Years ago, a couple of coworkers invited me to come with them on a hike to the then second highest mountain in the Philippines, Mount Pulag. My calendar didn't agree so I couldn't come. When the opportunity came again, I grabbed it by the neck and and chained it to my wrist. Mount Pulag, you are not escaping me this time.

We left Manila on a Friday night. The trip was a long one, heavy traffic flow at EDSA included. When we arrived at Baguio, we got off the van and moved to a jeepney for the rest of the trip. Hours of zigzagging later, we broke our fast and enjoyed a nice view of the Ambuklao Dam.

Ambuklao Dam

Rode on top of the jeep to the Hanging Bridge

Jang-jang Hanging Bridge

We arrived at the DENR Station for the mandatory orientation. It was interesting and I learned some things. Did you know that Pulag isn't the second highest mountain in the Philippines anymore? It's Mount Dulang-dulang located in the Mindanao region. And did you know that its name in the local dialect means bald? The reason why the mountain was named that because the highest parts of the mountain are grasslands. It looks bald because the midsection is lush with moss and the lowest area is covered in pine trees. So yeah, Pulag.

Proof of attendance. No none checks it though

We submitted our medical certificates, got back to our jeep, and went straight for Ranger's Station. To my surprise, the camp site was well supplied. There were tents, headlamps, insulation mats, clothing, and more that you can buy or rent. There are toilets! And here I was mentally preparing myself for the pit of crap. It turns out Ranger's Station had everything you need for a convenient camping experience.

Ranger Station

Left all of your things? No worries. Acquire all of them here

Setting up camp

We were already in our sleeping bags at 8. We got up around 12:30 in the morning. After a sip of hot coffee and some bread, we took off. It was so dark that hikers from afar looked to me like walking stars in an ocean of ink. Thank goodness I didn't skimp on the headlamp.

A flashlight is good too but not as convenient as a headlamp

It was a long walk before the ascent to peak 3. Apparently Hideout Travel and Tours takes their clients to the third peak on weekends. This is because the summit gets too crowded. On the weekdays, they take them to the summit. We were a bit taken aback at first but when we saw how crowded the summit was indeed, we were grateful we weren't brought there.

You can't see it in this photo but the summit over there is pretty packed

When we finally found ourselves at Peak 3, I pat myself on the back for making the right decision to take a thick down jacket with me. It was freezing cold. The wind chill was merciless. I had on me a thick down jacket, two pairs of gloves, a thick scarf, another thin one underneath, a bonnet, two pairs of socks, and waterproof pants over a pair of leggings. I was determined not to let the cold ruin this beautiful experience.

The jacket weighed a ton though

It was worth it, the long hike, the long ride from Manila, the hassle of acquiring a medical certificate, everything. The clouds surrounded us like a white blanket from all directions. And when the sun finally peaked out of the horizon, the golds and the blues just melted into one beautiful canvas.

The sun was nearing the edge during our ascent to the third peak

And there it was. The reason why we were all sleep deprived

The clouds crept gently through the mountains on a frosty morning

Good job, guys! We deserve a good jump shot

We didn't stay long at the peak. After an hour or two, we began the descent. This was where we could take the photos we couldn't take earlier in the morning. Pulag truly is a unique mountain in itself.

Time to head back down

through the grasslands we go

into the mossy forest

And on our way back to Ranger's Station

The view is amazing every step of the way

The sun shone brightly for us that day

We reached the ranger station around 10 AM. We had breakfast, freshened up, and broke camp. I bought some broccoli, lettuces, and marble potatoes because those things are so darn cheap in the north. We rode back to the DENR station for our certificates and continued to Baguio. From Baguio, we transferred ourselves to a van and slept all the way back to Manila.

Our tour agent kept going on about how lucky we are to have experienced the sea of clouds on our first try. It was raining the past few days and the weather unexpectedly turned agreeable when the weekend kicked in. A lot of people keep coming back to Pulag because the weather keeps denying them of a good view from the peak. Thank goodness the weather was kind to us that fateful day. Although, it wouldn't hurt to come back for an encore. Ambangeg is definitely an easy trail and an enjoyable one too.
Photo credits: Jhoy Sabal, Rem Calumba, Allaine Adriano, Pao Quilala, Kuya guide