Mt. Pulag

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This trip was actually done about three years ago when I was still a tourism professor in UP-AIT.

I had some students experience the beauty and adventure of Mt. Pulag National Park with me. If I had it my way, I would have brought with me about 35 young souls, but the trip was a voluntary one, just open for those who are interested to climb the highest mountain in Luzon and experience the cold and refreshing views of Mt. Pulag.

The nature of the mountain is a combination of mossy forests and grasslands dominated by dwarf bamboos.

You either camp on a grassland or in the forest edge which actually looks like a well-landscaped garden filled with colorful wild flowers. We made the good decision to camp in the latter and saved a lot of energy assaulting the peak of the mountain.

The mountain top offers one of the best views the country could offer. I always say that you can literally walk over the clouds. The sunrise is the most awaited moment, and the views of edelweiss-like flowers one of the most interesting views while trekking.

Mt. Pulag is not for everybody with a good pair of legs. You must also be ready to endure tha long jeepney ride over rough and dusty roads for about 5 hours from Baguio City.

I had actually been to the good mountain a number of times and some of the most memorable ones were:

When ice formed on the side of the tent as temperature dipped down to -2 degrees during the night

When I was able to convince my girlfriend to join in the climb and had a very good setting for an outdoor date. Only all her friends' tents surrounded our own! ha ha! We had a lot of sentries that time.

When I took a pee and a wall of steam formed on the line of the hot liquid falling on the ground. Really surreal and entertaining!

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