Ten Things You'll Learn as a Climber

So you've climbed numerous mountains now. Or maybe just your first. But regardless of the number of peaks you had conquered, we all learned a thing or two on our adventures.

This is the list of top ten things you'll learn as you start climbing mountains.

1. How to Save Money

Do you remember the time before your climbing days, that you always end up short in funds by the end of the month? Or if you make a comparison of your salary or wage then and now, you find that there is no substantial increase in your income yet you can now afford to go to different places without actually getting as broke as before. 

The answer to that lies in your climbs. While others may argue that climbing will cost you more money, in reality, it will channel your funds into something more meaningful. You'll learn to scrimp on coffees, fast food, and gadgets now that you have something more important to spend on.

So save up for that cool vacation that you well deserve.

2. SMALL THINGS Make Big Differences

How important are minor details to your climb? It is more important than you think. I learned as a climber that small things can cause you a lot of inconvenience when you are up there. 

I can still remember when we climbed Mt. Pulag the very first time. We were confident on how prepared we were, only to find out that the lightning cord for our powerbank was defective. We were not able to document our climb to the summit since our phones ran out of juice. 

In my campsite experience, there are lots of times that I saw and heard campers with awesome tents, butane stove, hammocks, drones, and so many other cool stuff, only to find out that they forgot to bring spoons and forks, or a garbage bag. 

Remember, small things matter.

3. Being Prepared

It goes without saying that a climber must always BE prepared: physically, financially, and mentally. 

I hate to say this but there are still too many people going to the mountains, so ill-prepared that they may hurt themselves and the people around them. I once saw a girl who went to an extended day climb without any food and too little water with her. According to her, she was told that  the mountain is for beginners and the rest was history. Or this team that we met in Mt. Talamitam that spent the night at the summit without food and tent. Most of them were weaken by hunger and exposure to cold. Fortunately, other climbers and guides came to their aid.

As a climber, the sense of preparedness must be ingrained in your personality, be it outdoors or not. 

4. Being Health Conscious

This one is very important. The mountains require you to be in decent shape if you want to enjoy the climb. You don't have to be a gym rat or a hardcore cross fitter, but you must be able to take care of yourself and your belongings. We once shared a trail with a girl who bragged about how easy this particular hike would be but ended up as another baggage since the guides had to carry her alternately on their backs.

If you always need someone to carry you down the mountain, then probably you are not in the right place yet. Fret not, because you'll get there eventually, if you prepare yourself properly.

RUN. SWIM. RIDE A BIKE.

5. Spend on Quality

On my first climb, I bought this YIXI outdoor sandals at the nearby wet and dry market for only P150. And this gave me countless moments of discomfort and fear. First, it didn't really hold onto the ground. It gave me micro heart attacks every time my foot slipped a bit on the steep slopes of Mt. Batulao. Second, it didn't have a decent strap to keep my feet in place. 

In climbing, like in any other sports, you really have to shell out hundreds or even thousands to buy equipment. And since you're already spending, we suggest that you buy something of good quality. Buying quality equipment will eventually save you lots of money in the long run, instead of buying cheap but easy-to-break items. You can consider each purchase as an investment. I still have my sandals that I bought years before and it continues to serve its purpose. 

Do you have to buy all the most expensive brand to ensure the highest quality? I cannot answer that question since I am yet to own all the products, both cheap and expensive, to test and compare them myself. But one thing is for sure, if you do your research correctly, then you can find durable but economical products in the market. They are out there. You just have to do your assignment. 

P.S. BUY LOCAL PRODUCTS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

6. Being Decisive and Intuitive

There is a heavy downpour and you are just from the jump-off point. Are you going to continue climbing or stay put until it passes? The sun has already set, should you continue going to the campsite or pitch an emergency camp right now? 

One of the life skills that you will learn as you go on climbing is the ability to think on your feet. As covered in the previous number, being self-sufficient also means being able to decide for yourself or your team. There will be times that you will be faced with a situation where you have to step up and call the big shot. 

Most of the time, you will not have the privilege of having all the information and advice that you may base your decisions. Sometimes, all you have is your intuition or gut feel to assess the situation despite the scarcity of facts at hand.

