Touching the sky at Mt. Pulag

Another awesome weekend adventure with my power ranger family. It's our first time to set up camp atop mountain with breathtaking views and experience top load ride.

 
"The best thing one can do when it’s raining is to let it rain." ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

While in DENR

Most of us want to climb Mt. Pulag to witness the perfect sunrise and sea of clouds.  We didn't get to see these during our visit to Pulag on the rainy month of June.  It was raining almost the whole day of June 21, our departure date. We tried to cancel the trip but the agency do not allow reschedule, however, they guaranteed our safety.  The DENR- Benguet people said that it always rain if hikers make noises. And it rained many times. Maybe we are a little bit noisy, maybe it's just the weather, or maybe it's meant to rain.  At least I have another reason to go back to Mt. Pulag. Rain makes adventure more fun so when you feel that its going to rain, embrace it as part of your itinerary. But if you really want to experience touching the clouds, do the hike on summer days.

Getting there. We departed Manila via Victory Liner at 10:30 PM and arrived in Baguio at 3:00AM.  I could not tell the bus fare since it was an arranged trip by Travel Factor. We paid P4,100 for the package. We headed first to Good Taste Restaurant for breakfast then rode a jeepney to DENR Baguio for the briefing then we headed to ranger station and arrived at around 11AM.

What to see. Most people who had been to Mt. Pulag will strongly encourage you to experience the beauty and serenity of the mountain.  Much has been said about Mt. Pulag, its awesomeness, hitlist of almost all local outdoor enthusiasts, being the second highest peak, being the playground of Gods, etc. What I didn't expect to reflect from are the lives of the people of Mt. Pulag. I was carrying a 40L bag, the smallest bag in the group, so we decided to hire porters to carry our bags up to the camping site.  I just don't know what happened to "Pack light, pack right" thing hahaha.  We thought porters are all male, yet to our surprise most of them were old and young ladies.  Because of its temperate climate and high altitude, most of people of Benguet is into producing vegetables. On our way to ranger station we saw Vegetables grown such as cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, and carrots.  They may not have the wealth that the urban people have, they are richer in terms of culture, nature and beliefs. When you travel in Benguet, you'll see life from a different perspective. 

Children of Pulag

The Wandering Gangster

That was me

What to expect. I am not sure how cold it was that time, but temperature in Mt. Pulag can get as low as zero degree Celsius.  In the picture above, if I only knew how cold it was out there I should have wore a shoes instead of slippers.   I was not prepared, I have a hard time convincing myself to spend money on expensive rain gear. So I just convinced myself that a waterproof, rain jacket and pants won’t keep me dry, nor will a waterproof hiking boots/trail shoes.  An Umbrella is the most affordable, waterproof, and breathable rain gear that I’ve used!  So don't forget to bring one. Sleeping bag and gloves are a must though since it's very cold at night. If you weren't able to buy gloves in the metro, no problem since there is a store near DENR where you can buy sell cute and colourful gloves,  head wears, and jackets for a very affordable price. So sad that we already bought gloves for P120 in SM while in Baguio/DENR it's only P20-P40. Want to enjoy the night in Pulag? Bring head lights so you could play around, cards or whatever it is, just don't make unnecessary noises. You will also need this for the summit assault which requires 1.5 hours of hiking before the sunrise. You will also need a spoon and maybe a plate. For a two day hike in Mt. Pulag, with no comfort rooms, you will stink, you all will, so wet wipes, they will keep you feeling reasonably clean. 

The Hike. I thought it was a major climb but I find it not so difficult compared to my other hikes. It took us only 2.5 hours to reach the camp site and a separate hike of 1.5 hours to the summit. Maybe because it's already our fifth climb. For the first timers, it's better you prepare you body, so do some stretching or jog. And also before taking this climb, I suggest you read UPM Basic Mountaineering Course Wiki (http://wiki.basecampone.com).

Dear SUN and CLOUDS, I waited for you but you did not show up. And because of this I bowed to myself that I will come back summer of next year. I hope you will not ignore me next time. I still had fun flirting with the breeze, raindrops, grasses, trees, and earth of the mountain. I had my coolest friends during the trip who know adventures and appreciate every little thing, rain or shine. 

My travel buddies

Yeah , top load ride! :)

Special thanks to Travel Factor for arranging the trip for us, to Sir Joven Santos and team. We had fun and looking forward to another adventure with you guys.  It's a worry free adventure with TF. 

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced with the rain."