DAY HIKE AT MT. ULAP
Two months ago my brother and his office mates planned to hike Mt. Ulap at Itogon, Benguet and he asked me if I want to join, of course I sad yes to him without thinking twice because Mt. Ulap is also included in my list of mountains I want to climb. I've seen many Facebook pages inviting joiners to a group climb at Mt. Ulap. Browsing all the photos posted there made me immediately wanted to go and see it's Gungal rock, the grassland and pine tree ridges and also to experience long walks along ridges.
Mt. Ulap is very advisable for beginners if you want to have a day hike away from Manila's heat. It is easy enough to be completed from 4-6 hours spanning around 8 kilometers but still depends on your pacing. There are actually 3 peaks in this mountain, the first one is Ambanao Paoay peak 1,788 MASL (meters above sea level) where points of attraction are expansive view of the grassland slopes and rock balancing, second is the Gungal peak 1,814 MASL popular for it's very intagrammable Gungal Rock where most of the photos taken here, and the summit is Mt. Ulap with a height of 1,846 MASL.
Here is also quick overview of Mt. Ulap:
Entry point: Brgy. Ampucao, Itogon Exit point: Brgy. Sta. Fe, Itogon LLA: 16.2904 N, 120.6312 E, 1846 MASL (Mt. Ulap) Days required / Hours to summit: 1 day / 2-3 hours Specs: Difficulty 3/9, Trail class 1-3, Features: Grassland and pine ridges, scenic views of the Cordilleras, burial caves
Source: Pinoy Mountaineer
From our meeting place at Robinson's Galleria, we left there at around 11pm, went straight to Ampucao, Itogon, Benguet and arrived there at 5am. Upon arrival we already felt the cold breeze and it's super freakin' cold that's why all of us wore jackets, bonnets and other things to keep us warm from the cold weather. Next, we prepared the necessities for our hike and luckily we were allowed to leave the other things at the van and it was such a great relief because somehow it lessened the heaviness of my bag. After that we had a quick orientation about the hike, prayed, and exactly 6 in the morning we started the hike.
It's still dark when we started the hike and I already felt the cold breeze. It also rained slightly, normally it happens at the morning and in the afternoon especially during the month of December but according to our tour guides we have nothing to worry because it's just a temporary rain and later on it'll be gone.
The first part of the climb was hard like every normal trail at the beginning. We experienced a sudden sharp steep assault just 30 minutes after we started the hike. I just noticed that I easily get shortness of breath and I think it's because of the thin air so we need to stop for a quite some time to regain our stamina and to catch a breath. As we go on, we were welcomed by these tall pine trees and it feels like we're in a movie of Twilight and Into the Woods. I was amazed because almost or I might say all the trees there are actually pine trees. It gets more exciting! I can't wait to see what's more in this mountain as we go on.
They said it was a "relaxing trail" maybe because of the scenic view of the mountain ridges, the pine trees and the grassland slopes. You cannot help but stop just to stare at this beautiful and amazing view. By just looking at this kind of view in front of me, I really gained strength and became more inspired to aim its highest peak.
After 2 hours or so, we finally reached the first peak which is the Ambanao Paoay. You'll know you're near to the first peak when you finally see a hill with a lonely tree on top.
Upon reaching the summit of Ambanao Paoay, you'll get to see some stone tower and I think it's made by some hikers also. Oh by the way here's my brother doing his own version of the yoga pose and the tree behind him is the lonely tree I'm talking about.
While we're on our way to the next peak, we found some rock formations and sitted down for a while, had a quick snack and water break, and of course some photo ops.
Finally we're here at the famous Gungal Rock of Mt. Ulap. If you're daredevil enough then strike a pose on the edge of the big rock at the far end. This was the highlight and most awaited moment that everyone wanted to have a nice solo shot. Look at those faces, It's around 10 o'clock, we haven't eaten our lunch yet but we still managed to enjoy the moment and face our fears! Of course I'll never let this moment pass, I also took the risk and there you go!
Group photo before we head to the last and highest peak. Such a hyper group! Mga wala pang kain yan ah! hehe
At around 11 o'clock we finally reached Mt. Ulap's summit! Such a great feeling despite the lack of sleep, cold breeze weather, strong wind, and long walks along ridges. Funny about this summit is that at first we didn't know that we're already stepping on the 3rd peak until I heard someone asked our tour guide, he said "Kuya asan na ung summit ng Mt. Ulap?" He answered "Sir nandito na po tayo, nakatapak na po kayo mismo sa summit" and everyone was shocked and also relieved because finally we're already here at the top! All the sweat and shortness of breath were paid off with the amazing view in front of us!
From here, we also had our lunch and rested for 15-20 minutes, and after that we started to descend.
Going down was honestly the hardest part for me especially from the summit down to the hill. It's really a steep slope going down as you can see. I even asked for help from my brother just to accompany me. The strong cold wind also added the thrill to the game. There are times that I just want to roll myself going down but of course I didn't let that to happen haha!
Yes! We survived Mt. Ulap! Arrived Sta. Fe at around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The trail going down was a bit hard for me because you will be encountering some steep slopes with lots of rocks. You'll badly need a good hiking shoes for this one that is suitable for this kind of trail. Next time if I'm gonna climb again, I will make sure that I already have those kind of shoes, but for now, let's celebrate another thing unlocked in my bucket list!
Gonna miss everything about having this kind of adventure, for now I will focus first on my career, will save more money and will travel not just the Philippines, but the WORLD! Wait for me, I'm coming for yah! Haha
Happy travels!
xo, esca ♡
PLANNING TO HAVE A SIDE TRIP?
After our very tiring climb, we proceed to our next itinerary which is going to Baguio City. Approximately our travel time from Sta. Fe going to Baguio City is just 45 minutes. We just had a quick visit there, just bought some pasalubong from the market, had our early dinner and then we head back to Manila. Too bad I was not able to stroll around the city for a long time because our driver set a time that we need to get back to our van before 5pm. Maybe will definitely visit Baguio City again next time with my family probably in the month of December for a colder weather.
HOW TO GO THERE?
Commute – Ride a bus in Cubao/Pasay to Baguio City. From the bus terminal, ride a jeep going to Central Mall then from there ride another jeep enroute Phillex Mines and get off Ampucao Elementary School.
Private – Take NLEX continuing to SCTEX taking the exit to MacArthur Highway. From MacArthur Highway turn right to Kennon Rd continuing to Loakan Road then to Balatoc Road until you reach Ampucao Elementary School.
SUMMARY OF EXPENSES
Since I just only joined to my Kuya's team building with his office mates, I didn't spend too much money because half of the price spent on this trip was paid by my brother (lucky me haha) and they got a trip package from a facebook group which had a fee of Php 888/head, that's an all in fees except from food. Not bad right?
But here is some DIY trip summary expenses:
RT Fare Bus Manila-Baguio: Php 900
RT Fare Jeep Central Mall: Php 16
70-RT Fare Jeep Ampucao: Php
Registration Fee: P 50
Guide Fee @ P600 x 2: P 120
Food: Php 300-500