However, can you really trust your gut feel? Well, intuition is a skill so in order to be useful, you have to practice it. How can you practice it? By exposing yourselves in many experiences in which you can practice fast decision-making. 

7. Resourcefulness

A climber can live off the land. He or she can and will make do of what is available at hand. The outdoors will give you too many unexpected things that you have to draw out from your reserve of creativity to answer them all. 

No poncho or raincoat? How 'bout a garbage bag? A can of plain century tuna can help you if you forgot to bring a cooking oil . Put your shampoo, facial wash and other liquids inside a drinking straw then seal it with fire to make them lighter. No butane stove? All you need is a tin can and an alcohol. 

Always remember that solutions to all our problems are just there in the fringes of our creativity. 

8. It is All about the Journey

If you're given a chance to ride a helicopter to all the summits of the Philippines, are you going to take it? 

One thing I've learned is that the summit is not everything when it comes to climbing. It's all about the process. Why do we feel accomplished whenever we reached the summit? It is because of the hardship attributed to the process of going up there. Without the experience of climbing up, how can we appreciate being on top? 

Your experience as a climber will never be completed without the hardship of the ascent and the pain of descent. Climbing is like a movie and the summit is the climax. You will never understand and appreciate the movie by just jumping to the climax.

9. Experience is Everything

As a climber, you will learn that the most precious things in life are not the things that we own but what we experience. This is not really a news but it has to be reiterated all the time. We tend to be distracted while we are in the rat race. That's why it is important for us to disconnect from our unappreciative world from time to time. 

Sometimes we can only appreciate the majesty of the sunrise, the elegance of the stars, the awesomeness of the sea of clouds, the warmth of companionship by going out there in the mountains. To sum it up, it is the experience of being alive. 

If you want to be really alive, then you have to go out there. 

10. You Lose Some, You Win Some

As you go on this lifestyle, there will be things that you will be leaving behind and also things you will bring with you on your journey. You could lose old habits, hobbies that you used to like, priorities that are no longer aligned with your goals, or even friends that can no longer catch up with your lifestyle. We all have the problem of scarcity. The scarcity of time, of resources, of attention,- and even love. We just cannot spread our selves in all direction. 

I used to spend a considerable amount of cash for in-game purchases. But since I've started climbing, I have to scrimp on that to save for my expeditions despite the fact that I really love playing video games. Like me, you could also be put into that kind of situation that you have to give up something to pursue the other. 

Now the biggest question here is, are you willing to give up something for the joy of climbing? 

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comment. We would really appreciate it. 

Mt. Balagbag: Easy and Complete DIY Guide

Life is all about making choices. If you have P500, how would you spend it? Either you choose to buy a venti frappe complemented by a slice of blueberry cheesecake with few coins to spare, or watch a movie in the cinema and buy a large butter popcorn and drinks. 

But wait, we have a better option aside from all that. How about you spend that money on a quick getaway near Manila? A place where you can inhale fresh air and just be mesmerized by the stunning city lights at night and the Sierra Madre mountains in the morning?

Then let us introduce you to one of our favorite mountains, Mt. Balagbag. 

Quick Facts

Height? 777 MASL according to Pinoymountaineer.com

Trail Difficulty? 3/9

Jump-off? Barangay Hall, Sitio Balagbag

Roped Segment? NONE

Guide? Not required but available at the Brgy. Hall

Beginner friendly? 100% YES!

Mt. Balagbag is one of the numerous landforms connected to the Sierra Madre Mountain Range. It offers a spectacular view of the Sierra Madre mountain range to one side and the picturesque city of lights of Metro Manila. It is located in Sitio Balagbag, in the city of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan.

By far, Mt. Balagbag is one of the easiest yet wonderfully beautiful mountains near Manila.

The Team

Pearliloo and Iantot, the restless soles of Balagbag

There are only two of us in our climb. Our climb date was November 27-28, 2017. 

How to get There

1. Ride a bus going to Tungko
2. Alight at Tungko, then go to BDO building. There is a jeepeney terminal behind it.
3. Go directly to the last line of jeepneys and look for those with Licao-Licao signboard. Fare is 27 pesos, one hour travel time
4. From Licao-Licao, you may choose between riding a trike which will cost you 30 pesos each (5-10 minutes) or just walk to the barangay hall which is considered the official jump-off (20 - 25 minutes).

