BOOprints: Travel and Life: I Survived Mt Pulag

It was my second climb, and I was nervous.

Fully aware Mt. Pulag was known as the highest peak in Luzon, I knew I was in for a challenge.

Off to Baguio

Briefing area in DENR

If I remember right, there are three trails to the summit, Ambangeg Trail being our chosen trail and not-so-coincidentally the easiest. :)

Trail: Ambangeg Trail (Benguet)
Jump-off Point : Ranger Station
16°34'58"N 120°53'15"E2922 MASL (Meters above Sea Level)

Call time, 10:30pm.
We met up with our fellow climbers at Victory Liner Cubao Bus Terminal. There were about twenty of us, half the group being experienced climbers. On-board the bus to Baguio, our adventure was about to begin.

From Baguio, a jeepney was arranged to get us to DENR office at Benguet for registration and briefing on the climb. As a general policy, climbers have to log-in before going up and then log-out upon coming down from the mountain. Posters of mountaineering groups that have conquered Mt. Pulag hung on the walls of the shop inside and out. It was a pleasant sight, seeing the posters and knowing we will eventually be one of them.

Our Jeep

After briefing and registration, we were off to the Ranger's station - our jump-off point, via the same jeepney. It is also at the Ranger's station that the service of porters may be availed. Knowing my physical limit, I decided to get a porter to avoid delaying the group for the duration of the climb (not so mountaineer-like, I know). We were surprised to see that the porters were all ladies. Even more surprisingly, the one assigned to me was about 50 years old. I was so amazed at how strong she still was (and wished so bad I could be just like her). We would not have known her age had we not asked.

You can avail of their help for P250 each way. Quite expensive, but I think it was worth it -- I must admit I still have to a lot to learn about packing light. After a quick lunch, we began our ascent.

At the Ranger Station

There are two stops before reaching the camp site -- good for resting those shaky legs, catching my breath, and taking a shot or two of Jelly Ace (energy boosters). The trail itself was easy after going through Mt Maculot. It was not as slippery nor as continuously steep from my perspective. My endurance was failing me though, uncertain if it was the altitude or simply because I was unfit... probably both. All I knew was that I was thankful I decided to avail of the porter's service.

The view from the trail was already awesome. There was a hill that looked like the rice terraces, trees ranging from interesting to downright creepy, and there's a point where you'd have to cross a short bridge (just a few feet long and built close to the ground) to cross what looked like a creek. I wish I would have taken photos, if only I wasn't too tired. So you'll just have to trust me and take my word for it as this point. :)

Finally, we reached the campsite. Tents were pitched and dinner was prepared. It was wonderful to see everyone work and laugh together as we enjoyed the food and company.

Tired from the climb, I decided to call it a night earlier than others. After a few minutes sleep though the cold began to set-in. Relying merely on the sleeping mat, thermal sheet, jacket, and numerous layers of clothes I found myself waking up freezing cold. The thermal sheet got all moist inside and the sleeping mat was getting cold. I was still freezing under layers of clothes, and worse started feeling itchy all over for some reason. It seemed like the longest night ever, where nothing helped ease the cold. They said it was about 5-6 degrees Celsius that night. I honestly felt silly and desperate, actually missing the heat of Manila. Thankfully we got through the night, finally hearing the wake up call -- we were bound for the summit.

Going out the tent at 330am, I imagine that the campsite would have been pitch black if not for the moonlight.

It was my first time to do night trek. I found myself slipping time and again, but with experienced mountaineers guiding our path we knew when to stay alert because we were walking on cliffs. I felt safe and actually had fun, even laughing at myself when I slipped.

It was a good 30-40 minutes hike up to the summit, with the last few meters having two options: one being a steep assault to the summit and another being a less steep but longer route. The sun had already started to rise as we got to this point, but we opted for safety over speed. After a couple more minutes of climbing what turned out to be a not-so-easy route, I found myself in the summit.

Freezing cold in the summit, I still couldn't help but think to myself -- "You made it!".

The iconic bed of clouds may have been distant that day, but it was a grand sight to behold. Bearing the cold that night along with the physical and mental effort it took to get to this point were worth it.

On the way down, with the sun up and warming us up, it was a much more pleasant experience. Seeing the mountains around the path we crossed earlier in the dark, I was in awe. There were actually layers and layers of what seemed like hills around us. Reaching the campsite, we had a quick breakfast, broke camp, and headed back down. It was actually during this time that I got to appreciate the beauty of the trail more, losing the stress of catching up to everyone [and probably along with the thought of finally going back to the heat of Manila. :)].

It was an absolutely worthwhile experience, and one I would recommend that everyone experience at least once in their life. The fulfillment of overcoming the obstacles and getting a glimpse of the greatness of God overshadows the challenges and fear you go through to get to the top.

Here are a couple of tips for my fellow novice mountaineers, I hope you find them helpful :)

#1 - Physically prepare yourself for the climb. If you have time to exercise, do so -- it's for your own safety. Climbing a mountain has its dangers.

#2 - Prepare a checklist, or better yet, have an experienced mountaineer give you a checklist. We brought the wrong kind of sleeping bags, resulting to a tough and terribly cold night. Reality check -- people can die of hypothermia.

#3 - Know your limit. If you think you'd be better off with a porter, avail of their service. You're better off seeking help from someone at the beginning rather than having a fellow climber carry your bag because you can't go further anymore.

#4 - Be with the right people. Mountaineering is fun, but has its dangers. There is a method to mountaineering that has to be followed to ensure the safety of everyone in the group.

Side-trip

On your way back to Manila, you may want to drop by Ambuklao View Deck to see one of the most picturesque dams I've seen to date.