Bakun, The Last Frontier

If I had a bucket list of local peaks or mountains I wanted to scale, Mt. Kabunian in Bakun would be one of them. I hope to be able to do that soon, hopefully next year. But I was able to catch a glimpse of “him” October last year, when I tagged along on a weekend immersion trip with my Ma-dear. It was only supposed to pay a visit to a couple of hydro plants, but there is a surprise at the end, so read on.

Bakun is one of the 13 municipalities of the province of Benguet, and is hailed by many as the “last frontier” because of its geographic location. Mt. Kabunian, on the other hand, is called as the home of the gods, and named after the “lead” god, Kabunian. By the way, Mt. Kabunian is part of the mountain range called Mt. Gedgedayan.

Unfortunately, these peaks aren’t the objective for the trip. But we’d catch a glimpse of them nonetheless.

We set off past 4am at the Benguet Provincial Capitol, Km. 6, La Trinidad, for Bakun’s Poblacion barangay, which is 4-5 hours away.

To get to Bakun, we have to pass the municipalities of Atok and Kibungan, both places famous for their chillier-than-chilly temperature. We stopped off somewhere in Madaymen in Kibungan to stretch our legs, before heading straight to Poblacion, Bakun.

Finally we are close to Poblacion, and we catch a glimpse of the mountain range, particularly Mt. Kabunian.

We spent a few minutes at the Barangay Hall (which is also their Tourist Information Center). Checked in, had some snacks, prepped for the hike down to the hydroelectric power plant which, according to the locals, is less than an hour’s hike away.

…and you know what they say: when it comes to distances, DO NOT TRUST THE LOCALS. 🙂

But first, some camwhoring with Mt. Kabunian as the backdrop.

There he is.

We had to pass through the barangay’s residential area on the hike down. And, the whole time, the mountain was bearing down on us, as if looking over us.

And, oh, did I mention how it was a 95% downhill hike? Or, down-mountain, more like. And then a hanging bridge. Knockin’ knees, here we go! (But, I must say, this is one of the things I relish. Haha! Sado-machistic tendencies much?)

Past this bridge, Mt. Kabunian is then hidden from view. We’d literally be walking down the side of a mountain, following the path of giant pipes, and alongside the Bakun River, which ends up in Ilocos. If I was listening properly, and my memory serves me right, it’s part of the Bakun AC Hydro project of HEDCOR. I could be wrong, though.

That’s my Ma-dear. Such a trooper. #prouddaughter. Sure, she made me carry some of her stuff when we made the hike back up, but she completed it, without complaints!

We walked on stairs, packed concrete, metal paths, pipes, loose soil and gravel… all it lacked was mud. 🙂 There were lots of caution signs, so propz to whoever set this up for giving fair warning.

By the way, the pipes we were treading on are no longer working. Their only purpose right now is to serve as a pathway to those heading down to the plants. The other mountain, however, across us, has a line traversing it. That “line” is a giant pipe, and it is actually working.

So, we finally come to Lon-oy Hydroelectric Power Plant.

Our final stop, however, is over there, on the other side. And to get there, you have to pass through another narrow hanging bridge.

And we finally arrived at the Engr. Ferdinand L. Singit Power Plant, or simply Singit Power Plant. Some call it the FLS Hydro. It was formerly known as the Upper Takbo Power Plant. Commissioned on June 19, 1992, it has a capacity of 6,400 KW and produces “about 27 million kWh annually for the National Power Corporation (NPC) and Benguet Electric Cooperative (BENECO)”.

We rested for a bit, and they did their thing, while I just lazed around. Then someone said there is a waterfall at the other side of the mountain. It’s just about 5-10 minutes away. Since lunch is not yet ready, we decided to take a peek.

Needless to say, the short hike was not without its challenges.

But everything else is forgotten, when YOU COME TO THIS. (Yes, this is the surprise part.)

Isn’t she gorgeous?

It is named MANGTA FALLS.

This is just one of the many proofs that beauty lies all around us, in places we least expect, and in places where we don’t think of looking. And that God is so generous, and deliciously sneaky, too. 🙂

My only regret for this day trip was exactly that: that it is a day trip, and we couldn’t stay longer. The boys took a dip (sometimes it sucks being female. haha!) while we just looked on. Wistfully. Longingly.

After lunch, we headed backup to Poblacion, via the same route (so it’s mostly a climb). One of our companions during this trip said that this visit marked a personal milestone for him, since he was now able to step on all 13 municipalities of Benguet. I hope to accomplish the same.

I leave you now with another proof of nature’s bounty and God’s generosity: this little guest that joined us while we were relaxing by the water.