Tale of the Trail

The initial part of the trail

The trail from the jeepney terminal to the barangay hall is a rough road with minimal ascent. It is well established since Sitio Balagbag is still up ahead and locals constantly ply through it. 

It will take you about 20 - 30 mins to reach the Barangay hall if you decide to walk. For us, we chose to walk for a  more fulfilling experience since the trail from the jump-off to the summit will be just an hour long. 

Barangay hall serves as the registration area for climbers

Everyone is required to register at the barangay hall and pay the registration fee of 20 pesos  per head. For everyone's safety, it is prudent to list down all the names of members of your team and save the cellphone number of the person in charge in case of emergency. 

From the barangay hall, the trail becomes a bit steeper but still manageable. However, it is more exposed than the previous part of the trail so sun exposure will surely be an issue during the hottest part of the day. 

The trail to the summit

About a half kilometer before the summit, you will pass by a sari-sari store. It serves as a second registration area which will require you to pay the additional 20 pesos per head if you want to spend the night at the summit. At the left side of the second registration, continue walking on the trail until you find a gate. This path will take you directly to the summit. On the way up, you will pass by some nipa huts and other man-made structures.

The gate to the summit

The Summit

The best way to appreciate Mt. Balagbag is to spend the night at its summit. Be mesmerized by the Manila Skyline at the distance that gives a very romantic vibe to anyone. Though I want to share everything, my photography skills cannot give justice to the view that we had seen atop Mt. Balagbag.

Poor photography skill

Since it was already sunset when we arrived at the summit, we quickly pitched our tent and prepare our dinner. We did not have much time to explore the summit so we just waited until the next morning to do just that. 

Our dinner, luncheon meat and rice

Funny thing is that, we had everything we need. We even brought our beach mat just for comfort but we totally forgot to bring utensils so we have no choice but to eat with our bare hands. 

The sky decided to give us a light rain shower that night so we have to call an early lights out. 

We finally had our chance to explore the summit the next morning. There are numerous nipa huts in the summit. According to the locals, it was constructed for other climbers who do not have tents with them. We are yet to know if there is a fee to use those huts since no one really supervise it.

Start your day right! Drink Milo everyday. hahaha!

Nipa huts at the summit of Mt. Balagbag

Aside from the summit itself, there are lots of interesting things to see. 

Stone cairns or better yet, stone stacks

First, there are lots of stone cairns at the summit and the path going down. Stone cairns are used by people for different purposes. One of which is to tell other hikers the right path. NOTE: Do not stack stones just for the fun of it. It may cause people to get lost in the wilderness. Luckily, Mt. Balagbag is not circuitous so getting lost is not really a problem. 

The "fauna" of Mt. Balagbag

By "fauna", what we really mean are the dogs and cats of Mt. Balagbag. Cute doggos kept as company during the night and all morning. We even had an experience when a small puppy took shelter in the second wall of our tent. The most popular of them is the orange cat which has the moniker "Garfield". This cat is really accustomed to the company of climbers that it will comfortably approach you to have a back scratch. 

Going Down

The hike going down is a lot faster and easier which will only take you less than an hour to reach the jump-off point. However, the beautiful sceneries kept our pace slow and enjoyable. On the way down, the UNIVERSE GRANTED US a double rainbow. 

Pearliloo's special skill: Ability to summon rainbow

Feel the wind blowing

Shower facilities and stores are available at the barangay hall. There are also food stalls and carinderia if ever you feel hungry. 

It took us almost an hour since we deliberately slowed down our pace. Always remember that the destination is not everything there is. The process of going there, the travel, is sometimes more important than your destination. After using the facilities, we decided to ride the trike so that we will not be sweaty, (and smelly) by the time we reach the bus stop. 

We bid our farewell to the people at the barangay hall, and rode the trike with satisfied hearts. As we look back, we longingly declare, we will be back.

