Day 1 (Akiki jump-off to Saddle camp)
We arrived in Baguio City on board a Dagupan bus dawn of Aug.
15, 2014. We wasted no time and went
straight to a nearby eatery for a quick breakfast. Right after eating, we then proceed to the
transport terminal (Baguio Old
Slaughterhouse). It was agreed
beforehand that we’ll completely rely on public transportation. Hiring a jeepney or a van would be too
expensive for four persons. Upon getting
to the terminal, we took a van plying Baguio-Kabayan route that left the
terminal at around 7:30 am. After one
stop and about 3.5 hours of travel we arrived at the Akiki jump-off in Brgy.
Duacan, Kabayan. We were met by our guide Kuya Crispin and he
ushered us to the Akiki Ranger Station where we did the registration. We paid the climbing fees (registration,
camping, and green fees) which totaled 230 pesos each. There
was a short briefing given to us on what to expect on the trail and the dos and
don’ts during the entire climb. At
around 11:00 am, our trek commenced.
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| at one of the stops |
The initial part of the trail was easy until reaching the
Eddet river. We did not have a hard time
negotiating it. In fact, we were pre-occupied with taking pictures here and
there. It took us 1.5 hours to get to
the river. We had our lunch at the
resting station. After an hour, our trek
resumed. There was a sudden change in
weather. It started to drizzle after we
cross the bridge requiring us to wear our ponchos. It was also at this point of the climb where
the steep trail started and it has been steep all the way up to the grassland. I was
amazed by the Pine forest along the trail engulfed with mist making it more
scenic that at one point I was expecting for some wolves to come out. I also wondered how it looks like during
sunny days. We had several rest stops
before arriving at Malboro country around 4:15 pm. It was still drizzling and the temperature
starting to drop. We stayed for a while
at the resting station and consumed some trail foods.
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| at the pine forest |
The trek continued and we entered into the montane
forest. As we went deeper into the
forest, the cold temperature started to bite as well as the weight of my backpack. There was nothing much to see inside the
forest as it was already dim. By 5:30
pm, we reached the last water source. We
refilled our water bottles and rested for a while. Conversations were limited and smiles hardly
seen, a proof that we’re all tired. After more than 2 hours we came out of the
forest into a grassland. It was a relief
knowing we’re nearing the end of our trek.
The final hour however, was the hardest part simply because we’re all
exhausted. We had to endure the
darkness, the drizzle, the strong wind, and the cold temperature while
negotiating in a slow pace the steep part and rolling trail of the
grassland. After trekking for almost 8
hours, we reached the saddle camp with excitement. Much to our surprise, the camping area and
the bunkhouse were empty. There were no other groups but us. We opted to stay at the bunkhouse and it was
a big relief to us. Our exhausted bodies
no longer need to pitch tents on a dark, cold, and rainy evening. After
changing into dry clothing, we prepared our dinner. A mushroom soup, salted egg, and chicken-pork
adobo filled our hungry stomach. By 10
pm, we called it a night. No socials, all
just wanting to rest.
Day 2 (Sunrise viewing, Exit via Tawangan)
We woke up at around 4am of day 2. We need to be at the summit as early as
possible in anticipation of the sunrise.
Mt. Pulag is famed because of its sunrise over a sea of clouds. We left the bunkhouse several minutes after
we had our breakfast. The assault to the
summit took around 30 minutes from the bunkhouse. We made it all at the summit by 6 am. There
were also other climbers (from camp 2) already at the summit eager to witness
the sunrise. However, it was a gloomy
morning. No sunrise. No sea of clouds. I was a bit sad. I was expecting a good weather. I was expecting to see what Mt. Pulag is
famous of. Others at the summit may not
be vocal but I knew they share my feelings.
Minutes after, I came to realize and accept the fact that in
mountaineering it’s not always a good weather but there’s always another
chance. I can always go back when it’s
best season to climb Mt. Pulag. After
these realizations, I joined my group and we made the most out our Mt. Pulag
experience. To have successfully climbed
the country’s third highest mountain is enough reason to be happy. The mountain still offered a scenic view
despite the poor weather condition. The
mountain itself with its mist-shrouded dwarf bamboos was still a sight to
behold.
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| at the summit |
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| with the dwarf bamboos |
At 7 am, we stated our descent via the tawangan trail. As we’re making our way down, it started to
drizzle. Our guide told us that it will
be a long journey but no more assaults unlike the day before. We entered the mossy forest at around
8am. Some parts of it were so dense that
it felt like we’re in another dimension.
Some parts of the trail were concealed by over grown shrubs and foliage proving
how less-taken it is. What really
bothered us was the high population of blood leeches (limatik) in most parts of
the trail. The trail was heavily
infested that we almost consumed a bottle of alcohol combating with them. We’re all got bitten still.
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| descent to Tawangan |
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| limatik bite |
We stopped by the third water station (a stream) to have our
lunch. Had it been a sunny day, I could
have taken a dip. However, it was
raining and the water was so cold. At
around 1 pm, we continued our descent inside the seemingly endless forest. The rain was getting harder while the fog
engulfed the surroundings leaving a somewhat eerie feeling on me. By 3pm, we came out of the forest and had our
first glimpse of the village we’re heading to. After 8.5 hrs. of trekking, finally we
reached Tawangan village. We had to stay
overnight at the village because of bad weather.
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| the mossy forest |
Day 3 (The journey back to Manila)
We woke up early to catch the only bus bound for Baguio from
Tinoc, Ifugao which usually leave 7:30 am.
From Tawangan, Benguet, it was an hour motorcycle (habal-habal) ride to
Tinoc, Ifugao. Upon arriving at Tinoc, unfortunately
the bus was not roadworthy and can’t go on with the scheduled trip. We looked for other options as we all need to
go back to Manila. However, vans plying
Tinoc-Lagawe route were all reserved by other passengers. The last option for us was to wait for trucks
(from Tawangan) that deliver vegetables (to Nueva Vicaya). Luckily, the driver of the habal-habal had a
contact to a driver of one of the trucks.
However, we had to wait for almost six hours before the truck arrived. Travel time from Tinoc, Ifugao to Bangbang,
Nueva Viscaya was 5 hours with almost 80% of the way was on a rough road over a
mountain. The view was breathtaking and
scary at the same time. Sitting on sacks
of carrots while on a long bumpy ride is very uncomfortable but we had to
endure just to get home. We reached
Bangbang by 7pm and had our quick dinner at a fast-food before boarding a bus
back to Manila.
The whole experience while very tiring was worth it. We may not have a good weather but still it
was very rewarding. Mt. Pulag (from Akiki to Tawangan) is still
beautiful even in an awful weather.
Truly a must climb mountain.
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| the flora |
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| just lovely |
