Mt. Pulag: the playground of the gods

Since 2010, I have always made it a point to write Mt. Pulag as one of the places I have to visit before the year ends. Unfortunately, due to other commitments and the lack of time I never really had the time to plan and prepare for it. Last year, I promised myself that as soon as an opportunity opens up I'm gonna grab it and go to one of the places that has been written in my bucket list for a very long time.  Finally, I was able to visit the place last October 17, 2014 and it was one of the most memorable trips I've had yet. 

One of my schoolmates from high school, who is now a tour guide, offers affordable tour packages which includes transportation, meals, guide fee, other fees (registration, environmental, cultural, etc.)  and certificates. When I saw his post from a social networking site that he was going to have a climb 2 weeks after my birthday, I immediately filed for leave from work and my friend and I joined his tour group.

The call time for the trip was 4:30 AM. I woke up as early as 4:00 AM to go to Caltex Victory Liner Baguio where all of the jeepneys going to Mt. Pulag were waiting for the hikers and campers. The weather was not very cooperative while we were en route to Bokod, Benguet. It was foggy and drizzling and it made me worry since I didn't know what to expect.

          

the roadside eatery / store where we had a 15 - 30 minute stop

hikers and campers leave their group's tarpaulin at this roadside eatery / store

one of the store owner's cats and we decided to call her Muning

 After our 15 - 30 minutes stop from the roadside store, we went ahead to the DENR - Ambangeg office to attend a video presentation and orientation. We were the last ones to attend the orientation since we were the last batch to arrive. It's still better late than never, right? The speaker during the orientation was Ms. Emerita Albas, Park Superintendent. We had a great time listening to stories of the experiences of other climbers and hikers and we all had a good laugh. She also warned us about altitude sickness and always imposing the buddy system to avoid any untoward incidents and more. 

The trip to the Ranger's Station from  DENR was about 30 - 45 minutes. We had to walk 500 meters because of the roadworks and transfer vehicles. The moment we were dropped off at the Ranger Station I already had a feeling that it was going to be a rough night for us because it was raining. We waited for the rain to stop for us to continue to hike up the mountain. 

Mt. Pulag National Park Babadak Ranger Station Ambangeg Trail

Ate Liz and I

I was not able to take any photos on our way up to the camping ground because it was raining and I was not able to bring a waterproof case for my camera. The trek up the camping ground was not as difficult as I have expected, the only challenge we had was the non-stop rain which made some parts of the trail very slippery. 

The moment we reached the camping ground, everything was white, the winds were howling and the rain kept on pouring. Our tour guide, kuya Bernie, was already pitching his tent and the effort to finish it was ten times harder due to the weather. We were able to pitch our tent and change clothes but due to the weather we still ended up sleeping wet because the water still seeped through from the edges of our tent. 

Kuya Bernie cooked sinigang na baboy for dinner and it was pretty good. It was the best sinigang na baboy I've tasted so far. Having a hot meal in the middle of the night after being wet the whole afternoon was such a relief. We just prayed for the weather to be better in the morning.

Thank God that our prayers were answered. It was still foggy the morning we woke up but we knew that the weather was getting better because the moon started to peak through the clouds and there were others who already went up the summit as early as 5:00 AM. We decided to go to the summit when the sky was already starting to clear out and the sun was already almost visible in the horizon. 

Kuya Bernie loving the strong winds and his long hair

Ash and her uncle

Ate Rhodora and her younger brother Moises

this was our camping ground

we traversed through this area to reach the summit

 

dwarf bamboos Yushania niitakayamensis

a closer look at the dwarf bamboos

morning dew

this pathway looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings

following the trail

When we were at the summit we saw an ocean of clouds rolling over the mountains. It was indeed a glorious sight. The hellish night we had could not compare to the beauty that was in front of us.

the summit

an ocean of clouds can be seen at the top 

 

We took lots of photos at the top and we went back down to the camping ground using an alternative path due to the number of hikers going up. There was a rainbow on our way down and it felt like we could almost touch it. 

the trail going up on the left and the trail going down on the right

RAINBOW and my shadow! oops! please forgive my hand.

We had breakfast at the camping ground and we fixed and packed all of our stuff to go back to Baguio. I was only able to take good photos of the trail when we went down from the camping ground. The next photos will showcase the beauty of the mossy forest and the reason why we have to protect our environment for the future generations to see.

this was the area where I almost got lost on our way up, I wasn't sure where to go because the porter I was following walked so fast

Ash on the left and Kuya Bernie on the right

"When in doubt, look up!"

moss covered tree 

this looks like something out of a fairy tale 

it was my first time drinking spring water and it was refreshing

I am proud to say that our group survived Mt. Pulag because we have experienced extreme weather conditions only this place can offer. The weather of Mt. Pulag can never be predicted and if you are planning on going it would still be best if you come earlier in the year, from January to February. The experience of being wet on our way up to the camping ground, pitching a tent and sleeping through the night was definitely a first for me. We also experienced extreme heat when we were on our way down to the Ranger Station. If people ask if I am still willing go back, I'd say 'Yes' in a heartbeat.

For more information you can check out this link.

For all of you who would like to go to Mt. Pulag alone, with a friend or with a group you can contact Kuya Bernie or you can text/call him at 09273424542. He cooks the best meals ever!