- Pearl and Adrian, March 2018

Tip and Concerns

1. As always, practice LNT Principle. If you are not familiar with it, I suggest you research for it first before climbing a mountain. The mountaineer's creed; Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprint and kill nothing but time.
2. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE A MOUNTAIN. Even if we say that this is an easy mountain, it doesn't mean that you should not prepare for it. Take note that the difficulty of the mountain is all about the condition of your body and your equipment. 

   

   RIP Shoes

3. Always register and get the contact number of the people at the registration in case of emergency.
4. The entire trail of Mt. Balagbag is relatively short, compared to other Rizal mountains. Since the highlight of the climb is usually the city lights and the sunrise the next day, I advise you to start your trek at around 4PM. Hiking too early will mean that you will have to spend more time at the summit under the sun.

CRIMES at Mt. Balagbag

The most compelling reason that some climbers avoided Mt. Balagbag now are some cases of theft in the area. And last January 2018, the mountain witness yet another case of robbery and physical injury done by scoundrel to our fellow climbers. In light of this event, some climbers were proposing a temporary boycott on the mountain until the case is resolved. 

We climbed this mountain with only two of us in the team. Luckily, we did not experience any of it. 

Here are some suggestions

1. Have a large group. Large groups usually deter robbers and thief from approaching the camp
2. REGISTER so local officials know where you are.
3. Tell people at home where you are going and what time you should be back at home. 
4. Avoid hiking late at night

Despite everything, I want you to understand that this mountain is calling upon us. Everything will be back where it should be, in the future. So what are you waiting for? Let's go and make memories!

Top Five Things to do in Sagada

Watching the sunrise at Kiltepan Viewpoint

It's time to unplug and do some adventures! Here are the top five things to do in Sagada. 

Background: Sagada

Sagada is a 5th class municipality in Mt. Province situated about 400 kilometers north of Manila. This idyllic municipality can only be reached by land travel. It has a cool climate all year round, with a stunning view of the Cordillera mountain range. Activities in Sagada include hiking, spelunking, foodtripping, swimming, and many more. 

How to get there

There are several ways to get to Sagada but if you are coming from Manila, the most convenient way will be to ride a bus from Coda Lines. Their buses are brand new with comfy seats, and for safety, has two drivers driving alternately. 

The beautiful purple bus of Coda Lines

One thing I also love about this bus line is that they have a sidetrip to Banaue Viewing Point. I was able to witness the world famous Banaue Rice Terraces which made our Sagada Trip more awesome. 

Banaue Rice Terraces

Coda Bus Line Terminal had already moved from near Trinity College since 2015. Their buses now shares terminal with HM Transport in Cubao. 

Top Five Things to do in Sagada

1. Mt. Ampacao traverse to Lake Danum

Sagada seen from above 

Looking for a dayhike while in Sagada? Worry no more. You can definitely squeeze a minor climb to your Sagada experience by climbing Mt. Ampacao. Its trail difficulty is  2/9 which can be managed in 1.5 - 2 hours of relaxed pace. Feast your eyes on the scenery of the Cordillera mountain range and the town of Sagada below. Then, to make it more worthwhile, do a traverse to Lake Danum for sunset viewing and picnic.

Lake Danum

2. Hike to the Marlboro Hills, traverse to Blue Soils, then explore Sumaguing Cave Connection

Sunrise at Kamanbaneng Peak, Marlboro Hills

The best time to hike to Marlboro Hills is early in the morning. Start as early as 4:30 to make sure you witness the majestic sunrise and the awesome sea of clouds. This requires about a 30-minute hike to a gentle trail but it is less crowded than Kiltepan Viewpoint. After watching the sunrise, you can hike towards Blue Soil for about an hour. 

Walking up and down the Bluesoils

You will pass by pine forest, rock outcrops and many beautiful sceneries before reaching Blue Soils. Blue Soils is like snow-covered hills sprinkled with blue dye. It is an incredible view that it seems you are in other country. If you inspect the soil, you will notice that the soil if somewhat powdery with evident shade of blue. Climb and play in a place that you fancy as a child. 

Now if you still have energy, you can complete this traverse by going to Sumaguing Cave Connection on foot, but if you have extra budget, you can charter a van for P250.  

Sumaguing Cave: What animal are we sitting on?

