CATHEDRAL FALLS of Kapatagan- Deciphering the Giant’s Causeway

A food blogger pair told us that there is a special waterfall located outside the city of Iligan which will surely attract us because of its divergent veneer. Consequently, we visited their recommended destination for us to eyewitness its own innate opulence.

As one Travel Blogger suggested, “getting in touch with nature and its natural wonders can be a very enlightening and relaxing experience. And there is probably nothing in nature more breathtaking than a waterfall.”

Upon reaching the site where Cathedral Falls is situated, a surprising appeal caught me as if I am in Skaftafell National Park, Iceland where the Svartifoss Waterfall is located, a waterfall famous for its organ-liked basalt column formation. Like seriously, the Cathedral Falls is similar to that of the Svartifoss Waterfall.

Then I thought for a second that this waterfall will perhaps make its own gesture as a waterfall destination to watch out for because of its distinctive facade of natural rock structures akin to cathedral posts. Hence, the name acquired. This might be a signature attraction of Lanao del Norte. And who knows, Cathedral Falls might get the lion’s share of the popularity and fame.

CATHEDRAL FALLS is located at Barangay Cathedral Falls, Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte about 5-10 minutes away from the town proper. It was discovered around 1940’s by an avid traveler. It is a horsetail type of waterfall having approximately 30-35 feet high which the water descends continuously with the bedrock to its plunging pool.

TRIVIA:

A HORSETAIL WATERFALL is a type of waterfall which descending water maintains in good contact with the bedrock like most of the time. The water falls vertically and doesn’t spread itself. Thus, very much the same and always remains with the bedrock.

What’s more unique about Cathedral Falls is that its portico on three foregrounds is more comparable to that of the Cathedral of the western civilization. The wide front walls were designed with a twist of nature’s best fashion trend creating a more stylish panorama. And you could just imagine how the landscape is typically inspired by nature’s bliss!

Cathedral Falls is not only similar to the Icelandic destination but is also akin to that of the Scottish region. And what is that? The Fingal’s Cave!

That's me giving a salute to this wondrous creation!

According to Wikipedia:

Fingal’s Cave is a sea cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa, in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland, part of a National Nature Reserve owned by the National Trust for Scotland.

Fingal’s Cave is a sea cave on the island of Staffa in the Inner Hebrides. It is formed from hexagonally-jointed basalt columns similar to the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland. The Giant’s Causeway and Fingal’s Cave were both formed by the same lava flow 60 million years ago.

In Gaelic mythology Fionn mac Cumhaill, a giant, constructed a causeway from Ireland to Scotland out basalt colums. Fionn built it to allow a Scottish giant, Benandonner, come and fight him. After deceiving Benandonner and bighting off his finger of power Fionn chased him back to Scotland but Benandonner ran so hard the causewasy collapsed behind him.

Fionn took a sod of earth, forming Lough Neagh, and threw it after Benandonner but it fell in the Irish sea to form the Isle of Man.

Since Cathedral Falls is a combination of a basalt-column and a waterfall, does this mean that there is a hidden volcano within its premises?

I got curious at that moment since basalt mineral is composed primarily of magnetite, pyroxenes with minor amounts of olivine and ilmenite which according to geological origin, is a very common product of effusive volcanic, both from “true” volcanoes and from huge fissure eruptions. Basalt with its varieties mentioned above is the most common volcanic type of rock. Also, it is said that basaltic lava is very rich in iron.

To answer the question, I asked our guide however she’s not sure if there is or there might be a hidden one since the area has not been fully examined by geologists and researchers. Nonetheless, these interlocking rock pillars might be from a volcanic eruption formed from cooling lava thousands of years ago or a gigantic crevice upsurge.

One can go up to the top and be acquainted with the panoramic view of the neighborhood. One could experience hiking up for about 139 steps and astounded by a cool gentle wind inside a 2-3 meter wide passageway of foliage to reach its pinnacle sight.

Doing my SUPERMAN move with Cathedral Falls as a picture background.

PHOTO SOUVENIRS I TOOK DURING THE TRIP! Enjoy!

Picture 1 (Above left image): The Cathedral Falls with an old tree-root being the picture subject.
Picture 2 (Above right image): In order to reach the top of the falls, one must hike for about 139 steps.
Picture 3 (Below left image): One of the bigger trees with branches along the pathway up.
Picture 4 (Below right image): The passage way with our Military guides.