Like everyone else, I have high hopes for 2019, and it goes without saying that I also look for ways to start the year “right”, and by “right”, I mean by doing something I love and enjoy. My first climb for 2019 (and I say that with certainty, because this sure as hell ain’t going to be my last and only one for this year!) involved traversing through the much-climbed Mt. Ugo, starting from the municipality of Kayapa in Nueva Vizcaya on the first day, and ending at Brgy. Tinongdan in Itogon, Benguet the following day.
(This is the first of a 2-part blog series on the Mt. Ugo Traverse I joined last January 12 & 13, 2019. All photos are mine, unless otherwise indicated.)
Prior to this, my last hike-slash-climb was several months ago. August 28-29, 2018, to be exact, when my friend and I climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan via the Yoshida Trail. (But that’s for another series, soon.) That was quite a long time in between hikes, so it was understandable that the soles of my feet were itching, and my nose was craving the sweet, clean and fresh mountain air.
So it was without hesitation that I signed up for this hike when it came up on my radar.
This Mt. Ugo Traverse is organized by Sir Daniel of The Cordilleran Sun. This is my third time joining an outdoor activity organized Sir Daniel, and it definitely won’t be the last, just as long as I manage to score a slot, because dang those slots run out fast y’all!
Incidentally I talked about those previous two activities. The first one was the dayhike up Mt. Pigingan and then when we went chasing waterfalls in Bakun, specifically Tekip Falls, Sakup and Pikaw Falls, Pattan Falls, and Mangta Falls. Feel free to give them a quick read.
And so it begins…
Our 18-strong group assembled at PNR in Baguio City, and set off a little bit before 8:30 in the morning. There were several familiar faces among the group, as I have had the pleasure of their company when we went chasing waterfalls in Bakun several months back. And the new faces were friendly and looked chill. So far, so good.
It was close to noon time when we arrived at the Municipal Hall of Kayapa in the nearby province of Nueva Vizcaya. We registered at their Tourism Office, and made last-minute purchases of supplies at the Public Market across the street. We met our two guides, geared up, and set off at around 12:30.
If we were going by the timeline in the proposed itinerary, we were already running late by 2 hours. I even overheard some of the guides (a perk of speaking the same dialect, haha!) saying our late start would mean that we’d still be on the trail when dusk creeps in. Let me be honest, that was not comforting to hear at all.
Considering that the holiday season was barely over, and my last hike was, well, aaaages ago, I wasn’t in the best physical condition. But I was relying on my luck to get me through this traverse. That, and these legs I proudly call “logs” or, to be more specific, “Benguet lumber”.
30 minutes into the hike, and I felt short of breath. It was partly the heat, partly the sudden continuous assault, and largely my near-zero warm-up prior to this day. What got me through those first 30 minutes, I would say, would be “yoga breaths, yoga breaths, yoga breaths…”
And let me just say that we were lugging significantly heavy backpacks, mostly weighed down by food supplies. But I didn’t dare complain out loud, knowing some of our companions were carrying so much more, including cooksets and food supplies FOR ALL OF US.
At 1:15 pm, we came to a clearing, where we decided to demolish our packed lunches, which was also an excuse to lighten our packs a bit. Not that it made much of a dent, though. But it was also a good time to catch our breaths and re-energize for the continuation of the climb.
And it was indeed a climb, a continuous assault but this time with a bit of shelter from the dry heat of the sun. We resumed our climb at 1:55 pm, and I realized only now that we had quite a long lunch-cum-rest, haha!
It was mostly an uphill climb, which took a toll on my breathing. One of the thoughts that came to me was: “Jhing, you need to get back on the yoga mat. And fast.”
One of the things I like about hiking is hearing the sounds of nature, be it chirping of birds and unidentified insects, or the sound of the leaves swaying in the breeze, or being whipped by the wind. On normal days, I’d have earphones rammed on my ears. On hikes, they are stowed neatly in the deepest recesses of my pack. I don’t want anything intruding in the sound of the mountain that I have come to seek.
At 2:45 pm, we arrived at the small sitio of Endopit (some call it “Indopit” in Mt. Kabilisan. We refilled our water bottles, rested a bit, and took photos (that’s a given).
At 3:00 pm, we resumed walking, this time on a dirt road on the side of the mountain, overlooking more lower mountains even far in the distance. It was mostly a flat terrain; we were simply following a road supposedly plied by two-wheeled vehicles.
It certainly was a relief from the continuous assault or ascent we were subjected to earlier.
We passed by several sheds that seemed to purposely cater to hikers, because they sell refreshments and snacks. Even beer for those who want some alcohol boost along the way.
At 4:00 pm, we arrived at the crossroads that lead to Brgy. Ansipsip. I think this is the first time I saw any indication that we were headed to Mt. Ugo, thanks to this sign.
And I only belatedly realized that “KOTM” means “King of the Mountain”. Hah.
It was another 20 minutes until we arrived at the Junction, or the exact boundary between Nueva Vizcaya and Benguet. Supposedly, this stone at the side of the road is the marker.
There is something strangely satisfying standing with one foot on the Kayapa side, and the other foot on Itogon’s side. It’s like literally being in two places at one time.
Being in two places at one time.For others, the marker would be the store.
For me, though, it would be the rest area with this view.
That, right there, ladies and gentlemen, is Mt. Ugo, with the summit seemingly reaching for the late afternoon sun.
I’ve had many friends who’ve already climbed Mt. Ugo in the past. I just wasn’t able to join them during those times. By the time I was ready to do so, they were done with it, haha!
This sight was definitely one of the most pleasant surprises. I remember their stories mostly centering around the challenging trail, the sometimes-thick crowd of hikers on the trail, and the difficulties as well as funny experiences they’ve had. I don’t think I remember them saying much about how beautiful it is.
Or maybe I was not just listening enough.
We spent over 20 minutes in this spot, taking photos and having some snacks. It’s nice to see multi-tasking can still be done while in the mountain, haha!
I have a tendency to overdo taking photos, so I end up with hundreds to wade through. I resolved to get better at it, but when we continued walking, I found I couldn’t stop taking photos. How can I, when this view was with us the whole time???
At 5:20 pm, we arrived at this area overlooking the village of Domolpos, where we took another round of photos, then made that descent to Domolpos Community School, where we will spend the night.
At 5:40 pm, we finally arrived at the school, our accommodation for the night. During the hike, our group just naturally divided into two sub-groups, and the first one arrived at the school way ahead of us.
We were just relieved that we were able to arrive before it was dark. There was still more than enough light, and even our guides acknowledged that we made good time.
Originally, we were supposed to camp out at the campsite, close to the summit, but that meant carrying heavier gear because we’d need tents and sleeping bags. But the organizer was able to coordinate the use of one of the classrooms at the school, where they also rent out mats, blankets, and pillows at a minimal price. They rented out yoga mats, by the way, which made me think that the universe is really poking at me to get back on the yoga mat. Properly, this time, instead of being a sleeping mat.
We have an early start the next day: at 4 am, we’re supposed to start hiking up to that campsite for the sunrise up Mt. Ugo. So we all gritted our teeth against the freezing cold and took a bath, had dinner, a brief tête-à-tête of the group around a makeshift campfire, then called it a night.
My favorite part of this day would have to be the leisurely hike on the road leading to Domolpos, with that scenic stop to view the summit of Mt. Ugo. It’s like all the exhaustion simply seeped away as I stood there, taking in the sight.
It made me look forward to tomorrow even more.
See you in the second part of this traverse, soon!
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