From Blue Soil Hills, you must hike for about 45 minutes before you reach the Sumaguing Cave Connection. Take note that the trail will be a cemented uphill road which can be brutal if you are not accustomed to hiking. Upon reaching the cave, be prepared to be mesmerized by the awesome limestone formations, stalactites, and stalagmites within the cave. Aside from that, guides have these particular way of entertaining the guest by letting you identify what animal or object resembles the natural rock formation inside the cave. Take a look at the photo. What animal resembles the rock where the bloggers are sitting on? The answer at the end of the story.

4. Watch Sunrise at Kiltepan View Point

Sit atop the same rock where Angelica and JM sat in the film "That Thing called Tadhana"

Sagada's sunrise is just too dang awesome that there are multiple viewpoints to see it. The most popular is the Kiltepan Viewpoint (because this is one of the sets of the film "That Thing called Tadhana). You can hike or charter a vehicle to take you here for P250. Sacrifice a bit of your sleep to watch as the sun slowly creep above the clouds. 

5. Central Sagada Tour

Hanging coffins of Sagada

The Echo Valley Tour encompasses multiple locations and activities within the town of Sagada. It means hiking and sightseeing and most importantly, learning the culture of Sagada. This tour is physically extraneous and at the same time educational as the guides explain the significance of things that you will find along the way. 

Locations included in the Echo Valley Tour:

• The Church of St. Mary the Virign
• Sagada Cemetery
• Echo Valley
• Hanging Coffins
• Sagada Underground River
• Bokong Natural Spring

Shout at the top of your lungs at the Echo Valley

Scene along the trail of Central Sagada Tour

St. Mary the Virigin Church

Inside the Sagada Underground River

A Note for Everyone

1. Coda Lines only has two trips at night. One at 9PM and the other at 10PM. One way will cost you P720.00. Reserve early as the bus gets immediately fully-booked.

1. As you can see, most of our destinations are interconnected and mostly done on foot to save money. A budgetarian Sagada Trip can be done but you have to sacrifice some hours of sleep and degree of comfort. (opportunity cost). 
2. Meals are very expensive. Instead of going to restaurants, I recommend to buy your food from stores catering for the locals. We always have our lunch at the market eatery while dinner is in the local ihaw-ihaw (grilled barbeque) in front of Igorot Inn. This saved us considerable amount of money.
3. Respect the locals. It was given emphasis by Kuya Baste, our guide, that some tourists treat the people and their houses like they are some kind of display in a museum. Respect boundaries!

BONUS: The answer to the question is a TURTLE.

 So, are you ready to go? Grab your backpacks and just go. Check out our other entries for other destinations. Peace out!

Mt. Ugo Traverse

Mt. Ugo Traverse

Cordillera never fails to amaze me. This region has many to offer for the wanderer in you. From sea of clouds to grand pine forest to exhilarating ridges. There are many times that I am tempted to leave my city life and just settle here for good. For this blog, I will introduce to you a mountain that we had climbed last October 2017.

Here is the story of our climb to Mt. Ugo. The climb was organized by Ms. Rea Hagape of Team Aligaga. There are 13 of us in the group, and one guide. Date of the climb - October 21 - 22, 2017.

The lucky 13 of Team Aligaga (blogger, Venz, Rosh, Rea, Aldrine, MJ, Jospeh, Darren, Enrico, Ronniel, Marina, Benjie, Marinel)

Fast Facts

Kayapa Town Hall

Elevation: 2,220 MASL
Location: At the border of Bengeut and Nueva Vizcaya

Jum-off Points: Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya and Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet
Trail description: Forested trail, open trail, ridges, pine forest

Special Concern/s? You have to secure a guide before your climb, otherwise you will not be permitted to enter the mountain

River Crossing? None
Rope Segment? None

Tale of the Trail

The entire trail can be divided into three segments. It features high altitude and pine forest, mountain communities, open trail, ridge walk, rice fields, and hanging bridge. 

First Segment

 The first segment was from the jump-off to  Indupit Village. This trail ensues a continuous  gradual to steep assault for about 3 - 4 hours. We started walking at around 9:00 AM. The trail was mostly covered by trees so sun exposure is minimal. However, this makes this segment humid and kind of lacking view. For me, this is the most tiring phase of the climb, despite having cover and established "steps". Like in every forest, it was humid and hot all the way.

