The second zipline is perfectly named the "X-Zipline." At four hundred meters long, it is exactly half the length of the Yankee Line, but it still provides a massive dose of excitement, passing through an elevated flight path that offers a magnificent 360-degree panoramic view of the mountain ranges.
The third one, which was still undergoing safety construction at the time of our visit, is called the "Extreme Zip." It is six hundred fifty meters long but takes riders on an incredibly fast-paced ride measured at 90 kilometers per hour, slightly out-speeding the 80 kph pace of the Yankee Line.
Organic Breakfast and Mountain Yoga
Right before we rode the zipline, our incredibly gracious hosts and owners of the 5th Mountain, the lovely couple James and Twilight Betonio, introduced us to their friendly staff and served us a delicious and sumptuous breakfast cooked entirely with fresh organic ingredients.
We feasted heavily on Fried Okoy, fresh Tuna Fillet, Nilagpang (native chicken served in hot broth), Kakanin, refreshing Tanglad juice, and the signature 5th Mountain Salad, which interestingly consisted of ampalaya and sweet pineapple. After the heavy meal, we were told to form a line in the nearby garden overlooking the stunning Sarangani Bay, where we were guided to do yoga for a few minutes, performing some relaxing stretches and short breathing exercises in the process.
People naturally have completely different physical reactions when riding on a zipline. While some wildly scream like they're being chased by Freddy Krueger, others—like me—just stay completely mum and try to keep it cool like Superman. "Like it's the ordinary thing for me, baby, this flying in the air!" Haha.
Still, it’s a genuinely great feeling. That sudden rush of adrenaline surely beats popping a couple of tabs that turn your brain into mush. With ziplines, there is no turning your mind to mush—it's just pure, unadulterated speed, raw wind, and your thoughts spiraling as you process the environmental images zooming into you like you are riding a high-speed rocket. It was absolute bliss brought upon by an entirely different physical sensation.
A Must-Visit Escape in GenSan
The 5th Mountain of Balakayo Adventure Park definitely gives the people residing in Mindanao a fantastic new option for a quick weekend getaway. It's a place to simply enjoy the great outdoors with the whole family, getting up close with nature while experiencing the profound thrill of conquering one's fear of flying in a highly safe and thrilling manner.
We spent half the day at the 5th Mountain and would have loved to stay longer—but leaving early just means there is an excellent reason to come back soon. I am already heavily looking forward to my next scheduled visit to General Santos City, specifically planning to go back right in time for the Tuna Festival in September.
It was an awesome day spent with both new and old friends in a completely new place that provided fresh experiences to remember for a very long time. This was my second time officially joining a media introduction tour of a province (the first one being in Pangasinan back in November 2010), and just like that one, I had a real blast joining other enthusiastic people in discovering and exploring an unfamiliar place.
