Wanderworld

Ideally, a trip to Mt. Pulag should be reserved to those with at least an experience of climbing a mountain because of its high elevation and freezing temperature. Brave (and perhaps clueless?) souls that we were though, my officemates and I dared to still climb Mt. Pulag even though we were merely first timers.

I still consider myself a first timer because the only “hiking” I’ve done before the Mt. Pulag trip were the trek to Mt. Pinatubo crater and a trip to Sagada in the Mountain Province, which, in my opinion, do not even compare to the difficulty of a Mt. Pulag trek.

So what can you expect from a Mt. Pulag trip?

• The trail will leave you out of breath. From pictures, Mt. Pulag trail actually looks easy because it doesn’t seem to involve dangerous cliffs and looks like just a long, straight path all the way to the summit. Well, that’s not actually the case. We took the easiest trail, the Ambangeg trail, and it’s divided into three sections.

            From Ranger Station to Camp 1 (1-2 hours) (please note that the number of hours are rough estimates).

            The Ranger Station is the starting point of the trek. This first part is the easiest part because it’s a long, straight path. The only things you have to worry about here is the heat of the sun (if you were blessed  enough with good weather during your climb), the dust from the trail, and some steep cliffs along the way.

           From Camp 1 to Camp 2 (Camping Grounds) (2-3 hours)

           Once you reach Camp 1, the trail gets more difficult with more uphill, rocky paths. It gets colder in this part of the mountain too, though you’d still sweat at the same time if the sun is up because of all the walking. Besides the upward trail, what really got to me was the endless anticipation of finally reaching Camp 2 (the camping grounds) only to find out that there’s still a long way to go. Guides would usually tell you that you’re almost there and that the trail would be easier (perhaps to motivate you?), but it really gets frustrating to find out that it’s not true. -_-

           To the Summit (2 hours from Camp 2)

           The most difficult of all is of course the hike to the summit. The travel group we joined actually gave us the option to not join the hike to the summit if we’re not up for it. When we woke up at around 2am the following day to prepare for the final assault, I was actually thinking if I’d still go through with it because I was already freezing inside our tent, what more if I go outside and hike all the way to the summit.

But of course, the whole point of the trip was to reach the summit, so I just sucked it up and prepared with my final layers of clothing to brave the cold. (Remember: If you ever feel like passing up the chance to reach the summit because you want to sleep some more or stay inside the tent to keep warm, DO NOT GIVE IN because the views up there & the experience itself are not worth any kind of comfort or number of sleeps you can have when you’re back home.)

           The Challenges of Hiking to the Summit

           The darkness
Besides the cold, what makes the hike to the summit difficult is the fact that you have to make your way up in the dark (since it’s around 3am so you can catch the sunrise), with only headlamps/flashlights guiding you. This was especially difficult for me because I didn’t wear my contacts during that time, which was a huge mistake. I had difficulty adjusting my headlamp just right so it properly lights the path in front of me, and I couldn’t rely on my poor eyesight while walking. The trail, especially the first part, tends to be rocky too, so you’d have to grope in the dark while climbing up and down rocks.

           The narrow trail

           The trail to the summit is narrow, so all of you have to go on a single file as you hike. This means you have to be conscious of other hikers and keep up with the pace as much as possible. You can still stop and rest if you’re already tired and let others go ahead, but sometimes it’s difficult to find a decent and safe spot where you can do so. Most of the time the trail is too narrow that even if you want to stop, you can’t because you’ll be in the way of other hikers. The trail also gets steeper and somehow dangerous when you’re almost at the summit. But once you pass that, the reward awaits.

            The thin air and lack of oxygen

            Because of the high altitude, it’s a lot more difficult to breathe during the hike to the summit. I really struggled during this time because I woke up with a runny nose which meant it was even harder to breathe. I stopped every few minutes just to catch my breath. The fact that I was sleep-deprived and had an empty stomach didn’t help too. I was experiencing all kinds of discomfort: my head started aching because of my runny nose combined with the cold temperature; I couldn’t breathe properly; I was getting tired of all the walking and I had no energy since I didn’t eat anything before the hike. When I tried to eat a chocolate to energize myself, I was only able to finish a piece because I just wasn’t feeling well all over. I was on the verge of giving up then because I just didn’t know how I felt anymore but I had no choice but to finish it because I was already there and can’t make my own way back.

What probably saved me during that time were 1) my companions because we prodded on and supported each other even if we were all struggling; 2) lots of water – as I stopped every few minutes, I made it a point to hydrate myself so I would feel less tired and out of breath which actually worked; 3) the incessant prodding of our guide and his “promise” that we’re almost at the top; 4) and of course my own ego, because I knew I just couldn’t give up when I was already that close.

• It gets really, really, really cold during the night. Never underestimate the cold temperature in Mt. Pulag. Though you won’t initially feel the cold while hiking from Ranger Station to the camping grounds, you’ll definitely struggle through it at night. During our trip, we were told that the temperature dropped to -2 degrees (the water droplets in the tent turned to ice too!) which explains why we really weren’t able to sleep even though we were cocooned in a sleeping bag and wearing loads of layers. I only managed to sleep when I covered my whole face with a thick jacket. Yes, that’s right – expect not to get a good night’s sleep too (the hard surface contributes to the problem too).

• The camping grounds can get really crowded. Because Mt. Pulag is now a famous tourist spot, a lot of of people climb the mountain every week, especially on weekends during the first quarter of the year. During our trip, the camping grounds was cramped. And because there’s just a small space between each tent, you’ll clearly hear the conversations and movements in other tents, and yes, even the snores. 😀

• Sunsets and sea of clouds at the junior summit. If you’re lucky enough, you’ll get your preview of sea of clouds plus the sunset (if you make it to camp 2 early enough) at the junior summit. Just a short hike (30 mins or less?) from the camping grounds, the junior summit is a nice place to relax and take pics after the tiring hike from the Ranger Station. Take note though that the trail is not easy as it looks; some parts are actually steep and narrow where you’ll have to carefully find your way (or use your hands) so you won’t slip.

Unfortunately for us, it was too foggy when we got to the junior summit so there were no sunset and sea of clouds waiting for us. The upside of it though was a lot of people didn’t bother to stay there, so we almost had the whole junior summit to ourselves. The result? Picnic and endless photos up the junior summit! 😀 Oh, and there’s a cellphone signal there too so you can text anyone and brag that you’re actually on top of a mountain.

• Breathtaking views in the summit. The view of the sea of clouds and sunrise in the summit is what definitely seals the deal in a Mt. Pulag trip; the icing on the cake. Not all hikers are fortunate enough to see it and we were very thankful that we got to experience it on our first try (2nd for the bf). The feeling of seeing a sea of clouds so close is beyond words; I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it before. Such rewarding views will make you want to go back even if you remember all the challenges you have to go through to get to the top. Yes, I most probably will come back. 😀

**Disclaimer: This list is not meant to discourage you from climbing Mt. Pulag. Rather, they are meant as a guide so you would know what to expect (the good and the bad) and how to prepare for your actual trip. Good luck! 😉