Continuous assault to Indupit Village 

The team taking five, few minutes before reaching Indupit Village

We took a breather every 20 minutes. After the first hour, the line was already stretched with the sweeper no longer in sight of the lead. The team was further divided into two as the time and temperature progressed. We reached Indupit Village at exactly noon. Indupit Village is a mountain community where you can replenish supply.


We had our lunch and first "socials" here while we wait for the second team to arrive. We did not have time to chat before the climb so we took this opportunity to know each other. Electricity is still present in this place so you can still enjoy ice cold drinks here. But enjoy it while it lasts, because after this stop, the longest segment will follow.

Second Trail

The second segment is about 6 - 7 hours of long, winding, open trail. This trail connects Indupit Village, passing through Domolpos Village to the main campsite. The trail is open and wide. Good thing the weather was cloudy when we hiked, so we were able to avoid the scorching heat of the sun. The trail is actually wild and flat that, according to our guide, some cars could manage it. This winding trail follows the side of the mountain for many kilometers.

The second segment of the trail. So flat and wide

The spectacular view is enough to keep you going despite the many kilometers ahead of you.

Majestic View

New Zealand Feels

This is my favorite part of the climb. It was so relaxing with the cold Cordillera wind blowing to your face and body and the stunning view of the mountain range captivating your eyes. The conversations during this part is very minimal as everyone is now in full "communion in nature-mode".

The clouds started to descent at around 4PM. This reduced the visibility to just about a 10-meter radius. We quickened our pace by that time because we were worried that it might rain. We reached the boundary of Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet at around 4:30 PM.

No more view for us.

This small stone marker serves as the boundary of N. Vizcaya and Benguet

We reached the foot of the final assault at around 5:30 PM. We breezed through the last kilometers as the darkness is now slowly catching up to us. We radioed to the second team but the reception was now sporadic so we decided to have a compression stop instead. After 30 minutes or so, the sun was fully set when the guide asked us to decide whether we will continue on to the main campsite, meaning we will have to do a night trek, or to cut the trek short by setting up in the emergency camp. Before we made the decision, the second team finally arrived. After a consensus, we agreed to continue on as spending the night at the e-camp means longer trek in the morning.

We shouldered on, braved the dark trails and tapped to our final reserves for the final push. It took us more than an hour to get past the last hurdle! The trail was steep and narrow but still, our spirit was high as we can now hear people. We almost broke into a run when we finally saw the lights of the campsite. We reached the campsite after an hour and twenty minutes of continuous assault. But there is no rest for everyone. Tasks were divided, and we quickly got down to business. We wolfed down our dinner and immediately took our rest as a preparation for tomorrow.

But for me, as hardheaded as I am, I went out of my tent to watch the milky way. Without the light pollution, you can actually see the majesty of the stars. Too bad, I do not have the right equipment to capture such.

Sunrise atop Mt. Ugo

The majestic sea of clouds

A difficult road leads to a beautiful destination. Now, I fully appreciate the meaning of that quote. Every difficulty that we'd faced was now forgotten. 

I was eager to witness the sunrise. That's probably the reason why I woke up so early at around 4:30 AM. Everyone was still asleep so I continued my star watching for few more minutes. One tent after the another, people started stirring. By 5 AM, the campsite was already buzzing with activities, as each group are now starting to prepare their own breakfast. 

Finally, the sun rises in the east, and we, the eager creatures caught the glimpse of it. And it was spectacular. 

HERE COMES THE SUN!

Girl Power featuring Ms. Venz and Ms. Rosh

Venz, Nescafe Model

The sea of clouds was just majestic. It was an amazing scene, watching the clouds slowly creeping above the land below. The weather has been so good to us, that after we've eaten and packed our things, the sea of clouds was still there in the horizon.

8 AM and the sea of clouds in still there.

Assault to Summit

The summit is just a 20-minute hike from the main campsite. The trail to the summit is just a gradual ascent so no need to worry.  It was a bit of a race to the summit, since there are also other groups eager to be at the top. Luckily, our team reached the summit before the bulk of the climbers. 

Point towards the direction of your dreams. 

