Hello everyone!
As I'm writing this post, I'm now in Manila and on the way to Baguio and then Mt. Pulag. I'll be climbing the 3rd highest mountain in the Philippines this weekend. I'm excited, but worried about the cold at the same time. It's estimated to be at 4°C this weekend and I hope my jackets are enough to protect me from the cold. I also didn't have proper pre-climb training. Let's just see if I can survive the trail. Aside from Mt. Pulag, we'll also be climbing Mt. Timbak and Mt. Tabayok, the 2nd and 3rd highest mountains in the island of Luzon.
In this post, I'll share my only pre-climb hike last weekend. We started at Napo then climbed to Mt. Babag and then traversed to Kan-irag going to Budlaan. It was a 12.45-kilometer hike with an elevation gain of 793 meters.
I have been hiking in the mountains here in Cebu and I think Napo to Mt. Babag is the most difficult trail to climb. It's not too long for a trail, but the ascent is unforgiving. That's why I prefer to have the trail as my default for pre-climb training and acclimatization. Some hardcore mountaineers and hobbyists might refute me on this one as there might be other trails that are more difficult, but it's just for me. They have their own choices in terms of accessibility and difficulty.
I already had a few posts about the trail in the past, but this time I want to add the Kan-irag to Budlaan route. We had a few attempts to connect Budlaan to Sirao or Kan-irag a long time ago, but we were not successful. I've tried climbing and camping at Sirao Peak, but all of them are via Ayala Heights. I've visited Budlaan Falls many times when we were in college, but we couldn't find the trail to Sirao. We were lost twice, so I guess I have given up on that trail.
When I was invited that we would do a day hike to connect the two trails, I got excited. It was finally time to traverse that elusive trail. Even if the last part to Mt. Babag is so confusing, I didn't lose any momentum nor excitement. After Super Typhoon Odette, the original trail got covered by fallen trees and branches which eventually overgrown by grasses and vines. It was like you have to create your own trail as long as you reach the peak. But after Mt. Babag, you'll just follow the road going to Cebu Transcentral Highway. We passed by some chrysanthemum flowers that were planted along the road. It's a good distraction from all the pain that I was experiencing.
I should have taken more photos, but I was so tired. I didn't want to take my phone out from my pocket. I just want to enjoy the view and focus on blocking the pain in my calves and thighs. But the view near Malubog is just so awesome for me.
There were a lot of views that are worthy to be shared like the flower fields in Kan-irag, but the path was too slippery that I forgot to take photos. I just don't want to slip and get injured. We reached a house where the owner is friends with almost all mountaineers. It became a famous resting spot in Kan-irag. I just couldn't resist the hammock. I think I slept for at least an hour while my friends were drinking.
It was around 3:00 PM that we decided to continue with the trail to reach Baugo in Budlaan before sundown. We passed by an awesome waterfalls along the way. Finally, I was able to connect the two trails while having a pre-climb hike. It's like hitting two birds with one stone. Cliché
I guess that's all for this post. See you when I'm able to reach the peak of Mt. Pulag. For now, I'll take a nap before we reach Baguio by dawn. Bye! 👋
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines). He's also a trying hard photographer so stay tuned as he shares his photos and his thought process while creating them.
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