The blogger, Venz and Rosh

The Plane crash marker

Mt. Ugo had witnessed a tragic event in the 80's when an airplane crash just 100 feet below the summit.

The Descent

Going up is optional, but going down is mandatory. Unless you want to be a mountain hermit. The trail going down is the third segment of the climb. The length of this leg is whopping 15 kilometers, with some steep descents, ridge walk, passing by communities, and hanging bridge. 

Start of the descent

The initial segment of this leg is a quite steep descent with some parts with an inclination of 65-70 degrees. Be careful as you will be surrounded by tall grasses which can cause paper cut. I fell victim to one when I slipped and accidentally grab hold to the grasses. I cut my both of my hands in different places. It was painful as hell so I immediately wore my gloves until I reached the pine forest. 

The summit , seen from the pine forest

After the grassy part, you will enter a pine forest. From here, you can clearly see where you came from. The pine forest starts from KM 14 to KM 1. The ascent will be very minimal but the pressure of going down will surely be brutal to your knees. 

The pine forest here is reminiscent to that of Mt. Ulap.

Check out our Top Five Mountains to DIY for Beginners

There are multiple water sources along the trail, at KM 10, KM 7,  and KM 3. You can replenish your empty water bladders or bottles along the way.

The Cow Incident

We've just passed by the KM 5 marker when we heard frantic voices at the tail of the group. Upon seeing, we saw that a cow was "chasing" the people at the end of the line. The cow was aggressively moving forward and making all kinds of noises. This gave us more motivation to hasten our progress. I think we were sharing the trail with the cow, and it decided to give us a boost. Nice one cow! We tried taking a video of it but the cow broke into a trot and so did we.

Ayun si baka sa likod! Ms. Rosh running away.

We had our lunch in a community located at KM 7. It serves as the last major stop for the people going down Mt. Ugo. A store is in place, where you can have a sugar boost from soft drinks. However, they do not sell bottled water here, but you can replenish your supply in a faucet for free.

We stayed at KM 7 for about an hour since we were waiting for the second group to arrive. Another perk here is that they have a fully functioning toilets here. Everyone took the call, if you know what I mean, while we were here.

After an hour, the second group reached our position so we decided to continue on.

Final Stretch

It was now late afternoon and the downhill trek had already taken its toll. Many of us now experience some extent of discomfort. MJ and I were already wincing from knee pain. This slowed our pace for a bit. Luckily, Ms. Venz had her pain killers with her which we took gratefully. 

We passed by a palamig store at KM 3. We took a 5-minute rest which turned into many more minutes. The cold juice running down your throat was so satisfying. Finally, the second group broke radio silence after a while. They reported that they are only trailing us for about 30 minutes. We were advised not to wait but instead to proceed and just meet them at KM 0. 

Again, we shouldered our packs and made our way to  KM 0. From this point to the end of the trail, the view continued to amaze us. You will pass by a community, a rice field and finally cross the Agno River via a hanging bridge. 

Agno River

Walking down the rice field, everyone is just so happy

Crossing the Animal Petican Bridge. Crossing it finally concludes our Mt. Ugo Traverse

Crossing the Hanging Bridge means that our Mt. Ugo was finally concluded. Our chartered van was already waiting for us at the end of the trail. 

It took us a total of 20 hours of walking, a few pops of painkillers, numerous cuts and bumps and two provinces later, we've made it. It was worth all the effort. I will definitely go back here despite every difficulty that we had experienced.

Tips

1. Water sources. Since there are numerous water sources along the way, it is wise not to burden your bag with too much water since you can replenish along the way. Just make sure that your stomach is not that sensitive. 
2. Temperature in Mt. Ugo can be as freezing like that of Mt. Pulag. Be ready with your weather attire. 
3. Bring painkillers. Pop a pill, before you pop a knee. The long downhill trek can cause severe knee aches. 
4. For the sake of  everyone, if you are not a\harkor or an experienced climber, be advised that if you decide to start your climb from Tinongdan  to Kayapa, it will ensue a 15- 16 kilometers of continuous assault. 
5. The rest are self-explanatory like LNT, bringing all the necessary equipment and yadda, yadda, yadda. You're a big boy/girl. You know what to bring, okay? 

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